Salsa Verde Green Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
When you are in need of a delicious meal to feed the entire family, chicken enchiladas are the perfect solution. This recipe for green chicken enchiladas uses salsa verde instead of the traditional red enchilada sauce for a more mild and a bit of a sweeter flavor profile.
Recipe developer and registered dietitian nutritionist, Kristen Carli, MS, RD, brings us this recipe for salsa verde green chicken enchiladas. Carli notes, "This dish is a go-to easy dinner meal for my family. I like to buy storebought cooked and shredded chicken breasts to help speed up the preparation process". Anything to help us save time during the end of the day rush is always desired!
Carli topped hers with optional sour cream and fresh cilantro, but feel free to use whatever enchilada toppings you like best. As far as side dishes, we recommend serving this dish up with some Mexican street corn (elote) and some classic guacamole.
Gather your ingredients for salsa verde green chicken enchiladas
To make these salsa verde green chicken enchiladas, you can start by gathering your ingredients. For this recipe, you will need olive oil, yellow onion, shredded chicken, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, salsa verde, Monterey Jack cheese, and flour tortillas.
Start with some sautéing
Preheat your oven to 350 F, then place a large, deep skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion and sauté until the onion is tender and beginning to turn translucent. This should take about 8 minutes. Then, add in the shredded chicken, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and one of the salsa verde jars. Then give the entire mixture a good stir until the chicken is coated in the salsa.
Fold up enchiladas
Load up an enchilada by scooping about a cup portion of the chicken mixture into the center of a tortilla. Roll it up, keeping the ends open, and place it seam side down in a 9x13-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat this process with remaining tortillas and filling until all of the enchiladas have been made.
Top with more salsa verde and cheese before baking
Next, top the enchiladas with the remaining jar of salsa verde. Lastly, top the enchiladas with the shredded Monterey Jack cheese making sure to spread it evenly. Then, bake the enchiladas in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
These enchiladas are best served right away, while they're nice and hot. Naturally, these would pair well with other Mexican fare such as beans, rice, or some chips and guac on the side. That said, you can easily enjoy these enchiladas alone, as-is, for a perfectly nourishing and fulfilling meal.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 ½ pounds cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 (16-ounce) jars salsa verde, divided
- 1 ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 7 large flour tortillas
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Place a large, deep skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add olive oil. Once hot, add the onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Add the shredded chicken, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and 1 jar of salsa verde. Stir to combine. Cook until the chicken is warmed through, about 5 minutes.
- Scoop filling into the center of a tortilla. Roll it up, leaving the ends unfolded. Repeat with all tortillas and all filling has been used up. Place all enchiladas in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Pour the remaining jar of salsa over the top of the enchiladas.
- Sprinkle the cheese on top of the salsa.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted.
- Serve right away.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 526 |
| Total Fat | 22.9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8.2 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 98.1 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 40.7 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4.5 g |
| Total Sugars | 7.1 g |
| Sodium | 1,487.0 mg |
| Protein | 37.9 g |
