Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
These super cheesy chicken enchiladas verdes require one bowl, one pan, and about 15 minutes of your time. They are the kind of simple, basic, casual comfort food that requires so little time and energy, they are within reach any time you crave them. Which, if you're anything like me, is about every other day.
I am an enchiladas super fan. I like them pretty much every way they come. But, we all have our favorites, and there are three enchiladas recipes that get made on the regular around here:
- Cheese Enchilada Casserole with the BEST Red Chili sauce I know how to make.
- Black Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce
- And these creamy, cheesy chicken enchiladas verdes.
At least one of these gets made in our house every month. Often, more than that. They are the kind of crowd-pleasing recipes you can make for a large dinner party AND when you're cooking for just one or two. You can make them ahead of time, or on a whim. And, something that's super important to me, leftovers are delicious for days.
These chicken enchiladas require just 6 ingredients:
- Shredded chicken
- Ground cumin
- Sour cream
- Monterey Jack cheese
- Flour tortillas
- A jar of salsa verde
The chicken can be leftover from something else you made earlier in the week or from a rotisserie chicken you picked up at your local supermarket. Because Simple Roast Chicken is also something I make All. The. Time., that's usually what I use for these. But, you really can use any kind of cooked chicken you like.
Mix the chicken with some cumin, sour cream, and cheese, roll it up into tortillas, smother them with salsa verde and more cheese, and pop the whole thing in the oven.
Easy peasy. And cheesy. 🙂
Optional ingredients you can make from scratch (but don't have to):
#1. The Chicken.
We love options around here and this recipe comes with several. Every single ingredient (all 6 of them) can be picked up at your local supermarket. Or, you can make a few from scratch.
As I've already stated, Roast Chicken is on the menu at my house on a regular basis and I always roast more than one chicken at a time. One gets eaten for dinner the night I roast them and the meat from the other is saved for something else later in the week. (Most of the time, I also dump the chicken bones in the slow cooker, cover them with water, let them simmer overnight, and presto! Chicken broth for the price of water.)
Roast chicken is delicious in these enchiladas, but you can seriously use pretty much any kind of cooked chicken in there, boiled, baked, grilled, roasted, or fried. It's all good. Or, just pick up a rotisserie chicken.
#2. The Salsa Verde.
During the summer months, when fresh local tomatillos and chilies are in steady supply, I make batch after batch of Salsa Verde because my husband and I are addicted to it. In the winter, I buy it in jars.
My favorite brand is Herdez, but I've bought other brands from time to time, and as long as the ingredient list is packed with pronounceable, recognizable ingredients, it's all good.
#3. The Tortillas.
These are the one ingredient I always make from scratch because...
Homemade Tortillas Rock
Homemade tortillas will ruin you forever for supermarket standard packaged flour tortillas. I say that in a cautionary kind of way, but also, I really, really hope you try them.
Because making tortillas is easy (truly!), and they are one of those things for which every bit of effort is rewarded 100 fold.
Enchiladas Verdes is of my favorite camping/ boondocking/ small kitchen recipes
In May of 2020 my husband and I embraced our nomadic travel loving natures and moved into a 400 square foot 5th wheel RV. For the most part, having a substantially smaller kitchen has not changed the way I cook or bake at all, with one exception.
When we are boondocking (camping off the grid) or parked in a location without hookups, I tend to cook meals that require very few dishes. This allows me to conserve water, something that's important when you're trying to make a limited supply last as long as possible.
Happily, this recipe for chicken enchiladas verdes totally fits the bill, requiring just one bowl and one baking dish. Even better, it can easily be doubled (bake in a 9 x 13 pan) for those times when we are parked next to friends and want to share.
(If you're curious about our first real boondocking experience, I wrote about it here.)
Another Option: Substitute Pork Carnitas for the Chicken
These super easy Pork Carnitas are something I make ALL the time. The meat is crispy on the outside, super flavorful, and fall-off-the bone tender.
The recipe makes enough for for plenty of leftovers that you can use throughout the week or freeze for later, and includes instructions for making them in your slow cooker or instant pot. And, crisping the carnitas in the oven all at once instead of frying them in batches makes this recipe even easier.
So, when I happen to have some leftover carnitas on hand, I often make this casserole, using the carnitas in place of the chicken. SO. GOOD.
Weekly Meal Plans that include Enchiladas Verdes:
More popular quick and easy recipes:
- 20-Minute Garlic Chipotle Pasta
- Tahini Grilled Chicken
- Black Bean Tomato Soup
- Chachouka (North African Pepper and Tomato Stew)
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Extra Creamy French Omelettes
- Indian Shrimp and Rice
- Miso Buttered Pasta and Salmon
- Pasta Fritatta
- Weeknight Sushi Bowls
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.
Easy, Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas Verdes
These super cheesy chicken enchiladas verdes require one bowl and one pan, and about 15 minutes of your time. They are the kind of simple, basic, casual comfort food that takes so little time and energy, they are within reach any time you crave them. Which, if you're anything like me, is about every other day.
How about a margarita with your enchiladas? Pomegranate Margaritas are my favorite beverage to serve with Chicken Enchiladas and can be prepared by the glass or by the pitcher.
Ingredients
- One 15 ounce jar salsa verde (*See note)
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 3 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 5 large flour tortillas (*See note)
For serving (optional):
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- 1 cup diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread about ½ cup of salsa verde in the bottom of a 9-inch sqare baking dish.
- Add the chicken, cumin, sour cream and 2 cups of the cheese to a large bowl and stir to combine. Divide the mixture between 5 tortillas, spreading it down the middle of the tortillas, rolling them up, and placing them in the baking dish.
- Pour the rest of the salsa over the top of the enchiladas, spreading it out to cover them completely. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.
- Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with baking spray (or brush it with a bit of vegetable oil). This will keep the cheese from sticking to it as the enchiladas bake. Cover the pan with the foil and place in the oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the pan.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes in the pan then serve with toppings.
Notes
Roast Chicken is on the menu at my house on a regular basis and I always roast more than one chicken at a time. One gets eaten for dinner the night I roast them and the meat from the other is saved for something else later in the week - like these enchiladas. Over the years, I've found two super simple methods for roasting chickens. https://alittleandalot.com/simple-roast-chicken/
If you've never had the pleasure of a warm, homemade flour tortilla, I encourage you to make them just once. They are much easier than you might think and your effort will be rewarded 100 fold. This is my favorite Homemade Tortilla Recipe.
When peppers and tomatillos are in season, I love to make my own Salsa Verde. The rest of the year, I purchase it in jars. My favorite brand of Salsa Verde is Herdez.
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