verde chicken enchiladas
Rooted in the past but constantly evolving, this popular Mexican dish has three key elements: the tortilla, the filling, and the sauce. This recipe features homemade tangy salsa verde sauce and perfectly seasoned shredded chicken that makes these enchiladas stand out. This recipe is quick enough for weekday dinner rotation but packed with so much flavor that you could easily elevate it for a special occasion by using homemade tortillas!
History of Enchiladas
The first recorded mention of wrapping filling inside a tortilla was made by a Spanish conquistador in the 1500s describing a feast by Hernan Cortes where he was served fish wrapped inside a corn tortilla. While this description could match both an enchilada and a taco these two dishes have two major differences. Enchiladas are always baked as one dish while tacos are multiple separately cooked elements combined at the end. Enchiladas also require a chili in the sauce or chili sauce (enchilada sauce) while tacos don’t require a sauce at all. While it’s not sure when exactly enchiladas were born the first written record directly mentioning this classic dish was in the first ever cookbook published in Mexico in the 1830s called El Cocinero Mexicano (the Mexican chef).
How to make enchiladas?
These enchiladas come together in just little over an hour making it a relatively fast dinner without compromising any of the flavor! You start the recipe by seasoning your chicken and once the chicken is baking in the oven, it’s time to make the homemade salsa verde sauce! Husk the tomatillos and boil them for 5 minutes. Transfer them into a food processor along with some of the cooking liquid, serrano chiles, garlic, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Blend and season to taste with salt. Once the chicken is done, shred it and discard the bones. Add 1/2 cup of the sauce in the chicken and season to taste with salt. Lightly fry each tortilla on a hot pan - while tempting to skip this doing it will keep your enchiladas from getting soggy. Fill the toasted tortilla inside a 9x12 baking dish with the shredded chicken and roll it neatly. Repeat until the baking dish is filled or you run out of ingredients. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil, pour rest of the salsa verde sauce on top and bake uncovered for about 5 minutes. Once done, garnish the enchiladas with fresh cilantro, red onion, Mexican sour cream, and queso fresco. Serve with lime wedges!
Tips
Don’t skip the step of frying the tortillas - this will avoid them from getting soggy and breaking down.
Don’t skimp on the filling - make sure the tortillas have a good amount of filling in them before tightly rolling them and placing seam side down to create a neat presentation and prevent them from falling apart.
Use plenty of garnishes for a beautiful presentation and bold flavor profile.
Enchiladas can be made ahead (just add garnishes right before serving) and freeze well if you want to have a batch of enchiladas at an arms reach at any time! Refrigerated enchiladas stay good up to 4 days and 3 months in the freezer.
Recommended products to make this recipe
*This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
