Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

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Made with flavorful green chiles, these green chile chicken enchiladas come together quickly for a comforting yet spicy family meal. Serve with rice and beans for a complete dinner!

It’s no surprise that while we lived in Texas, we ate a lot of enchiladas. 

Both restaurant-style and homemade enchiladas were something I craved, with a variety of fillings and sauces to choose from so they could be different every time.

The kind I love the most, though, is green chile chicken enchiladas. You can make them spicy or creamy and mild, so over the years I’ve adjusted my own recipe as my kids’ palates have expanded.

My homemade green chile chicken enchiladas have lots of flavor from green chile sauce I make from scratch, but you can always swap in your favorite jarred green chile sauce to save time.

Grab your favorite toppings and some refried beans and you’ve got a totally tempting dinner on your hands!

Ingredients for green chile chicken enchiladas

You’ll need:

Chicken – This recipe is great for using up leftover cooked chicken, or meat from a rotisserie chicken. 

If you’re cooking the chicken from raw, you’ll need about 1 pound of chicken breast to yield 2 cups of shredded chicken. Cook on the stove or oven, then shred in a stand mixer or with two forks.

Green chile sauce – You will need 2 cups of green chile sauce, plus more if you like your enchiladas extra saucy.

Shredded cheese – I use Oaxaca cheese in these enchiladas. This is a Mexican cheese that is similar in flavor to Monterey jack cheese, but has the melty texture of mozzarella.

You can substitute mozzarella or pepper jack cheese.

Spices – Even though the enchilada sauce is seasoned, you’ll want to add some cumin, salt, and pepper to the chicken mixture.

Sour cream – Optional, but you can mix sour cream into the chicken for a milder dish, or just serve on top of the enchiladas.

Corn tortillas – Both white and yellow corn tortillas will work for this recipe. 

Tomatoes – For garnishing the top.

Cilantro – Optional, for topping.

How to make this recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly coat a casserole baking dish with nonstick spray.

If you are using a 9-by-13-inch dish like I did, the tortillas are smaller than the full width of the pan. You can use a smaller pan the same width as the tortillas, stagger their placement, or have one row with extra on the side.

Spread ½ cup of the green chile sauce on the bottom of the pan. This helps the rolled tortillas stay in place as you assemble.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, ½ cup green chile sauce, ½ cup shredded cheese, cumin, salt, and pepper. If you want to use sour cream, add ½ cup.

Mix well until evenly combined.

Wrap corn tortillas in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and microwave for 15 seconds or so, until soft and pliable, but not too warm to handle.

Using a cutting board or a plate as a work surface, lay out a corn tortilla. Scoop a few tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the tortilla toward the bottom third.

Roll up the tortilla, then place with the seam-side down into the prepared casserole dish.

Repeat until all of the chicken mixture is used.

Pour remaining green chile sauce over the top of the enchiladas, covering the tortillas as much as possible.

Scatter on the remaining shredded cheese.

Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted. 

Serve with chopped fresh tomatoes, sour cream, or chopped fresh cilantro.

Variations and substitutions

In place of the chicken, use up your leftover Thanksgiving turkey! Smoked turkey makes for an excellent enchilada.

Turn these into red chile enchiladas by swapping in a traditional red enchilada sauce.

Add chopped sautéed onions or peppers to the filling. Or, make these fully vegetarian with a filling of roasted zucchini, peppers, and sweet potatoes.

FAQ

Can I use flour tortillas for enchiladas?

While it is a matter of taste, I personally do not recommend flour tortillas for enchiladas.

Flour tortillas are easier to work with, but can become gummy in enchiladas.

My tortillas are cracking as I roll them

Make sure to warm the corn tortillas so they are pliable. Corn tortillas will rip apart if used directly from the package.

You can warm the tortillas in the microwave, in a frying pan, or on a griddle.

You can also warm the enchilada sauce in a pan and dip the tortillas into the sauce to warm and coat.

Warm only until soft, not until crisp.

Don’t worry if the tortillas crack a little bit on the edges.

Can I make enchiladas ahead of time?

Yes! This is a great dish to make in advance and chill or freeze.

Assemble the dish as directed, then cover tightly with plastic wrap, then foil, and place in the refrigerator or freezer.

When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator or freezer and preheat oven.

Baking from the refrigerator: Remove foil and plastic wrap, and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Baking from frozen: Remove foil and plastic wrap, then place foil layer back on the pan. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil, and bake another 20 minutes until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through.

What to serve with enchiladas

These enchiladas can be served with a simple green salad, or you can go for a full Tex-Mex feast with rice and beans.

Top with sliced avocado, or add roasted garlic guacamole or salsa roja and a bowl of chips.

Wash it down with frozen margaritas or refreshing cucumber agua fresca!