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:
| Servings |
- 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)
- 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
- sour cream
- cilantro
- Avocados
Ingredients
10 Minute Marinade
Garnish
| Rate this recipe! |
- 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.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 10 Minute Marinade ingredients then add the shredded chicken. Let marinate 10 minutes.
- 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.
- Lightly toast tortillas in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, about 30 seconds per side. (Optional but recommended)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes then broil until cheese is golden.
*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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You might also like:
One Pot Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans
Honey Lime Chipotle Chicken Faita Bowls with Chipotle Lime Crema
Slow Cooker Pineapple Salsa Chicken
Smothered Buffalo Chicken Baked Burritos with Creamy Lime Ranch Sauce
5 Minute Blender Tomatillo Avocado Ranch
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Kim says
Hi there. I am interested in doing this recipe but live in a country where we dont get ready made salsa verde. What would you suggest I sub for it besides preparing salsa verde from scratch? Something less time consuming .
Thanks!!
Jen says
Hi Kim, as Salsa Verde is a major ingredient in this recipe, I’m afraid there is nothing else that is comparable except for homemade Salsa Verde. Sorry!
LaTrice says
The Salsa Verde Honey Lime Pepper Jack Chicken Enchiladas and the One Pot Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans was out-of-this world DELICIOUS!! The enchiladas had a combination of sweet and spicy, which I find completely different in an awesome way. I absolutely LOVE black beans and rice, so the side dish was a perfect with the enchiladas. This was my first time cooking some recipes from your blog. Thank you so much, Jen!!
Jen says
You are SO welcome LaTrice! I am thrilled you loved both of these recipes! Sweet and spicy is one of my favorite combinations ever, so I play with that dynamic a lot in my recipes – I hope you have fun exploring and trying some more!
LaTrice says
I meant to say perfect combination. My apologies. LOL!!
Jen says
You are the best LaTrice! I love this combo too and am always trying to find new ways to use the flavors! Thank you and have a great weekend!
JB says
I made these tonight and my husband said these were the best enchiladas he had ever eaten. I was not 100% sure how he would feel about them as he is sensitive to too much sweetness. But the spice and acid balanced the honey perfectly. Yum yum yum!
Jen says
YAY for “best enchiladas” – wahoo! Thank you so much for taking time to make my day! I am thrilled you all loved this recipe! Sweet and spicy is my favorite combo so I hope you find more recipes to love here 🙂
Rochelle says
I have to say… your recipes are AMAZING!!! I love mexican food and you sure know how to cook it! Love the crock pot chicken and the salsa verde honey lime enchiladas are to die for! I keep coming back your blog… love!! -)
Jen says
What an awesome comment to open my computer to, thank you so much Rochelle for making my day! I love that we share a love for Mexican food and hope you continue to have fun trying new recipes here! Have a great weekend!
thomas brissette says
Wow these look yummy. What size tortillas did you use?
Jen says
Hi Thomas, I just used regular size or taco size tortillas. Hope this helps! enjoy!
Carol C says
I made these just now. This is SUPER FANTASTIC!!! Everyone loved it!! I will be making these often!! Thank you so much. The sauce…the sauce…it’s AWESOME!!!!
Jen says
You are so welcome Carol! Love that everyone loved it – especially the sauce 🙂
Rebecca says
We love this recipe! I am wondering – would it be okay to assemble everything earlier in the day before guests arrive and then bake them later? Will everything get mushy?
thanks!
Jen says
Hi Rebecca! I am so happy you love this recipe! Enchiladas are kind of mushy anyway so it shouldn’t make that much of a difference 🙂 but I would suggest toasting your tortillas first in a skillet before assembling in order to help them not get super mushy. Hope this helps!
Karen says
I made this last night and it was SO SO GOOD. Sadly, my son wouldn’t try it. My daughter didn’t like it. And my husband said it was too sweet. Though he liked it, he wants me to cut the honey and lime juice in half next time. I will try that but I personally really really loved it!! In fact I made a little bit too much chicken and I ate it! When the enchiladas were done I wasn’t even that hungry after having the chicken. Ha. I simply couldn’t keep my hands out of it. But, I read through the comments and I think I’m the only one confused… I added the whole jar of salsa verde to the the 10 Minute Marinade because it’s listed under that. But then later in the directions it said to pour some at the bottom of the dish. I just spooned some of the yummy marinade mixture, which included the salsa, on the bottom. Then I poured what was left behind in the bowl on top of the dish after assembling the enchiladas. Where did I go wrong? Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe! My husband and kids need to get their taste buds checked! HA!
Jen says
Hi Karen, I am SO SORRY but I recently changed recipe plugins and all my recipes were supposed to transfer seamlessly but this one did not! The salsa verde should not have been listed under the marinade ingredients which dramatically would have affected the taste. I have since corrected the recipe. I hope you try it again and everyone loves it!
Jeri says
My family loved these! They’re already wanting to add it to next week’s menu!
Oh, and hello from Temecula!
Jen says
Hi Jeri, sorry for the delay as I had surgery this week, but thank you so much for your comment! My husband’s family actually lives in Murrieta so I am driving through Temecula all the time – beautiful area! I am so happy your family loved these so much that they want them again already – yay! Thank you!
Lisa says
I made these once and they were amazing!
Do you think they would freeze well? Do you have any recommendations on doing so?
Thanks!
Jen says
Hi Lisa, I definitely think this chicken will freeze well. I would freeze it in ziploc bags in the size portions that you wish to serve it. Hope this helps!
Layne says
Delicious! I’ve made a variation of these enchilada for a while but loved your recipe even more! Already excited for leftovers 🙂 kiwi was begging for the chicken as I shredded it by the way!
Jen says
Thank you Layne! I’m so glad you loved this version best – yay! And oh Kiwi – she loves chicken – even knows the word “chicken” – haha! You are the best for watching her, she really isn’t going to want to come back!
Bonnie says
I absolutely Love these enchiladas. I have the Pickiest kids on the planet and my whole family devoured them! I’m so excited to try some of your other recipes. This week I’m going to try the smothered baked chicken burritos and the million dollar mac’n’cheese. This is by far my new favorite recipe site!
Jen says
YAY and phew for a recipe the whole family loved, thanks Bonnie! Your menu this week sounds delicious, you have great taste 🙂 I am so happy you found my site and are enjoying it!
Michelle says
I rarely comment on a recipe but these enchiladas are AMAZING! The combo of the sweet and the spicy with the verde salsa is perfection. Don’t mess with the recipe because it is perfect as is, and now one of my family’s favorites. Thanks so much!
Jen says
I Hi Michelle, sorry for the delay as I am just catching up after vacation but I so appreciate your comment! I am thrilled you and your family love these enchiladas so much! Even though this is one of the first recipes I posted, they are still my husband’s favorite to this day 🙂 I hope you have fun exploring my site and find many more favorites!
Shelly says
HI Jen! I love your recipes!!! I can’t wait to try this one. I noticed in the additional recipe notes you mentioned cayenne pepper, but I don’t see it in the list of ingredients??
Jen says
Thanks for catching that Shelly! It should be 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper but only if you like heat!
Dixie says
Wow!!! I had saved this recipe ages ago and finally made them tonight. These are delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this. My husband has requested this again next week.
Jen says
Awesome Dixie! I am so happy they lived up to the anticipation and that your husband is a fan as well! Thank you!
Cindy says
Hi Jen! I thought I come bother you here too lol. I actually made this a a month ago or so the chicken came out great love the flavors!! But my flour tortillas were soggy and not very appetizing I did warm n toast it a little in a pan but I don’t know what I’m doing wrong any advice would be great because somehow I can never get enchiladas right 🙁
Jen says
Hi Cindy, I always love hearing from you! If you toasted the tortillas then I’m not sure what more you can do. Tortillas do get soft in enchiladas. The only thing I can think of is making sure the marinade is thoroughly drained off chicken. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Cindy says
Oh wow I forgot to drain the chicken ty will try this again and let you know the outcome!
Jen says
Oh good, I’m glad there is a solution!!!
Kathryn Young says
Can these be made and frozen? I’ve made these may times and we love them but sometimes it’s more than we need: I have frozen other enchiladas but haven’t tried freezing these. What do you think?
Jen says
Hi Kathryn, yes the can be frozen but the texture will change slightly so I think it is personal preference as far as that goes. I also wouldn’t freeze them with the cheese on top because it separates when frozen and creates a weird texture. I hope that helps!
Becky says
I saved this recipe a while ago and just made if for the 1st time about a month ago and LOVE IT!! I’ve made it 3 times since! I shred my chicken in crock pot beforehand so it’s ready to go! What a great find! And I just bookmarked your cilantro lime chicken to try soon too!
Jen says
That’s awesome Becky! I’m thrilled you love it so much and have made it 3x already! I hope you also love the Cilantro Lime chicken and have fun exploring my other recipes!