Chicken enchiladas, especially these green chili chicken enchiladas, hold a special place in our hearts because they were the very first recipe we learned to make, and they’re a perfect example of how our Mexican heritage shines through in our cooking.
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 you’ll love it + Why it works:
- 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!
- Warm sauce softens tortillas. A quick dip prevents cracking and makes rolling easy.
- Sauce coverage keeps them tender. Baking covered in sauce prevents dry enchiladas and keeps them moist.
Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas Ingredients
- Shredded cooked chicken (2 cups): Tender protein that soaks up the tangy green sauce and keeps each enchilada hearty. Baked Chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, or even Shredded Chicken (canned chicken can be used but we do not prefer it).
- Shredded Colby Jack cheese, or Mexican blend cheese, divided (2 cups): Half melts inside for creamy pull, the rest finishes bubbly on top. Or Mexican blend, grated marble Colby jack, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese and pepper jack cheese blends all work well.
- Chopped green chiles (1, 4-ounce can can): Mild heat and bright chile flavor that defines the dish. For a milder flavor use diced green bell peppers. For extra heat use diced jalapenos.
- Garlic salt and pepper (to taste): Quick, even seasoning that boosts savory notes.
- Las Palmas green chile enchilada sauce (1, 28-ounce can): Tangy, silky sauce for dipping tortillas and smothering the pan. Or make homemade Green Enchilada Sauce.
- Corn tortillas, 6 inch (8): Classic texture and flavor; dipping them in hot sauce keeps them pliable and prevents cracking. 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.)
- Sour cream (1 cup): Adds cool creaminess inside each roll for a luscious, balanced bite.
- 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
- Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30-60 seconds to help keep them from cracking while rolling.
- Be sure to dip the tortillas in the hot sauce so they can soften and won’t crack when rolled.
- Use about ⅓ cup filling per tortilla as written for even portions and tidy rolls.
- 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.
- Arrange seam side down and snuggle rolls close so they do not unroll while baking.
- Freshly shredded cheese melts better than packaged cheese.
- Bake until the edges bubble and the top cheese melts with a few golden spots for best flavor.
Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Equipment
Video
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.
Notes
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
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.
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
Easy Esquites Recipe
20 mins
Canned Refried Beans
10 mins
Mexican Street Corn Recipe
13 mins
More Enchiladas
Desserts
Cheesecake Chimichanga
30 mins
Churro Cheesecake Bars
40 mins
Mexican Wedding Cookies
1 hr 26 mins
Easy Tres Leches Cake
4 hrs 32 mins
Collections
This recipe was originally published June 2010.
Have made this a couple of times. It’s delicious, but i mix the sour cream and half the sauce into the chicken mixture. I also don’t boil the mixture… no need to get one more pan dirty! Going to try a free more spices, my husband likes them a little more spicy. E we prefer the flour tortillas and they come out perfect. Not gooey at all as others have mentioned.
Thanks for the tips! Let me know what spices you like to use to spice it up a bit. 🙂
Going to make this tonight! Question..is there a reason you do the sour cream separately? Could I mix it all together?
Yes you could definitely mix the sour cream together with the chicken mix. It’s just personal preference. Maybe try it both ways and see which one you like better. 🙂
Thank you
You are welcome!
This recipe is fabulous!! I tweaked it just a bit for extra flavor by sprinkling raw chicken breasts w/homemade taco seasoning prior to cooking, also added a couple handfuls of diced onions sautéed with 2 garlic cloves to the chicken mixture. The chicken was so good, my teen daughter & I had to stop ourselves from “taste testing.” We still had a lot of mixture left (3 lg shredded breasts equaled to 9 generously filled, burrito size enchiladas in a 9×13). Here’s where I think I messed up…I only had flour tortillas on hand—knowing they have a tendency to get soggy, I pan fried them bubbly golden brown on both sides w/slightly crisp edges, did not dip, filled as instructed, a little green chili sauce on the bottom of the pan & topped the rolled beauties with the remaining sauce & cheese before baking. Despite the extra effort, the enchiladas turned out quite gooey for our liking. Regardless, we picked our way through, still eating all the yummy goodness within. I will definitely make the recipe again! Next time I won’t substitute the corn tortillas & (for personal preference) plan to go easy on the sauce. Don’t get me wrong, the Las Palmas sauce is certainly delicious, I may just use it differently—possibly add a little to the chicken mixture before rolling & drizzle the warm sauce over individual servings after baking (???) Overall, the recipe is a keeper—quick, flavorful & easy! Absolutely 5 stars. I’ll be making it again very soon!
Thank you for sharing that! I am glad you did experimenting, that’s how we learn what we like or not like.
Easy to prepare, bake and a delicious Sunday dinner. Family loved it. Recipe keeper.
Yay!! Thank you so much for sharing that!
Love this recipe, freezes well
It sure does! Glad you like it! Thank you!
Soooo good!!! I love that it’s requires minimal ingredients and are so easy to make.
Me too! Thank you so much 🙂
Can you use red sauce instead of green ? Also will it be okay to not use green chillies ?
Here is a link to my red enchiladas & you can add chicken or whatever else you like. I haven’t used this specific recipe & used the red sauce. https://lilluna.com/red-cheese-enchiladas-recipe/
GREAT RECIPE CAME OUT SO GOOD
Oh, I am so glad! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Christmas Dinner just double checking if i missed something…green chiles. Doh! I’ll use a touch of jalapenos. Also I am using a fajita mix with turkey breast. It is soooo tasty. Thank you for being here.
Merry Christmas
These are so good! A crowd pleaser and it makes a lot. I think we should make this part of our holiday celebration, too.