Easy Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes are a family favorite recipe and are made with corn tortillas, shredded chicken, and can be prepared with or without cheese.  This healthy enchiladas recipe is easy to prep ahead of time or freeze for a quick weeknight dinner meal the kids will love!

Homemade Chicken Enchiladas Verdes + Secret Ingredient

A few years ago I discovered why homemade enchiladas are all the rage.  After a fun-filled day by the pool, Momma Loree treated us to these scrumptious chicken enchiladas verdes for lunch on Father’s Day.  Not only was the shredded chicken in the enchiladas super tender, and the salsa verde perfectly spicy, but the corn tortillas had the most delightful flavor!

After racking my brain during the first two enchiladas, I decided to ask Loree what the special ingredient was in these chicken enchiladas verdes.  And it was in fact…

Coconut oil!!

She dipped each corn tortilla in coconut oil before filling with the chicken and salsa verde mixture!  What an ingenious idea.  They were to die for!!

In addition to that special ingredient, let’s dive into how to make healthy enchiladas, what ingredients you will need, the best type of salsa verde to buy, and how to prep-ahead and re-heat this chicken enchiladas verdes recipe.

Ingredients for Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

Chicken: When making healthy chicken enchiladas it is best to start with already cooked organic chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken.  You can shred the chicken meat by using two forks or by using your hands.

Cook’s Tip: Chicken is easiest to shred when it is slightly warm.  If cooking your chicken, let it come to almost room temperature, shred, and then store until later use.

Corn Tortillas: Corn tortillas, not flour, are the absolute best when making enchiladas.  They have the ability to become extra soft and absorb a lot of the flavor from the chicken and enchilada sauce you are using.

Coconut Oil:  As mentioned previously, the secret ingredient to making these the absolute BEST chicken enchiladas is dipping the corn tortillas into coconut oil.  Not only does it give the tortillas a ton of flavor, but it also makes the tortillas pliable and easy to work with.

What Type of Salsa?

This healthy enchiladas recipe gets the large majority of it’s flavor from salsa verde.  Salsa verde is a sauce made from roasted tomatillos, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and a touch of lime juice.  Salsa verde can also sometimes be called tomatillo salsa.

A few of the best salsa verde brands include:

• Herdez Salsa Verde (my favorite!)
• Pace Salsa Verde
• Fronterra Tomatillo Salsa

Also, if you’re feeling up for it, you can make your own homemade salsa verde for these chicken enchiladas.

How to Make Chicken Enchiladas

Once you have selected your chicken, corn tortillas, coconut oil, and salsa verde, it is time to start cooking and  assembling your chicken enchiladas verdes recipe:  (See recipe card for full ingredient list and instructions.)

1. First, sauté onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeño in a tablespoon of olive oil.
2. Next, add shredded chicken and salsa verde.  M mix to combine.
3. Heat up corn tortillas in a bit of coconut oil and let drain on paper towels.
4. Fill each corn tortilla with equal amounts of the salsa verde chicken mixture and roll up.  (See picture above.)
5. Place filled tortillas seem-side-down in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish that has a bit of salsa verde in it. (Steps 1 and 2 below.)
6. Pour additional salsa verde on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with a bit of cheese. (Steps 3 and 4 below.)

Cook’s Tip: Be sure to spread salsa verde out to cover all of the edges of the corn tortillas so you do not get any burnt pieces!

How Long to Bake Enchiladas and at What Temp?

Before you begin preparing your enchiladas preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  When you have finished assembling your chicken enchiladas, cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.

How to Serve:

We love, love, love, avocados in our house so I always feel like this chicken enchiladas verdes recipe is not complete until it is topped with cubed avocados, tomatoes, and a sprinkle of cilantro.  However, this is not necessary but definitely makes the presentation amazing!

How to Prep Healthy Enchiladas Ahead of Time

There are a few ways you can prep these chicken enchiladas ahead of time:

• Cook the chicken, veggies, and mix them together with the salsa verde and refrigerate until ready to assemble.
• Do the step above, heat up the corn tortillas, roll them, and cover the enchiladas in salsa verde sauce.
• What you DO NOT want to do is prep the chicken and veggies, corn tortillas, and then NOT assemble them.  The corn tortillas will harden up if placed in the refrigerator without the salsa verde covering them.

Can I Freeze these Chicken Enchiladas Verdes?

Yes!  You absolutely can freeze this gluten-free enchiladas recipe.  The best way to do it is to prepare the enchiladas in a freezer safe pan (like these aluminum baking dishes!) up until the point where they need to be baked.  Cover the surface of the enchiladas with a few layers of wax paper or plastic wrap to decrease air flow and oxidation and then seal with an outer layer of aluminum foil.  (Remember to remove the plastic wrap before baking though!)  When ready to eat, thaw the enchiladas in the refrigerator and then bake according to the directions below.

Best Way to Re-Heat Enchiladas

You’ve already enjoyed MOST of your chicken enchiladas, but you still have a few left.  What is the best way to reheat them?

My personal preference is to pop the entire baking dish back into the oven and reheat at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.  However, if you want a speedier re-heat, you can always heat them up in the microwave.

If you like these easy enchiladas, you’ll probably love…

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5 from 7 votes

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Chicken Enchiladas Verdes Recipe

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes are a family favorite recipe and are made with corn tortillas, shredded chicken, and can be prepared with or without cheese.  This healthy enchiladas recipe is easy to prep ahead of time or freeze for a quick weeknight dinner meal the kids will love!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chicken enchiladas, chicken enchiladas verdes, easy chicken enchiladas

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 4 servings

Calories 555 kcal

Author London

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ lbs. cooked chicken* shredded
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• ½ cup red bell pepper finely chopped
• 1 small jalapeño finely chopped, optional
• ½ cup sweet onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 8 corn tortillas
• 2-3 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 16- oz. jar salsa verde mild or medium
• ½ cup mozzarella cheese or dairy-free cheese

Toppings:

• Cilantro finely chopped
• Avocado finely diced
• Tomatoes finely diced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat combine 1 tablespoon oil, finely chopped bell pepper, jalapeño, and onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add crushed garlic and continue sautéing for an additional minute.

3. Remove from heat and stir in shredded chicken, salt, pepper ,and ½ cup salsa verde.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and heat up 2-3 corn tortillas for 1 minute per side. Place tortillas on a paper towel and repeat previous step with remaining coconut oil and tortillas.
5. Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and pour ¼ cup salsa verde into the bottom of the pan.
6. Fill each corn tortilla with equal amounts of the chicken mixture. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in the baking pan. Repeat until all tortillas are used.
7. Pour remaining salsa verde on top of the enchiladas, making sure to cover the edges of the tortillas. Sprinkle cheese on top, cover pan with aluminum foil, and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
8. Serve salsa verde enchiladas with cilantro, avocado, and diced tomatoes. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• Cooked chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken both work great.
• Serving size is for 2 enchiladas and is calculated without additional toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 555 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Cholesterol 131mg44%

Sodium 1272mg55%

Potassium 768mg22%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 50g100%

Vitamin A 1415IU28%

Vitamin C 30mg36%

Calcium 141mg14%

Iron 2.3mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.