Filled with chicken and cheese and topped with the most delicious sauce, these Green Chicken Enchiladas are perfect for when you are craving Mexican food. They are easy enough for a weeknight and packed with flavor!
We love a good Mexican dinner! We love to serve these enchiladas up with a side of Cilantro Lime Rice and Refried Beans and then a slice of Tres Leches Cake for dessert.
I am a lover of good Mexican food. And these Green Chicken Enchiladas are just that – good.
Amazing, in fact. These are the enchiladas that have my family asking for more (which is a good thing since they don’t share my love of enchiladas!)
And they are easy. Only a few ingredients. And fast – if you have made your enchilada sauce and cooked your chicken ahead of time.
So next time you are craving Mexican food, give these enchiladas a try. I’m sure you’ll be converted!
Ingredients
- Oil: You’ll want a neutral oil that is good for frying – vegetable, canola, or avocado oil all work well.
- Tortillas: White corn tortillas are preferred, but yellow will work, as well. You’ll want the freshest tortillas you can get to avoid too much cracking.
- Enchilada Sauce: This recipe is superior with this homemade Green Enchilada Sauce. It is creamy and delicious and is perfection in this recipe. If you want something easier, you can use canned green enchilada sauce.
- Chicken: I keep cooked, shredded chicken on hand, but you could also use a rotisserie chicken.
- Cheese: I like to use Monterey Jack, but you could use another mild, melting cheese.
- Onion: I usually use white or yellow onion but a red onion would work well!
- Toppings: You can add as many or as few toppings as you wish. I like to add green onions, cilantro, and avocado slices.
How to Make Green Chicken Enchiladas
1: Spread some of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2: Heat the oil in a small skillet. You want the oil pretty hot – about 350ºF. Add one tortilla at a time to the hot oil and let it fry for about a minute, then turn it over and cook another 30 seconds. You’ll know if the oil is the right temperature if the tortilla still remains pliable, but has darkened in color just a bit. Remove the tortilla from the oil (tongs work well here) and place on a paper towel lined plate. Continue with the remaining tortillas.
3: Fill each tortilla with some chicken, some cheese, and some onion.
4: Roll them up and place them seam side down in your baking dish. (Note that my dish in the photos was just a bit smaller than 9×13-inches, so you may be able to fit another 2 enchiladas in the dish.)
5: Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas.
6: Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top, then bake until heated through.
Tips and Tricks
- I have yet to find a brand of corn tortillas that are perfectly pliable and that don’t crack at all. The fresher they are, though, the easier they will be to work with. Just don’t expect perfection – it’s ok if there are a few cracks or tears!
- You can make up a batch of these green chicken enchiladas earlier in the day and bake them when it is time for dinner. You’ll need to add on an addition 10ish minutes since they will be warming up from the refrigerator.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
- Want to skip the frying? Wrap a few tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for a few seconds, until pliable. Then fill and roll as indicated in the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you substitute salsa verde for the green enchilada sauce?
You can! The flavor will be different, but this is a very versatile recipe, and both will work.
Is green enchilada sauce or red enchilada sauce hotter?
It really depends on your sauce, but typically green enchilada sauce is spicier than red enchilada sauce. Since this sauce is homemade, you can control the heat a little better by adding extra sour cream to the sauce. The thing with green chiles is sometimes they are super spicy, and sometimes they are more mild. And you usually don’t know until they are roasted! I find that this sauce has the perfect amount of heat, though. Enough heat to feel it, but not so spicy that my kids won’t eat it.
Can you use flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas?
You can – you’ll just want to use a similar sized tortilla. And no need to fry the tortilla first if you are using flour tortillas.
More Enchilada Recipes
White Chicken Enchiladas
Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
Easy Enchiladas
Beef Enchilada Casserole
Ground Beef Enchiladas
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
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Green Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup light neutral oil vegetable, canola, etc
- 12-14 corn tortillas
- 2 1/2 cups green enchilada sauce
- 12 oz cooked, shredded chicken
- 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- Green onions, cilantro, and avocado for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Working with one tortilla at a time, lay the tortilla in the hot oil and let it cook for 1 minute. Flip the tortilla and let it cook another 30 seconds, then remove to a paper towel lined plate. Continue with the remaining tortillas.
- Pour 1 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside half of the cheese.
- Take each tortilla and fill with some of the chicken, cheese, and onion. Carefully roll, then place in the prepared baking dish, seam side down. Continue with the remain tortillas and fillings.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 20-30 minutes.
Lisa H. says
please put covered or in covered thanks
Deborah says
Hi Lisa – you bake them uncovered. Hope you love them!
Maria says
Love your recipes they taste great.
Tanusree says
these look so GOOD…
vanillasugarblog says
I wish my mexican foods came out so clean and photogenic like yours! LOL