Name: Green Chicken Enchiladas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 c shredded rotisserie chicken; 1 c corn; 4 oz can of green chiles; ⅓ c chopped cilantro (plus more for topping); 1/2 c sour cream; 3 c Monterey jack shredded cheese (divided); 1/2 tsp garlic; 1 tsp oregano; 1/2 tsp cumin; 1 tsp chili powder; ½ tsp pepper; ¼ - ½ tsp sea salt; 8 tortillas; 2 c green enchilada sauce

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A simple dinner ready in about 30 minutes thanks to rotisserie chicken, this quick Green Chicken Enchiladas recipe is the best weekday meal. Toss it together in 10 minutes and have a cheesy delicious dinner in no time! Green enchilada sauce adds the perfect flavor!

Pan with chicken enchiladas in green sauce with melted cheese and chopped cilantro on top.

Why You Will Love These Quick Green Chicken Enchiladas:
Green Enchilada Sauce Versus Red Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Step-By-Step Instructions:
Chef’s Tips:
What To Serve with These Green Chicken Enchiladas:
Green Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
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There is nothing like the convenience of a rotisserie chicken. We grab one about every week. The options beyond eating it with a few sides are endless.

We often whip up these Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers or Chicken Taco Casserole, Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup. And these green chicken enchiladas are on the regular rotation as well as they are such an easy recipe to make. The best dinner!

If you are looking for more enchilada recipes, check out these ground turkey enchiladas as well!

Why You Will Love These Quick Green Chicken Enchiladas:

Easily made ahead of time. These chicken enchiladas in green sauce are so easy to make thanks to the use of fresh or leftover rotisserie chicken. Shred it and toss the filling ingredients together, roll in tortillas, cover in sauce and cheese and then bake. Simple ingredients and simple prep! That is it!
Only 10 minutes to prep. Seriously, not much time at all and you can easily prep it up to a day in advance and then bake when you are ready to eat.
Easy to vary and add extra goodness! You can vary the cheese, add some extra kick with more spice. You can add some extra veggies to the mixture like sautéed bell peppers or even some spinach to add some greens.

Green Enchilada Sauce Versus Red Enchilada Sauce

Green and red enchilada sauces are both great, and the biggest difference is the base. Green enchilada sauce uses green chilies and tomatillos. It is not salsa verde which some get the two confused. Green enchilada sauce can pack some spice if you like it. Just check the label for the spice label.

Red enchilada sauce obviously then comes from red chilies. Spice level and flavor can vary in this kind as well.

While these green chicken enchiladas can definitely be made with either style sauce, I love the green sauce so much with the chicken and green chilies. A great way to vary from my typical red sauce enchiladas.

Ingredients and Substitutions:

chicken: you can use any leftover chicken or bake some chicken breasts for these green enchiladas. We prefer rotisserie chicken for these for the ease and overall convenience. The chicken is already juicy and seasoned.
cheese: Monterey jack cheese is our favorite, freshly shredded for the best melty cheese. You can opt for your favorite shredded cheese. For a kick, use some habanero cheese or pepper jack cheese.
sour cream: any sour cream will work–regular or reduced fat but I suggest using the full fat the most flavor. Greek yogurt will work as well, but it will vary the flavor.
green chiles: use a can of green chilies for convenience. You could chop up some fresh green chilies or jalapeños if preferred.
corn: whatever you have on hand will work. Frozen (just thaw it), canned or even grilled fresh corn cut off the cob.
cilantro: fresh cilantro is the key flavor enhancer in my opinion. Don’t skip out on it if possible!
tortillas: we use soft taco size flour or corn tortillas. If you need a gluten free option, opt for your favorite. You can fry them in a bit of oil on both sides and then pat dry to help keep them from becoming soggy.
green enchilada sauce: Las Palmas is my favorite green enchilada sauce. It has the best flavor of all and I have tried quite a few. I get the 28 oz. can and reserve remaining sauce to add over top when reheating leftovers.
spices: a simple combination of garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and oregano. You can add salt and pepper as desired but if you are using rotisserie chicken, you may not need any as they are typically salted well enough.
optional: you can add a squeeze or two of fresh lime juice to the chicken mixture if desired. A touch of hot sauce kicks up the heat as well!

Ingredients to make green chicken enchiladas on counter.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

Chicken, cilantro, corn, spices, sour cream, cheese and other ingredients for chicken enchiladas in bowl.

Chicken enchiladas mixture in glass mixing bowl.

Shred your chicken, and toss it together with the spices, green chilies, corn, 1 1/2 cup of the cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.
Spoon the shredded chicken enchilada filling evenly (about 1/2 cup) into about 8 soft taco sized tortillas. You can warm the tortillas up for about 20-30 seconds in the microwave to make them more pliable. Roll them up and place seam side down in a prepared baking dish or large casserole dish. If you have any remaining chicken mixture, you can spread it over top of the tortillas.

Chicken enchilada mixture on tortilla. — Add chicken mixture.

Rolled tortillas with green chicken enchilada mixture in pan. — Add chicken mixture.

Pour green enchilada sauce over top of the enchiladas, more if desired, spreading across the tortillas to cover.
Top with remaining cheese.

Baked green chicken enchiladas fresh from the oven.

Pan of enchiladas topped with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and jalapeños.

Bake in preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese on top is melted and the the mixture is bubbling. You can shift the oven to broil on high for about 2-3 minutes if desired to crisp up the edges of the tortillas and get that nice browned cheese. Just keep an eye on it as it will burn easily.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Top with chopped cilantro, chopped green onions, a big dollop of sour cream and all of your other favorite toppings.

Chef’s Tips:

If making these green chicken enchiladas ahead of time, wait to top with the sauce. If you want to make these up to a day in advance, wait to pour the sauce and cheese over top until just before baking. This will ensure the tortillas don’t get super soggy before cooking.
You can thicken your green enchilada sauce if desired. Green enchilada sauce is fairly thin. If you prefer it thicker, you can heat the sauce over medium low heat and slowly stir in a paste of about 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon corn starch whisked well together. You can add more to thicken until desired thickness.
Storing these chicken enchiladas. Store these green chicken enchiladas in the refrigerator for 3 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze them in a freezer safe container for about 2 months.