Southwest Chicken Lasagna
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Mar 12, 2026 
My cheesy southwest chicken lasagna is a bold Tex-Mex twist on classic lasagna. I layer lasagna noodles with tender chicken, beans, veggies, melty cheese, and creamy enchilada sauce for an easy baked dinner that’s rich, hearty, and full of flavor.
I’m a huge lover of chicken casserole recipes, so when I made this southwest chicken lasagna dish I knew I had hit a gold mine. It takes everything cozy and delicious I love about cheesy casseroles, and gives it a seriously bold Tex-Mex twist. Instead of classic lasagna layers, I make a filling of juicy rotisserie chicken, hearty beans and veggies, and roll it all up in cooked lasagna that I then bake in a generous amount of zesty enchilada sauce. This is one of those tried-and-true recipes that my entire family loves. Once it comes out of the oven hot, cheesy, and bubbling, it doesn’t last very long on the table!
Olivia – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love this lasagna roll ups recipe! It was so easy to make and the flavors are incredible!! I’ll definitely be having this again, thank you!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinner – Whenever I’m short on time, I use leftover chicken (or shredded rotisserie chicken) and throw in whatever beans and veggies I have on hand. The filling comes together in under 5 minutes, then I just roll and bake, making this dish a win-win on so many levels!
Bold and Cheesy – Cheese lovers unite! The filling is made with cheese and taco seasoning, and the sauce is a blend of tangy cream cheese and red enchilada sauce. That’s a lot of cheese… You’re welcome.
Great to Customize – Although this is my favorite way to make chicken enchilada lasagna rolls, there are several ways to easily change up ingredients to suit your tastes. Check out some of my recommended variations below.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Dried lasagna noodles – This is the entire base of the dish, so make sure to use one box of your favorite brand of pasta. Then cook them based on the package instructions. Be gentle when lowering and lifting the noodles; they can be delicate.
- Red enchilada sauce – To give this lasagna that signature Southwestern flair and flavor, I love to use the either homemade red enchilada sauce or canned. It gives just the right amount of tanginess and spice.
- Cream cheese – I use a plain full-fat cream cheese to give the filling that delicious creaminess and thickness.
- Chicken – Of course, you can always make chicken from scratch, but why not save time?! I prefer to use shredded rotisserie chicken or whatever leftover chicken I have on hand.
- Black beans – Drained canned black beans add some serious texture and heartiness to every bite. Other canned beans can be used as well.
- Veggies – For a pop of color and savoriness, I love to add chopped red and green bell peppers, along with garlic.
- Blended cheese – To get that magical bubbly cheesy crust, I add a heaping mound of shredded Mexican cheese blend.
- Taco seasoning – I use my homemade chicken taco seasoning, or store-bought packets here. It helps tie all the flavors together and adds an unmistakable smokiness.
How to Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Prep – The first thing I do to get this hot dish started is to preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then I grease my baking dish with a little bit of olive oil, and I get a big pot of salt water boiling.
Cook the lasagna – Once the water is bubbling, I cook the lasagna sheets according to the package instructions. I always make these al dente, which means the pasta has a slight bite to it. (But they need to still bend!) Then I drain the lasagna, and I lay them out on a clean towel.
Make the enchilada sauce – Next, I grab a blender and toss in the enchilada sauce and the room-temperature cream cheese. Blend away until that mixture is nice and creamy. Then I pour about half of that sauce onto the baking dish before I add the lasagna sheets.
Make and roll the filling – To make that dreamy filling, I toss the chicken, veggies, black beans, cheese and taco seasoning into a bowl and I mix it all up. Then, I spread that chicken filling oven each lasagna sheet and I gently start rolling them up. I delicately place the rolled-up lasagna into the baking sheet, and once they’re all in, I top them off with the remaining enchilada sauce mixture. PS, if you don’t want roll ups, you can layer this like traditional lasagna.
Bake until bubbly – Almost done! Pop the baking dish into the oven for about 30 minutes, until it’s golden and bubbly. Right before it’s done, I add another layer of cheese and bake it for a few more minutes until perfection. I love to top this off with some fresh scallion or cilantro before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Protein – Try adding shredded pork, cooked ground beef, or ground turkey to this recipe for a similar texture.
- Veggies – Consider mixing in chopped zucchini, kale, or spinach along with the bell pepper.
- Enchilada sauce – Swap mild red for green enchilada sauce (verde) with a bit more heat.
- Spicy – Use a spicy-hot enchilada sauce for serious heat, or throw in a little crushed red pepper.
- Low Fat – Ok, maybe not low low fat, but lowER fat… You can use low-fat cream cheese and shredded cheese to make a slightly lighter chicken dish.
Serving Suggestions
These easy roll ups are filling enough to enjoy on their own. That’s why I like to keep the sides light and on theme. Here are some of my favorite sides to enjoy with this dish:
You can also serve these lasagna enchiladas with refried beans or Mexican pinto beans, with homemade queso and salsa!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in order to get the oven-ready noodles soft enough to roll up, you can boil them until al dente. Then handle them with care.
Yes! Prep these cheesy rolls ups all the way up to baking, then cover and refrigerate for several days. Straight from the refrigerator, the baking time will be closer to 40-45 minutes.
Storing
Store leftovers in an airtight container. These rolls can last 3 to 5 days in the fridge. This is a great freezer recipe! Cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Place it in the fridge the night before you want to serve it, then bake it in the oven to reheat.
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Southwest Chicken Lasagna
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried lasagna noodles (1 box)
- 19 ounces red enchilada sauce (1 can)
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (great for using up leftovers)
- 15 ounces black beans drained (1 can)
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper (heaping) I used two colors
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese divided
- 1/2 cups chopped scallions
- 1 taco seasoning packet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set a large pot of salted water over high heat, and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, cook the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions. Once cooked to al dente, lay them out on a clean tea towel.
- Meanwhile, place the red enchilada sauce in the blender and add the cream cheese. Blend until smooth. Pour half of the cheese sauce into the baking dish.
- In a large bowl, mix the cooked chicken, black beans, bell peppers, garlic, 2 cups shredded cheese, scallions, and taco seasoning. Spread the mixture evenly over 12 lasagna noodles. Roll each noodle, tucking bits back into the rolls if they fall out. Place the rolls in the baking dish. Once all the rolls are in the dish, pour the remaining sauce over the top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Garnish with chopped scallions or cilantro if desired.
Made a couple of changes to avoid a trip to the store. Blended Rogelio tomato’s with my cream cheese and reduced bell pepper to 1/2 cup. Rave reviews, thanks for the recipe, will make it again.
I made one change – I made this lasagna style instead of rolling the Noodles. Ok, I also put cilantro in the chicken mix instead of scallions cause I’m a cilantro fiend. This was delicious! I would definitely make it again.
Looks amazing! Think I am going to make this for a girls weekend but not everyone likes peppers. What would be a good substitute? Green chilies?
I’m interested in making these! Here’s where I’m in a pickle… my SO is currently going through Lent (I am not) and I would like to figure out a way to make this meat-free. I found a similar recipe that called for vegetarian chili, which sounds interesting…but I want the cheesy goodness that this recipe has. Suggestions would be great!
Why not use some of the vegetarian soy protein meat substitutes in place of the chicken? I would think you wouldn’t need any more than a pound as even with a cup and a half of chicken I had filling left over after 12 lasagna noodles.
I’m making this weekend with the ‘Gardein’ brand of ‘chicken’ for me. I like lasagna rolls because I can make my boyfriends with the real stuff and mine with the fake stuff and all are happy.
This was absolutely delicious – I split the recipe in half and froze half (before baking) for next week to bring to a friends. I had a bit of filling leftover so plan to experiment a bit, maybe use as filling for Crescent Rolls? Anyway the combination of the cream cheese and Enchilada sauce was divine. I subbed in a can of chopped green chilis for the scallions. I’ll be trying more of your recipes!
Love this southwest dinner!!!
Love the idea of rolling the lasagna! Thank you so much !
Lasagna rolls are always a hit!
Oh my gosh do these look good!
I simply cannot resist a dish as cheesy as this! Looks like absolute perfection!!
Love the video!!! That sauce looks nothing short of dreamy!!! xoxo
This looks so delicious! Cannot wait to try it out!