Name: Green Chicken Enchiladas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken; 1 cup corn ((we used frozen, thawed)); 4 oz can of green chiles; ⅓ cup chopped cilantro (plus more for topping); ½ cup sour cream; juice of one lime; 3 cups Monterey jack shredded cheese (divided); 1 tsp chili powder; ½ tsp garlic; 1 tsp oregano; ½ tsp cumin; ½ tsp pepper; ¼ - ½ tsp sea salt; 8 flour tortillas ((or corn tortillas*)); 2 cups green enchilada sauce (more as desired)

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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 We Love These 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.

We often whip up these Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers, Curry Chicken Salad, 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!

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

Ingredients to make green chicken enchiladas on counter.

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.

Step-By-Step Instructions

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

Step 1: Add chicken, spices, green chilies, lime juice, corn, 1 1/2 cup of the cheese, sour cream, and cilantro to a medium bowl.

Chicken enchiladas mixture in glass mixing bowl.

Step 2: Toss to combine and then add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3: Spoon chicken mixture evenly across 8 flour tortillas or about 12 corn tortillas.

Chicken enchiladas in pan with green enchiladas sauce on top.

Step 4: Roll them up and place seam side down in a prepared baking dish or large casserole dish. Pour remaining green enchilada sauce over to cover.

Shredded cheese on top of tortillas in pan.

Step 5: Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melty and chicken mixture is bubbling.

Baked green chicken enchiladas fresh from the oven.

Step 6: You can broil for two minutes in the end for golden brown goodness! Remove from the oven and cool for about 5-10 minutes and then add all your favorite toppings!

Recipe 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.