Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

These cheesy, spicy, tangy salsa verde enchiladas are not only easy to make, but scrumptious as well.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 476 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 poblano peppers
• 12 corn tortillas
• 5 fresh tomatillos, husks removed
• 5 large chicken breasts
• 1 serrano pepper, or more to taste
• 2 (8 ounce) packages shredded queso quesadilla (white Mexican cheese)
• 4 tablespoons Mexican crema

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Step 2

Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add chicken and season with salt and black pepper. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 15 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Add tomatillos, serrano pepper, and garlic. Boil for 12 minutes.

Step 4

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Place poblano peppers in a resealable plastic bag and add 1 tablespoon oil. Toss to coat. Transfer peppers to the hot skillet and roast until dark brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Return roasted peppers to the resealable bag and seal. Set aside to steam for 10 minutes. Take out peppers from the bag; remove and discard skins and stems.

Step 5

Use a slotted spoon to transfer tomatillos, serrano peppers, garlic, and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid to a blender. Add onion, cilantro, lime juice, roasted poblano peppers, salt, and pepper to the blender. Liquefy into a smooth sauce.

Step 6

Remove chicken from the water in the pot and shred using a fork.

Step 7

Heat 1/2 cup oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry tortillas in the hot oil until softened, about 5 seconds on each side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Step 8

Pour 1/2 the sauce from the blender into the bottom of a long glass baking pan. Roll a portion of chicken mixture and some shredded queso cheese on a tortilla, roll up, and place in the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, and queso cheese. Cover enchiladas with remaining sauce. Use a spoon to add crema in a zigzag design on top. Top everything with remaining queso cheese.

Step 9

Bake in the preheated oven until cheese starts to brown, about 20 minutes.