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Our Mexican heritage is deeply rooted in our cooking. These green chili chicken enchiladas hold a special place in our hearts since it’s the first recipe we learned how to make!
Since then, they’ve been made HUNDREDS of times (maybe more) and we’ve deemed enchiladas as a family favorite dinner! We make them almost weekly and love to whip them up for dinner guests making them one of our signature dishes!
The flavors of green chiles + loads of chicken and gooey cheese make them absolutely irresistible – it’s no wonder they’re ALWAYS a hit!
Serve them alongside our famous Mexican Rice and Canned Refried Beans for a complete Mexican feast!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Done in a flash. A 20-minute prep time makes these perfect for a quick dinner and entertaining.
- Feeds the masses. Great for making for company because it’s easy to double (or even triple!)
- Freezer Friendly. Green chile chicken enchiladas are our favorite recipe to store in the freezer for a rainy day!
Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas Ingredients and Substitutions
- 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken – Baked Chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, or even Shredded Chicken (canned chicken can be used but we do not prefer it).
- 2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese – or Mexican blend, grated marble Colby jack, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese and pepper jack cheese blends all work well
- 1 (19-ounce) can of Las Palmas green chile enchilada sauce – or homemade Green Enchilada Sauce
- 1 cup sour cream – or plain yogurt
- 6-8 corn tortillas – We prefer corn tortillas since they are more traditional and add more flavor to the recipe, but you can swap the corn tortillas with similarly sized Flour Tortillas. (No need to dip flour tortillas in the sauce before rolling.)
- 1 (4½ ounce) can of chopped green chiles – For a milder flavor use diced green bell peppers. For extra heat use diced jalapenos.
- garlic salt and black pepper – start with a little and add until the dish is perfectly seasoned – our favorite is garlic salt with parsley flakes.
- toppings (optional) – olives, tomatoes, diced red onions, sliced jalapenos, fresh cilantro, salsa, chili peppers, black beans, or corn
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- FILLING. In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, 1 cup of cheese, green chiles, and salt and pepper to taste.
- SAUCE. In a small skillet, bring the enchilada sauce to a boil. Remove from heat.
- FILL. Dip each tortilla into the heated sauce for a few seconds to soften.
- Spoon ⅓ cup of chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons sour cream down the center for each tortilla.
- Roll the tortilla and place seam-side down in 8×8-inch (or 9×9) baking dish.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour the remaining heated enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
- BAKE. Bake the green chili chicken enchilada recipe uncovered for 20 minutes. Let them cool a few minutes before serving. Serve with favorite toppings like Pico de Gallo, Sweet Salsa Verde, Homemade Salsa, and Guacamole.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Be sure to dip the tortillas in the hot sauce so they can soften and won’t crack when rolled.
- Freshly shredded cheese melts better than packaged cheese.
- For easy application use sour cream in a squeeze bottle or put the sour cream in a sandwich bag and cut off the bottom tip.
- Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30-60 seconds to help keep them from cracking while rolling.
Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
Our famous green chili chicken enchiladas are prepped in 20 minutes and packed with flavor – perfect for busy nights AND freezer-friendly!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, or Mexican blend cheese, divided
- 1 (4-ounce) can can chopped green chiles
- garlic salt and pepper to taste
- 1 (28-ounce) can Las Palmas green chile enchilada sauce
- 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine chicken, 1 cup cheese, chiles, salt, and pepper.
- In a small skillet, bring enchilada sauce to a boil, then lower temperature and bring to a simmer.
- Dip each tortilla into heated sauce for a few seconds to soften.
- Place a tortilla in a 9×11 inch baking dish and spoon ⅓ cup of chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons sour cream down the center. (NOTE: The squeeze sour cream works great.)
- Roll the tortilla and place seam-side down.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour enough sauce to cover the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Video
Notes
Recipe tips.
- Make sure to dip the tortillas in the sauce so they can soften and won’t crack when rolled.
- Freshly shredded cheese melts better than pre-shredded packaged cheese.
- For easy application use sour cream in a squeeze bottle or put the sour cream in a sandwich bag and cut off the bottom tip.
- To bake. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Pour on the extra sauce and add the cheese before baking according to the recipe directions.
Nutrition
Calories: 588kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Cholesterol: 122mg, Sodium: 1700mg, Potassium: 342mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 1810IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 534mg, Iron: 2.7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Can you make enchiladas ahead of time?
Make as instructed, cover them with plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge for up to 24 hours, or cover again with foil and freeze for 3-4 months. Take the excess sauce place it in an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze it.
To bake. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Pour on the extra sauce and add the cheese before baking according to the recipe directions.
How to store chicken enchiladas?
Store leftovers in an airtight container(s) in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for 3 months. Thaw if needed and reheat large portions in the oven and smaller portions in the microwave.
Complete The Meal
Side Dishes
Homemade Spanish Rice Recipe
45 mins
Esquites
20 mins
Canned Refried Beans
10 mins
Mexican Street Corn Recipe
13 mins
More Enchiladas
Desserts
Cheesecake Chimichanga
30 mins
Churro Cheesecake Bars
35 mins
Mexican Wedding Cookies
1 hr 26 mins
Easy Tres Leches Cake
4 hrs 45 mins
Collections
This recipe was originally published June 2010.
I HAVEN’T MADE THEM THAT FAR IN ADVANCE, MAYBE JUST THE MORNING OF & THEY ARE OK. JUST MAKE SURE YOU COVER THEM IN THE FRIDGE HOPE YOU LIKE THEM!!
OMG! So good and easy! I probably cheated a little. I bought a rotisserie chicken and shredded the breast and instead of corn Tortillas I used the small flour tortillas. Only reason was because I couldn’t roll the corn even with dunking them in the sauce. Everyone absolutely loved it! Even my 4yr old and 6yr old grandchildren ate it up! I was worried it might be too hot for me as I’m quite wimpy to hot flavors but it was just right! This is a keeper for sure!
Those are great options!! Glad it’s a keeper..I’ll have to try them, that way! Thank you!
Awesome recipe, Krystin! I made it for my wife and for A posT-op neighboR who loved it and needed the recipe! Threw in some Philadelphia cream cheese to equal the amount of sour cream. Also aDded an extra can of green chiles. Killer.
Thank you for sharing that! Sounds yummy! What a nice neighbor you are!
Beautiful.. just an fyi though.. enchilada casaroles are more of a Tex-Mex thing.. my mom is Tejana.. and this was a staple at our dinner table..
Thank you!
This recipe is so similar to the enChilada casserole that i grew up with. Its so simple! I Like to add black beans, corn, and olives. I recently made it without cheese and sour cream because im trying to go dairy free. I added more corn, black beans, Olives, and sauce to make up for The missing dairy. It worked, but Is definitely better with the dairy!
Great options!! Thank you for sharing that!
So decadent!
LOve this recipe
So, happy you do! Thank you 🙂
I’d love for you to do videos for your green Chile enchilada meals?
Do you make any homemade ‘pork’ green Chile?
Great recipes! Keep ’em coming!?
?
I have a couple with pork 🙂 If you search for green chile in the search bar, they will all pop up. Hope you find some to try!
My family absolutely loves these! It’s becoming a regular item on our meal rotation! 🙂
You have the best mexican recipes. THis one was no different. Love it.