Easy Salsa Verde Green Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

If you’ve ever made enchiladas from scratch, you know that it’s an involved process, from making the sauce, to cooking the filling, to assembling the enchiladas. But this (healthy!) salsa verde chicken enchilada recipe streamlines the process for you, using store-bought green salsa, rotisserie chicken, canned beans and other pantry ingredients. The result is flavor-packed chicken enchiladas from scratch in half the time.

While I love red sauce enchiladas, salsa verde enchiladas are my favorite. Salsa verde is a green salsa made with tomatillos, onion, garlic, chiles and cilantro. I feature a homemade version in my book, The Food Processor Family Cookbook, but for this recipe, store-bought green salsa works just as well and is a huge time saver.  

Green salsa enchilada sauce ingredients:

This enchilada sauce is made with just 2 ingredients: jarred green salsa and sour cream! The sour cream gives the sauce creaminess and body. You’ll need two 16-ounce jars of sauce (you can use any brand you like!). If you’re feeding small kids, just be sure to buy a mild version if they’re sensitive to spice. 

Other ingredients:

As for the enchilada filling, shredded rotisserie chicken keeps things simple (you could also use leftover cooked chicken). To add more flavor and amp up the nutrition profile, the chicken is mixed with canned black beans, sweet corn (fresh or frozen), garlic, scallions and spices. You can make the filling ahead of time to get a jumpstart on the recipe. 

Instead of dousing the salsa verde enchiladas in loads of cheese, this healthy enchilada recipe uses just 1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese and a scattering of crumbled feta or queso fresco. The feta is the secret ingredient, offering a toasted, salty kick to the enchiladas. 

How to make salsa verde chicken enchiladas

1. Spread ½ cup of the creamy green salsa sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish.
2. Dip warm corn tortillas in the salsa, stuff them with the chicken filling, then roll them up and arrange them in the dish.
3. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas.
4. Sprinkle with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and feta (or queso fresco), and bake!

Serving suggestions

For a pop of color and flavor, sprinkle the cooked salsa verde enchiladas with chopped cilantro, and serve with creamy avocado slices and sour cream.

FAQs

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Other Mexican inspired recipes you might like:

• Salsa Verde Chicken Chilaquiles
• One Pan Steak Burrito Bowls
• Instant Pot Black Beans
• Healthy Taco Salad Bowls
• Vegetable & Quinoa Chili
• The Best Slow Cooker Beef Chili
• Mexican White Bean & Chicken Soup

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Salsa Verde Green Chicken Enchiladas

By Nicki Sizemore

Yes, you CAN make enchiladas on a weeknight! This salsa verde chicken enchilada recipe is easy, packed with flavor, healthy and gluten free. With melted cheese and all the fixings, it’s a meal that’s ALWAYS a crowd pleaser. Feel free to use leftover cooked chicken in place of the rotisserie chicken. For the sauce, you can use any brand of jarred green salsa (also called tomatillo salsa) that you like (if you’re feeding kids go for a mild version). Buy more tortillas than you’ll need, just in case some break when you’re rolling the enchiladas. I like to serve these enchiladas with these Instant Pot pinto beans!

Servings: 4 people

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

Filling

• 2 cups shredded or diced chicken (about half of a rotisserie chicken)
• 1 cup black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• ½ cup green onions (about 2 large green onions)
• 1 large garlic clove, grated
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (blend)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Juice from ½ lime
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Enchiladas

• 2 (16-ounce) jars green salsa (tomatillo salsa)
• 1 cup sour cream (full fat)
• 10 corn tortillas (I suggest having a few extra on hand, in case any break)
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• ¾ cup crumbled feta or queso fresco

For serving (optional)

• Chopped cilantro
• Avocado slices
• Sour cream

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425˚F.

Make the enchilada filling

• In a large bowl, combine the chicken, beans, corn, green onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble the enchiladas

• Whisk together the green salsa and the sour cream. Warm the sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave in a large bowl, just until warmed through (don’t boil).
• Wrap the tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave them for about 45 seconds or so, or until warm (keep them covered as you work so that they stay warm and pliable, otherwise they can crack). Alternatively, wrap them in foil and heat them in the oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
• Place a large piece of wax or parchment paper on your work surface (this will help to keep things clean). Spread ½ cup of the creamy salsa along the bottom of a 13x9-inch or similar sized baking dish.
• Dip a warm tortilla into the creamy salsa, and rotate it until completely coated. Lay the tortilla on the wax paper, and add about ⅓ cup of filling. Roll it up and place it in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas, lining them tightly down the center of the baking dish. If there’s extra filling, spread it along the sides and/or over the top. Spoon some of the creamy salsa over the top of the enchiladas (you might not need to use it all—save the rest for chips). Sprinkle the Monterey Jack and feta (or queso fresco) over top. Bake until the cheese is lightly toasted and the sauce is bubbling around the edges, about 15 minutes.
• Let the enchiladas cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with avocado slices and sour cream, if you wish.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: easy enchiladas recipe, green salsa enchiladas recipe, salsa verde enchiladas recipe