Description
Chicken Enchiladas Verdes with homemade roasted tomatillo salsa. An extra special version of a Mexican classic!
Ingredients
For The Salsa VerdeÂ
- 2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed, 10-14 tomatillos, depending on the size
- 1 medium white onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
- 2-3 jalapeño peppers, stem end cut off. If you don't like a lot of heat, slice them in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds and white pith
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems (remove thick stems), plus more cilantro leaves for garnishing
- I tablespoon finely chopped garlic (2-3 large cloves)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For The Enchiladas
- 12 6-inch soft corn tortillas (or make your own corn tortillas)
- 3 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken, about 1 3/4 pounds. (Here's how to make homemade poached chicken )
- 2 tablespoon sour cream, plus more for garnishing
- 4 ounces Cotija cheese, grated
- 6 ounces grated cheddar or jack cheese
Toppings
- 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- Chopped cilantro
- Sour cream
Instructions
- To make the salsa verde, preheat oven/griller on high. Place oven rack 6"/15cm from the heat source. In a large bowl toss tomatillos, onion and jalapeños with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Lay them out on a rimmed baking sheet and broil/grill for 7 minutes or until there are some brown, charred spots on the tomatillos. Lower temp to 400F/200C. Turn the tomatillos over with tongs. Cook for another 7 minutes, to soften. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes or so, then put roasted vegetables and any accumulated juices into the bowl of a food processor. Add cilantro, garlic and salt. Pulse several times until you get your preferred consistency. I like my salsa a bit chunky. You should have about 4 cups of salsa.
- Set oven to 350F/180C. Spread 1 cup of salsa verde into the bottom of a large rectangular casserole or baking dish. In a large bowl combine shredded chicken with 1 cup of salsa verde, 2 tablespoons of sour cream, and 4 ounces Cotija cheese.
- Roll the Enchiladas: Put 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture on one end of a tortilla, roll it up tight and place it seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with all of the tortillas. Spoon a cup of salsa over the tops of the enchiladas, using the back of a spoon to spread the salsa over all exposed surfaces. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through.
- Serve with sour cream, red onion, cilantro leaves and remaining salsa
Notes
What kind of chicken to use for enchiladas - Any cooked shredded chicken will work well in this recipe - white meat or dark: homemade poached chicken, rotisserie chicken, roasted chicken, or pan-seared chicken.
How To Soften Stiff Corn Tortillas -Â If you can't find soft corn tortillas, you might find that your tortillas are stiff and hard to roll. Here's my favorite method for softening them. Heat a skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat. Place a tortilla in the skillet, pressing it against the pan with a spatula, for about 10 seconds per side. Repeat with remaining tortillas, stacking them and draping them in a clean dish towel, as you go.
Make this recipe with store-bought salsa verde - Â For a quicker version of this recipe, you can skip the homemade salsa and use 4-cups of store-bought salsa verde. The enchiladas will not have quite the same depth of flavor as they have with the homemade salsa verde, but they will still be very delicious.
This post was first published on August 22, 2014. It was updated and refreshed on May 12, 2022 with a few additional details and photos added to the post and an instructional video added to the recipe card. The same delicious recipe!
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Main dish
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: Mexican