Pastel Azteca Recipe {Stacked Chicken Enchiladas}

This Pastel Azteca recipe features layers of tender shredded chicken, creamy tomatillo sauce, melty Oaxaca cheese, and roasted poblano peppers stacked tall between crispy corn tortillas. This warm, comforting dish is a family-style recipe that makes everyone happy.

Recipe first posted on May 17, 2017 and last updated with clearer instructions and new images on May 21, 2024.

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Pastel Azteca also known as, Budín Azteca, is a popular dish throughout Mexico. It is quintessential comfort food that the moment you start thinking about it, you just can’t stop until you get that first bite.

It is seriously delicious. I love how each layer reveals hidden pockets of cheese or chicken or sauce.

Most Pastel Azteca recipes in Mexico are made with a red salsa or even mole poblano but I’m going with a creamy salsa verde giving it more of an enchiladas suizas vibe.

If you’ve never had enchiladas suizas they have shredded chicken and cheese, in a creamy tomatillo salsa—yum, so good. Unfortunately, I don’t have a recipe for them, but my friend Karla has an excellent enchiladas suizas recipe, if you want to give them a try.

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You can bake this in a single baking dish like we did with our very similar deep-dish black bean enchiladas casserole or this chipotle beef and bean enchilada casserole. But I love how the wedges of pastel Azteca look so I’m using a 9-inch springform pan for this version.

I’ll admit upfront that it is a bit of a project, I’m going to say we’re at an intermediate level of cooking skills here, but don’t worry. I’ll walk you through step-by-step with photos and a video to help along the way.

What Is Pastel Azteca?

Pastel Azteca (Aztec cake) is essentially enchiladas, where the tortillas are layered with the filling instead of rolled. Some people refer to it as Mexican lasagna. In Mexico you’ll find it with any number of fillings like rajas con crema, corn kernels, or huitlachoche. In Jalisco they make a popular version that is filled with picadillo and topped with cream, ripe avocado, and pomegranate.

Larousse Cocina, which is like the Mexican encyclopedia of cooking, defines it as layers of tortillas bathed in sauce with filling in-between the layers, covered in cream and cheese, and baked in a dish. I mean what’s not to love about that?!

What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

We are essentially bringing two recipes together with this recipe. We’re making the layered goodness of Pastel Azteca but filling it with the creamy, cheesy, chicken flavors of enchiladas suizas. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Chicken. You can use anything you want here, you need 2 pounds of chicken. If you don’t want to cook your own chicken, you can substitute rotisserie chicken or use leftover cooked chicken.
• White onion and garlic. Aromatics to flavor the chicken.
• Bay leaf, kosher salt, and black peppercorns. Herbs and spices to give the chicken pizazz.
• Poblano peppers. To make our rajas, which are essentially strips of charred poblano pepper.
• Tomatillos, serrano chiles, and cilantro. These three are the base of the green sauce. All Mexican food staples. Hopefully you can find tomatillos and serranos at your local grocery store. There’s really no good substitute for tomatillos but you can swap jalapeños for the serranos.
• Sour cream. Or crema Mexicana if you want to be really authentic.
• Vegetable oil. For frying the tortillas.
• Corn tortillas. Don’t substitute flour tortillas here, they will just fall apart.
• Queso fresco, Oaxaca cheese, and Cotija cheese. The queso fresco adds a milky chew, the Oaxaca cheese melts beautifully and the Cotija brings a tangy pop. If you can’t find these cheeses, ricotta can be swapped in for the queso fresco, Monterey Jack for the Oaxaca cheese, and Parmesan for the Cotija.
• For serving: Shredded lettuce, ripe avocado, and more Cotija cheese. Or make a batch of my quick-pickled red onions.

How To Make This Pastel Azteca Recipe

step one

First cook the chicken. In a large saucepan combine the chicken pieces, half of the sliced white onion, 2 of the garlic cloves, bay leaf, salt and peppercorns. Fill with water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. Shred into bite-sized pieces—that’s the start.

You can absolutely use rotisserie chicken here or leftover shredded chicken. By the way, strain the broth and save it for making soup or some other glorious thing.

step two

Make the rajas. Place the poblano peppers directly over the flame of your gas stove set at medium-high heat and cook, turning frequently with tongs, until well charred and blackened on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Once cool enough to handle, rub the blackened skin off with your fingers or paper towel, remove the stems and seeds. I like to rinse off any leftover seeds and bits of charred skin, some think that it washes away flavor—you do what you need to.

Slice poblanos into bite-sized strips.

If you don’t have a gas stove, broil the peppers under the broiler or grill them.

step three

Make the sauce. In another large pan, combine tomatillos, the other half of the onion, the rest of the garlic, and serrano peppers just like when we make a simple salsa verde. Fill with water and simmer over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Drain the vegetable and transfer to a blender along with the cilantro and sour cream. Season with salt and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Pour sauce into a shallow dish like a pie plate.

step four

Fry the tortillas. Heat oil in a medium skillet until hot. Fry tortillas, one at a time until golden and crisp on both sides. Set aside on a paper towel lined baking sheet.

step five

Start the layers. Dip four of the fried tortillas in the sauce, coating both sides, and lay them in the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan trying to cover as much area as possible.

Top with half of the shredded chicken, half of the poblano strips, and a third of each of the cheeses. Continue with another layer of sauce-coated tortillas, the rest of the chicken and poblanos, and another third of the cheese.

Finally place the last sauce-coated tortillas on top, pour any remaining sauce over them, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

*MAKE-AHEAD: This delicious meal can be layered, covered, and refrigerated up to a day in advance. Bake right before serving, perfect for busy days or entertaining.

step six

Bake. Transfer to a 400°F oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

step seven

You did it! Now pull from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before removing the sides of the pan. Slice into wedges and serve this delicious dish while still hot with frijoles borrachos, my warm cauliflower salad, or this tangy Veracruz-style hominy.

🌶️ Spice-level: If you’d like the sauce spicier, leave the seeds in the serrano chiles. Less spicy? Take the seeds out or use less chiles. How much heat do you like in your Mexican food? Mild, got-a-kick, or bring-the-fire-extinguisher? Leave me a comment and let me know. 🌶️