Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
Jun 15, 2024, Updated Feb 06, 2025
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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.
Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
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 a bright homemade green chili sauce, and the chicken enchiladas were amazing! It’s a melty, gooey, and zesty fiesta in a baking dish. Olé!
Reasons To Make My Chicken Enchiladas
- Family Favorite. Once the sauce hits the chicken and cheese, it’s game over. A pan of melty, spicy baked enchiladas never lasts long around here.
- Homemade sauce. The from-scratch green chili sauce is bold, zesty, and lightly spicy, with heat you can easily adjust.
- Easy to make. These green chili enchiladas are simple to assemble and don’t require anything fancy. Use leftover chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken to make them even faster.
Recipe Ingredients
These green chili chicken enchiladas are packed with flavor, and you might already have all the ingredients in your kitchen!
- Chicken – I use boneless skinless chicken thighs seasoned with smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Chicken breasts will work here, too.
- Sour Cream – You could also use plain Greek yogurt.
- Cheese – Use your favorite shredded Mexican cheese blend.
- Tortillas – I make this recipe with 8” flour tortillas, but 6” also works, as do corn tortillas.
For the Green Chili Sauce
- Onion – I used a yellow onion, but any mild onion will work.
- Jalapeño – Seeded and diced. Feel free to use another pepper, like serrano or poblano. Make it spicier with a habanero.
- Garlic – You’ll want to use fresh cloves, finely minced.
- Chicken Stock – This can also be chicken broth or vegetable stock.
- Green Chilis – You can use mild or hot canned green chilis.
- Seasoning – Ground cumin, plus salt and black pepper.
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Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
Green chili chicken enchiladas are a casserole-style Mexican dinner with soft tortillas and creamy chicken baked under tangy green chili sauce and melted cheese.
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 4-ounce cans of diced green chilis
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the enchiladas
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 4 ounces diced green chilis
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
- 10 8-inch flour tortillas
Instructions
Roast the chicken
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Season the chicken. Rub the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and olive oil.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Season. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Blend. Add the sauce to a blender and blend until almost smooth.
To make the enchiladas
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
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.
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How To Make Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
- 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 chicken enchiladas at 375ºF for 15 minutes under foil, and another 15 minutes uncovered, then serve!
Tips and Variations
- Soften the tortillas. Pop the tortillas into the microwave for 30 seconds or so, to help them soften and bend more easily.
- Different protein. I love these beef enchiladas with the green chili sauce! Feel free to swap out the chicken with ground or shredded beef, or try turkey.
- Vegetarian. For vegetarian enchiladas, replace the chicken with crumbled tofu or cooked beans. Chickpeas are another meatless option.
- Red enchilada sauce. Make this chicken enchilada recipe with my quick homemade enchilada sauce instead.
Serving Suggestions
- Toppings: Just like chicken tacos, we love our green chili chicken enchiladas dolloped with sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, queso cheese, or Mexican crema.
- Sides: Serve the enchiladas with a starter of taco soup and a side of Mexican corn (elote), avocado fries, or Southwest egg rolls. For a Tex-Mex feast, serve them as an appetizer alongside beef birria served over rice.
- Cocktails: They’re great in the summer paired with a cucumber mojito or a pineapple margarita.
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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Delicious, I will make this again, and again.
Why is there no place to print the recipe?
Hi! You’ll find a “Print” button right on the recipe card toward the bottom of the post.
Made it, Loved it. But I put too much sauce on it. Next time I will cut it in half. Personal preferrence I’d like it firmer (drier). Found those small can of green chilis hard to open with my regular can opener. Someone should tell them to improve their packaging. Keep the recipies coming. Thanks
I’m glad you loved it! Cutting the sauce in half next time sounds like a good plan for your preference. Those small cans can be tricky—I’ll definitely note that. Thanks for your feedback, and I’ll keep the recipes coming! 🙂
Absolutely making this!! We love green chili enchiladas!! Thank you!
I’m glad to hear you love green chili enchiladas! Enjoy making them! Thank YOU!
Thank you
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂