Shredded Chicken Enchiladas With Creamy Salsa Verde
These shredded chicken enchiladas are filled with plump, juicy chicken and bold flavors. Topped with a creamy salsa verde enchilada sauce, this recipe infuses every bite of the enchiladas with cheesy deliciousness.
Chicken enchiladas are one of my favorite comfort foods and something I love to make in large batches when I’m having friends over or to have around the house for leftovers and lunches.
When I was developing this recipe, I wanted to create a chicken enchiladas recipe with depth of flavor, interesting textures, and was simple enough to make for weeknight dinners. Over the years, I’ve found the biggest difference between truly delicious chicken enchiladas and a disappointing dinner is how much care went into the enchilada sauce and filling.
A challenge to making chicken enchiladas at home is that they can feel like a lot of work. With multiple components, it takes some time to make them right. But don’t be intimidated.
For this chicken enchiladas recipe, I’ve broken down each component into simple steps, focusing on ways to build flavor and texture. It’s a great recipe for people who love enchiladas.
Highlights
This shredded chicken enchilada recipe is for people who love enchiladas with plump, juicy chicken and a creamy salsa verde enchilada sauce.
Content
Better Tasting Chicken Enchiladas
One thing I feel strongly about is that if you’re going to take the time to make enchiladas, they should taste great.
What makes these chicken enchiladas taste so good is how each step adds flavor and texture.
The reason dishes like enchiladas, lasagna, and Mexican Chicken are baked is to meld the flavors from the different components together, creating something richer and more flavorful than any of the components are on their own. This same cooking process can also make everything feel mushy, which is why I focus so much on building the enchiladas’ texture.
Sauteéing the onion and chilies before adding the water helps to flavor the cooking liquid, which infuses its flavors into the chicken as it cooks. Slow cooking the chicken thighs keeps the meat tender and juicy. Using high heat or boiling chicken produces dried-out, stringy meat.
Adding a dried ancho chili helps the enchiladas stand out by adding a little smokiness and Southwestern flavors to the filling.
Shredding the chicken by hand produces tender chunks that fall apart with each bite.
What I love about the creamy salsa verde is how the roux thickens the sauce, giving it more body and adding complexity to the enchiladas as the sauce bakes into the tortillas. It’s a simple step that transforms the dish.
The creamy salsa verde has elements of a green enchilada sauce that come from the salsa verde. It becomes so much more when it’s combined with the chicken stock, thickened with the roux, and finished with sour cream – creating a rich homemade enchilada sauce with a luxurious mouthfeel.
The reason I use flour tortillas in this recipe is they do a better job of absorbing the flavors from the sauce and holding up through the baking process than corn tortillas. The recipe works fine with corn tortillas, but they need to be rolled instead of folded.
Whether you use flour tortillas or corn tortillas, always make sure to use warm tortillas when you assemble the enchiladas. Warming the tortillas makes them more pliable and less likely to break or crack.
A simple way to enhance the flavors in the enchiladas is with toppings. Sour cream and guacamole help to accentuate the enchilada’s creaminess, while thinly sliced red onion adds crunch and texture.
I’ll often sprinkle some minced green onion or rough cut cilantro on top when the enchiladas come out of the oven to add freshness and a dash of color.
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas
Making chicken enchiladas is a simple process if you break it down into a few steps. The first step is to poach the chicken in a flavorful cooking liquid over a medium simmer.
While the chicken is cooking, start making the enchilada sauce. This simplifies the cooking process, giving the enchilada sauce time to cool before adding the sour cream. If the enchilada sauce is too warm when the sour cream is added, the sauce will break and look clumpy.
The creamy salsa verde can be finished once the chicken is done cooking and is cooling before being shredded.
The enchilada filling is a mixture of flavors and textures consisting of shredded chicken, the onion and chilies from the cooking liquid, and shredded cheese.
A somewhat unique feature in this chicken enchiladas recipe is how the enchiladas are folded. I like to fold the edges of the tortillas inwards after they’ve been filled to help keep everything together and so I can fit 8 enchiladas into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
Place a scoop of filling in the middle of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half pulling back on the tortilla to compact the filling. Fold the sides in and flip the tortilla over the filling like you’re wrapping a present.
Once the tortillas have been filled, place the enchiladas in a prepared baking dish. Pour the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and top with shredded cheese and a little cilantro or green onion for color.
Bake the enchiladas in a 350℉ (177℃) oven for 20 to 25 minutes. They’re done when the cheese on top starts to turn a golden brown. I’ve found that letting the enchiladas rest for a few minutes before serving helps everything come together and keeps people from burning their mouths.
Two Ways to Make Shredded Chicken
When I first published this recipe, I used our Shredded Chicken as a base for the filling. It’s a fantastic way to make lots of shredded chicken that is tender and flavorful. The recipe uses a combination of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and breasts to make a large batch of shredded chicken that can be used for enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, etc.
Slow cooking chicken that has been browned over a low simmer for a long time gives the chicken an almost delicate texture and lots of time to absorb the flavors from the sautéed onion, green chilies, and dried ancho chili.
The challenge with this approach is that it takes a lot of time and means you have a lot of chicken.
What I wanted to do with this update is find a simpler, quicker way to make the shredded chicken without sacrificing the flavor and texture that make these enchiladas stand out.
The answer was boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Over time, chicken thighs have become my go-to cut of chicken starring in Southwestern Grilled Chicken Thighs, Chicken Stew with White Beans, and Mexican Chicken. What I like about chicken thighs is that they have a lot more flavor than chicken breasts, are easy to work with, and are affordable.
Shredded Chicken Thighs
Using boneless, skinless chicken thighs is a simple way to make shredded chicken. The chicken thighs will cook all the way through covered in water on a medium simmer in 20 to 25 minutes.
Using a cooking liquid that has been infused with flavor from the sauteéd onion and chilies helps to flavor the chicken and gets the onion and chilies ready for the filling.
Shredding the chicken by hand versus cutting it with a knife helps the chicken come apart along the seams. It’s a small thing, but there’s a noticeable difference in texture with chicken cooked this way between cut up and shredded chicken, with the shredded chicken having a more interesting, more supple texture.
Boneless skinless chicken breasts will work as a substitute for the chicken thighs. The challenge with boneless skinless breasts is they have very little flavor by themselves and are easy to overcook and dry out. If you’re short on time or if chicken thighs aren’t available, shredding a store bought rotisserie chicken is a better substitute.
Shredded Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Verde
Ingredients
Shredded Chicken
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
- 1/2 cup white onion, diced
- 4 oz roasted green chilies, diced
- 1 ancho chili, dried, destemmed & minced
- 1/2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Enchilada Filling
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 8 flour tortillas, 8-inch preferred
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- 1/4 cup cilantro, rough chopped
Creamy Salsa Verde Enchilada Sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- 6 oz salsa verde
- 8 oz chicken stock
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Topping
- 1 cup shredded cheese, Mexican blend
- 1/4 cup cilantro, rough chopped
Instructions
Shredded Chicken
- In a large pan, sauté the onion, green chilies, and ancho chili in a little cooking oil for a few minutes.1/2 cup white onion, 4 oz roasted green chilies, 1 ancho chili
- Add in the chicken and enough water to cover. Cook on a medium simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken has cooked through.1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs
- Take the chicken out of the cooking liquid and strain the onion and chili mixture, setting it aside for the filling.
- Let the chicken cool for 5 to 10 minutes until you can easily shred it by hand.
- Mix the shredded chicken, onion, and chilies with the chili powder, Mexican oregano, cumin, lime juice, salt, and pepper.1/2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 3 cups shredded chicken, 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese, 1/4 cup cilantro, 1/4 tsp pepper
Enchilada Filling
- Make a roux by adding the butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add in the flour and lightly whisk until they’ve formed a light brown paste.1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp flour
- Add in the salsa verde and chicken stock and continue whisking while the sauce starts to thicken. This usually takes 4 to 6 minutes. Once the sauce has started to thicken, take it off the heat and let it cool for at least 20 minutes before adding the sour cream.6 oz salsa verde, 8 oz chicken stock
- After the sauce has cooled, whisk in the sour cream.1/2 cup sour cream
Assemble the Enchiladas
- Warm up the tortillas in the microwave or oven until they are soft and pliable.8 flour tortillas
- Place a scoop of the filling, around 3/4 cup, in the center of a tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half, pulling back on the tortilla to compact the filling. Fold the sides in and flip the tortilla over the filling like you’re wrapping a present.
- Place the tortilla in a lightly prepared baking dish, with the folded side down. Continue making the enchiladas until the filling is all used up.
- Pour the sauce over the enchiladas, spreading it evenly. Spread the remaining cup of shredded cheese over the top, followed by a sprinkling of cilantro.1 cup shredded cheese, 1/4 cup cilantro
- Bake the chicken enchiladas in a 350℉ (177℃) oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The enchiladas are done when they start turning a nice golden brown.
Notes
Recommended Equipment
Tips for Better Chicken Enchiladas
This is one of those recipes that works equally well when you double it to feed a large group or when you make it for yourself over the weekend and eat the enchiladas for lunches or as leftovers during the week. For serving size, I generally assume 1 to 2 enchiladas per person.
Chicken enchiladas can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. If I’m making them more than a day in advance, I’ll bake them all the way through. If I’m making them a couple of hours before serving, I’ll wait and bake them right before dinner.
Leftover chicken enchiladas can be kept in the fridge for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container. They can also be frozen for six months. Frozen enchiladas should be defrosted in the refrigerator before being cooked in the oven.
A tip when reheating enchiladas is to use the oven or a toaster oven instead of the microwave. Reheat them in a 350℉ (177℃) oven for 12 to 18 minutes, and they’ll be as good as new. Use a microwave, and they’ll turn out gummy.
More Enchiladas for You
We’re big fans of enchiladas at Umami. I even wrote A Complete Guide to Making Enchiladas that dives into the corn tortillas vs. flour tortillas debate.
Here are some more enchilada recipes worth trying.
We also have a delicious Red Enchilada Sauce that has layers of flavor and is simple to make if you want to serve enchiladas Christmas style.
What to Serve with Chicken Enchiladas
Even though enchiladas can be a meal by themselves, it’s always nice to round things out with some tasty side dishes and something nice to drink. Here are some simple side dishes and drinks that pair with these chicken enchiladas.
Mark is an experienced food writer, recipe developer, and photographer who is also Umami’s publisher and CEO. A passionate cook who loves to cook for friends, he can often be found in the kitchen or by the grill testing new recipes.
More Info About Mark Hinds
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