Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas - Juicy, Creamy, Shredded Greek Chicken Enchiladas with homemade Salsa Verde Sauce, melty cheese, and fresh cilantro is one of the easiest chicken dinners you can make in less than an hour.
Easy Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
You can use store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked and shredded chicken to make this big batch of Salsa verde Chicken Enchiladas for your Potluck.
When making dinners for the crowd, this easy peasy Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada is simply perfect. They'll be an instant hit and trust me people are gonna ask you for the recipe.
Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
You can make Enchiladas with your Red Enchilada Sauce. But, in my home, we like these green Chicken Enchiladas more. The Green Salsa or Salsa Verde is actually made using Tomatillo which is also called Mexican Husk tomato.
Salsa Verde is pretty Popular in Mexican, Southwestern, and Tex Mex recipes. You can easily make Salsa Verde at home all by yourself. It's so easy and so much worth the effort. You can store it in a jar and use it for so many recipes.
Ingredients You'll Need:
Simple Green Chicken Enchiladas need these few basic ingredients
- Cooked and Shredded Chicken: I like to shred my chicken and keep it in the refrigerator. It helps me speed up the cooking process magically. Instead of leftovers, you can also use Store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Salsa Verde: You can easily buy this from any grocery store or you can make this at home.
- Shredded Cheese: I like to use Shredded Colby Jack Cheese for this recipe. However, you can also use other shredded Mexican cheese such as - Oaxaca Cheese, or shredded Cotija Cheese.
- Greek Yogurt: Generally people use Sour Cream. But I like Greek Yogurt since it is low in calories and also high in protein.
- Flour or Corn Tortillas: Corn tortillas are not used these days. But, flour tortillas are used almost everywhere. But, this recipe works with both corn or flour tortillas.
How to make Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
Step 1: Cook and Shred Chicken
- You can follow my Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken recipe and make shredded IP Chicken with Salsa verde Sauce from scratch using that recipe.
- Or else, you can buy Store-bought chicken and cook it in your Instant Pot. or you can use leftover cooked chicken and shred it using two forks. Combine it with salsa verde sauce in a bowl.
Step 1: Pour Salsa Verde in Baking Dish
- Grease the Baking Dish with oil and pour half of your Salsa verde sauce in it.
Step 2: Fill it in a tortilla and roll it up
- Next, place the filling in a warm tortilla and wrap the tortillas from one side.
Step 3: Arrange in a baking dish
- Arrange the tortillas in a baking dish
Step 4: Pour Salsa Verde Sauce on top
- Pour the remaining Salsa Verde Sauce on top of the tortillas.
Step 5: Add Cheese and Bake
- Add Shredded Colby Jack Cheese or any other shredded Mexican Cheese that you like. You can also use a combination of shredded Monterey Jack and Mozzarella Cheese.
- Finally, bake this in a Preheated oven at 400 degrees F or 200°C for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese melts and turn light brown.
Step 6: Garnish and Serve with Fresh Cilantro and Greek Yogurt
- Finally, take it out of your oven. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and thick greek yogurt. Serve right away.
Do not Substitute Salsa Verde for Green Enchilada Sauce
Many people confuse Salsa Verde with Green Enchilada Sauce. When in reality both are absolutely different from each other. Let's take a look at how Salsa Verde is different from green enchilada sauce.
Salsa verde is made using Tomatillos. But, in Green Enchilada Sauce Tomatillos are NOT used. Green Enchilada Sauce uses roasted anaheim peppers and Jalapeños along with onions, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper. As you can see, roasted pepper is an important part of green Enchilada Sauce.
But, for Salsa Verde, we MUST use tomatillos along with Jalapeños, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper. As you can see, there is NO use of roasted pepper. But, most people broil Jalapeños and tomatillos until slightly blackened before using them to make Salsa Verde Sauce.
What is the Difference between Regular Salsa and Salsa Verde?
The answer is - Tomatillos. Tomatillos and green chilies make Salsa Verde taste sort of tangy, smoky, and zesty. But, for Regular Salsa we simply use ripe tomatoes.
Do I need to Fry tortillas for Enchiladas?
Yes. I would recommend you to pre-cook your Tortillas before using them to make Enchiladas. Cooking tortillas actually softens then and if you cook them in. some oil then it even better. The Tortillas develop a deeper and intense flavor. Once they start browning lightly transfer them to a plate.
When I Make Enchiladas, My Flour tortillas get Soggy. What do I Do?
Just Fry your Tortillas in hot oil. This will prevent them from getting soggy. Basically, when we fry our Tortillas in some fat there is a barrier that is created between the tortillas and their outer coating. This invisible barrier prevents the Tortillas from getting soggy due to the sauce. All you have to do is fry a tortilla for just 10-second per side until it gets light brown and crispy.
Can I make Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas Ahead of time?
Yes. These Salsa Verdes Chicken Enchiladas make an excellent make-ahead dinner that you can assemble ahead of time. Once you prepare everything, DO NOT BAKE. Tightly wrap it with plastic wrap or foil. Place it in your refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Can I Freeze Enchiladas?
Enchiladas make an excellent meal that can be frozen. In fact, I freeze Enchiladas all the time. I always end up cooking a lot of enchiladas. And, they have so many calories it's almost impossible to finish off the entire thing in one sitting.
So, just allow it to come to room temperature. Then tightly wrap with a plastic wrap or foil and freeze for 3-months.
Extra Tips:
- If using corn tortillas make sure you use tortillas that are thick. Thin tortillas don't hold up as well as thick ones.
- You can soften the corn tortillas on a stovetop with some oil before using them.
- Make sure you precook your Enchiladas in hot oil before making enchiladas. This will prevent them from getting soggy.
If you are making this recipe, then please leave a rating below. Also, take a snap and share it on Instagram with #recipemagik. Tag me @recipemagik so that I can see how it turned out.
Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups Shredded Cooked Chicken in Salsa Verde Sauce See note 1 (or 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken)
- Oil to grease the baking dish
- 2 cups Salsa Verde Storebought or homemade (divided)
- 6 6-inch Corn or Flour Tortillas see notes
- 1 cup Shredded Colby Jack Cheese can replace with mexican cheese blend or Monterey jack and cheddar
- 2 tablespoons Greek Yogurt for serving
- ¼ cup Fresh chopped Cilantro leaves and few tender stems
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make Shredded Chicken: Just combine cooked and shredded chicken with Salsa verde sauce in a bowl. Or simply use this Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Shredded Chicken Recipe to get it all done in one single step.
- Grease Baking Dish: Grease a baking dish (9x9 inch) with oil. Pour half of Salsa Verde into the baking dish. Spread it out with a spoon.Preheat oven: Preheat Oven to 400 degrees F.
- Fill Tortillas and Roll them up: Fill tortillas with Shredded Chicken in Salsa Verde Sauce. Roll them up and place them in a baking dish seam side down.
- Pour Remaining Salsa on Tortillas: Pour Remaining Salsa Verde Sauce on your tortillas.
- Add Shredded Cheese: Add Shredded Colby Jack Cheese or any other mexican cheese blend or a combination of Monterey Jack and Mozzarella Cheese on your tortillas.Bake: Bake them in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F or 200°C for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese melts and turns light brown.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve with thick greek yogurt on top.
Video
Notes
- Here is how to Make Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken from scratch.
- if using corn tortillas make sure you choose thick ones as they hold up flavors.
- Make sure you fry tortillas for at least 10-seconds in a pan with some oil so that they don't turn soggy.
Ask Me Anything