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Chicken Enchiladas Suizas
Creamy chicken enchiladas in a homemade tomatillo poblano sauce and baked with Mexican cheeses until bubbly.
I pretty much order enchiladas every time I see them on the menu. We were visiting Salt Lake City, Utah and they were known for this unique Mexican restaurant, called Red Iguana, and it was a dive. But I have always been taught to not judge a book by its cover so we proceeded and I am sure glad we did. They are known for their sauces and they didn’t disappoint.
I was a Senior in high school and I ordered enchiladas suizas with chicken. It has a creamy green sauce that was tangy and smooth and I knew I had to replicate it. I have been to Red Iguana more times than I can count and I wanted to put my own spin on their enchiladas suizas.
So what are enchiladas suizas? Basically, they are enchiladas with some type of cream. This verde sauce is made with roasted poblano peppers, jalapenos, onion, tomatillos, cilantro, lime juice, a touch of honey, and spices. When you are layering those types of flavors, how can you go wrong? You blend it all up until it is pureed and smooth and then add in the sour cream. The sour cream cuts the heat and adds some richness.
If you love spice, you can always add in an extra jalapeno. My family loves things on the spicier side so I always add in an extra since the sour cream does mellow out the flavors. You will want to drink this sauce!
I am a big fan of roasting vegetables because the oven heat caramelizes the natural sugars in the peppers and onions, which brings out the depth of flavor. I just cut the peppers in half, quarter the onion, and throw everything on a baking sheet. Sprinkle on some salt (and maybe even a little oil) and you are good to go. It only takes about 15-20 minutes in a really hot oven to roast them. If you want a more pronounced roasted flavor, leave in for 25-30 minutes.
Another key to making enchiladas is to soften the corn tortillas. If you don’t take the time to soften the tortillas, they may crack or dry out. My favorite method is to put a small amount of oil in a skillet. Heat it over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the oil for about 10-15 seconds or until it is softened. Remove with tongs and place on a paper-towel-lined plate. This will keep the corn tortillas moist and will help to create a barrier from the sauce so they don’t turn to mush!
Bring on the cheese! If I go to a Mexican food restaurant and they barely sprinkle on the cheese, I am one disappointed enchilada lover. So don’t be afraid to layer on the cheese. You can use a Mexican cheese blend, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack Cheese. I will put cheese inside the corn tortilla with the chicken mixture and then put a ridiculous amount on the top.
For the chicken, you can use any type of shredded chicken. The easiest way is to pick up a rotisserie chicken but you can also quickly poach chicken. If you have extra time, you can throw some chicken breasts into the slow cooker as well.
One key tip is to make sure and season the chicken as you cook it. You don’t want bland chicken! I am such a believer in layers of flavor so every component needs to be seasoned well. If you are poaching the chicken, sprinkle salt into the water so it penetrates the chicken breasts as they cook. If you want some extra flavor, throw in some onions and garlic too.
How to make Chicken Enchiladas Suizas:
- Start by shredding the chicken. I prefer to use a rotisserie chicken but you can use any type of shredded chicken. You can poach the chicken in water or slow cook it in a crockpot. Just make sure to season the chicken!
- Make the creamy verde sauce. Roast the onions and peppers until softened and slightly charred, about 20 minutes. If you want the vegetables to have a more pronounced roasted flavor, allow them to cook for 25-30 minutes. Place everything into a blender.
- Add the fresh ingredients. Add a bunch of cilantro, fresh lime juice, and seasonings. Blend until smooth. Add in sour cream. Taste to see if it has the right amount of spice. If you want it spicier, add another 1/2 to full jalapeno.
- Place a small amount of canola or vegetable oil in a skillet. Heat it over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the oil for about 10-15 seconds or until it is softened. Remove with tongs and place on a paper-towel-lined plate. This will keep the corn tortillas moist and will help to create a barrier from the sauce so they don’t turn to mush!
- Add some creamy verde sauce to the chicken mixture and toss to coat. This infuses flavor into the chicken. Place the chicken mixture into the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and place the seam side down. Cover with remaining sauce and Mexican cheese. Cover and let bake. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking time.
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Chicken Enchiladas Suizas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 cups Shredded Chicken (from rotisserie or poached, can add more)
- 1 medium Onion
- 2 Poblano Peppers*
- 2 Jalapeno Peppers (may add 1 more)
- 1 1/2 cups Cilantro
- (1) 28-ounce can Whole Tomatillos (drained)
- 1 Lime (juiced)
- 2 teaspoons Honey
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 cup Sour Cream** (full-fat)
- 10 Corn Tortillas
- Oil
- 4 to 5 cups Mexican Cheese
Instructions
- Heat oven to 420 degrees. Cut the onion, poblano peppers (remove inner ribbing), and jalapenos and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt (and drizzle with oil, if preferred). Cook for 15-20 minutes, until softened. May cook for 25 minutes if you desire a more roasted flavor. Reduce heat to 350 degrees.
- Place peppers and onions in blender. Add cilantro, drained tomatillos, lime, honey, salt, and pepper. Puree until smooth. Add sour cream** and blend. Taste for seasonings and if you want it to be spicier. If you prefer more spice, add 1/2 to 1 whole jalapeno and blend again.
- Shred cooked chicken and set aside in a medium bowl. Pour about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sauce all over the chicken to completely coat it.
- Add oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium heat until warmed. Add one corn tortilla at a time for about 10-15 seconds, or until softened. Remove from the oil and place on a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Pour a small amount of sauce into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place shredded chicken into the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat.
- Pour remaining sauce all over the enchiladas and generously sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for 10 minutes longer, or until bubbly.
- Serve with cilantro and sliced avocados.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Best Enchiladas we’ve ever had. The recipe is so easy and the flavor was terrific. The peppers I used didn’t have much heat so I added some Green Tabasco to give it more of a kick (forgot to buy an extra Jalapeno as suggested).
As a nod to my father in law who lovingly makes huge batches of red chicken enchiladas – I added black olives to the pan while cooking and topped with shredded lettuce. Both worked well.
My husband is on a low carb diet. Can I substitute low carb flour tortillas for the corn tortillas?
I love the verde sauce! This recipe is better than any mexican restaurant enchiladas!
The sauce is so good as well as the enchiladas so easy and delicious my husband can’t have tomato so this is a good substitute for him he loved it
Wow, these were so yummy. These are better than any restaurant enchiladas I have had. The Verde sauce was so flavorful, the chicken really tender and the fresh ingredients topped it off perfectly. Everyone that I have made these for raves about them.
What a great dish. I usually never make chicken enchiladas. Being I’m a Mexican to begin with we never ate chicken like this. But now this is one of my favorite ways to use chicken Mexican Style. I roast my chilies on my stove top, I have gas burners and it really toast the chilies well. I let them get black and I use sever different kinds of chilies in mine and I also char my onions really well to, it really makes all the difference in the taste. Great Recipe, Melissa, I have added this one to my many of your recipes. Thank you, and God Bless…..
I made these yesterday, along with the Texas Peach Cobbler, and they were absolutely delicious! Once again, Melissa hits it out of the park!!
I live in the UK so I had to improvise but I roasted peppers and onions with patron chillis, blended them, then added sriracha sauce to get the heat, lime juice and coriander/cilantro to make the sauce. I was able to get Mexican cheese thank goodness. Absolutely the most delicious enchiladas I’ve ever had. Every mouthful tasted great. Thank you so much for this recipe.
My boyfriend made this for me last night. I can honestly say this is better than any restaurant enchiladas I ever had. This is saying alot because I have eaten alot of enchiladas in my lifetime. Thank you Melissa for sharing this wonderful recipe!
If I wanted to freeze these, what instructions would I follow?
We absolutely loved these! When I told my husband that I was going to try a new chicken enchilada recipe, he said, “no, I love your recipe!” Now he loves your recipe Melissa. We both sampled the sauce with a tortilla chip before pouring it over the enchiladas. We decided that the sauce makes a very yummy dip.
Do you blend onion and peppers in blender?