This chicken enchilada pie bake takes everything you love about chicken enchiladas – tender shredded chicken, green chile sauce, melty cheese – and stacks it into easy layers instead of rolling individual tortillas. It's a cheesy, bubbly casserole that comes together in about 40 minutes, feeds a crowd, and reheats beautifully for lunches all week.

One of our favorite easy weeknight meals has always been enchiladas – and cheesy baked chicken enchilada pie. This casserole dinner is packed with rolled enchilada flavor – but a million times easier to throw together, and a solid way to use up leftover rice and shredded chicken – or a rotisserie chicken!

We've been making this casserole a few times a month since we were in college – its one of our kids favorite meals, they are always excited to dig in!

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

What stands out

No rolling required. Get all the flavor of chicken enchiladas with a fraction of the prep — layer and bake.
Great for leftovers. Rotisserie chicken or leftover shredded chicken works perfectly.
Feeds a crowd. One pan serves 12, and it reheats as well as it tastes fresh.
Make-ahead friendly. Assemble the night before and bake when you're ready.

Quick Recipe Snapshot

Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 35 minutes | Total: ~40 minutes Servings: 12 | Calories: ~219 per serving Best for: Weeknight dinners, potlucks, meal prep, freezer meals

Why This Recipe Works

This casserole follows the same layering logic as classic enchiladas, stacked instead of rolled: a base of sauce and tortillas to anchor the layer, a hearty filling of chicken, beans, and rice that soaks up flavor as it bakes, and a generous top layer of cheese and sauce that gets bubbly and golden in the oven. Building it in repeated layers means every bite gets a little of everything — no dry corners, no bland bites.

Ingredients You'll Need For Enchilada Pie

Corn tortillas – the layers that hold everything together; corn keeps that classic enchilada flavor and texture.
Green chile enchilada sauce – the backbone of flavor; divided between the layers and the top so every bite is saucy.
Shredded chicken – rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken both work great here.
Pinto beans – add heartiness, fiber, and a creamy texture once baked.
Mexican rice – bulks up the filling and helps soak up extra sauce.
Sour cream – stirred into the filling for a creamy, tangy layer.
Shredded cheddar and jack cheese – melts into that signature gooey, golden top.
Sliced olives – a classic enchilada casserole topping for briny flavor and texture.
Green onion – fresh, sharp finish sprinkled on at the end.

Full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.

How to Make Chicken Enchilada Pie Bake

Prep

Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.

Layer

Add a layer of corn tortillas, much like you would lay noodles in lasagna.

Rice

Add a layer of rice or beans towards the bottom of the casserole. We like to leave rice at the bottom, so it soaks up some of the extra liquid.

Tortilla & Sauce Layers

Between each filling, we add a layer of sauce and tortillas.

Beans

Add a layer of beans – drain well.

Shredded Chicken

We like to use shredded chicken, but chicken tinga boiled chicken mexican pot roast crispy pulled porkor carnitas all work – you can also use ground beef!

Tortillas to Top

We always add a layer of tortillas at the top.

Sauce and Cheese

Finish off the casserole with sauce and shredded cheese.

Bake

Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the edges are golden.

Kitchen notes

Preventing a soggy bottom:

Drain canned beans well and pat shredded chicken dry before mixing – extra liquid pools at the bottom as it bakes.
Go light on the sauce in the bottom layer; save the bulk of it for the filling and top.
Don't worry too much about a soggy bottom – the tortilla layers will scoop nicely if there is a good amount of sauce at the bottom of the pan.

How to Prevent a Dry Enchilada Casserole:

Don't skimp on the sauce in the middle layers – it keeps the chicken and rice moist as everything bakes.
Cover with foil for the first 15–20 minutes if your oven runs hot, then uncover to let the cheese brown.
Leftovers reheat best with a splash of extra enchilada sauce or a damp paper towel over the dish in the microwave.

Enchilada Casserole Recipe Variations

Tinga & veggies: Swap the shredded chicken for chicken tinga and add sautéed bell peppers and onions to the filling.
Barbacoa: Use shredded barbacoa beef in place of chicken for a smoky, richer pie.
Extra creamy: Stir an extra dollop of sour cream or a layer of cream cheese into the filling for an ultra-creamy texture.
Christmas tree style: Use both red and green enchilada sauce in alternating layers for a festive, colorful presentation.
Vegetarian: Skip the chicken and double the beans, or add black beans and corn for extra texture.
Divorced enchiladas style: Use half red and half green sauce, dividing the dish down the middle for two flavor profiles in one pan.

Enchilada Pie Frequently Asked Questions

Is enchilada pie the same as enchilada casserole?

Yes – “enchilada pie” and “enchilada casserole” describe the same idea: enchilada ingredients layered and baked instead of rolled into individual tortillas.

Can we make this ahead of time?

Yes – assemble the whole pie, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time if it goes in cold.

What kind of tortillas work best?

Corn tortillas give the most authentic enchilada flavor and texture, but flour tortillas can be substituted if that's what you have on hand.

What kind of chicken should we use?

Rotisserie chicken is the easiest option, but any cooked, shredded chicken – from a crockpot, Instant Pot, or leftovers – works perfectly.

How do we know when it's done?

The cheese on top should be fully melted and bubbly, with lightly golden edges, after 25–30 minutes at 375°F.

Can we add other vegetables?

Yes – corn, diced bell peppers, or sautéed onions all mix in well with the chicken and bean filling.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerator: Store covered for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze baked or unbaked, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking or reheating.
Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave with a splash of enchilada sauce, or reheat the whole dish covered in a 350°F oven until heated through.

Also try Whole Roasted Montreal Chicken Cheesy Taco Skillet Green Chile Whiskey Onion Burgers Nacho Fries Crispy Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticksand Oven Smoked Ribs.

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Ingredients

16 corn tortillas
2 cans pinto beans
½ cup sour cream
60 oz green chile enchilada sauce, divided
2 cups shredded chicken, shredded
2 cups mexican rice
2 cups shredded cheddar or jack cheese, extra sharp
½ cup olives, sliced into rings, to garnish
1 green onions, diced, to garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put a layer of sauce down in the casserole dish.
Lay half the tortillas down as the bottom layer, spaced out in two rows, to cover the bottom of the pan.
Add beans, sour cream, chicken, mexican rice, and green chile enchilada sauce, in layers.
Place rest of tortillas on the top, spaced out in two rows.
Smother with additional green chile enchilada sauce.
Top with cheese and olives.
Bake 30-40 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted.
Top with green onions.
Let cool 5 minutes before serving.