It's a new year which means it's time for some new recipes! It's so easy to fall into a rut of the same dinners over and over. But these Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas will give your old enchilada recipe a nice facelift and your family will wonder how they hit the jackpot! These are also a really great freezer meal option if you like to make your meals ahead.
How to Make Salsa Verde Sauce
The key to these chicken enchiladas is the salsa verde sauce. It's such a fun variant from the regular red sauce. I find it tangy but smooth and refreshing. Here's what you'll need:
1/4 cup of flour
1 cup of chicken broth
16 oz bottle salsa verde (mild or medium) such as Herdez
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
Heat your oven to 425 degrees and pull out a medium sized saucepan and a medium mixing bowl. In the bowl, whisk together the flour and 1/2 cup of the broth. This mixture will be sticky. Set it aside and pull out the saucepan.
Add the salsa, cumin, and other 1/2 cup of broth to the pan and mix over medium heat until it boils. Once boiling, stir in the flour mixture you set aside earlier. Cover the pan and heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. At the very end, remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1/4 cup of the chopped cilantro.
Take 1/2 cup of this salsa verde mixture and smear it around the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. This step ensures that the enchiladas don't stick to the bottom but also that all sides are covered in the delicious sauce!
How to Make the Enchilada Filling
3 cups chopped/shredded chicken
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 oz softened cream cheese
2 Tbsp sour cream
1/2 cup salsa verde mixture (this was made in the first step)
Put all of these ingredients into a bowl and mix well until everything is coated.
Assembling the Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
You will need about 10-12 soft taco sized tortillas and 1/2 cup of your favorite type of cheese to assemble these salsa verde chicken enchiladas. I prefer cheddar or colby jack, but any kind of cheese will work.
Put 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture from step 2 onto each tortilla. Sprinkle with a little bit of cheese and then roll them up and put them seam side down into the pan smeared with the salsa verde.
Pour the remaining salsa verde mixture over the enchiladas, pushing some of the sauce down in between each tortilla. Bake these at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
If you think red sauce is more your style, try my Freezer Friendly Spicy Chicken Enchiladas!
These enchiladas are lip-smacking and finger-licking good! My family loves them, so I often make two batches at once and freeze one for another week. If you do decide to try the freezer option, cover the enchiladas with foil after the initial bake.
Bake from frozen at 350 degrees for one hour, or 20-30 minutes from thawed. Don't forget the toppings!
Save this pin for later so you don't forget where the recipe is!
And what good are enchiladas without their famous sides? These dips are so addicting and will go perfectly with your Mexican themed entre. They are also great crowd pleasers!
Whatever you decide to cook tonight, I hope it is delicious. Happy cooking y'all!
Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth, divided
- 16 oz salsa verde such as Herdez
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
- 3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 15 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 12 soft taco sized flour tortillas
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese, plus more for the top I like the Mexican blend
- 1 diced tomato
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
Instructions
Making the Salsa Verde Sauce
- Heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Whisk 1/2 cup of the chciken broth and the flour in a small bowl. This will be sticky.
- Pour the other 1/2 cup of chicken broth in a medium sauce pan. Turn heat to medium/high and add the salsa verde and cumin to the pan. Bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat down to medium and pour in the flour mixture. Use the whisk to smooth the mixture. Cover the pan and heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn off the heat and stir in 1/4 cup of cilantro. Set the sauce aside.
Making the Chicken Filling
- Put the shredded chicken, black beans, cream cheese, and sour cream in a bowl.
- Pour in 1/2 cup of the salsa verde mixture, saving the rest. Mix thoroughly until everything is coated.
Assembling the Enchiladas
- Pour 1/2 cup of the salsa verde mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread the mixture around the pan so all surfaces are covered.
- Put 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture inside each tortilla. Sprinkle a bit of cheese on top.
- Roll up the tortilla and put it in the coated pan, seam side down. Repeat these steps for the remaining tortillas.
- Once the pan is full, pour the remaining salsa verde sauce on top and push in between each tortilla.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven, sprinkle cheese on top, and put it back in the oven until the cheese is melted.
- Bring the enchiladas out to cool and top with diced tomatoes and remaining cilantro. Let the enchiladas set for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- If freezing, cover with foil after baking and freeze. Heat from frozen at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or for 20-30 minutes from thawed.