Super cheesy, creamy, tangy and easy to prepare, this green chicken enchiladas recipe is a tasty weeknight meal everyone will love.
I'm a huge fan of easy Mexican dinners - from a chicken enchilada skillet to carne asada tacos to an Instant Pot chicken burrito bowl.
Enchiladas are one of those meals you'll be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't enjoy it.
I mean what is not to like - cheese, tortillas, sauce and protein. It is hard to top. And even better it can be very simple to prepare. And that's the case with these green chicken enchiladas.
And if you're looking for a beef option, you can never go wrong with these enchiladas con carne.
Why This Recipe Works
- Simple - With rotisserie chicken, taco seasoning and green enchilada sauce, most of the heavy lifting is taken away.
- Flavorful - While it is a lot a store-bought ingredients, make no mistake it is loaded with flavor.
- Make-Ahead - You can prepare the dish up to a day in advance and then bake when ready.
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
- Rotisserie chicken - don't have to waste time cooking the chicken.
- Taco seasoning - a quick and easy way to add some spice and flavor to the dish.
- Sour cream - adds that slight tang which green enchiladas are known for.
- Cheese - can't have enchiladas without some cheese on top which creates that gooey factor.
- Green enchilada sauce - store-bought works great. Just buy your favorite version. I use Old El Paso.
- Corn tortillas - what encases the yummy filling and soaks up the sauce.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can mix and match your ingredients. Some variations include:
- If you don’t have rotisserie chicken, you can cook 1.5 lbs fresh boneless chicken. Just heat some oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté for 4 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through.
- While a little unconventional, you can replace sour cream with Greek yogurt.
- While I use Monterey jack cheese for most Mexican dishes, pepper jack or even cheddar are good substitutes.
- If you don't want store-bought sauce, you can make your own green enchilada sauce.
- I like the flavor of corn tortillas, but flour tortillas work just fine.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Cook the onion and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat with some oil until the onions are translucent. Then add it to a large bowl with the filling ingredients. Mix until combined.
Add ½ cup of the filling to a tortilla and then roll up, placing seam side down in the baking dish.
Repeat with the remaining enchiladas and top with the sauce before adding the remaining cheese.
Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
FAQs
A traditional green enchilada sauce is made from tomatillos, green chiles, garlic, vinegar and spices. It typically isn't as spicy as a traditional red enchilada sauce.
Corn tortillas are more traditional for enchiladas, but flour tortillas will work as well. Choose 7-8" flour tortillas or 6" corn tortillas as they fit best in most pans.
I highly recommend it as it makes them more pliable when adding the filling and rolling. There are a few different ways you can accomplish this:
• Heat individual tortillas in skillet for 20 to 30 seconds per side
• Wrap a stack of tortillas in foil and place in 325°F oven until warm
• Moisten a paper towel and wrap stack of tortillas and place in microwave for 30 seconds or until warm
Yes. You can prepare all of the way up to baking the enchiladas and place in the fridge for up to a day. Just bake for 30 minutes instead.
You can also place in the freezer for 3 months and place the frozen enchiladas in the oven. You'll need to bake for an hour to cook through.
These green chicken enchiladas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
These green chicken enchiladas are great on their own, but you can always add some delicious toppings or sides. Some options include:
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the recipe turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Skillet - You need something to cook the onions and garlic.
- Large bowl - Need a bowl to be able to mix together the ingredients.
- Baking dish - You want a 9x13 baking dish for the enchiladas.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- While it wouldn't be green anymore, you can use red enchilada sauce if that's all you have on hand.
- Heat corn tortillas in small skillet for 20 seconds per side so they are pliable. If you skip this step, the tortillas will break apart is you roll them up.
- Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has addition ingredients that you don’t need. Just buy blocks of cheese and grate yourself.
- Add some fresh avocado to give the dish some healthy fat.
Similar Recipes
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Green Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup white onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 2 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 (4 oz can) diced green chiles
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 lb monterey jack cheese, shredded and divided
- 2 cups green enchilada sauce
- 10 (6 inch) corn tortillas
- fresh cilantro and avocado for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes or until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Remove from heat and add the onion mixture to a large bowl with the chicken, taco seasoning, green chiles, sour cream, 2 cups of cheese and ¼ cup enchilada sauce.
- Heat small skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tortilla and cook until just pliable, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce into a 13x9 pan to completely coat it. To assemble the enchiladas, spread about ½ cup of the filling into the tortilla and then wrap. Place seam side down in pan and repeat with remaining tortillas. Drizzle the rest of the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it is bubbling and cheese is golden brown. Top with some garnishes if desired.
Notes
- While it wouldn't be green anymore, you can use red enchilada sauce if that's all you have on hand.
- Heat corn tortillas in small skillet for 20 seconds per side so they are pliable. If you skip this step, the tortillas will break apart is you roll them up.
- Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has addition ingredients that you don’t need. Just buy blocks of cheese and grate yourself.
- Add some fresh avocado to give the dish some healthy fat.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
SeafoamJade says
I realize that this is a strange question, but is there any reason why I couldn’t substitute 4 cups cooked ground beef for the 4 cups chicken? I know it sounds like a strange variation, but I think it might taste good. What do you think?
Ryan says
Yeah of course that would work!