Green chicken enchiladas are packed with so much flavor, they are a summer staple. With a hint of heat, they are an easy Mexican dinner that’s ready in just 45 minutes. Plus, they freeze and reheat well, so make a big batch for later!
Mexican food is always on rotation in our household, because it’s so easy and there are several little tricks that I do to get ahead. For these enchiladas and for other shredded chicken recipes, I make batches of instant pot chicken breasts or air fryer boneless chicken breasts. It’s so much faster and I love keeping pre-cooked chicken on hand to use for later. Simply swap out the seasonings and follow the same instructions for cooking.
Creamy chicken enchiladas go great with black beans or refried beans, Mexican rice and Mexican street corn (don’t forget your mint margarita!). If you have leftover corn tortillas, try my turkey enchilada casserole. It’s similar to red enchiladas, but there’s no rolling involved so it’s super simple. You may also like my homemade salsa verde. It’s very similar to this sauce and made with green chilies, except it’s served raw.
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🌮 Ingredients:
- 1 recipe of homemade green enchilada sauce or store bought green enchilada sauce
- Cooked shredded chicken – can use rotisserie chicken
- Monterey jack cheese – freshly shredded melts much easier that the pre-shredded kind at the grocery store.
- sour cream – adds creaminess to the chicken mixture. Another alternative would be Greek yogurt.
- hot sauce
- taco seasoning
- corn tortillas – see the variation section about using flour tortillas.
- crumbled cotija cheese – it’s optional but who doesn’t love more cheese? Cotija has a nice salty bite to it that we love.
- Cilantro – for garnish
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Optional Garnish:
Garnish creamy green chile chicken enchiladas with chopped cilantro, queso fresco, or pico de gallo.
Substitutions and Variations
- Flour tortillas – we prefer corn because they hold up better during the baking process, but you can use flour tortillas.
- Cheese – use your favorite blend and add more spice with pepper jack cheese.
- Red enchiladas – swap the green sauce for red.
- Meat – try using shredded beef or pork for a switch up.
- Vegetarian – omit the meat and use veggies and/or beans. No one ever turned down a cheese enchilada either.
- Gluten free – make sure the tortillas and taco seasoning you are using are gluten free.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 1: Combine the chicken, 2 cups of cheese, hot sauce, sour cream, and taco seasoning in a medium bowl, stir until combined.
Step 2: Pour a cup of green sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Step 3: Lay a tortilla flat in the dish. Spoon the enchilada filling and roll it up. Place seam side against the side or bottom of the dish.
Step 4: Repeat for the rest of the green enchiladas.
Pro Tip: Dipping both sides of the tortilla in the warm sauce helps to prevent cracking when rolling. You can also warm the tortillas to help with flexibility.
Step 5: Pour 1-2 cups of the remaining sauce on top of the enchiladas.
Step 6: Sprinkle the top of the enchiladas verde with cotija cheese and more mozzarella.
Step 7: Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling.
SERVE: Top with chopped fresh cilantro and serve.
Recipe Tips for Green Chicken Enchiladas
- Since we are spreading sauce on the bottom of the pan, you don’t need cooking spray.
- If you are cooking your chicken (not using rotisserie), use an instant-read thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- My homemade green enchilada sauce is delicious and so much cheaper than at the store!
- Warm the tortillas and the sauce to reduce breakage of the tortillas when rolling.
Fun Fact
Many times salsa verde and green enchilada sauce is used interchangeably, but they are actually different. Our homemade salsa verde recipe uses raw ingredients while we cook our green sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Green sauce is made with green chiles or tomatillos, offering a tangy and slightly spicy taste, while red sauce is made with red chilies or tomatoes, providing a richer, slightly sweeter flavor.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze for 3 months.
More Amazing Mexican Inspired Recipes
If you tried this Green Chicken Enchiladas Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Green Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 recipe green enchilada sauce or about 3 cups green enchilada sauce
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 4 cups Monterey jack cheese grated
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce more or less to taste
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 9 corn tortillas
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese optional
- Cilantro chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine chicken, 2 cups of grated cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, and taco seasoning in a medium bowl. Stir until evenly combined.
- Pour 1 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Lay a tortilla in the baking dish, allowing some sauce to spread onto the tortilla. Spoon filling into the tortilla and roll it up, tucking it in place against the side of the dish.
- Repeat filling and rolling the remaining tortillas, filling the baking dish.
- Pour another 1-2 cups of sauce over the tortillas, adjusting the amount for your personal preference.
- Spread the remaining cheese over the enchiladas and top with a sprinkle of cotija cheese, if desired.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes longer until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Stefanie says