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Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas

The ultimate comfort food, Chicken Enchiladas are filled with tender chicken, smothered in a tangy verde sauce, and topped with melted cheese. This easy weeknight dinner is perfect for satisfying those cravings. Make it tonight for a deliciously comforting experience!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 580

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb tomatillos fresh, husks and stems removed, rinsed
  • 2 serrano chiles stems and seeds removed
  • 4 slices white onion each about ¼-inch thick
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup cilantro fresh, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 cups Pacific Foods Organic Free-Range Chicken Broth
  • ¾ cup Mexican crema or crème fraîche, or heavy cream
  • 1 Kosher salt
  • 3 lbs chicken thighs skin-on, bone-in
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 10 corn tortillas
  • cups cheese Shredded: Monterey Jack and/or Mild Cheddar
  • 1 cup tomato chopped, for garnish
  • ½ cup cilantro chopped, for garnish
  • ½ cup Cotija cheese crumbled, for garnish

Equipment

  • 9"x13" baking dish

Method
 

  1. Position a rack under your broiler, and turn on high. Arrange the tomatillos, chiles, onion slices, and garlic in a shallow baking/roasting pan. Broil, until the tomatillos are soft and slightly charred, about 12 minutes, turning the pan halfway through.
  2. Transfer vegetables to a blender and add the cilantro. Blend until smooth.
  3. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillo mixture and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
  4. Add 2 cups of the broth and simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes.
  5. Remove from the heat and whisk in the Mexican crema and Kosher salt. Let cool slightly before assembling the enchiladas.
  6. While the sauce is simmering, preheat the oven to 400°F. Rub the vegetable oil over the chicken thighs, and then sprinkle all over with Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Bake until cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F. (Approx. 45 minutes for bone-in, 30 minutes for boneless).
  7. Remove the thighs and let cool slightly. Remove the skin and discard it. Shred the meat with a fork. Lightly salt and pepper the shredded chicken. Set aside.
  8. Place moist paper towels around the corn tortillas and place in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Microwave for another 30 seconds, if necessary.
  9. Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray. One by one, dip the tortilla into the prepared sauce, just enough to coat the tortilla. Lay the sauced tortilla into the dish. Fill the center of the tortilla with a heaping tablespoon of the cooked chicken, and then roll in the side of the tortilla, sealing them shut at the top. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  10. Pour 1½ cups of the sauce over the tortillas. Top with the cheese and bake until bubbly and lightly browned on top, about 25 minutes.
  11. Garnish with chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and crumble Cotija cheese, if desired. Serve at once!

Notes

  • Tip 1: We love the flavor of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. However, you can certainly go with skinless, boneless thigh or breasts.
  • Tip 2: A shredded rotisserie chicken is an okay substitute, you won't get quite as much flavor, but it's still a fine option.
  • Tip 3: Serrano peppers will add some heat to the sauce. We remove the stems and then slit the peppers in half to remove in the seeds and ribs on the inside. Consider wearing gloves to do this, or wash your hands and don't touch your eyes!
  • Tip 4: The verde sauce and the chicken can be prepared several days in advance. The cooked enchiladas will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
  • Tip 5: Though they can be frozen, the texture of the enchiladas will be compromised somewhat if frozen for up to 1 month.