Spice up your life with green chili chicken enchiladas! Enchiladas are one of my favorite casserole-style dinners, with soft tortillas filled with creamy chicken drenched in a bright, tangy sauce and baked under melted cheese.
These will definitely be hitting our table again soon with a side of jeera rice. In the meantime, I can’t wait to share their goodness with you. It’s a melty, gooey, and zesty fiesta in a baking dish. Olé!
It was Mexican night recently, and obviously, enchiladas were a must. I’m not one to stray away from my classic chicken enchiladas, but I had a can of green chilis in the pantry and inspiration called. So, with some diced chilis here and a little jalapeño there, I changed things up with this bright and zingy homemade green chili sauce. Holy mole (lol), these green chili chicken enchiladas came out great!
Why I Love This Green Chili Enchiladas Recipe
- Homemade sauce. After a few test runs, I hit a home run with the green chili sauce for this recipe. It’s made with simple ingredients and the flavors are bright and zesty, and just hot enough (it’s also easy to adapt if spice isn’t your thing).
- Super crave-able. Once the sauce mingles with the chicken and cheese, the flavors go through the roof! There’s something so comforting about a casserole dish of melty, spicy baked enchiladas. It’s a great family meal where we always go back for seconds.
- Easy to make. These green chili enchiladas are quick and easy to assemble, and you don’t need fancy ingredients. The longest step is roasting the chicken! I love making enchiladas whenever I have leftover chicken for this reason. Or, a store-bought rotisserie chicken is another way to speed things up.
Enchiladas Ingredients
These green chili chicken enchiladas have so much flavor, and the ingredients might be in your kitchen already. Here are some notes to get things started. Scroll down to the recipe card after the post where you’ll find a printable ingredients list and recipe details.
- Chicken – I use boneless skinless chicken thighs seasoned with smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. You’ll also want to rub everything in with a little olive oil to help it stick. Chicken breasts will work here, too, but the chicken will cook more quickly.
- Sour Cream – If you don’t have sour cream, use plain Greek yogurt.
- Cheese – Use your favorite shredded Mexican cheese blend, or grate your own. Grated cheddar cheese also works in a pinch.
- Tortillas – I make this recipe with 8” flour tortillas, but 6” also works, as do corn tortillas.
Green Chili Sauce
- Onion – Diced yellow onion, plus olive oil for sauteing. You can use any mild onion and any cooking oil you have on hand.
- Jalapeño – Seeded and diced. Feel free to use another pepper, like serrano or poblano. You can also go spicier, with varieties like habanero.
- Garlic – You’ll want to use fresh cloves, finely minced.
- Chicken Stock – This can also be vegetable stock. I like to use low-sodium stock as it makes it easier to season the sauce to taste.
- Green Chilis – You can use mild or hot canned green chilis, it’s up to you. You’ll also need a can for assembling the enchiladas.
- Seasoning – Cumin, plus salt and pepper.
How to Make Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
There are a handful of steps to making my saucy, cheesy green chili enchiladas. I mentioned it in the ingredients section, but if you’re looking to get a head start, go ahead and pick up a rotisserie chicken to shred.
If you’re cooking your chicken from scratch, you can get started on the green chili sauce while it roasts in the oven. Everything else comes together just as quickly and easily. Let’s get started!
- Cook and shred the chicken. First, season the chicken and get that roasting in the oven at 425ºF for about 20 minutes. Afterward, shred the meat and leave that aside while you make your sauce.
- Make the sauce. Meanwhile, saute onion, jalapeños, and garlic in a skillet. Stir in stock and two cans of diced green chilis. Let that simmer for about 10 minutes, and then puree it in a blender to make a smooth sauce.
- Mix the filling. Stir the chicken with sour cream, more green chilis, and shredded cheese for the enchilada filling.
- Assemble. Once all your ingredients are ready, roll the chicken mixture up tightly inside the tortillas and nestle those into a 9×13” baking dish.
- Finish with toppings. Lastly, top the enchiladas with chili sauce and cheese.
- Bake. Bake these green chili enchiladas at 375ºF for 15 minutes under foil, and another 15 minutes uncovered, then serve!
Tips and Variations
- Soften the tortillas. If you’re struggling with broken tortillas while trying to wrap your chicken enchiladas, pop the tortillas into the microwave for 30 seconds or so, to help them soften and bend more easily.
- Different protein. I can’t wait to make a version of beef enchiladas with this green chili sauce! Feel free to swap out the chicken in this recipe with ground or shredded beef, or try turkey.
- Different tortillas. This enchiladas recipe works with larger or smaller flour tortillas, and you can also use corn tortillas.
- Vegetarian. For vegetarian enchiladas, I’d suggest replacing the chicken with crumbled tofu or cooked beans. Chickpeas are another meatless option.
- Red enchilada sauce. Make this recipe with my quick and easy, classic homemade enchilada sauce instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Canned chilis are convenient, but if you have a bunch of fresh green chili peppers on hand to make your sauce, go for it! For every 4-ounce can of diced green chilies, you’ll need about 3 jalapeño, poblano, and serrano peppers. So, for this recipe, you’ll need about 9-10 peppers to replace 3 cans.
If you are using fresh, I recommend deseeding and roasting the chilis first to take the edge off. This is easiest to do with a broiler, as I do for my stuffed poblano peppers recipe. See below.
Simply arrange the chili peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and place them under the broiler, turning them often so that they blacken on all sides. Afterward, seal the roasted peppers in a ziplock bag and let them rest. It makes them easy to peel! Finally, peel and dice the chilis, and you’re ready to use them in the recipe.
What to Serve With Chicken Enchiladas
Just like chicken tacos, these green chili chicken enchiladas aren’t complete without toppings! We love ours dolloped with sour cream, guacamole or avocado, pico de gallo, salsa, queso cheese, or Mexican crema.
Serve enchiladas with a starter of taco soup and a side of Mexican corn (elote) or Southwest egg rolls. They’re great in the summer paired with a cucumber mojito! When we’re really up for a Tex-Mex feast, I’ll have these enchiladas as an appetizer alongside a bowl of beef birria served over rice.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Once the enchiladas have cooled, store them airtight and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months and defrost them in the fridge for easy lunches and dinners! Reheat in a warm oven or use the microwave.
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Roast the chicken
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Prep. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Season the chicken. Rub the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and olive oil.
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Roast the chicken. Arrange the seasoned chicken on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
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Shred. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred it with two forks. Set aside and reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
Make the sauce
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Saute the veggies. While the chicken is roasting, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeños to the skillet. Sauté until softened. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.
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Make it saucy. Stir the chicken stock and diced green chilis into the veggies along with the cumin. Simmer for about 10 minutes and then remove from heat.
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Season. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Blend. Add the sauce to a blender and blend until almost smooth.
To make the enchiladas
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Make the filling. In a mixing bowl, combine shredded chicken, sour cream, diced green chilis, and 1 cup of shredded Mexican blend cheese. Mix until well combined.
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Assemble. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spoon a portion of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla, then roll the tortillas tightly around the filling. Place the enchiladas seam-side down in the baking dish, one next to the other. Pour the remaining sauce over the top, making sure to cover the enchiladas evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the enchiladas.
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Bake. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Serving: 2enchiladas | Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 1372mg | Potassium: 567mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 748IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 608mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
