Green chicken enchiladas are mouthwatering; even a novice cook can make them. The best thing is how easy it is to adjust to your palate; green enchiladas can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including beans, vegetables, cheese, meat, seafood, or combinations. Try them today with this easy step-by-step recipe at home.

Green Chicken Enchiladas / Enchiladas Verdes de Pollo
The difference between Green chicken Enchiladas and the rest of the enchilada recipes is that these are topped with cream sauce and Swiss cheese and then baked.
Enchiladas can be made ahead of time, covered tightly, and then stored in your fridge for a couple of days until you’re ready to bake them. For example, the ones in the picture were prepared on Sunday and baked until Wednesday.
Frequently asked questions about Green Chicken Enchiladas.
Is green enchilada sauce the same as salsa verde?
Both are very similar, with the main ingredient of tomatillos. But some people like their enchilada sauce with poblano or other green ingredients. Another difference is the addition of Mexican crema to the enchilada sauce to reduce the amount of acidity.
What’s green enchilada sauce made of?
For this recipe, you will need tomatillos, garlic, white onions, and cilantro to make the traditional sauce. Some people, especially in the United States, add other ingredients like poblano peppers, green chiles, or the new Mexican chile Verde.
Are enchiladas better with corn or flour tortillas?
The traditional recipe in Mexico only uses corn tortillas. However, enchiladas can also use flour tortillas, this is very rare. The use of corn tortillas gives this recipe a unique and well-balanced flavor to the enchilada sauce. But, it is a personal preference and can be easily changed.
What can I use instead of enchilada sauce?
There are many enchilada sauce substitutions. My recipe Easy enchiladas recipe is a quick and easy recipe made with a store-bought sauce. Or my pinto beans enchilada made with beans instead of tomato base sauce to give you an idea. An enchilada is a wrapped and filled tortilla covered in a sauce, preferably spicy, with a tomato base, but it can be substituted with your favorite sauce.
How to make Green Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients:
For the Salsa
- Green tomatillos
- Chopped white onion
- Garlic clove
- Serranos peppers (or jalapeno peppers)
- Salt
- Water
- Chopped cilantro (optional)
- Mexican cream or sour cream
For the enchiladas
- Cooked shredded chicken breast (leftover rotisserie chicken is also ok)
- Shredded Swiss cheese (Muenster or Monterey Jack Cheese also works fine)
- Corn tortillas
- White onion
- Vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
Make your green enchilada sauce:
- Before you start cooking the tomatillos, remove the papery husk all around them and wash them thoroughly. Also, take this time to wash the serrano peppers as well.
- In a big enough saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
- Add the serrano peppers and tomatillos to the boiling water for about 12 to 15 minutes.
- After the tomatillos and peppers have finished boiling, drain all the water from the pot, reserving ¼ cup of water the liquid for later.
- In a blender or food processor, add the peppers, tomatillos, garlic, chopped onion, Mexican Cream, and cilantro in a blender and process until you have a smooth sauce. Set aside in a bowl or deep dish.
Prep the tortillas:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat; warm oil and dip the tortillas one at a time into the oil to soften, giving it just a few seconds per side. Besides softening them for easy rolling, another reason that we do this is to avoid the tortillas from breaking.
- Transfer onto a plate covered with paper towels to drain any excess oil. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Note: I prefer to brush the tortillas with oil and then warm them in a skillet to use less oil. If you don’t want to use oil, you can use cooking spray, making sure they are covered completely.
Season your chicken mixture:
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. You can also add garlic powder if you like.
Assemble the Green Chicken Enchiladas:
- Fill the center of each tortilla with the chicken and roll it up.
- Divide shredded chicken evenly among tortillas, roll them up, and arrange the enchiladas in 1 layer in a baking dish, place seam side down.
- Cover with the rest of the sauce; sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown. Serve immediately.
How to serve your green chicken enchiladas.
Enchiladas are a meal by themselves, but you can serve them with a side of refried black beans and a few slices of avocado. Enjoy!
Did you like the recipe? Please let me know in the comments section, do you have questions, or share the link with your friends. I hope you have an incredible time cooking!
Provecho!
Mely, the cook at Mexico in my Kitchen!
More Authentic Mexican Recipes:
If you enjoyed this recipe, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
For more recipes, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. in español Visit Us at Mexico en mi cocina
Did you like the recipe? Please let me know in the comments section, do you have questions or share the link with your friends. I hope you have an incredible time cooking!
Provecho!
Mely, the cook at Mexico in my Kitchen!
📖 Recipe
Green Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 6 piece tomatillos husked and washed
- 3 tablespoon chopped white onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 or 3 serrano peppers, if using jalapeños use 1
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 cup of water
- ½ cup Mexican cream or sour cream
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 cups of fully cooked shredded chicken (leftover rotisserie chicken is also ok)
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese or the one available in your area Muenster or Monterey Cheese also work fine
- 12 corn tortillas
- ½ medium onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying
CHECK THE VIDEO RECIPE
Instructions
Make your green enchilada sauce:
- Before you start cooking the tomatillos, remove the papery husk all around them and wash them thoroughly. Also, take this time to wash the serrano peppers as well.
- In a big enough saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
- Add the serrano peppers and tomatillos to the boiling water for about 12 to 15 minutes.
- After the tomatillos and peppers have finished boiling, drain and reserve ¼ cup of the water wher you cook them.
- In a blender or food processor, add the peppers, tomatillos, garlic, reserved ¼ cup of water, chopped onion, Mexican Cream, and cilantro in a blender and process until you have a smooth sauce. Set aside in a bowl or deep dish.
Prep the tortillas:
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat; warm oil and dip the tortillas one at a time into the oil to soften, giving it just a few seconds per side. Besides softening them for easy rolling, another reason that we do this is to avoid the tortillas from breaking.
- Transfer onto a plate covered with paper towels to drain any excess oil. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Season your chicken mixture:
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. You can also add garlic powder if you like.
Assemble the enchiladas:
- Fill the center of each tortilla with the chicken and roll it up.
- Divide shredded chicken evenly among tortillas, roll them up, and arrange the enchiladas in 1 layer, place seam side down.
- Cover with the rest of the sauce; sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown. Serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
Sangita
What do you do with the reserved water from boiling the tomatillos and pepper?
Mely Martínez
Hello Sangita,
We usually discard the water.
Michelle
I'd like to try making your Salsa Verde recipe, but the link provided throughout your website gives me a 404 Error. I'll use commercial salsa verde tonight instead to try your Enchiladas Verdes Suizas.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your recipes. Your white rice recipe changed my life. I will no longer be guilty of gloppy rice.
Just thought that I should let you know about the error message but had to also send my gratitude.
Mely Martínez
Hello Michelle,
I checked e links to the salsa verde and all work fine from my side.
Thank you for trying the recipe. Here is the direct link to the salsa verde.
Sherrie Powell
Thank you Meli. I didn't have all the ingredients so I made a few changes. I used green mole sauce instead of salsa verde. I used twice as much chicken and cheese and added diced green chilis to the filling. I topped the enchiladas with a little thinner mole sauce, more cheese, and the sliced onion. It turned out very good. My husband liked it too.
Betty
Hi meli I have tried a few of your recipes & they did not disappoint😋I am wanting to make these but there is not a link that I see for your salsa verde recipe.I was wondering if you could tell me how you make it?Tia & I look forward to making these!!
mmartinez
Hello Betty,
Check this link for the Salsa verde recipe:
Salsa Verde
Happy cooking!
Betty
Thank you Meli for getting me a quick response!I tried them for dinner tonight & they were delicious!!!
Anna M
I made enchiladas suizas for Christmas brunch. I did tweak slightly, I use Hatch chilis and make mine stacked with chicken. The tomatillos give such a great flavor! Using this version for my suizas from now on, thanks Mely.
Boulder Gal
So, so good. I made these last night with your salsa verde recipe. I usually need to add a bit more jalapeño and threw two into the pot to boil with the tomatillos. They had to be the hottest chiles I've had in a long time. I was coughing and sneezing as they boiled and turned on the vent and opened a window. I'm glad I had the foresight to only throw one in the blender before tasting! Wow! SO HOT. The salsa didn't need a second. I wasn't sure whether to cut and seed the chiles before cooking so I did. The sauce was delicious, the enchiladas incredible. For my own taste, I will use more salsa before baking as a lot absorbed before serving. Thank you for your recipes! I love your blog.
Mrs. E
Mely, I just had to leave a comment on your blog. I've tried several recipes from your site and they've all turned out great! I'm excited to try the Enchilada Suizas as it's one of my favorites 🙂 Thank you for sharing you delicious recipes!
mmartinez
Hello Mrs. E
I'm sure you are going to love these Enchiladas Suizas, please come back to let me know how they turned out for your.
Happy cooking!
Elizabeth Bajszar
Oh no, the recipe for your green enchiladas is broken. Can you re post. I am dying to try these.
Mely
Hello Elizabeth,
There recipe is still here. I check the links and they are fine. Please let me know if you can see it now.
Pensamientos Dispersos
Hoy prepare estas enchiladas y nos encantaron! sobre todo el tip de usar la brochita en lugar de freirlas.. muy buena idea!
Pensamientos Dispersos
Hoy las prepare y nos encantaron estas enchiladas! y sobre todo el tip de usar una brochita en lugar de freir las trotillas.. que buena idea!!!
Gracias.
Bella_Chihuahuense88
Hola Mely!
De causalidad el queso que mencionas "Queso Chihuahua" no sera el queso Asadero? O asi se llama "Queso Chihuahua "?