Homemade Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are easy to make and extra delicious. With a little heat and lots of green chile you will want to make these over and over again.
This post has been sponsored by The Fresh Chile Co. All opinions are mine alone.
Here in New Mexico enchiladas and more importantly green chile, are staples that we take very seriously.
Late summer is the beginning of the green chile harvest time and the air is filled with roasting chiles. It is amazing.
All the grocery stores have roasters set up so when you buy your 20lb bag of chiles you can roast them right away. It’s wonderful.
Many people will then freeze their chiles for use throughout the year but if you don’t go that route or if you run out of your chile stash (me!) then you have to buy green chile.
When I am looking for the best fresh tasting green chile I always get The Fresh Chile Co Pure Green Chile. It is so good- and tastes like I just roasted it myself!
I love using their green chile. It’s perfect for green chile stew or topping burgers!
Green Chile Enchilada Ingredients
- Shredded Chicken
- Sour Cream
- Green Chiles- I use ½ jar of the Fresh Chile Co. Pure Green Chile
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Jack Cheese- or you can use pepper jack too!
- Corn Tortillas
- Green Enchilada Sauce- yep, I used canned, it’s tasty, cheap, and I don’t have to make it myself.
- Garnish: I sprinkle Red Pepper Flakes and chopped Cilantro on top.
Homemade or Store-Bought Taco Seasoning- Don’t worry homemade taco seasoning is super easy to make- I will explain in the recipe below!
How to make green chile chicken enchiladas?
- Mix up your taco seasoning. All you need a little chile powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl combine your chicken, sour cream, green chile, taco seasoning, and part of your mozzarella and jack cheese.
- Warm your green enchilada sauce in the microwave.
- Dip a corn tortilla in the warm sauce, add the chicken mixture to the center, then roll up and place in a 9x13 baking dish.
- Once all the tortillas are rolled, pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top, add remaining cheese, and the bake!
This easy chicken enchilada recipe is quick, easy, and super delicious. It is such a comfort food and I am all about that.
The Fresh Chile Co. products that I love can be bought online and if you set up autoship you save 20% off your order. Sweet…or should I say spicy!
Best Tips for the BEST Chicken Enchiladas
- Need chicken fast? Just use a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Otherwise, just bake breasts in the oven at 375°F for ~40 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165°F. I like to brush the chicken breasts with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper then bake.
- If your corn tortillas crack a little when rolling up it will be okay. No one will notice after they have baked and are covered in cheese!
- Storage: Store any leftover enchiladas in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: To reheat you can either microwave, checking every 30 seconds until heating through, or reheat in the oven at the same baking temperature as cooking, but for less time.
- Freezing: You can make these and freeze them for up to 3 months. I recommend preparing them up to the point right before you bake them. Prepare in an oven safe, freezer safe dish. Thaw overnight and then bake according to the directions.
Frequently Asked Questions Answered
What do you put inside enchiladas?
I like to keep it simple. Meat (like chicken or turkey), spices, cheese, sour cream, and green chile. Then I top it with more cheese and enchilada sauce.
Can you use flour tortillas instead of corn for enchiladas?
Yes. However, I find the enchiladas get really mushy if you do. I do recommend using small flour tortillas if you are going to use them.
Can I use salsa verde for green enchilada sauce?
Salsa verde is typically made with tomatillos and albeit delicious is quite a different flavor than the green enchilada sauce. It can be used in a pinch but green enchilada sauce is preferred, especially when adding green chilies to the dish.
I used a salsa verde with tomatillos in my enchilada casserole recipe!
What to serve with enchiladas?
Enchiladas are great with served with chips and salsa, guacamole, rice, beans, or a simple salad. The enchiladas are really the star of the show so don’t worry too much about the sides!
Watch how to make this recipe!
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Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon chile powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded*
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup diced green chiles drained (8 0z), ½ jar of The Fresh Chile Co. Pure Green Chile*
- 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 2 ½ cups shredded jack cheese divided
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 can Green Enchilada Sauce 28 oz
- Cilantro – garnish
- Red Pepper flakes – garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- In a small bowl combine chile powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.* (1 teaspoon chile powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper)
- In a large bowl combine shredded chicken*, sour cream, drained green chile, 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, 1 ½ cups jack cheese, and spice mixture. (3 cups shredded chicken, 1 cup sour cream, 8 oz green chile*, spice mix)
- Place enchilada sauce in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. You just want it to be warm. (28 oz can of green enchilada sauce)
- Dip a corn tortilla in the warmed enchilada sauce, then place a heaping spoonful of the chicken mixture into the center of the tortilla and roll up. Place in a 9x13 baking dish and repeat with the remaining tortillas. (14 corn tortillas)
- Once all the tortillas are used, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the rolled enchiladas, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. (1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 cup jack cheese)
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven and sprinkle with crushed pepper flakes and cilantro.
Notes
- *Chicken: Use a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Otherwise, just bake breasts in the oven at 375°F for ~40 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165°F. I like to brush the chicken breasts with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper then bake.
- *I love using the Fresh Chile Co. Green Chile, you can use half a jar or a whole jar if you want. They offer 4 different heat levels too.
- If you go with canned green chiles they often come in 7 oz cans and although slightly under a cup, it will work fine for this recipe too.
- *If you have a favorite taco seasoning mixture that is premade you can use 2 tbs of that instead.
- If some of the corn tortillas crack or split while rolling it will be okay. No one will notice after they are covered in melted cheese I promise.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate any leftovers in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: To reheat you can either microwave, checking every 30 seconds until heating through, or reheat in the oven at the same baking temperature as cooking, but for less time.
- Freeze: You can make these and freeze them for up to 3 months. I recommend preparing them up to the point right before you bake them. Prepare in an oven safe, freezer safe dish. Thaw overnight and then bake according to the directions.
Julie
I make similar enchiladas weekly using what's left of a roti chicken from earlier in the week. You don't need the taco seasoning on the chicken, it's just as tasty letting the flavors of the (any, even homemade) green chili sauce take over.
Lisa
I love using rotisserie chicken too!