This Chicken Enchiladas In Green Sauce is a nice variation on the classic Enchilada dish. Once you try this recipe, there is no going back
I’m pretty sure there are hundreds of different ways to make Chicken Enchiladas in Green Sauce. You can get this dish in a box to microwave or buy the sauce pre-made just about anywhere.
But it’s not very often that you find a Chicken Enchilada recipe that has you make everything from scratch (minus the corn tortillas).
When I first came across this recipe, I knew I had to experiment with it in the kitchen and adapt it to my style. I need to mention up front that if you are looking for a quick dish, this is not it.
These Chicken Enchiladas are quite involved to make and will take time. But in the end, it will be well worth the work!
Depending on where you live, you might have a hard time finding some of the ingredients. While I didn’t have a hard time locating all the ingredients here in Southern California, I suspect other parts of the US (or other countries) might have a difficult time.
If you can’t find Poblano Peppers (also known as Pasilla Peppers), you can substitute with Green Bell Peppers.
While Mexican Crema looks like Sour Cream, it’s not. Mexican Crema is not sour. If you can’t locate the crema at your local grocery store, you can make your own using Heavy Cream and Buttermilk. Google can help you in this situation.
And finally, if you can’t Queso Quesadilla at your local grocery store, you can easily substitute for Queso Asadero, Mozzarella, Fontina, Monterey Jack or Provolone.
Wear disposable gloves when handling Hot Peppers.
The capsaicin in hot peppers is what makes peppers hot. If you handle hot peppers gloveless, it’s a guarantee that you’re in for a nasty case of chili burn, both on your fingers and anywhere you rub. Like your face. Ouch!
Even if you wear disposable gloves, be careful about what you touch. The gloves are going to protect your fingers, but touching any part of your body with the gloves after you’ve handled hot peppers can lead to severe chili burn. Resist the temptation to rub your eyes. Wait until you’ve removed your gloves and washed your hands thoroughly with soap.
A few Things to be Mindful of when Handling Raw Chicken
1- Leave the chicken in the fridge until ready to use.
2- Be careful of dripping juices. Clean up immediately.
3- Do not wash raw chicken (prevents cross-contamination).
4- Wash all utensils and cutting board (if applicable).
5- If marinating the chicken, make sure you toss the juices before you cook. Don’t ever use the juice from the marinade.
6- Wash your hands after handling raw chicken.
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas In Green Sauce
In a dutch oven, combine the chicken, broth, oregano, Allspice, and cumin. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer covered for approximately 25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl and shredded. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the pepper in half lengthwise. Remove the stems, seeds, and membranes. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the peppers cut-side down. Bake for 25 minutes or until the peppers are charred. Wrap foil around peppers ensuring they are well enclosed. Remove the skins from the peppers once they are cool enough to handle. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Combine the poblanos, jalapeños, tomatillos, cilantro, garlic and salt in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the egg and Mexican Crema to the pepper mixture and process once more until well combined.
Add 1/2 Cup of the green sauce to the bowl of shredded chicken. If needed you can add some of the chicken broth previously used to thin out the sauce if needed. Make sure all the chicken is covered in sauce. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread 1 Cup of the green sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
Place 1/4 Cup of the chicken mixture along with 2 Tbsp of the queso quesadilla cheese. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down in the baking dish. If needed you can heat the tortillas up in the microwave to make them more pliable. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the rolled enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of the sauce.
Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and starting to brown. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and serve. Cilantro lovers can sprinkle a bit of cilantro over the top for a little more flavor.
Chicken Enchiladas In Green Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs Chicken Breast(s)
- 4 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
- 1/2 Tsp Allspice
- 1/4 Tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 lbs Poblano Peppers
- 1 Jalapeño(s)
- 12 oz Tomatillos
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1 Egg(s)
- 1 Cup Mexican Crema
- 12 6 inch Corn Tortillas
- 2 Cups Queso Quesadilla
- 2 Tbsp Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
how to make this recipe
- In a dutch oven, combine the chicken, broth, oregano, Allspice and cumin. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer covered for approximately 25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl and shredded. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the pepper in half lengthwise. Remove the stems, seeds and membranes. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the peppers cut side down. Bake for 25 minutes or until the peppers are charred. Wrap foil around peppers ensuring they are well enclosed. Remove the skins from the peppers once they are cool enough to handle. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
- Combine the poblanos, jalapeños, tomatillos, cilantro, garlic and salt in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the egg and Mexican Crema to the pepper mixture and process once more until well combined.
- Add 1/2 Cup of the green sauce to the bowl of shredded chicken. If needed you can add some of the chicken broth previously used to thin out the sauce if needed. Make sure all the chicken is covered in sauce. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread 1 Cup of the green sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Place 1/4 Cup of the chicken mixture along with 2 Tbsp of the queso quesadilla cheese. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down in the baking dish. If needed you can heat the tortillas up in the microwave to make them more pliable. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the rolled enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of the sauce.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and starting to brown. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and serve. Cilantro lovers can sprinkle a bit of cilantro over the top for a little more flavor.
Notes
Nutrition
Any nutritional information provided on this site is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with your nutritionist.
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