Green Chicken Enchiladas
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Green chicken enchiladas are easy to make and are freezable for easy meal prep! Featuring shredded chicken, white beans, corn and melted cheese, all smothered in roasted salsa verde.
Talk about a savory, Tex Mex delight! This meal is filling and hits the spot.
Casseroles are the perfect dinner solution for people who like to make freezer meals. Freeze, heat and eat dinners make meal prep easier, and casseroles are fantastic to give to friends or family who aren’t feeling well. They make a thoughtful gift for new parents, too.
Until recently, I didn’t think of enchiladas as a casserole but by definition, they are. They’re baked in a casserole dish, can be frozen to reheat later, and they’re a great meal to make for friends and family. See? Perfect!
Green Chicken Enchiladas
So, have you heard of green enchiladas? I used to call them salsa verde chicken enchiladas, but I like the name green chicken enchiladas better.
Unlike creamy chicken enchiladas suiza, which are delicious but take a bit longer to make, this recipe comes together in a snap. It’s really simple to assemble and there are no fancy ingredients needed. I think you’ll love it!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chicken– Depending on the size of the bird, you can get about 4 cups of shredded white meat from a large rotisserie chicken, or you can roast a whole chicken and pick the meat off the bones. If you prefer, use dark meat, or a combination of white and dark.
As for the carcass, use it to make homemade chicken stock; it’s SO much tastier than the canned stuff.
- Salsa verde– I use homemade roasted salsa verde, but feel free to buy it if you’d like. Making your own lets you control the spiciness, not to mention, you’ll know exactly what’s in it. No funky chemical preservatives for me, thank you.
- Cooked pinto beans– Fresh cooked or canned is fine. Or, you can use black beans instead.
- Tortillas– Authentic chicken enchiladas are made with corn tortillas, but flour tortillas are fine. I’ve used whole wheat tortillas in the past, because they have a lower glycemic content, which is better for Dave’s diabetes.
If you’re buying tortillas, get the medium size. The small ones are for making tacos and the large ones are for burritos.
Video: Making Green Chicken Enchiladas
To see the recipe from start to finish, watch the video located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Kitchen Hack: How to Shred Chicken in 30 Seconds
Here’s a little trick I use to quickly shred 2-3 cooked chicken breasts, depending on their size.
- Place the meat into the bowl of a kitchen stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Turn powder on to medium-high for about 30 seconds and BAM, the chicken is shredded!
I like to make a couple pans of these and freeze them for future evenings when time for cooking is short, or you can always give to a friend and neighbor.
My favorite part of these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas is the cheese. Look at all that golden brown cheesy deliciousness. I use
Freezing Green Chicken Enchiladas
If you’d like to freeze the green enchiladas, either make two small 8×8″ pans or a large 13×9-inch pan. You can freeze them for busy days, or when you’re too tired to cook.
I usually make and freeze a batch of Mexican rice and some charro beans or refried beans at the same time. That way, all of the cooking is done; there’s nothing left to do but heat and eat!
Just remember to take any frozen items out of the freezer the night before or morning of. Put them into the refrigerator and when you’re ready, pop them in the oven for 30 minutes at 350°F. Easy, right?
As for freezing the enchilada casserole, you can assemble everything and freeze it uncooked, or bake and cool it before freezing. It’s completely up to you. Either way, be sure to wrap the dish well. It usually keeps in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.
This post, originally published on Kevin is Cooking Aug. 15, 2016, was last updated with new content on Sept. 11, 2021.
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Enchiladas Verdes de Pollo
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken breast shredded (See Note 1)
- 4 cups salsa verde separated (See Note 3)
- 2 cups cooked pinto beans
- 1 cup corn kernels fresh or thawed from frozen
- 4 oz chopped green chiles (See Note 2)
- 3 cups Pepper Jack cheese shredded, divided
- 8 corn tortillas or flour tortillas, medium size
- 1 cup Monterey Jack shredded
- Fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Shred the chicken and place in a bowl. Add 1 cup of green salsa, beans, corn, green chiles and 2 cups Pepper Jack cheese. Mix thoroughly.
- Place the chicken filling on the tortilla lengthwise and roll up, this filling should make about 8 (distributed evenly).
- In the bottom of one 13″x9″ or two 8×8″ baking pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray, add 1 cup of the salsa verde, shake pan to distribute on bottom and then place the rolled enchiladas.
- Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaining 1 cup each Pepper Jack and Monterey jack cheeses. At this point you can cover with aluminum foil and freeze for later use if you like or bake for 30 minutes (See Note 4).
- Remove and let cool slightly before serving.
Video
Notes
- You should be able to get 4 cups of white meat from a large rotisserie chicken, or you can roast a whole chicken. If you prefer, use dark meat, or a combination of white and dark.
- Green Chiles can be: California Chiles also known as New Mexico chiles, Anaheim Chiles, Green Chiles or Hatch.
- I use homemade roasted salsa verde, but feel free to buy it if you’d like.
- If you make this and freeze it for later use, allow it to defrost completely in the refrigerator, and then bake as directed.
- Nutrition shown is based on a serving of one green chicken enchilada.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Love these enchiladas. First time I purchased verde salsa from the store, second time I made Kevin’s recipe. The salsa was so delicious and friends asked for both recipes.
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know Kristin!
Hello Kevin,
I usually make red enchiladas with the canned enchilada sauce, which is the way my mother made them (of course❗️ 🤡), but I definitely want to give these a try.
However I do have a question. Your recipe calls for “green chiles”. I assume you mean chopped canned green chillies, but one never knows. There are a lot fresh green chiles one can buy, but of course the heat level varies greatly. I wish recipes would have a more complete description for items like this instead of just “chiles”
So, if one wanted to use fresh chilies, which would you suggest? Poblanos? Hatch?
Noel, Green Chiles can be: California Chiles also known as New Mexico chiles, Anaheim Chiles, Green Chiles or Hatch. Hope this helps!
Thanks for your response!
Yes, “green chiles” can be all of those types, and each has their own flavor and heat profile.
My comment was how many receipts do not tell you which ONE to use in THAT receipite.
Like listing “chocolate” but not saying “light, dark, or sweet”.
Flour, but not “bread, or all purpose”.
Peanut butter, but not “creamy or crunchy”.
Paprika, but not “sweet or hot”.
Cabbage, but not “green or chinese”.
GRANTED: many of the above items chosen may not make a lot of difference in the out come of the receiptie. but a pepper, especially a HOT pepper cane make a world of difference.
Most cooks can figure out which one to try, but a new “budding” cook may not have any idea how to choose a chilli. Try to get a cook to rattle off the names as you did above, and I don’t think you will have much luck.
Chillies are just too much of a mystery to cooks. And what about all of these green chilies you didn’t mention❓
Ancho
Chilaca
Cubanelle
Ghost
Guindilla
Habanero
Hidalgo s
Jalapeño
Pasilla
Poblano
Serrano
Shishito
I really do believe receipts need to state what canned chilli they use (if not fresh), AND a fresh chilly alternative. t\This should be true for any ingredient listed that could point to more than 1 choice.
Made this tonight! Awesome recipe!! Thanks for sharing. I’ll be making this again!
Much appreciated, thanks Chris!
These enchiladas look fantastic!!
Thanks, Charlie! They’re a favorite at our house.
This is a big fav for me, My daughter should have been named enchilada, Lol. I love verde sauces and chili’s. I haven’t seen tomatillo’s here lately, but this past year they did bring them on occasion and I always bought a bunch, so hopefully they will continue. Our dogs also love hanging out in the kitchen and we have a rhodesian ridgeback, and I’ve got to tell you what chow hounds they are! Locking garbage can’s, etc. But, we also have a black cat that seems to think he is a dog and definitely part of the pack, so hangs out in the middle of the kitchen with them.
Thanks for sharing your cute story, Cathy! In case you continue to have trouble finding fresh tomatillos, there are 3 or 4 brands of canned tomatillos! Usually kept in the grocery store aisle with the other Mexican ingredients.
I’ve made these a few times now. The first time they turned out great but since then they always seem too runny to me. 🤷🏻♀️ And it’s like the tortillas start to dissolve.
We end up eating them with chips usually.
Any guesses as to what I’m doing wrong or should adjust to get a better texture?
So glad you enjoy these Amanda. If they are too runny for you you might want to use less enchilada sauce or briefly fry your tortillas in hot oil before you fill and roll. This creates a little bit of a barrier so that the tortillas don’t soak up too much of the sauce and therefore start to break down. Hope this helps!
Good Lord Woman! These are dynamite!! Served with a little sour cream and a chopped salad with tomatoes and avocado. Yum!! Giving this to my daughter for her family. Thanks!
I am so glad you enjoyed them! I hope her family did as well!