Green Chile Enchiladas with Chicken

These Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are easy to make, satisfyingly rich, cheesy, creamy and saucy – no dry chicken enchiladas here! – with flavor exploding homemade green chile sour cream sauce (no cream soup)!

These Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas come together in a snap with the use of juicy rotisserie chicken, store bought green chiles and salsa verde sauce. They can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for an easy make-ahead dinner!   If you have never had White Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas before, stop the insanity now!  

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas


 

The BEST Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

These Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are a crazy delicious cross between your favorite Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas AKA White Chicken Enchiladas and Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas.

I  honestly didn’t know what to call them because no name seemed to do them justice.  In the end, I called them Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas.   But you can just call them the best chicken enchiladas of. your. life.  

They are so good in fact, I took these photos in less than 10 minutes because Patrick was by my side, chomping at the bit ready to dig into this cheesy goodness.

I am a huge chicken enchilada lover.  From my crazy popular Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas which are sweet and tangy to my Jalapeno Chicken Enchiladas which are cheesy and spicy, to my Barbacoa Beef Enchiladas which are tangy, cheesy and spicy to my Breakfast Ham and Cheese Enchiladas with are saucy and cheesy,  to these Creamy Green Chile  Chicken Enchiladas!

It is super hard to pick a favorite, but you guys, these might just be them.  I am obsessed.  I could eat half the pan by myself.  I have absolutely no self control when it comes to their creamy flavor exploding goodness.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas with tomatoes and cilantro.

These “White” Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are inspired by a favorite chicken enchilada casserole my mom used to make growing up.  It was a base of cream of chicken soup mixed with milk, sour cream and green chiles.  I’ve kept the creaminess of the original with a perfected homemade cheesy, creamy white sauce infused with green chiles and salsa verde that takes them over the top.

Many Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Recipes or White Chicken Enchilada recipes rely on one can of green chiles for the flavor but I found that when I combined the homemade white sauce with both green chiles AND salsa verde, we achieve a flavorful tang that cuts through the creaminess with tons of flavor AKA pure Mexican comfort food at its most obsessive worthy.

Green Enchilada Recipe ingredients

  • Tortillas: Use your family’s favorite! Corn tortillas boast a robust, slightly charred, sweet corn flavor that beautifully compliment the sauce. If you use neutral flour tortillas, I suggest toasting in a skillet or over an open glass flame to prevent them from becoming soggy.
  • Chicken breasts: Use rotisserie chicken or my homemade shredded chicken is super easy!
  • Cheese: Use Monterrey Jack cheese for its creamy, buttery richness.
  • Salsa verde: This can be found in jars next to the other salsas at your grocery store (I use Herdez brand). Make sure you use MILD salsa verde so there is wiggle room with the spice level.
  • Canned mild diced green chilies: These are found in small cans and add a bright, vibrant tanginess to cut through the creaminess. Again, use MILD chopped green chiles for flavor and not heat.
  • Aromatics: Onion and garlic form the base of the sauce. You substitute with powders in a bind.
  • Flour: This is cooked with butter to create a roux which thickens the sauce and helps make it creamy!
  • Sour Cream: This adds gorgeous silkiness and body to the sauce that can’t be beat. You may also substitute with plain Greek yogurt.
  • Chicken broth: Use low sodium chicken broth to allow room for chicken bouillon.
  • Chicken bouillon: This is like salt with FLAVOR! Use bouillon powder, bouillon cubes or better than bouillon. Add it to the soup without dissolving in liquid first.
  • Seasonings: Ground cumin, salt and pepper are all you need! ground cumin, chicken bouillon

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas Variations

  • add white beans
  • add spinach or other veggies such as corn or zucchini
  • use less sauce if you don’t like them as saucy
  • use more or less cheese – and when I say “more or less,” I, of course, mean more
  • go crazy and use Pepper Jack cheese (you might want to omit the cayenne pepper in this case)
  • use flour or corn tortillas
  • substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream – this is totally personal preference.  I prefer sour cream but if you love Greek yogurt, it is a good healthier alternative.  It is a 1:1 substitute.
  • add as little or as much cayenne pepper to taste.  I find the ½ teaspoon listed has a mild kick but not overly spicy and should be the right heat for most people unless you are super sensitive to heat.
  • Add hot sauce to your cooked enchiladas if you like them spicier.  I love this after-cooking addition because everyone can customize the heat of their own chicken enchiladas
  • Top with all or some of your favs such as cilantro, jalapenos, avocados, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, avocado crema, pico de gallo, black olives

How to make Green Enchiladas

I’ve tried to make these White Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas as simple as possible with both my methods and ingredients so they come together super quickly.

1. Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce: We start by melting butter in olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan then sauteing our onions for 3 minutes.  If you are feeling lazy, like I often am, then you can substitute the onion with 1 teaspoon onion powder.  Just add it with the rest of the spices.

2. Next, sprinkle in some flour and garlic and cook for 2 minutes (it will be thick) to get rid of the raw flour smell.  Reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in chicken broth, followed by salsa verde, green chiles, chicken bouillon, ground cumin, salt and cayenne pepper.   I find the ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper has a mild kick but not overly spicy.  If you aren’t sure how much you want to add, then simply add a little, stir, taste and add more if desired.  You can always add some hot sauce to your enchiladas after they are cooked.

3. Bring your sauce to a boil then reduce to a simmer until thickened.  Stir in your luscious sour cream and watch the sauce change from green to creamy white before your eyes.

a collage showing how to make Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas by making green chile sauce by starting with a roux, adding broth and salsa verde followed by sour cream

4.  Filling:  This is the easiest part!  I use our Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce as both the enveloping sauce and to creamify the filling so we don’t have any double work or ingredients.  Simply add 1 cup of your Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce to your chicken along with 2 cups cheese, and mix together.  I also like adding the cheese directly to the filling so we don’t have the extra step of layering each individual tortilla – and to be honest, getting the cheese evenly divided kind of stresses me out – anyone else?

showing how to make Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas by mixing chicken and cheese together in a bowl
up close of mixing filling ingredients together for Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas.

5. Assemble and Bake: Spread approximately ½ cup Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce on the bottom of a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish (layer will be very thin). Add the enchilada filling to the center of each tortilla (approx. ½ cup), roll them up tightly and line them in the dish.

a collage showing how to make Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas. by adding filling to tortillas rolling the tortillas and placing in 9x13 pan

6. Top enchiladas evenly with remaining Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce followed by remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes to golden bubbly deliciousness!

showing how to make Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas by adding sauce on top of enchiladas

How to make shredded chicken for this Green Enchilada Recipe

If you’re not using a rotisserie chicken, it is easy to make your own shredded chicken!

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add 1 pound chicken breasts pounded thin (2-3 breasts) and cook 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown on one side.
  3. Flip chicken and add 1 ½ cups chicken broth. Cover and reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes, then flip chicken over and continue to cook 5-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked though and tender enough to shred.  You may need to add more chicken broth if it is already absorbed when you flip your chicken over.
  4. Remove chicken from skillet and let rest 5 minutes before shredding (or dicing if preferred).

adding cheese to green chili chicken enchiladas in blue pan

How to serve Green Chicken Enchiladas

The White Chicken Enchiladas are the star of the night, but here are some ideas for an encore supporting cast:

Green Chicken Enchilada Recipe tips

  • Take care to buy the canned MILD chopped green chiles.  I have mistakenly bought the hot green chilies before and they are HOT! Mild green chiles on the other hand are tangy but not spicy.
  • Take care to purchase MILD salsa verde unless you know you are a spicy fanatic.  I like to purchase the mild salsa verde because then you can customize the heat with the addition of cayenne pepper to taste.  It is easy to add heat but it is hard to take it away when it comes pre-packaged!
  • To make these White Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas come together in a snap, use rotisserie chicken.  If don’t have time or don’t want to, then it is easy to make your own shredded chicken –  I’ve included instructions below this section.
  • You can use flour or corn tortillas, but I find corn tortillas fall apart more easily.  To prevent this, you can flash fry and dip in some salsa verde post (you can see exactly how to do this in my Enchiladas Verdes recipe).    Alternatively, you can make an Enchilada Casserole by layering the creamy chicken mixture with cut up corn tortillas, this way you don’t have to worry about them falling apart.
showing how to make green Chile Chicken Enchiladas garnishing with cilantro, tomatoes and avocados

How to store Green Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas should be covered tightly in plastic wrap or foil or stored in airtight container in the refrigerator.  When stored correctly,  enchiladas are good for about 5 days. Of course, always use your best judgment and if anything smells off, then toss them.

Green Chile Enchiladas make ahead Instructions

You can make these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas ahead of time for an easy dinner!  Simply prepare enchiladas according to directions, cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

You take them straight from the refrigerator to the oven and increase the baking time by approximately 10 minutes or until they are hot and bubbly and completely heated through.

How to reheat Green Chile Enchiladas

We are usually just reheating a serving of the enchiladas and not the entire pan, so we typically reheat them in the microwave.  If you are using the oven, then cover the pan with foil and reheat at 250 degrees F until heated through.

showing how to serve Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas by scooping out a cheesy spatula full

How to freeze this Green Chicken Enchilada Recipe

While some enchilada recipes freeze well, I do not recommend freezing these Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas if you are picky about texture. The tortillas soften further and the texture of the sauce changes due to the dairy.  If you aren’t too picky though, then go for it!

Now sit back and enjoy your new favorite Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas!

If you love these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, then you will love my Salsa Verde ChickenSmothered Baked Chicken Burritos, Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken, Skillet Chicken Fajitas, and Southwest Chicken Egg Rolls!

Taking a bite of Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas.

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©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com

These are the BEST Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas I have ever had!!!  They are easy to make, satisfyingly rich, cheesy, creamy and saucy - no dry chicken enchiladas here! And the homemade green chile sour cream white sauce is out of this world!

Green Enchilada Recipe

These Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are easy to make, satisfyingly rich, cheesy, creamy and saucy – no dry chicken enchiladas here! – with flavor exploding homemade green chile sour cream white sauce (no cream soup)! These Chicken Enchiladas come together in a snap with the use of juicy rotisserie chicken, store bought green chiles and salsa verde sauce. They can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for an easy make-ahead dinner. 
Servings: 6 servings
Total Time: 1 hour
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

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Ingredients

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

  • 4 cups shredded or chopped chicken*
  • 3 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese divided
  • 8-10 medium flour tortillas or 10-12 quality corn tortillas like La Tortilla Factory

Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion may sub 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup Homemade Salsa Verde (or storebought – I like mild Herdez)
  • 1 tsp EACH ground cumin, chicken bouillon
  • 1/2 tsp EACH salt, cayenne pepper**
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 4 oz. can mild diced green chilies not drained

Garnishes (Optional)

  • sour cream
  • Tomatoes
  • Avocados
  • cilantro
  • chips
  • freshly squeezed lime
  • hot sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • If using corn tortillas: (This flash frying is optional but recommended, see Notes for microwave option). Add enough canola or vegetable oil to a cast iron/medium skillet so it covers the bottom and heat over medium-high heat. Working with one tortilla at a time, add tortilla and lightly fry for about 10 seconds on each side, just until soft with a few bubbles but not brown or crisp. Line finished tortillas on a paper towel lined plate, with paper towels in between each row. Repeat with 12-14 tortillas.
  • Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce: Melt butter in olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add onion and sauté 3 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and garlic and cook for 2 minutes (it will be thick). Reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in chicken broth, followed by salsa verde, green chilies, chicken bouillon and spices. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and stir sour cream.
  • Filling: Add chicken to a large bowl. Stir in 1 cup Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce and 2 cups cheese.
  • Assemble: Spread ½ cup Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce on the bottom of a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish (layer will be very thin). Add the enchilada filling to the center of each tortilla (approx. ½ cup), roll them up tightly and line them in the dish seam side down. Top enchiladas evenly with remaining Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce followed by remaining cheese.
  • Bake: Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and center is hot. Broil until cheese is golden (optional). Top or serve with desired garnishes.

Notes

HOW TO MICROWAVE TORTILLAS 

Flash frying the corn tortillas gives them texture, prevents them from tearing and enhances the flavor. You can microwave the tortillas instead but it’s not as foolproof. To microwave corn tortillas, work in 2 batches. Place 6 tortillas on a microwave safe plate, cover with a moist paper towel and microwave 40 to 60 seconds so they are warm and pliable. Fill and roll tortillas while they’re still warm then repeat with remaining tortillas.
*You can make your enchiladas as saucy or less saucy as you like – simply use more or less of the Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce. **If you’re not using a rotisserie chicken, it is easy to make your own shredded chicken!
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add 1 pound chicken breasts pounded thin (2-3 breasts) and cook 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Flip chicken and add 1 ½ cups chicken broth.
  3. Cover and reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes, then flip chicken over and continue to cook 5-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked though and tender enough to shred.
  4. Remove chicken from skillet and let rest 5 minutes before shredding (or dicing if preferred).
**I don’t find these enchiladas very spicy but they do have a mild kick. Feel free to omit or reduce the cayenne pepper if you want them very kid friendly or you are sensitive to heat.

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78 Comments

  1. Nikki says

    I made these for dinner tonight. They turned out excellent! My husband made your pear crisp recipe for dessert. Super yummy. Our family ate well tonight. Thanks for more great recipes.

    • Jen says

      I’m so pleased they both were a hit, thank you! And I love that you divided and conquered – power couple!

  2. Liz says

    Do you think these would be good with shrimp inside? I’m thinking of making these tomorrow for a meatless feast!

  3. Lori Lyon says

    Hi Jen,
    Made these Aah-mazing enchiladas last night along with your Cilantro Lime Rice. Results were food perfection! Thank you for the recipe for the best cool weather supper. My crew thoroughly enjoyed the results. Wish I could share a photo with this comment to show off my efforts. Keep those recipes coming. We always enjoy trying them out and you never disappoint❤

  4. Jennifer says

    We had some extended family over for dinner tonight, and I made these enchiladas. Everyone really liked them (including me) and told me multiple times how good they were. Thank you for sharing it!

    • Jen says

      Thanks so much Jennifer, I’m so pleased they were a hit with everyone!

  5. Jeanne says

    There was a little Roasted Chicken eatery in California called Morbitzer’s that made the best green chili chicken enchiladas made with their rotisserie chicken. I never thought I would find a recipe that was almost exact until NOW!
    I made half the dish with flour, the other half with white corn tortillas and I was blown away with how good the corn were, I kept thinking, “I’ve had this before” then I remembered that little eatery on the CA boulevard and was giddy that I had found a recipe so close to theirs, Thank You, Thank You!!!

    • Jen says

      Thank you so much for the glowing review Jeanne! I’m thrilled these enchiladas came so close to Morbitzer’s, happy day!

  6. Cheryl Donnelly says

    Oh my goodness. This is the best enchilada sauce that I’ve ever had. We put it on french fries for dinner last night and this morning I’m eating it for breakfast as an enchilada

    • Jen says

      Thank you Cheryl, I’m thrilled you love it so much and have put it to good use!

  7. Rebekah says

    Hi!
    Is there anyway to use cornstarch in the sauce instead of the flour? Have gluten free people that I’d love to make this recipe for. =)
    Thank you!

    • Jen says

      Absolutely! You can use gluten free flour or the general rule is 1 part cornstarch to 2 parts flour. For this recipe, you would need 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk the cornstarch with the chicken broth to dissolve before adding. Good luck!

  8. Tammy says

    Well, I think these are the best enchiladas I’ve ever had. I made them for company that was coming over but made sure that I doubled the recipe for my daughters family. I called my son in-law to see how we like them, he told me that he had eaten five of them and that he never had enchiladas that good before. You have to understand that I made these with the largest flour tortillas you can find. I seriously don’t know how he ate that many. I don’t think I’ll ever make my normal enchiladas again. Just talking about this makes me wanna go make them. I’m really anxious to try some of your other recipes thank you so much for posting.

    • Jen says

      Welcome to my site Tammy, thank you so much for making my day! I am thrilled these enchiladas were such a huge hit! I hope you enjoy exploring my recipes and find many new favorites!

  9. Krizten says

    This was SO GOOD. My husband ranked it in his “top 3” of recipes I’ve made and said it could put any Mexican restaurant out of business. The recipe was a little time consuming but totally worth the effort. I used tortilla factory brand raw tortillas that I cooked up first and that took it over the top. I could eat the cream sauce with a spoon!

    • Jen says

      Top 3 is amazing, thanks so much Krizten! I’m so pleased it will be on repeat!

  10. Monika says

    This was my first time ever making enchiladas and I chose a winning recipe!! This was so good. Thank you!

    • Jen says

      Bravo Monika, I’m so pleased your first attempt was a success!

  11. Jody says

    Another way to cook chicken is putting the chicken breasts in about an inch of water (or broth), bring to a boil then cover and reduce to simmer for about 15-20 minutes depending on how big they are. I LOVE these enchiladas and make them on the regular for our large group gatherings.

    • Jen says

      Thanks so much Jody for the tip! And I’m so pleased these enchiladas are on repeat!

  12. Karen says

    Good morning Jen. Have you ever used your Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken in any of your chicken enchilada casseroles? I love the chicken casseroles to have lots of great flavor so I thought this might be an added bonus to the profile.

    • Jen says

      I haven’t, but I think it’s a great idea!

      • Karen says

        Made these using your Slow Cooker Mexican chicken and they are outstanding! For ease, I turned this into a casserole and hubby loved it! Thank you so much!

        • Jen says

          Yum, I bet SC Mexican Chicken was awesome in this recipe – brilliant idea! And I love that you turned it into a casserole!

  13. Melanie says

    If using the uncooked tortillas in this recipe, would you cook them first prior to filling them, or will they cook fully when you put them in the oven?

    • Jen says

      Yes, I would cook them first, enjoy!

  14. Kris says

    Hi! I have been making this dish for years. It is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! It’s perfect for “meal trains” too. Will it turn out the same/similar if I substitute gluten-free flour for the AP flour? Thank you!

    • Jen says

      Thanks Kris, I’m so pleased it’s a fav! I haven’t personally tried it, but I think if you use a 1 to 1 gluten free flour it should be great. Otherwise, you can use 2 tablespoons cornstarch in place of the 1/4 cup flour. Good luck!

  15. Landra says

    Hi there
    Could I make this recipe do you think using green chili enchilada sauce instead of sour cream?
    Thank you so much!
    Landra

    • Jen says

      Hi Landra! The green chili enchilada sauce would be a substitute for salsa verde, not for sour cream. You could omit the sour cream, but I’ve never tried that. You’ll have to let me know how it goes!

  16. Michelle says

    Wow! Thank you for this recipe! My husband and I just finished having this for dinner and we are blown away by how delicious this was. I had to tell you how much we enjoyed this meal. It is going in our dinner rotation and I am planning to make this the next time I have friends over for dinner. Thanks again for absolute perfection!

    • Jen says

      You are so welcome, Michelle, what a glowing review! I am delighted this recipe was such a hit! Thank you so much!

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