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Our Table 4 2 » Recipes » Easy Mexican Recipes

One Pan Chili Verde Enchiladas with Chicken and Green Sauce

Published: Apr 18, 2024 by Pam Werley · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Gloriously creamy, cheesy and tomatillo bright, one pan chili verde enchiladas with chicken and green sauce are easy to love.

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one pan chili verde enchiladas with chicken and green sauce in a white bowl on a wood table next to bowls of spanish rice and cotija cheese.

This Mexico City specialty features delicately seasoned shreds of chicken tidily rolled into savory tortillas, topped with cheese, and bathed in a tomatillo salsa verde sauce spiked with sour cream – each distinct component shining through in every bite.

Jump to:
  • Pam's Best Tips
  • Chili verde enchiladas ingredients
  • How to make one pan enchiladas
  • Finishing Touches
  • What to serve with chili verde enchiladas
  • Make ahead
  • Common questions about this recipe
  • Related
  • One Pan Chili Verde Enchiladas with Chicken and Green Sauce Recipe

Pam's Best Tips

I fell in love with chicken enchiladas with green sauce eating at the Red Iguana in Salt Lake City.  Working on my own recipe, I want to do justice to each component of chicken enchiladas with a green sauce, but I also want to address some classic enchilada pitfalls. 

Pam Werley, founder of our table 4 2 standing in the kitchen leaning against counter.

Making enchiladas is a project, with challenges along the way: tortillas crack, the filling pokes through the rolled tortillas (rolls) resulting in a collapsed, mushy mess.  This recipe is both streamlined and structurally sound. 

First we reach for a jarred tomatillo salsa and puree it with sour cream and a generous amount of cilantro to infuse creaminess and temper the tomatillo’s sharp acidity.

For a soft, easy-to-roll filling we poach a chicken breast. Poaching chicken breasts is so easy and quick.  5 – 7 minutes to poach followed by 5 minutes of resting so the meat is cool enough to shred. 

The art of assembly starts with a frying the tortillas so they are pliable and less prone to sogging out. 

To cut down on dishes we will bake the enchiladas in the same pan we used to fry the tortillas with just enough sauce to spread a base layer under the rolls and lightly coat the top. When we’re ready to serve, we reheat the sauce, coat the bottom of the bowl, placing the tortillas on top and finishing with garnishes.    So, this is my streamlined and structurally sound recipe to replicate a dish I love. 

For other enchilada recipes try my Skillet Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas – it uses one pan, as well!

OT42 Tips and Tricks banner with green banner.

Chili verde enchiladas ingredients

If you prefer milder heat, choose a jarred salsa that is labeled as a tomatillo salsa where the primary ingredient is tomatillos rather than a jar of salsa verde.  While both include tomatillos and green chilis, a tomatillo salsa’s first ingredient is tomatillos followed by green chilis. 

Here’s what you’ll need for this dish:

Ingredients for one pan chili verde enchiladas with chicken and green sauce on a marble counter in ingredient bowls and platter.

Chicken:

  • Boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • Garlic clove
  • Bay leaf
  • Table salt
  • Black peppercorns

Green Sauce

  • Jarred tomatillo salsa or for more heat use a salsa verde
  • Mexican crema or sour cream - The key to one pan chicken enchiladas with chili verde green sauce luxurious sauce is Mexican crema, a salted, cultured cream used as a topping and ingredient in Mexican cooking.  Found in the dairy section of the grocery stores, but if you can’t find it use sour cream in it’s place.
  • Sugar – this will help balance the acidity of the tomatillos
  • Fresh cilantro

Enchiladas:

  • Vegetable oil to fry the tortillas
  • Corn or flour tortillas
  • Dried Mexican oregano
  • Garnishes such as cilantro, radishes and crumbled cojita cheese (this is Mexico’s parmesan cheese).

Note: see the recipe card below for quantities.

How to make one pan enchiladas

The creaminess is very important to this dish.  And that starts with creating a punchy, creamy sauce.  Typically spread on the serving plate and spooned generously over the top of the rolls, adding so much flavor with a handful of ingredients. 

First, reach for a jar of tomatillo salsa and puree with Mexican Crema (or you can use sour cream in a pinch)to infuse creaminess and temper the tomatillos sharp acidity. Adding a generous amount of cilantro brings a bright fresh flavor.

A soft, easy-to-roll filling

Many recipes call for poaching and then shredding a whole chicken. 

I opt for this preparation because small shreds are easy to roll, and poaching results in soft, tender meat that won’t poke through a tortilla. 

But when cooking for two, I am less enthusiastic about the hour plus time commitment of poaching a whole bird. 

pouched chicken breasts in a large sauce pan to make one-pan chili verde enchiladas with chicken and green sauce.

Because of the rich dairy notes in the sauce, I didn’t feel the need to include fattier dark meat, so I swap in a boneless, skinless breast. 

shredded chicken on a platter to make chili verde enchiladas.

The poaching time is cut down to 5-7 minutes. I found we only need 5 minutes of cooling before shredding the meat.

After shredding the meat, sprinkle with Mexican oregano and a few cracks of black pepper. Set aside until ready to roll.

Fried tortillas make sturdy enchiladas

Flash frying tortillas in hot oil for only a few seconds makes it pliable and resilient.  The hot oil warms the tortilla, making it pliable enough to roll around the filling and drives off some of its water. 

Removing water from the tortillas causes it to firm up, making the round nicely chewy.  And the oil is absorbed creating a water-resistant barrier helping to hold it together even after it’s covered with sauce.

The art of the assembly

After frying a stack of corn tortillas in oil, making them more pliable and less prone to being soggy, it’s time to assemble.

Flour tortilla with shredded chicken and cheese on the bottom third, ready to be rolled.

Most recipes present enchiladas as a casserole, snugging the enchiladas into a dish, covering them with sauce, and baking until hot.  While homey and appealing, it dirties more dishes, and typically takes about 20 to 25 minutes, to heat through.

I opted for a speedier way:  baking the enchiladas in the skillet – the same one used to fry the tortillas.  Using enough sauce to spread a base layer beneath the rolls and lightly coat them on top, reduces cook time to just over 10 minutes.

Six rolled enchillads on a base layer of green sauce and topped with cheese in a cast iron skillet.

As the dish bakes, reheat the sauce to spoon over the rolls at the table. Prep a few garnishes like onion, cilantro, radish, and cotija cheese (the Mexican version of parmesan cheese).

Finishing Touches

When the dish is heated through, coat the bottom of a bowl with sauce. Place a couple of enchiladas on top, finishing with a flourish of garnishes. 

Slice each roll in half and reveal a neat cross section of tender shreds of chicken encircled by tortilla and swathed in luxurious sauce and cheese.

one pan chili verde enchiladas with chicken and green sauce in a white bowl on a wood table next to bowls of spanish rice and cotija cheese.

What to serve with chili verde enchiladas

These one pan chili verde enchiladas with chicken and green sauce are rich and best served with rice, beans and a simple salad tossed in my honey citrus champagne vinaigrette.

Make ahead

Poach and refrigerate the Chicken for up to 2 days. After blending the tomatillo salsa with the sour cream, cilantro and sugar it can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

While, the tortillas can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 3 hours.

Assembled enchiladas and remaining sauce can be refrigerated separately for up to 24 hours. Bake enchiladas in 400-degree oven until heated through, 15 to 18 minutes.

Common questions about this recipe

You've got questions... I've got answers! If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered below, feel free to leave it in the comments, and I'll jump in there to help you out.

What is the difference between a green enchilada sauce and a salsa verde sauce?

Enchilada sauce requires some cooking and will usually require a liquid like stock or water. While salsa verde ingredients are simply blended together (no cooking involved).

Can I use jarred salsa verde for enchiladas?

Absolutely. Grab a jar of tomatillo salsa for milder heat. Want more heat usesalsa verde. Either way, using jarred salsa streamlines the process of making enchiladas. Blending the salsa with sour cream, cilantro and sugar creates a punchy, creamy and bright green sauce for enchiladas.

Related

Looking for other tacos, carnitas and enchilada recipes for two? Try these:

  • Open face tortilla topped with chipotle marinated portobellos, yellow and red peppers, and onion placed on a plate
    Smoky Chipotle Portobello and Pepper Vegan Tacos
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  • Tex Mex Cheese and onion monterrey Enchiladas for two in a cast iron skillet and served on a plate
    Tex-Mex Cheese and Onion Monterrey Enchiladas Recipe
See more Easy Mexican Recipes →

One Pan Chili Verde Enchiladas with Chicken and Green Sauce Recipe

Pam Werley
Gloriously creamy, cheesy and tomatillo bright,one pan chicken enchiladas with chili verde green sauce are easy tolove.
Gluten Free
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Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 26 minutes mins
Total Time 46 minutes mins
Course Enchiladas For Two
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 3
Calories 535 kcal

Equipment

  • 10 - inch cast iron skillet

Ingredients
 
 

Chicken

  • ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut lengthwise into thirds
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ¾ teaspoon table salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns

Green Sauce

  • 16 ounce jarred tomatillos salsa or salsa verde
  • ⅔ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro sprigs
  • ¾ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ cup Mexican crema or sour cream

One pan enchiladas

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil for frying
  • 6 6-inch corn or flour tortillas
  • ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese shredded (1 cup)
  • Fresh cilantro leaves
  • Thinly sliced radishes
  • Crumbled cotija cheese optional
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Instructions
 

For the chicken:

  • Bring 2 cups water, chicken, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns to simmer in medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain simmer and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer chicken to bowl and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes (strain broth and reserve for other use). Shred chicken into ½-inch pieces.

For the green sauce:

  • Place tomatillo salsa in blender. Add cilantro, sugar, and salt and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Add crema and blend until smooth, 45 to 60 seconds.

For one pan enchiladas

  • Line rimmed baking sheet with double layer of paper towels. Heat oil in 10-inch oven safe skillet over medium heat to 325 degrees. Using tongs, place 1 tortilla in skillet and fry for 5 seconds. Flip tortilla and continue to cook until it is puffed in spots but not browned, 4 to 6 seconds longer. Transfer to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Place double layer of paper towels over tortillas and press to absorb excess oil. Discard oil and wipe out skillet.
  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Add oregano to chicken and toss to combine. Season with pepper to taste. Spread ¼ cup sauce across bottom of now-empty skillet.
  • Place ¼ cup chicken over lower third of 1 tortilla. Sprinkle about 2 Tablespoons Monterey Jack cheese over the chicken. Roll tortilla tightly around filling and place seam side down in skillet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. (Arrange 6 enchiladas down center of skillet and one on each side). Spread ⅓ cup sauce evenly over enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining Monterey Jack evenly over sauce. Bake until cheese is melted and filling is heated through (internal temperature should be between 135 and 140 degrees), about 12 minutes.
  • While enchiladas bake, transfer remaining sauce to saucepan and bring to gentle simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Divide sauce evenly among 2 shallow bowls. Arrange 3 enchiladas in each bowl, over sauce. Garnish enchiladas with cilantro, radish, cotija, and chopped onion. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

TO MAKE AHEAD: Chicken can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Tortillas can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 3 hours. Assembled enchiladas and remaining sauce can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Bake enchiladas in 400-degree oven until heated through, 15 to 18 minutes.

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Nutrition

Calories: 535kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 28gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 1549mgPotassium: 722mgFiber: 4gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1426IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 404mgIron: 3mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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