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.
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. 🙂