A delicious, simple chicken tortilla lasagna that everyone will love, with comforting, familiar flavors of chicken in a creamy salsa verde sauce with sweet corn between layers of warm tortilla and pepper jack cheese, then topped with fresh tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, onions, and jalapenos.
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Easy Dinner for Busy Nights
This Easy Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Lasagna is the ultimate solution for a busy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love. It's a fantastic twist on the classic chicken tortilla casserole, offering a fun and flavorful take on this Tex-Mex favorite.
Layered with tender chicken, zesty salsa, gooey cheese, and crispy tortilla chips, it's a cinch to assemble and bake. This dish is a great way to satisfy your family's cravings for a comforting, cheesy meal without spending hours in the kitchen, making it the perfect recipe for those hectic evenings when you need a quick and delicious dinner option.
Interesting Fact
Lasagna, one of Italy's most beloved dishes, has ancient origins, dating back to the Greeks who made a similar layered pasta dish called "Laganon," long before it became a staple of Italian cuisine.
Looking for more baked dishes? Try:
- Italian chicken Sausage Stuffed Portobello mushrooms with Burrata
- Oven Baked Pecorino Basil Pesto Corn on the Cob
- Crispy Baked Wet Lemon Pepper Chicken Cutlets
Plan for the week! Make these One Pot Meals:
Ingredients
This dish is baked in the oven, so preheat it to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then brown the salt and pepper chicken breasts with olive oil in a sauce pot, cover with chicken broth and salsa verde, and cook.
Once the chicken is done, remove it, let it rest, then shred it. After the sauce has cooled down, whisk in sour cream and shredded pepper jack cheese. Next, add the corn and chicken and mix well.
To assemble, layer in a casserole dish the chicken sauce and corn tortillas and then top with more cheese and bake. Finally, top the casserole with avocado, tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, and fresh cilantro, squeeze on the lime juice, and serve.
See the chicken tortilla lasagna recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
A step-by-step visual guide to creating a mouthwatering chicken tortilla lasagna, perfect for a Tex-Mex twist on a classic Italian dish.
Brown the chicken in olive oil.
Add salsa verde and chicken broth, and cover to cook the chicken.
After removing the chicken, add the sour cream and whisk. Then, slowly add and whisk in the cheese.
Shred the chicken and add it back to the pot with the corn.
Brush the baking dish with olive oil.
Cut the tortillas in half and layer the pan with the cut side facing out.
Spoon half of the chicken mixture and spread out evenly.
Repeat with another set of tortillas.
Finish with the last layer of chicken filling.
Add the remaining tortillas and top with cheese and bake.
When adding toppings, you always add the big pieces first, then the small pieces. This helps everything fall into place. So, add the avocado pieces first.
Then add the tomatoes.
Next, the jalapenos.
Next, the jalapenos.
And finally, the onion and divide the dish into four squares.
Serve with a side salad, vegetables, or soup.
Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. Learn numerous techniques for chicken and preparing herbs, like using a salad spinner.
Substitutions
- Skinless Chicken Breast - Use skinless chicken thighs, ground chicken, or rotisserie chicken. Or try a different meat, like ground beef.
- Salsa Verde - Replace this green salsa with green chiles, red salsa, or tomato sauce with taco seasoning or chili powder.
- Sour Cream - Try cream cheese.
- Olive Oil - To grease the baking dish, you can use cooking spray.
- Pepper Jack Cheese - Use a Mexican cheese blend, cheddar cheese, or Monterey jack cheese.
- Canned Corn - Boiled, roasted, or grilled corn on the cob kernels.
- Corn Tortilla - Try flour tortillas.
- Jalapeno Peppers - Use Poblano (not as hot) or serrano (hot)
Change Heat Level - Modify the recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.
Variations
- Beans - Add beans for a hearty, nutritious meal. Use black beans, pinto beans, or refried beans highly loosened with chicken broth.
- More Toppings - Add black olives and green onions.
Equipment
- Medium Pot - You can use a 3-quart pot or Dutch oven to cook the chicken and sauce. For this recipe, I used my 3 Quart All-Clad D3 3-Ply Stainless Steel Sauce Pan; it's a versatile pan for the oven induction tops and is broiler safe at 600 degrees Fahrenheit—an American-made reliable pot.
- Tongs - Used when browning the chicken on both sides. I use KitchenAid Silicone Stainless Steel Tongs, good for all pans, including non-stick.
- Spatula - Great for scrapping the cheese sauce out of the pan to layer the lasagna. I used the KitchenAid Classic Bamboo Spatula that comes in a set of two.
- Whisk - Used to make the cheese sauce to ensure both solids and liquid combine well. This is a staple tool for your kitchen, if you don't have one, get the KitchenAid Classic Utility Whisk.
- Brush - Used to brush the bottom of the baking dish. Alternatively, you can use an oil spray. And if you decide to buy a silicone brush, try the OXO Good Grips Silicone Brush. The bristle won't melt!
- 8x8 Deep Baking Dish - This size pan is perfect for making a deep dish and for serving four. For more servings, use a larger pan. I used the Pyrex Easy Grab 2-Quart Glass Baking Dish. I bought It as a four-piece set with a larger 3-quart dish and two lids.
Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.
Storage
- Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, you can place the casserole in a shallow 2-inch container to cool down quickly. Then, store it in an airtight container. As a result, the meal will last up to two to three days.
- Freezer - Follow the refrigeration process mentioned above. Then, place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container. I suggest freezing this dish without the toppings.
Air Tight Food Containers - I use Glass Food Storage Containers with a plastic clipping lid to store food. For example, I always suggest glass storage containers since you can microwave them and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps them at a more stable temperature, which keeps the food fresher longer.
Cooking tips
- Resting - Allowing the meat to rest helps the juices redistribute back into the meat so that when you cut it, it's not all over your cutting board, keeping the meat moist.
- Cooling Down - You must call down hot sauces before incorporating dairy products. If you don't, the cheese, milk, or cream will break, like curdled milk or oil separation.
Chicken Recipes
Looking for other chicken recipes like this? Try these:
- Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder with Dumplings | Dairy-Free
- Best Peach Piri Piri Chicken with Fonio Kale Salad
- Lemongrass Marinated Grilled Chicken Spring Rolls
- Spicy Greek Chicken Meatball Rice Bowl
Baked Recipes
Looking for other baked recipes like this? Try these:
- Healthy Spicy Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers with Salad
- Creamy Spinach Pesto Mushroom Lasagna
- Caesar Salad with Egg Tomatoes and Chili-Infused Croutons
- Easy Sheet Pan Spicy Miso Salmon Rice Bowl
Video
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Tortilla Lasagna
Ingredients
- 12 ounces of boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup salsa verde
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese shredded
- ½ cup canned corn kernels
- 6 corn tortillas halved
- 1 small avocado medium diced
- ½ cup tomatoes medium diced
- ½ jalapeno thinly sliced rings
- ¼ cup onion small diced
- 10 cilantro leaves
- half of a small lime
Equipment
Instructions
- Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
- Set the Oven: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prep the Chicken: Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Brown the Chicken: Heat a medium pot on medium-high heat with one tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is almost smoking, sear chicken for three to five minutes on both sides or until golden brown.
- Cook the Chicken: Reduce the heat to medium. Then, add salsa verde and chicken broth, and simmer the chicken covered for 8 to 10 minutes or until the thickest part of the chicken breast has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Finally, remove the chicken and let it rest for at least 5 minutes, then shred.
- Make the Sauce: Remove the sauce from the heat and allow the sauce to rest for 3 minutes to cool down. Then, slowly whisk in the sour cream and half a cup of cheese while whisking the sauce continuously.
- Make the Filling: Add corn and shredded chicken to the cheese sauce.
- Assemble the Lasagna: Brush olive oil on the bottom and sides of an 8x8 deep baking dish. Add a layer of corn tortilla by placing four pieces. Please see the pictures and video for the layout. Then, add the chicken cheese mixture and another layer of corn tortillas, and repeat.
- Top the final layer of corn tortillas with the remaining half cup of cheese.
- Bake the Lasagna: Bake for 10 minutes until 80% of the cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with Toppings: Add avocado, tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, and cilantro leaves. Then, freshly squeeze the lime juice over the top of the dish.
- Serve: Cut into four and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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