Green enchiladas with chicken have it all - melted cheesy goodness, seasoned tender chicken bites, soft tortillas, slight creamy filling, and some spicy heat that's just right. Yes, please! 🙂
You Will Love These Chicken Green Enchiladas
Best Flavor
There's a lot of flavors packed into this green chicken enchilada recipe. Start with the taco seasoned chicken, then add in diced green chiles, some amazing creamy cheeses, slather with green enchilada sauce, and top with more cheese.
This recipe is mild to medium in spiciness. You can make adjustments as needed. For example, to make it spicier, you could use hot diced green chiles, and then top with a hot salsa verde when you serve.
Comfort Food
Green enchiladas are total comfort food and the perfect casserole - crave-able comfort food with melted cheese, soft tortillas, creamy filling, and tender chicken bites, topped with tangy green enchilada sauce.
Chicken Green Enchilada Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken Breast - Boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (½" to 1" in size). You can also use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or oven-roasted, thawed, frozen, pre-cooked diced chicken. It can be shredded or diced. If using pre-cooked, follow the instructions in the Variations section below.
- Taco Seasoning Mix - You can use my Taco Seasoning recipe or a pre-mixed packet from the store. My recipe is super easy and can be made ahead of time! I highly recommend it. Batch-make it to have on hand for later use.
- Olive Oil
- Jack Cheese - If you want to go a little spicier you could go with pepper jack cheese too!
- Green Enchilada Sauce - You can use my Green Enchilada Sauce recipe or buy the canned variety.
- Flour Tortillas - I know, many recipes call for corn tortillas which are quite delicious. I prefer the flour tortillas because of the softness and mild taste that they lend to the recipe. You can use whichever one you prefer.
- Cottage Cheese - If you don't like cottage cheese, substitute ricotta, or even sour cream.
- Diced Green Chiles - Use mild or hot.
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Optional Toppings - Salsa verde, avocado, fresh cilantro, sour cream. I also love to add some shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and olives sometimes too.
Substitutions and Variations
- To make these low-carb or keto enchiladas, use a low-carb or keto-friendly soft taco tortilla. We used carb-balance flour tortillas to lower the carbs (4 grams net carbs) in this recipe.
- Use taco-sized soft flour tortillas or burrito-sized ones.
- To save time, use pre-cooked diced or shredded chicken. Skip the step where you cook the chicken and instead add the chicken to a bowl. Add the taco seasoning mix and 2 tablespoons olive oil, and stir in only ⅛ cup water (instead of ½ cup as called for in the recipe).
- For more spice, add sliced jalapenos or hot sauce, or use a spicy salsa verde. You could also try pepper jack cheese.
- If desired, substitute ricotta or sour cream for cottage cheese. Ricotta typically has less salt, so additional salt may be needed when serving.
- Want to add some veggies? Add 1 to 1½ cups of sauteed mushrooms, onions, or diced zucchini. You could also add cooked spinach or even corn. Divide evenly amongst the tortillas.
How To Make Green Chicken Enchiladas
For complete instructions, please see the printable recipe card below.
Cook Chicken
Saute chicken until done then add in taco seasoning mix.
Fill and Roll Up Tortillas
Fill and roll up each tortilla with chicken, cottage cheese, green enchilada sauce, green chiles, and jack cheese.
Assemble Casserole
Place each enchilada in the casserole dish. Pour the remaining green enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake
Bake until the inside of the enchiladas is hot and the cheese is bubbly.
How To Serve Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
- Adjust salt and pepper and any other seasoning to taste.
- Toppings. I love to serve my enchiladas topped with sour cream, salsa verde or roasted chili corn salsa, diced avocado, cilantro, and sour cream. You could add any favorite topping, though!
- A simple side salad with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, green onion, olives, and salad dressing made by mixing sour cream and salsa verde.
- Got spicy lovers? Make sure they have a spicy salsa verde, maybe some sliced jalapenos, and even some green hot sauce.
Kori's Tips
- If you have the counter space lay all the tortillas out and fill with ingredients first. It goes much faster this way! I provided the amounts to place in each tortilla to help you divide up the ingredients easier. If there are any leftovers or shortages just pull from another enchilada. Roll up after you are finished filling.
- There is usually a variance between taco seasoning brands, sauce, chiles, etc. so adjust heat, salt, and pepper, to taste after cooking.
FAQs
The main difference between the two is the ingredients used and the flavors they impart. Green enchilada sauce, also known as salsa verde, is made with green ingredients such as tomatillos, green chilies, cilantro, and onions. This sauce has a tangy and bright flavor profile with a hint of tartness. It is often milder in spice compared to red sauce. On the other hand, red enchilada sauce is typically made with red tomatoes, red chili peppers, onions, and various spices. It has a rich and earthy flavor with a slightly sweet undertone. Red sauce tends to be spicier than green sauce.
Enchiladas are wonderful with corn or flour tortillas. It all comes down to the recipe and personal preference. Corn tortillas are slightly firmer and add a corn taste. Flour tortillas are softer and milder in taste.
To prevent green enchiladas from becoming soggy, there are a few steps you can follow. Avoid over-soaking the tortillas in the sauce. Dip each tortilla briefly in the sauce to coat it lightly. Try baking the enchiladas uncovered for a slightly longer time at a slightly higher temperature. This allows any excess moisture to evaporate, resulting in enchiladas that are flavorful, yet firm.
Yes, absolutely. You can prepare the casserole a couple of days ahead of time. Pull the casserole out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Because the casserole will still be cold in the center, the baking time will increase by approximately 15 to 25 minutes.
Green enchiladas will keep up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container.
Yes, you can freeze this casserole - I often make two casseroles and freeze one for later. It reheats really well.
Leftovers can go into an ovenproof, freezer-proof airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat in the oven at 350F until hot in the middle. Before reheating, you can sprinkle with a little more grated cheese to freshen it up.
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📖 The recipe.
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts (boneless and skinless; cut into 1" pieces)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 recipe taco seasoning mix (or 1 store-bought packet)
- ½ cup water
- 8 (8 to 10") flour tortillas (low carb or regular)
- 24 ounces shredded monterey jack cheese
- 16 ounces green enchilada sauce
- 8 ounces cottage cheese
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional toppings: sour cream, green salsa, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, diced avocado.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9" casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- In a large skillet, add olive oil and saute chicken over medium-high heat until done (no longer pink), about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in taco seasoning mix and ½ cup water. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking just until liquid is absorbed.
- Fill each tortilla with ¼ cup chicken, 2 tablespoons cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons green enchilada sauce, 1 tablespoon green chiles, and ¼ cup jack cheese.
- Roll up each enchilada and place it in a casserole dish. Pour the remaining green enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking another 15 to 20 minutes until the inside of enchiladas are hot and the cheese is bubbly.
Video
Kori's Tips
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- VARIATIONS: Make it spicy by using hot green chiles, and top with spicy salsa verde or another favorite green hot sauce, and some sliced jalapenos.
- SUBSTITUTIONS: Don't like cottage cheese? Substitute ricotta, sour cream, or softened cream cheese. Use taco or burrito-sized flour tortillas, or corn tortillas. Low carb and keto followers use low carb keto-friendly tortillas.
- TOP TIPS: Make up to 2 days ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Remove about 30 minutes prior to baking and add approximately 15 to 25 to the baking time.
- SERVING SUGGESTION: Top with sour cream, salsa verde or roasted chili corn salsa, diced avocado, and fresh cilantro. Also good with a simple green salad.
Nutrition
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Kori Butler
These are wonderful chicken enchiladas - got my whole picky family to eat them! 🙂