This green chile chicken enchilada bake is an easy and delicious way to capture the flavors and textures of enchiladas without having to roll the tortillas. It's more like a chicken enchilada casserole.
This green chile chicken enchilada bake includes stacked corn tortillas layered with chichen, cheese, and sauce, similar to a lasagna.
It includes a homemade green tomatillo and chile sauce that includes pan roasted jalapeños and tomatillos, along with onions and garlic. You can keep the sauce as a salsa, or use it, like I did, for these stacked enchiladas.
Or... you can double the recipe and save half of it for dipping and the other half for these enchiladas. It's also great on eggs, for making chilaquiles, tamales, quesadillas, tacos, and nachos.
This is a great dish for making some of the components in advance. You can make the salsa and the chicken and save them in the refrigerator. In addition, you can grate the cheese and have it ready for assembling the enchilada bake.
Ingredients in This Enchilada Bake:
Tomatillos: You can buy these loose in the grocery store, but I love the convenience of the ones packaged by Melissa's produce. The papery husk has been removed along with the stickiness on the skin. It's a great time saver.
Jalapeños and Garlic: Both for the salsa and for the the final enchilada sauce.
White or Sweet Onions: For the Salsa.
Boneless Chicken Breasts: You can either grill them on an outdoor grill or pan fry them in a grill pan.
Olive Oil: For brushing the chicken breasts.
Salt and Pepper: For the chicken breasts as well as the salsa.
Cheese: You can use either a grated Mexican cheese blend or all Monterey Jack cheese.
Chopped Fresh Cilantro: For the salsa and for garnish.
Lime Juice: Fresh.
Sour Cream: I used a Mexican sour cream, but you can use regular sour cream.
To Make the Salsa:
First, add tomatillos, halved and seeded jalapeños, onions, and garlic to a large dry stainless steel sauté pan and cook over medium high heat.
Once the tomatillos begin to start to char on the outside, cut them in half and continue to cook, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro. When everything has softened, add about a half cup of water and continue to cook.
Next, add the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth. Add the juice of one lime and salt to taste.
To Make the Enchiladas:
First, cook the chicken breasts. You can either grill them on an outdoor grill or in an indoor grill pan or a cast iron pan.
Next, shred the chicken breasts and set them aside. They should not be cooked all of the way through.
After that, combine the salsa with some sour cream and mix thoroughly. Then, lightly fry the corn tortillas in oil in a skillet and layer them with sauce, chicken, and cheese.
Finally, bake the echiladas for about 20 minutes. Add more salsa if they are a little dry and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Recipes with Tortillas:
This week, the Sunday Funday group is sharing recipes with tortillas!
- Bacon and Egg Breakfast Quesadillas by Food Lust People Love
- Baked Vegetable Chimichanga by Mayuri's Jikoni
- Easy Enchiladas by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Crock Pot Quesabirria by Amy's Cooking Adventures
- Gluten Free Sweet Potato Tortillas by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
- Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Bake by Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Shrimp Tacos with Coleslaw by Making Miracles
- Vegan Samosadillas by Snehas Recipe
Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Bake
This green chile chicken enchilada bake is an easy and delicious way to capture the flavors and textures of enchiladas without having to roll the tortillas. It's more like a chicken enchilada casserole.
Ingredients
- 1 pound tomatillos
- 6 jalapeño peppers, halved, seeds and stems removed
- 1 minced yellow or white onion
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup water
- Juice of one lime
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 12 small corn tortillas (about 6 inch)
- All of the green chile salsa (above)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 8 ounces grated Mexican blend or Monterey Jack cheese
- Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- in a dry skillet, add the tomatillos, jalapeños, onions, and garlic. Cook until the tomatillos are charred on the outside. Cut the tomatillos in half and add them back to the pan. Add the chopped cilantro and continue to cook.
- Add about 1/4 cup of water and scrape the bottom of the pan. Cook until everything is tender.
- Add the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper and the juice of one lime.
- Coat the chicken with the olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
- Heat a grill or grill pan and cook the chicken about 5 minutes per side. Shred the chicken with two forks or your hands.
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a 10 by 15 inch baking dish with spray oil.
- Cook the tortillas in a skillet with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, about 15 seconds per side and layer in paper towels on a plate.
- Combine the salsa with the sour cream. Ladle about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Lay four of the tortillas on top. Ladle another 1/4 cup of the sauce on top and add 1/2 of the chicken on top along with another 1/4 cup of the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese.
- Add a layer of four more tortillas, the rest of the chicken, more sauce, and 1/3 of the cheese. Add the rest of the tortillas, the rest of the sauce, and the rest of the cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until golden. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into servings. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
477Fat (grams)
29 gSat. Fat (grams)
13 gCarbs (grams)
34 gFiber (grams)
6 gNet carbs
28 gSugar (grams)
7 gProtein (grams)
22 gCholesterol (grams)
80 mg
