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Baked green enchiladas covered in cheeese, red onion, avocado, & sliced jalapeno. The baking dish sits atop a striped gray linen napkin on a light blue surface, surrounded by cilantro leaves, lime wedges, & a small plate of garnishes (lime wedges, cilantro, sliced jalapeno, etc.)

Green Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Green Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: serves 4-6 1x
  • Category: Tacos, Burritos & Enchiladas Recipes, Main Dishes
  • Method: Baked, Braised
  • Cuisine: Mexican & Tex-Mex

Description

These Green Chicken Enchiladas are a total crowdpleaser! Fall-apart tender beer-braised chicken breasts are wrapped in corn tortillas, doused with zippy, spicy, & bright homemade green enchilada sauce made from tomatillos & chiles, & covered in ooey-gooey melted cheese. See Recipe Notes for meal prep & make-ahead instructions.

This recipe is reprinted, with permission, from my friend Elizabeth Van Lierde‘s fantastic new cookbook, Everyday Entertaining: 110+ Recipes for Going All Out When You’re Staying In, available wherever books are sold on August 10th.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 – 2 pounds)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 (4.5-ounce) can diced green chiles
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1 cup light beer of choice (e.g. lager, pale ale)
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

for the homemade green enchilada sauce:

  • 8–10 small tomatillos, husked & rinsed (about 1 pound)
  • 1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 1–2 jalapeño chiles, deseeded as desired
  • 1–2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 handful cilantro leaves & tender stems (about 1 cup packed)
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

for green chicken enchiladas assembly & serving:

  • 8–10 medium corn tortillas (see Recipe Notes, below)
  • 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • for serving, as desired: sour cream or crema, chopped cilantro, thinly sliced jalapeño, avocado, etc.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Gather & arrange ingredients. Homemade green chicken enchiladas ingredients arranged on a light blue surface – Cilantro, lime, chicken broth, Pacifico beer, corn tortillas, jalapeno peppers, spices, tomatillos, onion, chicken breasts & diced green chiles.
  2. Sear the chicken: Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with lid over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, carefully add the seasoned chicken to the pot. Sear 3-4 minutes per side, until browned & golden, then transfer to a plate & set aside. (The chicken will not be fully cooked at this point – that’s totally fine!) Seared spiced chicken breasts atop a speckled ceramic plate on a light blue surface.
  3. Braise the chicken: Add the onion to the same pot used to brown the chicken. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, just until softened & translucent. Deglaze the pot by pouring in the beer, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pot. Add in the seared chicken, green chiles, lime juice, & chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to combine, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover & simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked. Beer-braised chicken for green enchiladas in a ceramic braising pan atop a light blue surface.
  4. Roast the tomatillos & chiles: Meanwhile, as the chicken braises, prep the homemade green enchilada sauce. Place the tomatillos, onion, & jalapeños on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over top & toss to coat. Roast 15-20 minutes, or until the tomatillos are tender & golden. Homemade green enchilada sauce ingredients on a small sheet pan atop a light blue surface before roasting – tomatillos, halved peppers, & chopped onion.
  5. Blend the green enchilada sauce: Carefully add the roasted tomatillos, onions, & chiles to a high-speed blender with the cumin, garlic powder, cilantro, lime, & chicken stock. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Blend until smooth. Taste & adjust seasoning as desired. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="19883,19884"]
  6. Shred the chicken: Once cooked, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces – you can do so using 2 forks, or my favorite trick: pop the braised chicken directly into in a stand mixer & let the paddle attachment do the work for you (I swear this works!). Transfer the shredded chicken back into the braising liquid, tossing to combine.Shredded beer-braised chicken for green enchiladas in a ceramic braising pan atop a light blue surface.
  7. Assemble the green chicken enchiladas: Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees F & begin enchilada assembly. Lightly coat the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish with 1/2 cup of the green chile enchilada sauce. Pour remaining enchilada sauce in a shallow bowl, then prep a small assembly line with tortillas, enchilada sauce, shredded chicken, & cheese. Lightly dip each tortilla into the sauce, the fill with a small handful of cheese & 1/4-1/2 cup shredded chicken. Roll each tortilla around the filling, then place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Once assembled, top the enchiladas with any remaining sauce & an even layer of shredded cheese. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="19888,19889,19890,19891"]
  8. Bake the enchiladas: Transfer to the oven & bake 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted & golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving, topped as desired with sour cream, chopped cilantro, sliced jalapeno, & sliced avocado. Enjoy! Baked green enchiladas covered in cheeese, red onion, avocado, & sliced jalapeno. The baking dish sits atop a striped gray linen napkin on a light blue surface, surrounded by cilantro leaves, lime wedges, & a small plate of garnishes (lime wedges, cilantro, sliced jalapeno, etc.)

Equipment

Notes

  • Corn tortillas: When making homemade enchiladas, I always have the best luck using corn tortillas that have a good balance of sturdy & delicate texture. You don’t want to use really thick corn tortillas, but you also don’t want them to be too delicate & flaky. I’ve had great success using La Perla’s corn tortillas, which is a local Minnesota brand that I love. 
  • Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating: 
    • Make-Ahead Option #1 – Partial Prep: My suggested make-ahead approach! Prep the beer-braised chicken according to Steps 2-3 & 6, storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Prep the homemade green enchilada sauce according to Steps 4-5, storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. At dinnertime, simply assemble & bake according to Steps 7-8. 
    • Make-Ahead Option #2 – Fully Assembled: Once assembled (through Step 7 of Recipe Directions, above), these green chicken enchiladas will keep, stored covered in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. To finish, bake according to Step 8 & serve immediately. 
    • Storage & Reheating: Leftover enchiladas will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/green-chicken-enchiladas/