Make Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas at home! Shredded chicken, sour cream and green chiles make up the creamy filling for these tasty enchiladas. Topped with canned green chile enchilada sauce and plenty of cheese for an easy weeknight meal!
This easy recipe is my go-to for making Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas at home. Flavorful shredded chicken rolled in a corn tortilla and topped with green enchilada sauce and cheese. Feeds a family of 6 and makes a full 9X13 pan of enchiladas.
Ingredients
- Chicken – Shredded chicken from a whole chicken, thighs, breasts or rotisserie chicken.
- Diced Green Chiles – To mix in with chicken for added flavor. Typically, available in hot or mild.
- Sour Cream – I like to make the enchilada filling creamy by mixing in sour cream with the chicken. You can substitute cream cheese or omit if you don’t want creamy enchiladas.
- Canned Green Chile Enchilada Sauce – Choose a high-quality green enchilada sauce with green chiles listed as one of the top two ingredients. If you have homemade enchilada sauce on hand, you can easily substitute that as well.
- Corn Tortillas – Yellow or white corn tortillas lightly fried or steamed to prevent tearing.
- Shredded Cheese – For topping the enchiladas before baking. I like to use a shredded Mexican Blend of cheese.
How to Make Enchiladas
Step 1: Mix shredded chicken, green chiles and sour cream together.
Step 2: Lightly fry or steam corn tortillas to soften. Place ¼ c. of enchilada filling in center of tortilla. Roll up tightly and place seam side down in a 9 X 13 casserole dish. Continue with remaining tortillas and filling.
Step 3: Top enchiladas with Green Chile Enchilada Sauce.
Step 4: Top with shredded cheese and bake until hot and bubbly.
Tips on Softening Corn Tortillas
When preparing corn tortillas for enchiladas, there are three methods that are typically used - frying, steaming or dipping the tortillas in warm enchilada sauce.
Lightly fry in oil – Frying the tortillas in oil helps them from absorbing too much sauce and becoming mushy. Once your oil is hot, the tortillas can be softened in 10-15 seconds per side.
If you like the tortillas in your enchiladas on the crispier side, simply cook the tortillas a little longer. I like to heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet and cook two tortillas at a time. Carefully remove tortillas from the skillet and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
Steam in Microwave – If for health reasons you need to limit fat in your diet, you can alternatively place the corn tortillas in between damp paper towels, cover with microwave safe plastic wrap and microwave them for one minute. This will soften the tortillas and allow you to fill and roll them up without breaking.
If you prepare your corn tortillas this way they will absorb more sauce and therefore be softer than if they were cooked in oil.
What to serve with enchiladas
Serve enchiladas hot with Mexican Rice, charro beans and a guacamole salad. Topping suggestions include fresh pico de gallo, lettuce, avocado slices and sour cream.
📖 Recipe
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 3 cups Shredded Cooked Chicken
- 4 oz. Diced Green Chiles
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- 1-2 Tbsp. Canola Oil
- 12-14 Corn Tortillas
- 1 - 15 oz. can Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
- 2 cups Shredded Cheese Mexican Four Cheese Blend
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a medium bowl combine chicken, green chiles and sour cream; Mix well.
- Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in large skillet. Lightly fry tortillas for 12-15 seconds per side and place on paper towel to remove excess oil. Add additional tablespoon of oil as needed.
- Spoon approximately ¼ cup of chicken mixture into center of each corn tortilla; roll up. Arrange tortillas seam side down in 9” X 13” baking dish.
- Pour green chile sauce evenly over enchiladas. Top evenly with cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven at 375°F for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
FAQ
What kind of chicken to use in enchiladas?
You can use a whole chicken, shredded chicken breasts or thighs. Rotisserie chicken also works perfectly in this recipe.
Mexican Shredded Chicken Thighs and Green Chile Chicken are go-to crockpot recipes I frequently use to make shredded chicken.
If you are starting with plain cooked chicken, you may want to add a little cumin and garlic powder to your enchilada filling mixture for additional flavor.
What kind of green enchilada sauce to use?
A rich, full-flavored sauce is another key component to making tasty enchiladas at home. I prefer the Hatch Chile Co. Green Chile Enchilada Sauce in medium or mild. You can usually find this at the grocery stores HEB or Wal-Mart.
When buying canned green chile enchilada sauce, make sure green chiles are listed as one of the top two ingredients.
How long are the enchiladas good for?
Store leftover enchiladas in an airtight container in the fridge. Best if eaten within 3 days. Any longer and I find the corn tortillas start to break down.
If you liked this recipe be sure to check out:
- Tex-Mex Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Thighs
- Hatch Green Chile Chicken Spaghetti
- Green Chile Chicken Soup
I hope y'all enjoy this easy enchilada recipe and that it's a meal your whole family loves!
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas was originally published on My TX Kitchen on April 24, 2020. Updated with additional text and photos in February 2024.
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