What To Serve With Chicken Enchiladas
Clearly, these creamy chicken enchiladas can stand alone, as they have all of the most important food groups covered: cheese, chicken, more cheese and sour cream. But, a lot of delicious things go with chicken enchiladas, tootheyre a great excuse to whip up a big batch of our perfect guacamole! Or, if you feel like this meal could use some veggies , this crunchy, easy cabbage pico de gallo would make a terrific counterpoint to these cheesy chicken enchiladas. Or, throw caution to the wind and fry up some homemade corn tortilla chips to serve with the enchiladastheyd be perfect for scooping up the cheesy green sauce at the bottom of the baking dish.
These Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas Are Patricks #1 Favorite Enchiladas
This Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas are a tantalizing combination of robust seasonings, tender chicken and sweet and tangy heat infused and smothered with Pepper Jack cheese. They are my most requested recipe and about to become YOUR most requested easy chicken enchilada recipe! This chicken enchiladas recipe can be prepped in the morning and baked at night, made in mass quantities, and/or frozen for later. They also make terrific leftovers even with eggs for breakfast!
How To Make Mexican Rice
A question I see frequently is about making Mexican rice. How do you get your Mexican rice to be fluffy and not sticky.
I saute my Mexican Rice before I add the water to simmer. This is the most crucial step to keeping your rice from sticking. The frying helps it to develop a barrier that keeps it from getting gooey during cooking.
Add a Mango Avocado and Jicama Salad for something light and refreshing with this meal.
Try some fun Baked Cheeseburger Rolled Tacos for a great Tex Mex snack, appetizer or meal.
If you want a traditional fresh side salsa, try this Pico De Gallo recipe.
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Green Enchiladas With Chicken
These Green Enchiladas are creamy, cheesy, full of flavorand oh so deelicious! The creamy filling is a combination of: chicken, cream cheese, shredded cheese, and fire roasted green chiles.
The green enchilada sauce is made using a batch of homemade tomatillo Salsa Verde, thats been cooked in just a bit of oil and broth. So easy!
Green Chicken Enchiladas Recipe Highlights

Youll love these green enchiladas because theyre
- SERIOUSLY CRAVE-WORTHY. Every component delivers crave-worthy flavor rich & earthy beer-braised chicken, zippy + bright green enchilada sauce, & loads of ooey-gooey cheese! Theyll make your mouth water & your kitchen will smell divine, too!
- SCRATCH-MADE. Between the easy homemade green enchilada sauce & slowly simmered beer-braised chicken, these enchiladas are a high-effort, high-reward kitchen project perfect for a Sunday afternoon or an easy dinner party with friends & family.
- MAKE-AHEAD FRIENDLY! Meal prep-friendly, make-ahead friendly, & freezer-friendly a comfort food trifecta!
Mexican comfort food is the best comfort food! Read on to learn more about these Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce or jump straight to the recipe& get cooking, & be sure to order Everyday Entertaining today!
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Try These Recipes Using Salsa Verde
- Its so simple to make these Easy Chicken Enchiladas with salsa verde, chicken, sour cream, cheese and cilantro. The perfect quick and easy dinner.
- Use this salsa to make our Crave-worthy Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken. The chicken stays juicy, tender and tastes incredible.
- We spoon this salsa over these Epic Breakfast Tacos with Potatoes and Peppers.
- These Loaded Chicken Nachos are made extra flavorful with salsa verde.
Recipe updated, originally posted September 2009. Since posting this in 2009, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. Adam and Joanne
How To Make Green Enchiladas
To start, youll need about a pound of seasoned shredded chicken. Rotisserie is a great option if youre in a time crunch. If youve got some extra time, I highly recommend using a slow cooker or pressure cookie to make your own. Ive noted my recipe for the chicken down below, make sure to check it out!
For the filling you need THREE simple ingredients: chicken, cheese and sour cream. Again, shredded chicken is best.
As far as the cheese goes, I prefer using a blend of cheddar and monterey jack. Now, I know people can be picky when it comes to sour cream, but I promise its delicious in this recipe and absolutely necessary. It makes the enchiladas extra creamy inside. You can use regular or light.
Fill tortillas with chicken, cheese, and sour cream mixture. Roll em up and place them in a deep baking dish.
Top with green enchilada sauce . Sprinkle with cheese and sliced green onions. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes or until the top gets a little crispy.
Let the enchiladas rest for 8 minutes before cutting and serving. Garnish with some freshly chopped cilantro for a little extra zing.
Serve these green enchiladas up with a side of rice and beans or chips and guac! Theyll disappear in no time!
P.S. this is a great recipe to MAKE AHEAD and bake several hours later, or even the next day! Its also a great dish to bring to neighbors or those in need of a comforting meal
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Tips Before You Make This Recipe
How To Make Green Enchilada Sauce :
The other thing that puts this enchiladas recipe over the top is a completely homemade green enchilada sauce. Im not above a jarred or pre-made shortcut every now & then, but they pale in comparison to homemade. Elizabeths green enchilada sauce recipe is easy to prepare & has the best zippy + bright flavor!
This green enchilada sauce recipe calls for simple, fresh ingredients, like tomatillos, onion, jalapeño chiles, pantry spices, & loads of cilantro.
Ingredient Spotlight Tomatillos! If youve never worked with tomatillos before, youre in for a treat theyre one of my favorite Mexican ingredients! Tomatillos look like green tomatoes but theyre actually a Mexican fruit with bright, tart flavor. You can find tomatillos in the produce section at most conventional grocery stores near the chile peppers. Simply peel back the husk & give them a quick rinse to wash away the sticky sap on the surface of the fruit.
Making homemade green enchilada sauce is a really straight-forward process, with 2 main steps:
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What To Serve With Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
These salsa verde chicken enchiladas are steal-the-show fantastic, they dont need many sides. In fact, we love them just with rice and a big green salad. If youre looking to get a little more creative, they are also delicious with:
- Rice. I love serving Chicken Enchiladas with some sort of rice or low carb rice alternative to offer a neutral textural juxtaposition. Plain rice is excellent because the enchiladas are so flavorful or cilantro lime rice or Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice is excellent as well. You may also swap the rice for quinoa, cauliflower rice or Roasted Spaghetti Squash.
- Salad. This easy Chicken Enchilada recipe loves the contrast of a bright, fresh salad. You can go as simple as a green salad and toss in some crushed tortilla chips and black beans or go big with southwest salad, or corn salad.
- Fruit. Keep it simple and serve this easy Chicken Enchilada recipe with your favorite fruit such as pineapple, cantaloupe, or grapes or amp it up with any of these fabulous options: pina colada fruit salad, fruit salad with honey lime vinaigrette, grape salad, winter fruit salad, or caramelized grilled pineapple.
- Dessert! Finish off your homemade Mexican fiesta with churros or Tres Leches Cake for the win!
Making Ahead + Storing Green Chile Enchiladas
Make ahead. Just make the enchiladas as instructed and cover with foil or saran wrap and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance. If you want these to be even better, we suggest taking the excess sauce and placing in an air-tight container and pouring this on and along with the cheese before storing.
Freeze. We LOVE to freeze these enchiladas and save for later. In fact, we often double the batch and then eat one and freeze the rest for another night. To freeze these, we suggest making them in a disposable pan, covering tightly with foil and placing in a freezer-safe bag. When done this way, they can last in the freezer for several month.
To cook, we let the enchiladas thaw in the fridge over night and cook for about 25 minutes.
Reheat. If stored properly, enchiladas can last in the fridge for up to 4 days. We typically reheat them in the microwave, but you can also reheat on a low heat in the oven.
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Helpful Tips To Make Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
- Use jarred mild salsa verde as opposed to canned green enchilada sauce. They are similar but not the same.
- You can use flour or corn tortillas. If you use corn tortillas, just be aware they tend to fall apart more easily. You will need to microwave the corn tortillas before using: working in batches, place 6 tortillas on a microwave safe plate, cover with a moist paper towel and microwave 40 to 50 seconds so they are warm and pliable. You can also lightly pan fry in a teaspoon of vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet.
- You can make easy chicken enchiladas in a flash by using rotisserie chicken or making your own shredded chicken in advance and keeping it in the refrigerator or freezing it, then thawing it the night before making chicken enchiladas.
- Shred the cheese yourself! Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in anti-clumping chemicals which makes it harder to melt.
- You can prep the salsa verde enchiladas ahead of time in steps: make/shred the chicken, fry the tortillas, marinate the chicken, OR completely assemble and refrigerate. See prep ahead instructions.
- Toppings! Top chicken enchiladas with all or some of your favorite toppings such as sour cream or Greek yogurt , cilantro, jalapenos, avocados, tomatoes, black olives, etc.
- If youre not sure how much cayenne pepper and/or chipotle pepper to add, use less heat and add hot sauce to spice up individual servings.
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas With Red And Green Sauce

Melty cheese, earthy green chiles, and tender shredded chicken all rolled in corn tortillas for a satisfying Green Chile Chicken Enchilada family dinner.
We show you how to stock your freezer with this go-to make-ahead meal without compromising texture so your freezer dinner tastes fresh and not like leftovers.
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How To Make Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Step 1: Brush baking dish with olive oil and spread on a light layer of green enchilada sauce.
Step 2: In a non-stick skillet, lightly fry each tortilla on each side in a little oil and transfer to plate. Top each tortilla with green enchilada sauce, shredded chicken, cheese and black olives. Roll up tortilla and place in one end of baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Step 3: Top enchiladas evenly with remaining green enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro if desired.
Tips For The Best Homemade Enchiladas
- Warm the tortillas before assembling the enchiladas. It prevents the tortillas from cracking when rolled.
- Sour cream is a must when serving these chicken enchiladas with green sauce it offsets the slightly spicy enchilada sauce!
- You can make the green enchilada sauce in advance and freeze it for later use.
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How To Make Green Chicken Enchiladas:
- Start by making my quick Green Enchilada Sauce. If youre in a pinch you can also use a canned version of green enchilada sauce too.
- Add the shredded rotisserie chicken, a can of green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and salt in a bowl and mix until combined.
- Layer the chicken mixture, some sour cream and cheese on top of a large corn tortilla and roll it up. Fill up your casserole dish with the rolled enchiladas.
- Top with the remaining enchilada sauce and cover with cheese, then bake until bubbly in the center.
Is Salsa Verde The Same As Green Enchilada Sauce
For this recipe you will want a jar of salsa verde or homemade salsa verde- which is NOT the same as green enchilada sauce.
- Salsa verde: is typically made of roasted tomatillos, serrano or jalapeno peppers, onion, garlic, lime juice and cilantro. The ingredients are blended together to create a smooth salsa and left RAW.
- Green enchilada sauce: contains all of the same ingredients with the addition of flour and chicken broth to create a roux. The sauce is simmered until thickened which mellows the punch of the ingredient.
If all you have on hand is green enchilada sauce, Im sure that will work fine, but next time go with salsa verde-after all, they are Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas!
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Serving + Storing Tips
We obviously love green enchilada sauce so we have a ton of recipes on the site that use them. Here are some of our favorite green enchilada recipes:
STORE green enchilada sauce in airtight containers and keep them in the fridge. Tupperware or mason jars with lids are both great options! Just make sure to use the sauce within one week.
FREEZING green enchilada sauce is a great idea. Sometimes I make a double batch of this recipe and freeze whatever I dont use for enchiladas.
Then whenever I need it, I just take it out of the freezer and let it THAW overnight in the fridge. Then, you just reheat it back in the pot for making enchiladas.
Make Ahead & Storage For Green Enchiladas
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to eat, reheat in microwave or covered in the oven until heated through.
You can prep these ahead of time . Just cover tightly with foil and refrigerate. When ready to use, bake covered in the oven for 30 minutes, or until heated through.
Green Enchiladas make a great Freezer Meal!
TO FREEZE: Just freeze them in a foil pan, and cover with foil. When ready to eat, bake covered in the oven at 350ºF for 45 minutes.
Enjoy!
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Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce
Homemade sauces are always better than store-bought. Its just a fact. This homemade green enchilada sauce is so good its almost drinkable almost .
Enchiladas are one of my go to meals. They are great for family dinners or for bringing dinner to friends in need. And even though I love red enchiladas, my favorite kind of enchiladas are recipes that call for the green sauce.
Have you ever made homemade green enchilada sauce? If you havent, I want you to try this recipe! I promise that it is SO easy and you will never want to buy enchilada sauce in the store ever again. Your enchiladas will taste 100% better with a homemade sauce.
How To Make Chicken Enchiladas

Our easy green chicken enchilada recipe is weeknight ready and all but guaranteed to please everyone from starving spouses to picky toddlers. Heres how to make these simple sour cream chicken enchiladas:
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