Green Chicken Enchiladas
This is a client and family favorite recipe. Do it in steps by roasting the chicken breast and shredding the meat a day ahead or buying a store roasted chicken and shreding the meat. Make the sauce a day ahead as well or use a jarred salsa verde like Trader Joes. Before dinner, just assemble and bake.
Servings: 4
Calories: 817kcal
Ingredients
- 3 3 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken rotisserie
- 4-5 cups tomatillo sauce recipe link below or store bottled
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels thawed
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves plus more for garnish if desired
- ¼ cup chopped green onions plus more for garnish if desired
- 8 corn tortillas
- 8 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To Make the Sauce
- Combine tomatillos, onion, jalapeno, garlic, water, oregano and spices in a medium saucepan. Bring almost to a boil, turn down heat to low, cover with a lid and cook until tomatillos are broken down and saucy, about 20 minutes.
- Add cooked tomatillos to a blender and blend briefly to smooth it out. When blending hot liquids, take precaution. Fill blender only half full, place lid on top and a towel on top of the lid. Blend on low speed for a few seconds. Do in two batches for safety. Use tomatillo sauce immediately or cool completely and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for several months.
To Roast the Chicken
- Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Place chicken breasts on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until chicken reaches 160-165 degrees, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. If you are going to complete the enchiladas now, turn the oven down to 350°F degrees. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and shred meat. You should have about 3 ½ cups. Save any extra for chicken salad or soft tacos.
Assemble Enchiladas
- In a large bowl, mix shredded chicken, corn, cilantro, green onions and about ½ cup of the tomatillo. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Steam tortillas briefly to soften them making them easier to roll. Fill a large pot with a few inches of water. Place a steamer rack without the center handle in the pot. The water should reach just the bottom of the steamer. Place a lid on the pot and over medium heat heat until steam is coming out from under the lid. Add the tortillas and steam for approximately 4 minutes or until softened. See note at end for other ideas to steam tortillas.
- Assemble the enchiladas. Place one cooked tortilla on a plate. Top with 1 tablespoon of tomatillo sauce, then about ⅓ cup of chicken mixture on top, then sprinkle with cheese. Roll enchilada and place in the prepared baking dish seam side down. Complete with the rest of the tortillas. Top the enchiladas with sauce (you may not need it all) and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake Enchiladas
- Bake enchiladas covered with foil for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and the enchiladas are hot throughout, 165°F. Take the foil off the last few minutes. To serve, garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro if desired.
Notes
How to steam tortillas.
- Use a large pot with a folding steamer rack, without the center handle.
- Use a bamboo steam set over a large pot of simmering water.
- Use a steam oven
- Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for a minute or until just soft and pliable.
Nutrition
Calories: 817kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 74g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 228mg | Sodium: 625mg | Potassium: 833mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 749IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 459mg | Iron: 3mg