Chicken enchilada’s are best accompanied with homemade green enchilada sauce. Make your own homemade enchiladas with a few easy steps and ingredients. This recipe includes homemade sauce that you can substitute out for your own favorite recipe or store bought sauce.
I also have a recipe for homemade tortillas for a fully from scratch enchiladas recipe. Again, you can just buy your favorite tortillas if you don’t want to make them.
Ingredients for Chicken Enchiladas
Tortillas
You can make your own homemade tortillas with this recipe here or use your favorite store bought tortillas. To make this recipe gluten free substitute for gluten free tortillas.
Chicken
This recipe is great for using up left over chicken. I often bake a whole chicken at the beginning of the week and use the left over chicken in recipes like this one. When using fresh chicken I like to make shredded chicken but you can also use chopped grilled or baked chicken for this recipe.
You can make shredded chicken easily on the stove top by placing you chicken breast in a pot and covering them with water or broth. Bring to a boil and them simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Drain the water and shred with two forks. To see this process in more detail visit Completely Delicious. She also give instructions on crock pot and instant pot versions.
Onion and Bell Pepper
This recipe calls for 1 onion and 2 bell pepper. I like to keep frozen chopped onion and bell pepper mix in my freezer to make recipes like this one just a little easier. Its not hard to chop on onion and bell pepper but it is super easy to just pour a bag into a pan to saute.
You could substitute or add any other desired vegetables in your chicken enchiladas. Some other options may include mushrooms, corn, zucchini, spinach, olives… You can be creative here.
Olive Oil
You can use any cooking oil to saute your vegetables in. I actually prefer coconut oil or avocado oil for the majority of my recipes.
Enchilada Sauce
In the recipe card I have the instructions for making a super easy green enchilada sauce. To see more in-depth instructions you can read my other post for my Verde Enchilada Sauce. Or you can buy your favorite green enchilada sauce from the store for a quick and easy dinner.
Cheese
My favorite cheese for this recipe is Pepper Jack. The pepper give another added layer of spice to our creamy cheese ingredient. You could however use plain Monterey Jack or Mozzarella. I like the white cheeses for this recipe but that does not mean that Cheddar or Mexican Blend wont also work. In all honesty, your favorite cheese will make this your favorite recipe for enchiladas.
How To Make Enchilada Sauce
Roast The Vegetables
On a baking sheet or roasting pan spread out quartered onions, quartered tomatillos, whole garlic cloves and jalapenos drizzled with a little olive oil. Roast them at 350 for 30 minutes.
Blend All Ingredients
Take the vegetables out of the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Take the seeds out of the jalapenos if you want a mild sauce or keep them if you want more heat. Add them a blender or bowl with an immersion blender. Then Add the broth, cilantro and lime juice and blend together till smooth. Add salt to taste.
How To Make Enchiladas
Cook The Chicken
This recipe is great for using up left over chicken. I often bake a whole chicken at the beginning of the week and use the left over chicken in recipes like this one. When using fresh chicken I like to make shredded chicken but you can also use chopped grilled or baked chicken for this recipe.
You can make shredded chicken easily on the stove top by placing you chicken breast in a pot and covering them with water or broth. Bring to a boil and them simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Drain the water and shred with two forks. To see this process in more detail visit Completely Delicious. She also give instructions on crock pot and instant pot versions.
Saute The Vegetables
Chop and saute your onion and bell peppers with a little bit of cooking oil. For added flavor you can season them with garlic and chili powder or just leave plain. You enchilada sauce will gives us the majority of the flavor in this recipe so adding extra seasoning to our chicken and veggies is optional.
Assemble Enchiladas
To assemble the chicken enchiladas you will gather your chicken, sauteed veggies, tortillas, sauce and cheese.
- In a 9 x 13 pan place one tortilla.
- Fill it with a little chicken, a little vegetables, a little sauce and a little cheese.
- Fold the sides in and place it, fold side down in the pan.
- Repeat the first 3 steps till your run out of room in your pan or ingredients.
- Once the enchiladas are all in, spread the remaining sauce so that all the enchiladas are covered.
- Sprinkle cheese over the top as well.
Bake
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Then take the foil off and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
Enjoy!
Serve hot and enjoy with Cilantro Lime Rice and Homemade Re-fried Beans. Top with sour cream, green onions, avocado, lime, or olives. Enjoy!
Chicken Enchiladas (Green Sauce)
Ingredients
Green Enchilada Sauce
- 1 lb or 20 tomatillos
- 1 onion
- 3 jalapenos
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- Juice from one lime
- Salt to taste
Chicken Enchiladas
- 12 tortillas
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 1 onion
- 2 bell peppers
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups OR 2, 10 oz green enchilada sauce
- 3 cups shredded cheese
Instructions
Green Enchilada Sauce
- Take the husk off all your tomatillos, wash and cut in half or quarters depending on their size.
- Cut your onion in quarters
- On a baking sheet spread tomatillos, onions, whole jalapenos and 3 whole garlic cloves with a little olive oil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
- Once baked, remove seeds from jalapenos for a mild sauce or keep them for more heat and spice.
- Add the roasted vegetables, broth, cilantro, and lime juice into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add salt to taste and enjoy!
Chicken Enchiladas
- Cook chicken by placing in a pot and covering with water or broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Drain the water and shred with 2 forks.
- Saute onions and bell peppers in a little oil until soft.
- Assemble you enchiladas
- In a 9 x 12 pan place your first tortilla
- Fill it with a little chicken, a little vegetables, a little sauce and a little cheese
- Fold the sides in a place it, folded side down in the pan.
- Repeat the these steps for rest of the tortillas - Once the enchiladas are all in, spread the remaining sauce so that all the enchiladas are covered. Sprinkle cheese over the top as well.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Take the foil off and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
- Serve hot and enjoy with Cilantro Lime Rice and Homemade Re-fried Beans. Top with sour cream, green onions, avocado, lime, or olives. Enjoy!
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