Salsa Verde Honey Lime Pepper Jack Chicken Enchiladas

These Salsa Verde Honey Lime Pepper Jack Chicken Enchiladas are Patrick’s #1 FAVORITE ENCHILADAS!

But first, I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!   We visited the stunning Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Pt. Loma (San Diego).  If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend making time for this beautiful and sobering tribute to our fallen heroes.  The 77 acre cemetery sits atop one of the highest points of Pt. Loma, overlooking the ocean on one side and the harbor on the other.  The scenic view is nothing short of breathtaking while the rows and rows of headstones will fill you with reverent awe and a heart bursting with gratitude for this free country and the lives that have made it possible.

This Memorial Day, Patrick and I also celebrated our 8 year wedding anniversary!  I won’t get too mushy and gushy, because you can read all of that in “Our Love Story,” but I have to say, I am more madly in love with my husband than ever before – especially after this crazy last year (I’m still updating my Next Chapters) starting with finding out I would need a kidney transplant (January 2013), almost going into a diabetic coma and Patrick saving my life (April 2013), Patrick rushing me to the hospital for appendicitis (June 2013), my mom being disqualified as my kidney donor (July 2013), supporting me through my iron infusions, no energy, and crazy swollen legs and feet (because my kidneys weren’t flushing out the fluid) – so swollen I could no longer wear jeans and only wear 1 of my MANY pairs of shoes that still fit (summer – October 2013), and finally through my kidney transplant and recovery (October 2013).

All the craziness reminds me of the line in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”  when Maria is pinching herself that she and Ian are getting married and she jokes that any day he’s going to say, ” Yeah, right, you’re so not worth this.”

I don’t know how I got so lucky for him to think I am worth this – but I will take it!

For our anniversary, Patrick and I had an awesome time exploring Coronado Island, the Hotel Del Coronado, biking around the “Truman Show” perfect houses, paddleboarding (I finally paddleboarded in the ocean instead of the harbor/lagoon!  I am still a “train wreck” but had fun crashing as I tried to catch waves 🙂 ),  eating the best gelato in town, and devouring the most incredible Bacon Wrapped, Crab Stuffed Giant Prawns with Jalapeno Cream at the Brigantine – whoaaaa!!!  It was one of the most delicious meals I have ever eaten!

So while crab stuffed bacon wrapped prawns, might not be accessible everyday deliciousness – I have for you something that is:

These Salsa Verde Honey Lime Pepper Jack Chicken Enchiladas will do such a show stopping flavor tap dance on your tongue that you won’t be able to quite the applause of your taste buds!

I have made a million different types of enchiladas – because practically everything tastes better in a tortilla smothered with cheese and sauce and out of ALL my enchilada creations and out of ALL my recipe creations – this is Patrick’s #1 favorite…EVER!!!  So I thought it fitting I share Patrick’s favorite food while I celebrate my marriage to my favorite man!

Looking for more Enchilada Recipes?

• Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
• Barbacoa Beef Enchiladas
• Jalapeno Chicken Enchiladas
• Chipotle Mango Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas
• Breakfast Ham and Cheese Enchiladas

This chicken is sweet from the honey, slightly spicy from the salsa verde, pepper jack and spices (which you can tone down to your taste), with a burst of fresh citrus from the lime.  I absolutely adore this flavor combination.  I love it so much that this recipe was my inspiration for my Honey Lime Chipotle Fajita Burrito Bowls with Chipotle Lime Crema (a must try if you love honey lime or Mexican food!).

To make these enchiladas even better, the flavors don’t just “sit” on the chicken, they penetrate the chicken!  By soaking the shredded chicken for just 10 minutes in a bath of  honey, lime, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, chipotle powder, garlic, etc…

…plain chicken transforms into out of this world chicken.

Out of this world chicken dripping with pepper jack cheese and honey lime, salsa verde sauce.

My taste buds are already begging for an encore!

I hope you love these Salsa Verde Honey Lime Pepper Jack Chicken Enchiladas as much as we do!

With love:

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Salsa Verde Honey Lime Pepper Jack Chicken Enchiladas

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Servings

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts (1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 16 oz. bottle mild salsa verde (I like Herdez)
• 8-10 flour tortillas
• 3 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
• 2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese (optional for EXTRA cheesiness)

10 Minute Marinade

• 1/3-1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4-1 teaspoon chipotle powder (1 is very spicy)
• dash-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for spicy)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Garnish

• sour cream
• cilantro
• Avocados

Servings Ingredients 4 chicken breasts (1 1/2 pounds) 1 16 oz. bottle mild salsa verde (I like Herdez) 8-10 flour tortillas 3 cups shredded pepper jack cheese 2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese (optional for EXTRA cheesiness) 10 Minute Marinade 1/3-1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup lime juice 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4-1 teaspoon chipotle powder (1 is very spicy) dash-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for spicy) 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Garnish sour cream cilantro Avocados

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Instructions

1. To easily cook and shred the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot and rippling. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Flip the chicken over, then add 1 cup of chicken broth to the skillet. Cover and reduce heat to medium and simmer 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked though and tender enough to shred, adding additional chicken broth/water if the liquid evaporates too quickly. Remove chicken from skillet and let rest 5 minutes before shredding.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the 10 Minute Marinade ingredients then add the shredded chicken. Let marinate 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and pour 1/4 cup salsa verde evenly over the bottom (it will barely cover), reserving the remaining salsa verde.
4. Lightly toast tortillas in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, about 30 seconds per side. (Optional but recommended)
5. After chicken has been sitting 10 minutes, remove chicken to a plate, letting excess marinade drip back into the bowl. To the remaining marinade, whisk in the remaining salsa verde. Set aside.
6. Begin assembling enchiladas by filling each tortilla evenly with chicken filling and 2 cups pepper jack cheese and optional 1 cup MntereyJack cheese (for the cheese lover). Roll up each tortilla and place, seam side down, in the salsa verde coated baking dish. Repeat process until all tortillas are filled.
7. Pour the remaining honey/lime/spice/salsa verde sauce over the enchiladas and cover with remaining 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese and optional 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese.
8. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes then broil until cheese is golden.

Recipe Notes

*If you are not adding any cayenne pepper and only using 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, then only add 1/3 cup honey. The sweetness of the 1/2 cup honey balances out the extra spice of the cayenne and 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder.

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