Green Chicken Enchiladas
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Salsa verde, green chiles, leftover rotisserie chicken and Monterey Jack cheese make for the best weeknight enchiladas ever!
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When I think of bomb Mexican food, I think of my favorite Mexican joint in LA.
Tacos Por Favor, also known as TPF. It’s located in a very tiny strip mall on the corner of Olympic Blvd and Bundy Drive, conveniently located next to a Coffee Bean.
So whenever I stop by this TPF, I order two things: a California burrito and green chicken enchiladas. I never deviate from this order. Never, ever, ever.
But now that we’ve moved to Chicago, I have had no choice but to come up with a TPF replacement.
And that’s these weeknight green chicken enchiladas.
It’s super simple and easy to assemble, and you get to repurpose leftover rotisserie chicken. Plus, when you combine the salsa verde, green chiles and Monterey Jack cheese, you’ll simply want to bathe in all of its glory.
So if you don’t have a TPF near you, you can now have your green chicken enchilada fix anytime, anywhere.
Oh, and the leftovers taste even better the next day.
tips and tricks for success
- Soften the tortillas. Warm the tortillas first so they are easier to roll. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds. You can also fry the tortillas, in batches, in a little bit of oil (about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil) until crispy but pliable.
- Do not overstuff. Size matters! Overstuffing may sound like a good idea since the filling is the best part, but this can result in ripped tortilla and overspill.
- Avoid a soggy bottom. Nobody likes soggy enchiladas! Be sure to pour the sauce on top, adding the filled enchiladas to the pan first.
what to serve with enchiladas
Tools For This Recipe
9 x 13 baking dish
Green Chicken Enchiladas: Frequently Asked Questions
Both green enchilada sauce and salsa verde are made with tomatillos and green chilies but green enchilada sauce is cooked and typically served hot while salsa verde uses raw ingredients and is served cold (or at room temperature).
We love this IP rotisserie chicken and this 6-ingredient lemon herb rotisserie chicken.
Absolutely! You can use corn or flour, it really just depends on personal preference. Corn tortillas are traditionally used for enchiladas as they maintain their structure a little more (less cracking and tearing when rolled) but either option will work great here.
Sweet potato, mushrooms, zucchini and cauliflower are all great options.
We love Monterey Jack but Cheddar, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack and Mexican blend can also be used.
Add your filled enchiladas to the bottom of the pan first, then pour the sauce on top to prevent them from soaking too much sauce (hence, soggy enchiladas).
Yes! Enchiladas is a great dish to make ahead of time and assembled the night before, letting it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to baking.
Green Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles
- 4 cups coarsely shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups salsa verde, divided
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 8-inch flour tortillas, warmed
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
- Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano and cumin until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in green chiles.
- In a large bowl, combine green chile mixture, chicken, 1/3 cup salsa verde and cilantro. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- To assemble the enchiladas, lay tortilla on a flat surface and spoon 1/2-3/4 cups of the chicken mixture in the center. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down onto prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Top with remaining salsa verde and remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese.
- Place into oven and bake until bubbly, about 35-40 minutes.
- Serve immediately, topped with dollops of sour cream.
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Hi! These look amazing! I am going to a cabin with family and wanted to make these ahead of time. Do you think it would be ok for me to make them two days ahead and put them in the fridge before baking them? Or would it be better to bake them and then just reheat on the second day?
I have never tried putting them in the fridge before and then baking but with this recipe I know it tastes good reheated. Hope this helps:)
What in everything holy is this recipe. YES. . Make it NOW. I have family requesting this exact thing when I come to visit.
Thanks for the delicious recipe!! It’s in my favorites now and forever.
Xox
We loved these. I had to modify them a little bit since my husband hates peppers. So instead of eliminating them, I reduced the amount to one can. That was enough to make him happy and he said that I should make it again! The enchiladas were really delicious. I used Goya enchilada sauce and it was great. I have made homemade salsa verde before which is also great (preferred) if I have the time, but either one works. Thank you Chungah, for another wonderful recipe.
This was so good! My husband absolutely loved this and he’s Mexican! He asked for me to make it again. It’s a keeper!
I made this once and my husband hasn’t stopped talking about it since so I’m making it again tonight!
These were great! Thanks for sharing. I used corn tortillas to make gluten free.
You want to talk about Damn Delicious? Used your Salsa Verde recipe (and tore it up with some chips!) and used it in this recipe oh yeah, AND made homemade tortillas. It is official, I’ve eaten the best meal. You go girl!
Made this last night and it was a big hit with the hubby. I didn’t have 2 cans of the diced chiles so substituted a jalapenos and this worked really well. Will definitely be making this again 🙂 DELICIOUS
I’d give it 5 stars but instead I gave it 4 because it is not a budget friendly recipe. The rotisserie chicken is what pushed it out of our price range. I was wondering if there’s a way to make this cheaper but still have the same flavors?
Also, this recipe is so delicious fresh and as leftovers. I would say fresh is best though.
Audrey, I’m making this for dinner tonight. I’m using chicken breast that I pulsed in the food processor. It smells and looks delicious. I also added a can of black beans, bc I only had 1 lb chicken. Hope that helps.
Made this tonight with some chicken breast, 1 can black beans (drained) and 1 ear of farmer’s market corn (removed from ear). It was amazing and a great way to use less meat.
You can literally make this with whatever protein you want! We have used boiled chicken, left over chicken breasts, rotisserie, you name it! I love how versatile it is…. we have run out of certain salsa or cheese and just use whatever we have and it’s always good! Just gotta stick to the herbs, spices, onion, and green Chile’s!
Our entire family of 6 loved these! I did not have a rotisserie chicken so I just cooked 2-3 chicken breasts in a slow cooker covered in chicken broth, removed the chicken when done and shredded it. I am going to add this recipe to our rotation. Thank you for sharing!
hi audrey…so easy to make chicken breasts. in los angeles they vary from 189/lb to 2/89/ per pound. so when they are on sale i buy a few.
they are easy to either bake, steam, or boil…..so that shouldn’t put you out of the price range. also on thursdays our ralphs has a 5 dollar rotisseried chicken. and costco has them al the time. hope this helps.
Using canned chicken is just the same, it tastes wonderful. If you would need any other ingredients at a lower price just reply it and I will answer as soon as I see it.
I made this tonight. It turned out SO SO good!
Delicious! Recipe came together very quickly so this is great for a weeknight meal. I used Frontera tomatillo salsa.
SO DELICIOUS. Can I prepare this and put it in the fridge and then bake later? If so, are there any modifications on when I add certain ingredients? Thanks!
Excellent! The entire family loved these Green Chicken Enhiladas and we will definitely add the recipe to the “favorites” category!
I like a little more heat and made my own salsa verde with fresh jalapeno and some finely chopped Thai red chili peppers. The filling is moist but doesn’t get the flour tortillas soggy, which I liked. Also, the monterey jack cheese stands up well with its creamy but not runny consistency. Pico de Gallo added to the topping is a great addition. I didn’t have enough chicken on hand, so I used half the recipe with cooked and chopped shrimp. Equally good.
Excellent! Great flavor — not overly hot for those who do not like heat, but enough great flavor to satisfy those who prefer heat. Easy to make exactly as written and uses on-hand ingredients. Will make again for my picky family. Thanks!
Update — I froze several enchiladas before baking and served them three weeks later. They were every bit as delicious as the first time we ate them! The sauce did not make the enchiladas soggy and the flavor was wonderful.
So good to read. As I like to make meals and freeze for later:)
This recipe is so easy and delicious! Thank you so much! Quick question – I want to make this again in advance. Do you think I could prepare the whole dish as instructed and instead of baking after step 4, cover the dish and put it in the freezer? If so, do you recommend changing the cooking time at all if it is frozen? Thank you!
I’ve frozen extra enchiladas- they actually freeze and store really well when placed in a freezer ziploc bag. I freeze the prepared enchiladas without the sauce on top and then add it once I’m ready to bake. Personally, I don’t think it would freeze and then thaw well with the enchilada sauce.
Awesome thank you so much for the recommendation!
Ummm fantastic, I normally make red sauce enchiladas and wanted to try something different, these are the bomb❤️❤️
I made these with pre-marinated cilantro/lime chicken (Kroger brand). Amazing! I used 1.5 pounds chicken. And added 2 poblano peppers, sauteed, to the filling mixture. Topped with fresh pico de gallo, avocado, and sour cream. It was absolutely delicious!
these Enchiladas were “damn delicious”! My husband said it was better than our favorite mexican restaurant. Will definitely make this again!! I served with refried beans and it was the perfect meal!
Tasty and fulfilling! A keeper. BTW- I used Herdez Salsa Verde (saw you mentioned in another comment as your fave, too!) and flour tortillas warmed on a oily pan so they stay crisper (worth it!). Next time serving with a side of rice and beans to make platos completos! Doesn’t hurt to have margaritas, of course!