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Green Enchiladas with Chicken and Cream Cheese filling (Enchiladas Verdes)
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4.75 from 204 votes

Green Enchiladas with Chicken {Enchiladas Verdes}

These Green Enchiladas are creamy, cheesy & full of flavor! Stuffed with chicken, cream cheese, shredded cheese, and fire roasted green chiles!
The green enchilada sauce is made using a batch of homemade tomatillo Salsa Verde (or store-bought), that's been cooked in just a bit of oil and broth. So easy! 
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken, enchiladas, mexican
Servings: 8 enchiladas
Calories: 368kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 flour tortillas (8") warmed, or 12-16 corn tortillas (see notes)
  • 1 lb. cooked chicken (~2 breast or 2.5 cups chopped/shredded, see blog for recommendations)
  • 1 7oz. can mild green chiles, drained (I used fire roasted)
  • 4 oz. cream cheese room temperature (see notes)
  • 3-4 cups shredded cheese, of your choice (I used a blend of colby jack & mozzarella)
  • Salt & pepper to taste (I used ½ teaspoon salt & ¼ teaspoon pepper)
  • ¼ cup diced onion (optional add-in)

Green Enchilada Sauce:

  • 1 batch homemade Salsa Verde  (about 2 cups, or use a store bought 16 oz. jar)
  • 1 cup chicken broth (use only ¼ cup broth if using store-bought Salsa Verde)
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

For the Green Enchilada Sauce:

  • In a large sauce-pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
  • Add the Salsa Verde, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often. (Careful, it will bubble and splatter if too hot, or you don’t stir often enough!)
  • Stir in broth and bring to a simmer. Slightly lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring.
  • Remove from heat, and let cool while making the chicken filling.

For the Green Enchiladas:

  • In a large bowl, add cooked chicken, green chiles, cream cheese, 1 cup of shredded cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.
  • Oil a 9x13 baking dish (I used non-stick cooking spray). Pour a thin layer of Green Enchilada Sauce on the bottom of the dish.
  • Fill warmed tortillas with chicken filling (about ⅓-1/2 cup). Then roll them, and place them seam-side down onto the baking dish.
  • Top them with the remaining Green Enchilada Sauce.
  • Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.
  • Bake at 350ºF, for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. (If you don’t want your cheese to brown as much, cook covered with foil for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 10-15.)
  • All done! Garnish with Cilantro, and serve with your favorite Mexican side dishes.

Video

Notes

To soften Cream Cheese (for easier mixing):
  • Leave the cream cheese out at room temperature, for about an hour. 
  • Or, warm in microwave for 15 seconds, stir. Repeat until softened. 
 
To soften tortillas (so they don’t break during rolling):
  • Microwave Method: Cover the tortilla stack in paper towels, and heat on HIGH for about 1 minute (flipping half way through). If still not pliable, heat in 15 sec. intervals until softened.
  • Stove-top: Warm on a skillet over medium heat, until just softened.
  • Oven Method (with oil): If using corn tortillas (and you want lightly fried tortillas) try the easy oven method. You can read how in the Red Chicken Enchiladas recipe (or watch VIDEO here).
 
IN A HURRY? Use a 16oz. jar of store-bought Salsa Verde! Cook as instructed in the recipe, but make these changes:
  • After heating oil, add in 2 minced garlic cloves, and cook for about 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant.
  • Use only ¼ cup chicken broth. (Store bought is more watery, so you don't need as much broth.)
 
(Nurtional Info based on using 8" flour tortillas and 3 cups of shredded part skim mozzarella and colby jack cheese blend.)

Nutrition

Serving: 1enchilada | Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.2g | Protein: 30.5g | Fat: 16.7g | Saturated Fat: 8.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 88.3mg | Sodium: 961mg | Potassium: 228.5mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 0.8g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 8.3mg | Calcium: 35.1mg | Iron: 5.6mg