Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

This Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas recipe is a spin on traditional enchiladas. I use shredded chicken mixed with chihuahua cheese and a creamy salsa verde.

The enchiladas are topped with cheese then baked in the oven. Add your favorite toppings then serve!

The homemade salsa verde is blended with cream cheese to make a smooth and creamy taste. This is a great recipe if you love green chiles but don’t do well with a lot of heat.

The cream cheese helps tone down the spice of these green enchiladas. It still has so much flavor but less heat, making it a perfect meal for the whole family.

Mexican food is always a favorite at our house. A woman taught me a variation of this recipe years ago.

A woman I was working with was making staff lunch for the day. When I saw her adding cream cheese to her salsa verde, she saw the surprised look on my face.

She told me that this green chile enchilada sauce was the traditional way of making enchiladas verdes in her hometown in Mexico. I tasted it and loved it immediately!

I’ve remembered this delicious recipe ever since! Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas is one of those meals that is cozy and comforting at the dinner table in the winter time but also perfect to eat outside during late summer.

Next time you’re craving enchiladas I hope you think of this recipe!

Some other Mexican inspired dishes you may love: Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme Recipe, Creamy Taco Truck Green Salsa Recipe, Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Relish and Chipotle Mayo

What is green enchilada sauce made of?

Each green enchilada sauce is made slightly different. For this Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas recipe I use salsa verde as the base then add cream cheese.

The following ingredients make up this green enchilada sauce:

• Tomatillos- These look like small green tomatoes with husks
• Jalapenos – I use fresh jalapenos
• Onion – Yellow onion is my go-to
• Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves bring the best flavor
• Cilantro – Cilantro brightens up the salsa a bit
• Kosher Salt – Salt really brings out the flavor of all the ingredients
• Water – Water helps thin the salsa a bit
• Cream Cheese – This is what makes this particular green enchilada sauce creamy

Are enchiladas better with corn or flour tortillas?

This is totally a personal preference. This recipe can be made with either tortilla.

I prefer corn tortillas. Corn tortillas are a little trickier to roll because they can break easily.

You’ll want to either microwave them in a damp towel just until warm or fry them with a little oil or non-stick cooking spray in a pan over medium heat just until warm and pliable.

These Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are equally as delicious with flour tortillas. One thing to keep in mind if you switch the flour tortillas is that the recipe is no longer gluten free.

Ingredients for Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

• Chicken Thighs – I love using chicken thighs for their flavor and juiciness
• Chicken Stock – This is to braise the chicken thighs in so they shred easily. You can use stock or chicken broth
• Kosher Salt – Super important in every dish. Salt brings out all the flavors
• Black Pepper – I prefer coarse ground pepper
• Corn Tortillas – Feel free to use flour tortillas if you prefer
• Chihuahua Cheese – This is a melty Mexican cheese
• Tomatillos – Tomatillos look like little green tomatoes with husks. You can find them at your local grocery store
• Jalapenos – Use fresh jalapeno, not pickled. You can also use serrano if you like a lot of heat. You can also adjust up or down the amount of green chilies you use, tailored to your specific spice tolerance
• Onion – I use yellow onion
• Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves are best
• Cilantro – Fresh cilantro is in the sauce and used for a topping
• Olive Oil – For roasting the tomatillos, onion and garlic
• Cream Cheese – Cream cheese is added to the salsa verde to make it creamy and more mild
• Cotija Cheese – A Mexican cheese sprinkled on top before serving
• Avocado – An optional topping
• Radish – Sliced radishes are an optional topping that add color and crunch
• Red Onion – Red onion is a more non-traditional topping that I like on my enchiladas
• Sour Cream – An optional topping. I only use about 1/4 cup of sour cream

Equipment needed

• 13×9 Casserole Dish – A 13×9 dish fits the Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas best. You can also use 2 smaller dishes if you don’t have one that large
• 10×7 Baking Dish – I use a 10×7 baking dish to cook the chicken thighs
• Sheet Pan – You’ll need a sheet pan/cookie sheet to roast the veggies
• Food Processor – Use a food processor or blender to blend the creamy green enchilada sauce
• Sharp Knife – You’ll need a sharp knife for cutting some veggies
• Cutting Board – A cutting board is a kitchen staple that you will use almost every meal

Tips for Creamy Green Chile Enchiladas

• If you don’t love chicken thighs ( I don’t know why you wouldn’t!) then you can use chicken breast for this recipe
• A great way to make this recipe in less time is to use shredded rotisserie chicken. Just grab a pre-made rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, bring it home and shred it
• You can switch up the cheese each time you make this recipe to give a slightly different flavor. Monterey Jack cheese or Pepper Jack would be a great option in place of the Chihuahua cheese
• To make the corn tortillas more pliable and easier to roll, wrap them in a damp paper towel then microwave them for about 15 seconds. You can also spray a small frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat the tortillas over medium-high heat just until slightly warmed
• If you like things spicy then add your favorite hot sauce on top after cooking
• It’s best to let the chicken cool to room temp after shredding. Then you won’t burn yourself while you’re adding the chicken mixture to the tortillas
• Tips and tricks will be on the recipe card for easy viewing while cooking!

Sides that go with Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

• Summer Fruit Salad
• Strawberry Summer Salad
• Mexican Rice
• Refried Beans
• Black Beans

How to store Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are one of those dishes that are best eaten fresh. You can definitely store them to eat later but they do get a little soggy by the next day.

The best method of storing is to let them fully cool then either transfer them to an airtight container or wrap the baking dish tightly in plastic wrap.

Keep them for up to 4 days in the fridge. The microwave is the best place to reheat them, the oven will just dry them out.

I do not recommend freezing the enchiladas. The texture will not hold up upon thawing and reheating.

Can I make this recipe ahead?

You can make each individual part of this recipe ahead of time, store them separately and then put it together when you need it.

If you make the full recipe ahead of time whether you bake it or wait to bake it then the Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas will be soggy.

If you’re looking to save time then I would suggest cooking and shredding the chicken then mixing it with the cheese once it’s cooled. Store that in one container.

Make the creamy salsa verde, let it cool then store it in a separate container.

Chop and slice and garnish EXCEPT the avocado and store the garnishes in a container. Wait until serving time to slice the avocado so it doesn’t turn brown.

Then you can quickly roll and bake the enchiladas and top them!

How to make Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the chicken thighs, place them in the smaller baking dish then add the chicken stock.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil then bake for 2 hours. Remove the chicken from the oven, turn the oven down to 350° and let the chicken cool slightly then shred it.

While the chicken is cooking, make the creamy green enchilada sauce. Add the tomatillos, green chiles, onion and garlic to a sheet pan.

Drizzle veggies with oil then add 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Roast for 15 minutes at 400°F then remove the garlic and set aside. Continue roasting the other veggies for 5 more minutes.

Remove from the oven and add the veggies along with the garlic to the food processor. Add the water and salt then blend until you have a slightly chunky salsa.

Add the cream cheese and continue blending until cream cheese is fully incorporated.

Rolling the enchiladas

Add the Chihuahua cheese to the shredded chicken and mix.

Slightly warm the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel in the microwave for 15 seconds or using a skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Just until the tortillas are pliable.

Pour a small amount of creamy enchilada sauce on the bottom of the 13×9 pan. Add a little of the enchilada sauce or a small plate or bowl for dipping the tortillas.

Dip each corn tortilla in the enchilada sauce on the front and back then add a small amount of the chicken and cheese mixture and roll.

Place each rolled enchilada into the pan, fitting them tightly together. Top enchiladas with remaining enchilada sauce and remaining Chihuahua cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover the enchiladas and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Add toppings and serve!

We love these creamy chicken enchiladas and I hope it’s an easy dinner that you will too!

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This green chicken enchiladas recipe is a family favorite and I hope it can be a favorite for your family too!