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Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Tender shredded chicken is rolled in corn tortillas and smothered with a bright, tangy tomatillo-based salsa verde, then baked until bubbly with creamy sour cream and crumbled cotija.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ⅓ lb skinless chicken thighs (or 1 ¾ lb bone-in)
  • 4 cloves garlic, divided (2 halved for poaching, 2 whole for salsa)
  • ¼ medium onion (for poaching)
  • 2 tsp sea salt, divided
  • 1 ½ lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed
  • 2 serrano chiles, stems removed
  • ½ cup chopped white or yellow onion
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (stems included), plus extra for garnish
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp oil (olive, corn, or peanut)
  • 12 sturdy yellow corn tortillas
  • ¼ cup sour cream (plus 1 Tbsp water to thin for drizzle)
  • ½ cup crumbled cotija or queso fresco
  • ⅓ cup chopped red onion (garnish)

Instructions

  1. Poach & shred chicken: Place chicken, 2 halved garlic cloves, ¼ onion, and 1 tsp salt in a saucepan; cover with water. Simmer gently 10-15 min until just cooked. Cool slightly, then shred chicken.
  2. Make salsa verde: Simmer tomatillos and serranos in water 5 min until color changes. Transfer to a blender with 2 raw garlic cloves, chopped onion, ½ cup cilantro, lime juice, 1 tsp salt, and ¼ cup cooking liquid. Purée until smooth (≈3 cups).
  3. Toss filling: Combine shredded chicken with ½ cup salsa verde; taste and add salt if needed.
  4. Soften tortillas: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Quickly fry each tortilla 10-15 s per side, stacking on paper towels to drain.
  5. Assemble: Spoon chicken mixture onto each tortilla, roll tightly, and arrange seam-side down in a 9×13-in dish.
  6. Heat & bake: Cover dish with foil and warm in a 250 °F (120 °C) oven 10 min while you heat remaining salsa to a simmer.
  7. Smother & finish: Pour hot salsa over enchiladas, letting some run between rolls. Drizzle thinned sour cream, sprinkle with cotija, red onion, and extra cilantro. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Shortcut: Swap in 3 cups high-quality bottled salsa verde and/or rotisserie chicken.
  • Use thick corn tortillas; thin ones may break after frying.
  • Adjust chile quantity for spice level; add extra serrano for more heat.
  • Enchiladas are best fresh—tortillas soften if made too far ahead.

Nutrition

Keywords: salsa verde, chicken enchiladas, tomatillo, Mexican dinner