We absolutely love everything about Mexican cuisine. It is steeped in history and loaded with amazing flavor.
This dish is just bursting with amazing taste and texture. Roasting the vegetables for the verde sauce, as well as the chicken, delivers superior flavor.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH VERDE SAUCE
This recipe delivers authentic restaurant-quality taste, but honestly is not difficult to prepare.
The verde sauce can be made in advance, and the chicken can be roasted and shredded in advance, too.
Assembly is a snap and lots of fun!
MAKING VERDE SAUCE FROM SCRATCH
The process of roasting the vegetables for the homemade verde sauce is key to creating that delicious, deep taste that we’re looking for.
Roasting softens the vegetables and also concentrates them to intensify the flavor profile.
EXPERT TIP: Tomatillos are an important ingredient for classic verde sauce. They are typically found in the produce section of most well-stocked supermarkets or at your local produce market. Be sure to remove the outer skin before roasting. We include two serrano chilies in our sauce, too. Remove the stems and seeds to reduce the heat. For less heat, only use 1 serrano. For more heat, don’t remove the seeds.
After the vegetables have roasted and have started to blister a bit, it’s time to puree them.
Carefully transfer them to your blender or food processor, and blend (or pulse), until smooth.
The smell is already incredible.
Now to the roasted chicken. We always go with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs because they’re just loaded with flavor.
Roasting the chicken allows the juices from the skin to seep into the juicy thigh meat.
EXPERT TIP: After about 45 minutes in a 400°F oven, the chicken should be fully cooked with an internal temperature of 165° to 167°F. Let the chicken rest until cool enough to shred with a fork. You can certainly substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts; however, you’ll need to reduce the roasting time to about 30 minutes. A rotisserie chicken from the supermarket will work in a pinch.
HOW TO FORM THE ENCHILADAS
Authentic Mexican enchiladas are almost always made with corn tortillas. In order to form the enchilada, you need to soften the tortillas first.
A common technique to do this is to quickly place them in a small skillet filled with hot oil and then transfer them to the verde sauce.
EXPERT TIP: For this recipe, we simply dampen a couple of paper towels and then place the corn tortillas between them, and then microwave them on HIGH for about 1 minute, or until they are soft. Then transfer them to the skillet filled with the prepared verde sauce to coat. The flash-fry technique often makes the tortillas so fragile that they fall apart when attempting to remove them from the dish. The microwave method is a bit healthier, too.
For topping the chicken enchiladas with verde sauce, you’ll want to choose a good melting cheese.
Shredded cheddar, Monterrey Jace, or Mexican Chihuahua are all great choices. A combination of them is even better!
We also use crumbled Cotija cheese as a garnish, which can usually be found in the specialty cheese section of most well-stocked supermarkets.
After the enchiladas have baked for 25 minutes, the cheese will have melted, and the sauce will be bubbling.
We love to garnish the dish with chopped tomatoes, cilantro, Mexican crema, and, as mentioned, crumbled Cotija cheese.
Talk about a Mexican fiesta right in your very own kitchen!
We are big-time lovers of Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Cal-Mex cuisine.
If you and your family are as well, then this is the dish for you.
Deep in flavor and truly restaurant quality. Right in your very own home!
Ready to make the best plate of enchiladas this side of the Rio Grande? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Chicken Enchiladas with Verde Sauce
Video
Equipment
- 9"x13" baking dish
Ingredients
FOR THE VERDE SAUCE
- 1 lb tomatillos fresh, husks and stems removed, rinsed
- 2 serrano chiles stems and seeds removed
- 4 slices white onion each about ¼-inch thick
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup cilantro fresh, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth
- ¾ cup Mexican crema or crème fraîche, or heavy cream
- Kosher salt
FOR THE ENCHILADAS
- 3 lb chicken thighs skin-on, bone-in
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 10 corn tortillas
- 1½ cups cheese Shredded: Monterey Jack and/or Mild Cheddar
- 1 cup tomato chopped, for garnish
- ½ cup cilantro chopped, for garnish
- ½ cup Cotija cheese crumbled, for garnish
Instructions
MAKE THE VERDE SAUCE
- Position a rack under your broiler, and turn on high. Arrange the tomatillos, chiles, onion slices, and garlic in a shallow baking/roasting pan.1 lb tomatillos, 2 serrano chiles, 4 slices white onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Broil until the tomatillos are soft and slightly charred, about 12 minutes, turning the pan halfway through.
- Transfer the vegetables to a blender and add the cilantro. Blend until smooth.¼ cup cilantro
- Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillo mixture and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Add 2 cups of the broth and simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes.2 cups chicken stock
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the Mexican crema (or crème fraîche or heavy cream) and 1 teaspoon salt. Let cool slightly before assembling the enchiladas¾ cup Mexican crema, Kosher salt
ROAST THE CHICKEN
- While the sauce is simmering, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Rub the vegetable oil (1 tablespoon) over the chicken thighs, and then sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken thighs until they are cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F. (Approx. 45 minutes for bone-in, 30 minutes for boneless).3 lb chicken thighs, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- Remove the thighs and let them cool slightly. (You can turn the oven off, or leave it on...you will be cooking the enchiladas at the same temp shortly). Remove the skin and discard it. Shred the meat with a fork. Lightly salt and pepper the shredded chicken. Set aside.
PREPARE THE ENCHILADAS
- Place moist paper towels around the corn tortillas and microwave on high for 1 minute. The tortillas should be soft and pliable. Microwave for another 30 seconds, if necessary.10 corn tortillas
- Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray. One by one, dip the tortilla into the prepared sauce, just enough to coat the tortilla. Lay the sauced tortilla into the dish. Fill the center of the tortilla with a heaping tablespoon of the cooked chicken, and then roll in the side of the tortilla, sealing them shut at the top. Spoon some of the sauce over the tortillas to keep the enchilada sealed. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Pour 1½ cups of the sauce over the tortillas. Top with the cheese and bake until bubbly and lightly browned on top, about 25 minutes.1½ cups cheese
- Garnish with chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and crumble Cotija cheese, if desired. Serve at once!1 cup tomato, ½ cup cilantro, ½ cup Cotija cheese
Darlene says
Good morning Wesley & Kris,
It is 10:00 a.m. and I am eating these absolutely amazing enchiladas. We had them for dinner last night but I had to have more. I think they would be wonderful for a Mexican brunch, don’t you? Kris, that verde sauce is to die for! Can’t wait to make it for friends and bask in their praises.
Was wondering, would your cilantro lime rice go well with this or do you have another suggestion? I always like it when you mention what other dishes to serve with the recipe you’re focusing on. And I love that your recipes and videos are so informational.
Thank you for reawakening my love of cooking. Hugs to you both
Kris Longwell says
Darlene!! First, please forgive the late reply here. Second….this is so amazing to hear!!! Enchiladas for breakfast are AWESOME! Even if they are leftovers! And yes! There isn’t thing we love much more than a Mexican-themed brunch! The cilantro lime rice would be great, but so would our Best-Ever Mexican Rice….it’s classic, and sooo good! Thank you so much for your kind words and it just fills our hearts with joy to know we can help you out in the kitchen!! Sounds like you are already top notch!!! Thanks so much for letting us know and for the FABULOUS review. That truly means the world to us! Please stay in touch! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
Lonnie says
Hey Guys!
These were plate lickin’ yummy! My question is, can I quickly pan sear & then stuff flour tortillas in lieu of corn in the future? I know the traditional way is the corn tortilla route, but I truthfully don’t like them. I don’t like the mushy corn texture and the flavor is off putting for me. Plus, they’re hard to work with and stuff (too small) and they’re hard to find where I live.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Lonnie!! Please forgive our delayed response!! You can absolutely go with flour tortillas. Just heat them up in the microwave to make them nice and pliable and then dip in the sauce, and follow the recipe as written. We do love flour tortilla enchiladas, too. Let us know if you make it with the flour tortillas and let us know what you think!!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Chendria McGowen says
Very nice recipe, I made this tonight for dinner and the family loved it! I had to scale back the peppers in the verde sauce cause it was way too hot for children as written but other than that it was delicious thanks for another good recipe!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Chendria! Totally understand about having to dial back on the pepper for the kiddos. But it sounds like you prepared the dish perfectly! So glad you enjoyed it and thank you SO MUCH for letting us know and the wonderful review. That always means so much to us! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Lisa says
I recently found your blog through Twitter and am thoroughly enjoying it! I’ve pinned a scad of your recipes which look so decadent but most seem so doable for a novice like myself! Your photos are simply gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing!
krislongwell says
Thank you, Lisa! Love your site! Cooking is fun, right? Stay in touch. Kris & Wesley
KLMarkert says
AWESOME! I’m going to make this tonight for my boys. I found your site through http://www.foodgawker.com. Now I’m excited, and can’t wait to read more! I also signed up for your newsletter, yeah! 🙂
krislongwell says
Hi Karen! Thanks so much! We really like your site http://www.klmarkertphoto.com/, beautiful and very thought-provoking. we love that. And hey! We’re fellow Texans! (well, Kris, that’s me, is). I grew up in the D/FW area, and Wesley is an honorary Texan. We’re signing up for you newsletter. See you again soon! Kris & Wesley