These Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas are creamy, cheesy and packed with flavor—but also loaded with spinach and lean chicken, so you get a little balance in every bite.
This is the kind of recipe that works for busy weeknights, but is also just as welcome on the table when you’re feeding family or friends. It’s simple, satisfying and made with ingredients you can easily keep on hand.
What makes these easy chicken enchiladas stand out is the creamy chicken and spinach filling paired with a quick shortcut enchilada sauce, which keeps things easy without sacrificing flavor. If you love Mexican chicken recipes, you may also like to try our recipes for chicken enchilada casserole, asparagus and chicken enchiladas and salsa verde chicken enchiladas.
What Makes These Enchiladas Different?
There are a lot of chicken enchilada recipes out there, but this one has a few things that make it unique:
• The addition of spinach adds color, texture and nutrition
• A cream cheese-based filling instead of a traditional shredded-only filling
• A shortcut sauce using salsa + enchilada sauce for extra flavor without extra work
• Soft, cheesy, slightly creamy chicken enchiladas rather than dry or overly saucy ones
It’s a nice balance of comfort food and lighter eating.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Enchiladas
- Salsa + Enchilada Sauce: This combination creates a flavorful, slightly tangy sauce without needing to make one from scratch.
- Cream Cheese: Adds richness and makes the filling creamy and cohesive.
- Spinach: A great way to add vegetables without changing the flavor too much.
- Cooked Chicken: Rotisserie chicken works perfectly here and keeps things easy.
- Flour Tortillas: Soft and easy to roll, making these enchiladas simple to assemble.
- Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend: Melts beautifully on top for that classic enchilada finish.
Optional Toppings
Shredded lettuce, guacamole, cilantro, red onion and tomatoes all add freshness and texture to balance the richness of the enchiladas.
How to Make Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas
- Prepare the Sauce: Stir together a portion of the salsa with the enchilada sauce and set aside.
- Make the Filling: Soften the cream cheese, then mix it with the spinach, chicken and remaining salsa until well combined.
- Assemble: Spoon the filling into tortillas, roll them up and place seam-side down in a baking dish.
- Add Sauce and Cheese: Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle generously with shredded cheese.
- Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until bubbly and heated through. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Drain the spinach well: This prevents the filling from becoming watery.
- Use rotisserie chicken: It saves time and adds great flavor.
- Don’t overfill the tortillas: This helps them roll neatly and stay intact.
- Let them rest before serving: This helps everything set up and makes serving easier.
- Make Ahead: Assemble the enchiladas up to a day in advance and refrigerate. Bake when ready to serve.
- Freeze: Wrap tightly and freeze before baking. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed.
Why You’ll Love These Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas
• A creamy, flavorful filling with chicken and spinach
• Made with simple, easy-to-find ingredients
• Great way to sneak in extra veggies
• Family-friendly and crowd-pleasing
• Perfect for make-ahead dinners
These are the kind of enchiladas that disappear quickly—and often get requested again.
Variations to Try
- Use corn tortillas for a more traditional enchilada texture.
- Add More Veggies: Try sautéed mushrooms or zucchini for really healthy chicken enchiladas
- Make It Spicy: Use hot salsa or add diced green chiles.
- Lighten It Up Even More: Use reduced-fat cream cheese and cheese.
What to Serve with Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas
These pair well with simple sides:
• Fiesta rice
• Spicy Black beans
• Fresh Corn salad
• Chips and guacamole
I suggest serving Tres Leches Cake or easy Cinnamon Bunuelos for dessert!
Why This Recipe Works
The creamy filling keeps the enchiladas soft and flavorful, while the sauce adds just enough moisture without making them soggy.
It’s a great example of how a few simple shortcuts—like jarred salsa and rotisserie chicken—can still create a dinner that feels homemade and satisfying. It’s an easy Mexican dinner.
This is one of those recipes I come back to when I want something easy but still comforting. I love that it uses everyday ingredients, but still feels like a complete, satisfying meal. It’s also a great way to add a little spinach into dinner without anyone really noticing!
Mexican Recipes Featuring Chicken:
Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas
Equipment
- Microwave Safe Bowl
Ingredients
- One 16-ounce jar medium salsa, divided
- Two 10-ounce cans enchilada sauce
- One 8-ounce package cream cheese (low fat is okay)
- One 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
- 2½ cups shredded or chopped roasted chicken
- Ten 8-inch flour tortillas
- One 8-ounce package shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Extra toppings: shredded lettuce, guacamole, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped red onion, halved grape tomatoes, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Stir together ¼ cup salsa and enchilada sauce, and set aside.
- Microwave cream cheese in a medium microwave safe bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until very soft. Add spinach, chicken and remaining salsa, and stir until blended.
- Spoon a heaping ⅓ cup of chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas, and place, seam-sides down, in a lightly greased 13×9 inch baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce mixture evenly over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.
Notes
- Drain spinach well: Excess moisture can make the filling watery.
- Use rotisserie chicken: A great shortcut that adds flavor and saves time.
- Warm tortillas if needed: This helps prevent cracking when rolling.
- Customize toppings: Add fresh toppings like avocado, cilantro or tomatoes for extra flavor.
- Make ahead friendly: Assemble ahead and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Freezer tip: Freeze unbaked enchiladas for an easy future meal.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can’t wait to try this!
It looks really yummy. Both healthy and delicious, this is already a complete meal. Thanks for the recipe! I’ll try this later 🙂