Chicken Enchilada Dip with Cream Cheese

This chicken enchilada dip is creamy, cheesy, and ready in about 30 minutes when you start with cooked chicken. Cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar, and Monterey Jack get mixed with shredded chicken, corn, green chiles, and enchilada sauce, then baked until hot and bubbly.

It’s not really football without dip, you know?

I made this dip for my husband one football Sunday way back when, and that’s not even the sad part. The sad part is that we’d just moved to Nebraska and found out we no longer got the Bears games. My husband loves the Bears (I love football food), and he cried real tears, you guys. Big ones.

So there we were, with a bowl of dip and no game worth watching. At least the dip was a hit.

Honestly, it didn’t bother me a bit, because I’m only ever around for the football food anyway.

This chicken enchilada dip is a riff on our family’s favorite chicken enchilada casserole, with all that creamy, cheesy enchilada flavor and none of the tortilla rolling. If dip is your love language too, add it to the rotation with our Rotel dip, homemade queso, and refried bean dip.

3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:

• About 30 minutes, start to finish. With cooked chicken on hand, it’s a bit of prep and 20 minutes in the oven.
• Mild or spicy – your choice. This one is easy to amp up the spice with more hot sauce, a spicy enchilada sauce, or by adding diced jalapeno!
• It gives leftover chicken a job. Rotisserie chicken, last night’s chicken, or a bag of shredded chicken from the freezer all work.

What’s in This Chicken Cream Cheese Dip:

Creamy base: Cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar, and Monterey Jack. Cream cheese gives the dip body, sour cream loosens it up so it’s scoopable, Monterey Jack melts smooth, and cheddar brings the flavor. Let the cream cheese soften first so it’s easy to mix.

Mix-ins: Cooked shredded chicken, corn, diced green chiles, and chives. The corn adds little sweet pops against all that cheese. Canned green chiles bring flavor without much heat. Swap them for diced jalapenos if you like it spicy.

Sauces: Enchilada sauce and hot sauce. The enchilada sauce is where the “enchilada” flavor comes from, so use one you’d happily pour over enchiladas. I really love Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce personally. Hot sauce is your heat dial. We’ve made this with both Tabasco and Cholula, and either one works.

Seasonings: Cumin, salt, and cilantro. Cumin gives it that warm, taco-night flavor. Cilantro is a favorite of mine, but feel free to skip it if it tastes like soap to you.

For dipping: Thick, restaurant-style tortilla chips hold up best in a heavy, cheesy dip. Mini sweet peppers, pork rinds, or keto tortilla chips work too if you want to cut carbs.

Step by Step:

Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and shredded cheeses until smooth.

Stir in the remaining ingredients and give it a taste. Add more hot sauce for extra spice, if you like.

Pour the dip into a 8×8 baking dish and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until it’s hot and bubbly.

Sprinkle with a bit of cilantro and some extra corn just to make things look extra tasty before digging in.

Swaps & Tips

• Canned chicken works. Drain it really well and break it up with a fork. Extra liquid will make the dip runny. Skip the salt until you taste the mixture as canned chicken can be salty.
• Using frozen corn? Thaw it first or add an extra 5-10 minutes to the bake time.
• Don’t skip softening the cream cheese. Cold cream cheese won’t blend smooth, even with a mixer.
• Turn the heat up or down. Start with 1 tablespoon of hot sauce. For more kick, use hot green chiles or add a diced jalapeño.
• Green enchilada sauce works if that’s what’s in your pantry. It makes the dip tangier and brighter.

What to Serve with Chicken Enchilada Dip

• Tortilla chips are the classic. Want to make your own? Try these air fryer tortilla chips.
• Veggies like mini sweet peppers, celery, and cucumber slices make a lower-carb option.
• Make it a spread. Set it out with grape jelly meatballs, easy buffalo chicken dip, and a game day dessert board.

Storage:

• Fridge: Cover and refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days.
• Reheat: Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, or bake at 350°F until hot all the way through.
• Make ahead: Mix the dip, spread it in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day. Bake for an extra 10-15 minutes to heat through.
• Freezer: We don’t recommend it. Cream cheese dips tend to turn grainy and separate after thawing.

More Enchilada Recipes:

Love the flavor but want it for dinner? Try the chicken enchilada casserole that inspired this dip, or our sour cream chicken enchilada casserole.

My ground beef enchiladas are another favorite around here!

Want to make your own sauce? This homemade enchilada sauce from our sister site, That Low Carb Life, is low carb and tastes amazing.

More Game Day Recipes:

This recipe was originally published in 2014. It’s been updated with new photos and tips.