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Though the nuances of football strategy may be lost on me, I am exceptionally well versed in the important arena of football food. Chicken Enchilada Dip has my vote for team captain, and I suspect it will be the MVP of your game-day spread too!

A chip being dipped into chicken enchilada dip

Here’s the skinny chicken enchilada dip play-by-play:

  • First, we combine luscious cream cheese, melty cheddar cheese, juicy chicken, and zesty enchilada sauce.
  • Next, we transfer them to a dish and bake, until the dip transforms into a hot, gooey, and otherwise intoxicating mess.
  • Finally, the closing maneuver: we station ourselves beside the chicken enchilada dip with a full bag of chips, inhale with reckless abandon, and marvel at the fact that something this easy to make can taste this outstanding.

We can also watch a little football, if you please. This enchilada dip with cream cheese is ready to be your game day BFF.

It travels well from counter to couch or from counter to tailgate, which is exactly what I’m looking for in a game day food.

Cheese enchilada dip in a dish

5 Star Review

“This dip was fabulous…my boys loved it!!! Will definitely make this again.”

— Pam —

How to Make Chicken Enchilada Dip

Although every descriptor of this chicken enchilada dip I’ve given you so far doesn’t exactly scream “healthy,” I did make a few modifications to ensure it was a relatively healthy chicken enchilada dip. It’ll be our little secret!


The Ingredients

  • Chicken. Tender pieces of chicken breast are the perfect addition to this creamy chicken enchilada dip. The chicken helps make it more filling.

Substitution Tip!

You could also make this into a vegetarian enchilada dip or beef enchilada dip. Omit the chicken for a vegetarian version, or swap the chicken for ground beef for a beef enchilada dip with cream cheese.

  • Cream Cheese + Greek Yogurt. Instead of full-fat cream cheese, mayo, and sour cream, I used a blend of light cream cheese and nonfat Greek yogurt.
  • Spices. A combination of chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder adds warmth, spice, and garlicky goodness.
  • Red Enchilada Sauce. While you can certainly used canned enchilada sauce with great results, for the ultimate upgrade, try my homemade red Enchilada Sauce.
  • Black Beans. Creamy and protein-packed, black beans are a delicious and nutritious addition to the dip (to make them yourself, check out this recipe for Instant Pot Black Beans.
  • Tomatoes in Green Chilies. Oodles of flavor and a hint of spice.
  • Mexicorn. A scrumptious blend of corn and red bell peppers.
  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese. No Kraft enchilada dip here! We’re using the real deal for our cheese enchilada dip. Reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese gives the dip spectacular cheesy flavor in a lightened-up way.

The Directions

  1. Cook and shred the chicken.
  2. Beat the cream cheese, yogurt, and spices together. Add the enchilada sauce. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, corn, part of the cheese, and chicken.
  3. Transfer the dip to a baking dish, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, and bake at 400 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. DIG IN!
An easy and healthy appetizer in a dish

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Refrigerate dip in an airtight storage container for up to 2 days.
  • To Reheat. Gently rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave.
  • To Freeze. Freeze cold chicken enchilada dip in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Leftover Ideas

If you have leftovers of this enchilada dip recipe, you can use it as a tasty filling for quesadillas or stuffed peppers (check out my Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers and Mexican Stuffed Peppers for inspiration).

A chip dunked into enchilada dip with cream cheese

What to Serve with Chicken Enchilada Dip

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make Enchilada Dip in Advance?

Yes, you can prepare part of the dip in advance. Cook and shred the chicken up to 1 day in advance.

You can also fully bake the dip up to 1 day in advance, cover and store it in the refrigerator, and reheat just before serving.

Can I Use a Mexican Cheese Blend Instead of Cheddar Cheese?

I like using sharp cheddar cheese here because a minimal amount adds plenty of cheesy flavor, but you can use a different type of cheese (like a Mexican blend) for the dip if you prefer.

What Should I Serve with Enchilada Dip?

While we typically stick with tortilla chips for our dip, I think cut veggies, pita chips, or potato chips would also be tasty.

Chicken Enchilada Dip

4.72 from 14 votes
A lighter version of everyone’s favorite chicken enchilada dip that’s just as creamy and decadent as the original. Easy recipe and always a crowd-favorite!

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)*
  • 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 10 ounces red enchilada sauce or canned enchilada sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes in green chilies drained
  • 1 (11-ounce) can Mexicorn drained
  • 1 cup freshly grated reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese divided
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Tortilla chips for serving

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a deep, 9×9-inch baking dish or other 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Cook and shred chicken, according to my How to Cook Shredded Chicken or another one of my easy chicken cooking methods*.
  • In a large bowl on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt until smooth and well combined. Reduce speed to low then beat in the enchilada sauce until incorporated. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the beans, tomatoes, corn, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, and shredded chicken.
  • Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the dip is hot and the cheese is bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro, then serve warm with tortilla chips.

Notes

  • *To cook the chicken in the Instant Pot instead, see this post for Instant Pot Chicken. For a slow cooker method, see my Crock Pot Shredded Chicken. To bake the chicken, try my Baked Chicken Breast. For the air fryer, see my Air Fryer Chicken Breast
  • TO STORE: Refrigerate dip in an airtight storage container for up to 2 days.
  • TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave.
  • TO FREEZE: Freeze cold chicken enchilada dip in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 8) without chipsCalories: 265kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 25gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 56mgPotassium: 653mgFiber: 6gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 815IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 168mgIron: 2mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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44 Comments

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  1. This looks delicious! Do you think it would work in a slow cooker instead of the oven? I wanted to bring it to work and keep it hot in a crock pot, so I figured I could try to cook it in one.

    1. Hi Steph! I’ve never tried to cook this in a slow cooker, so I’m afraid I don’t have any specific advice to offer. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it goes!

  2. This looks amazing, I was just wondering if breast from a rotisserie chicken would be ok or would it slam the calories through the roof? don’t mean to sound ignorant

    1. Hi Gabrielle! Unfortunately, I’ve never tried the recipe this way, so I’m not sure how it would alter the calories. I hope you enjoy it if you try it!

  3. Hi. If I make the recipe, bake it and then freeze it, will it effect the overall texture/taste of the dip? I have several appetizers to prepare and am trying to get a head start, but I don’t want to compromise the final product. Thank you

    1. Hi Sandra, I haven’t specifically done it myself but I know when freezing cream cheese, the texture can be affected. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!

  4. Made it for my Bunco group and everyone loved it! Many asked for the recipe. So easy and so very good! I had a rotisserie chicken from Costco, so just guesstimated the amount of chicken I added. Worked beautifully. It’s a keeper. Thank you!5 stars

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