Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce
Tender shredded chicken in delicious chile verde sauce wrapped in soft flour tortillas and generously topped with melted cheese? Could like possibly get any better? ;)
Servings: 8 Enchiladas
Calories: 463kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.5 to 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs*
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 (15-oz) can green enchilada sauce
- 1 cup green salsa or chicken broth
- 1 (4-oz) can diced green chilis**
- 1 tsp sea salt
For the Enchiladas:
- 1 to 2 cups green salsa or homemade salsa verde***
- 8 flour tortillas*
- 2 cups jack cheese grated****
- Fresh cilantro optional
Instructions
Prepare the Shredded Chicken:
- Begin by preparing the shredded chicken using your preferred cooking method. I provide Instant Pot instructions here but scroll up to get the crock pot or the stove top instructions.
- Add all of the ingredients to your Instant Pot and give everything a big stir.
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot. Pressure cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes. Allow the Instant pot to naturally release for at least 10 minutes (ideally up to 1 hour if you have the time), then use the quick release valve to release any remaining pressure.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken thighs to a cutting board and use two forks to shred the chicken.
- Transfer the shredded chicken back to the instant pot with the juices until you’re ready to use it.
Make the Enchiladas:
- When you’re ready to prepare the enchiladas, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Transfer ½ cup of the liquid from the shredded chicken to the bottom of a large 13" x 9" casserole dish. Note: if you’re using leftover chicken that doesn’t contain sauce, use canned green enchilada sauce or salsa for this step or spray baking dish with cooking spray.
- Dip both sides of a tortilla into the shredded chicken mixture so that the tortilla absorbs some of the green enchilada liquid. The purpose of this step is to soften up the tortillas and make the enchiladas nice and moist. If you prefer drier tortillas in your enchiladas, skip this step.
- Measure a heaping ½ cup of shredded chicken into the center of each tortilla and wrap it tightly into a large taquito shape.
- Repeat for the remaining tortillas and chicken until you have 8 enchiladas tightly packed into the casserole dish.
- Evenly spread the green salsa over the enchiladas.
- Sprinkle the cheese over top of the enchiladas. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the liquid surrounding the enchiladas is bubbly and the cheese is melted and golden brown. If you'd like, sprinkle chopped green onions, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro on top of the casserole.
- Serve chile verde chicken enchiladas with any additional side dishes, and enjoy!
- Enchiladas pair nicely with Homemade Spanish Rice, Mexican rice, refried beans, or whole black beans are great serving options. Add any of your favorite toppings like a dollop of sour cream and guacamole on top.
Notes
*You can use a combination of boneless chicken breasts and thighs if you’d like.
**Use gluten-free flour tortillas for gluten-free enchiladas
***For very saucy enchiladas, use 2 cups of green salsa, and for less saucy enchiladas, use one cup.
****Cheddar cheese, colby jack cheese, and pepperjack cheese all work too!
See instructions above for preparing the shredded chicken in the crock pot or on the stove top.
To store enchiladas, wrap the casserole dish in plastic wrap or foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also store enchiladas in an airtight container in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Enchilada (of 8) | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 184mg | Sodium: 1039mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g