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Our green chili chicken enchiladas are bursting with flavor and perfect for busy nights – plus, it’s freezer-friendly!
A family go-to!
Because of my heritage, I have learned how to make so many Mexican recipes – and this green chili chicken enchilada recipe is the FIRST Mexican dinner I learned to make.
Since then, it’s been made HUNDREDS of times (maybe more) and we’ve deemed enchiladas as a family favorite dinner!
The flavors of green chiles + loads of chicken and gooey cheese make this an absolutely irresistible Mexican dish. Serve it alongside our Homemade Spanish Rice for a complete Mexican feast!
WHY WE 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. This is our favorite recipe to store in the freezer for a rainy day!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
- 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken – Use canned chicken, Baked Chicken, rotisserie chicken, or even Shredded Chicken
- 2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese – or try a Mexican blend, grated marble Colby jack, or a cheddar cheese and pepper jack blend
- 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 mild flavor use diced green bell peppers. For extra heat use diced jalapenos
- salt and black pepper – start with a little and add until the chicken is perfectly seasoned
- Toppings (optional) – Add olives, tomatoes, diced red onions, sliced jalapenos, fresh cilantro, salsa, chili peppers, black beans, or corn.
How to Make Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- FILLING. In a small bowl, combine 2 cups shredded chicken, 1 cup of cheese, 1 (4½-ounce) can green chiles, salt, and pepper.
- SAUCE. In a small skillet, bring 1 (19-ounce) can of 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 (I usually put the sour cream in a sandwich bag and cut the bottom tip which makes it easier to squirt right down the center).
- Roll the tortilla and place seam-side down in 8×8 (or 9×9) inch 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. Serve with favorite toppings like Pico de Gallo, Sweet Salsa Verde, Homemade Salsa, and Guacamole.
PRO TIP: Keep Tortillas from Cracking!
Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30-60 seconds to help keep them from cracking while rolling.
Complete The Meal
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Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 2 cups Colby jack cheese, shredded
- 1 (19-ounce) can Las Palmas green chile enchilada sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 6-8 corn tortillas
- 1 (4½-ounce) can can chopped green chiles
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, combine shredded chicken, 1 cup of cheese, green chiles, salt, and pepper.
- In a small skillet, bring enchilada sauce to a boil. Remove from heat.
- 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 (I usually put the sour cream in a sandwich bag and cut the bottom tip which makes it easier to squirt right down the center).
- Roll the tortilla and place seam-side down in a 8×8 (or 9×9) inch baking dish.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour the remaining heated enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Avoid adding too much sour cream or enchilada sauce. You can always add more sauce after they have baked. Also, let the enchiladas cool for a few minutes before serving!
Make as instructed, cover them with foil or plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance. Take the excess sauce and place it in an air-tight container. Pour on the sauce and add the cheese before cooking.
Allow the enchiladas to cool to room temperature and store smaller portions in airtight containers in the fridge. Enchiladas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When ready to eat, reheat them in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) until heated through.
We LOVE to freeze these for up to several months! We suggest making them in a disposable pan. Cover tightly with foil and place in a freezer-safe bag. To cook, let the enchiladas thaw in the fridge overnight and cook for about 25 minutes.
Of course! Just double the ingredients and follow the same instructions.
Made this exactly and it’s great! BTW, Mexico is a country where many Europeans immigrated to, just like the USA, so not all Mexicans are dark.
Haha 🙂 Thanks!! I’m happy that you liked this recipe!! Thanks for sharing!
Unless I missed it, I didn’t see anyone make a comment about the cheese. All the pictures show white and yellow cheeses but the recipe only calls for Monterey Jack. So I take it that you also use some type of shredded cheddar also?
I probably used a marble colby-jack cheese. You can honestly use what you have on hand. Sometimes I use the Mexican blend, too. Hope that helps!!
This was definitely a hit with my son and daughter they loved it. Definitely will make again. Can’t wait to try other recipes. 🙂
Hooray!! So happy to hear that! Thanks so much for letting me know!
The Luna family I knew in Tempe, Az, years ago called these Gringo Enchiladas. If Olivia is part of your family, I would love to make contact with her again if she is willing.
She is!!! Her email is [email protected] and would love to hear from you!!
These look amazing! Do you have a recipe for green enchilada sauce? I live overseas and cannot buy it- but I would love to try this recipe. thanks!
I buy the las palmas green chile enchilada sauce and do have a homemade recipe: https://lilluna.com/green-enchilada-sauce/ – Hope that helps!
I have now made batch #3 with minor tweaks. I add garlic to the meat and Saxon Goya (Mexican spice mix) to the sour cream. My hubby says these will make him fat!
LOL!! I’m so glad you all like them! I’ll have to try that next time!! Thanks so much!
Looks delicious I’m going to attempt to make these tonight. However, you put them in the crock pot I see.. do you put water or anything on there with them or just the chicken itself?
You’ll want to add enough water or chicken broth to cover the chicken. You can also add your favorite seasonings. Hope that helps!! Hope you also like this recipe, as much as we do!!
The only thing I can think about suggesting is editing the recipe. I’m not a first time cook so I read between the lines but for someone that has to follow the recipe word for word they might forget to put the cheese and green chili’s in with the chicken. Something different that I did was use Greek yogurt to replace the sour cream and mixed it with cilantro, onion and mascarpone cheese. I’m about to put these things together! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome! Greek yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream. It’s great that anyone can mix in their favorite ingredients with it! Hope you like it!!
I made these tonight – and the homemade green sauce was delicious! However the enchiladas themselves haD waaayy too much sour cream for my taste. The filling was more sour cream than chicken. I will def make these again but cut the Sour cream in half next time.
You can definitely leave some out. Thank you for trying them 🙂
One of our favorites! Such a great tasting and simple recipe. Thank you!
It’s one of our favorites, too and it’s so easy to make! Thanks for stopping by!!
Kristlyn
I loved the recipe and especially the extra comments and suggestions within the recipe. Seeing your picture and knowing you love your family made me want to choose this recipe. It just made it more personal and caring.
Thanks, Holly Davis RNC
I’m so glad you liked it, Holly! I hope you can find even more recipes on the site that you enjoy. 🙂