These Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce are ready in just 40 minutes with 10 minutes of hands-on prep! Shredded garlic-infused chicken mixed with tangy green sauce and cheese, all wrapped in corn tortillas, and topped with even more sauce and melted cheese. Perfect for busy weeknights, and they taste even better the next day!
Quick, Easy, Cheesy Enchiladas
We love enchiladas in my family, and while there is nothing better than my Mom's (quite involved) enchilada recipe straight out of an old Mexican cookbook - I rarely have the time and energy to make it. Instead, I like to cheat my way there.
This recipe is a great way to do just that. It's got all that amazing chicken enchilada flavor with a spicy green sauce (homemade or store bought, your choice!) and garlic-infused chicken. All wrapped up in corn tortillas and baked under a thick layer of cheese. What's not to love?! If you're looking for simple comfort food, this green enchilada recipe is the perfect solution.
You can even prep the chicken (and sauce, if you're making it from scratch) ahead of time - stove top or in your instant pot - and have it ready to go when it's time to cook dinner
Even if you include the time to cook the chicken, the prep before this recipe goes in the oven takes just 15 minutes, and it's EASY prep - nothing too involved and almost no chopping.
And even better? It's so good for stocking the freezer, I always keep a few of them on hand!
Make Everything From Scratch or Use Shortcuts
I almost always make this with store bought rotisserie chicken and store bought enchilada sauce. This turns out beautifully, and it makes it SO easy.
But if you want to, you can make it all from scratch (even the tortillas, although I would never go quite that far!).
Shredded chicken is super easy to make stove top or in the instant pot, and you can start with just chicken breasts or a whole chicken. Whichever works best for you.
The enchilada sauce is also super easy to make, it just adds a bit more time. But, making it from scratch does make it taste better - and you can adjust it just as you like and make it more or less spicy.
How to Make Enchiladas in 4 Simple Steps
1. Chicken + Sauce + Cheese + Cilantro
Start by mixing the chicken with part of the enchilada sauce and shredded cheese as well as all of the cilantro.
2. Wrap it Up
Place a tortilla on a flat surface and add some of the chicken mixture, then fold it and place in an oven safe dish. Repeat until all the enchiladas are done.
3. Top With Sauce & Cheese
Top with the remaining sauce and cheese.
4. Bake
Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and golden.
Top Tips for the Best Enchiladas
Make sure your tortillas are soft before filling them. This means, do not take them straight from the fridge if that's where you keep them. If they're cold they won't fold as well and might break. If they are a bit hard, pop them in the oven for a few minutes first.
Don't overfill the enchiladas. If you stuff the tortillas with too much filling, they'll be difficult to fold.
Keep an eye on it in the oven. If the enchiladas brown too much, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. If they are not browning enough, you can raise the temperature for the final 5 minutes.
Add some extras on the side. I like to serve enchiladas with a side of sour cream, fresh lime wedges, and chopped cilantro.
Prep & Make Ahead Instructions
Make ahead: You can make these enchiladas the day before. To reheat, tent with foil and heat at 350°F (175°C) for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and they're heated through.
Prep ahead: You can prep as far as possible the day before by making the chicken mixture, rolling the enchiladas, and placing them in the baking dish. Then top with the remaining sauce and cheese just before baking.
What to Do With Leftovers
These enchiladas are great as leftovers, either stored in the fridge or the freezer. Make a batch and keep on hand for extra busy nights!
Storing: Let the enchiladas cool down completely, then store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezing: These enchiladas freeze really well. Let them cool completely, then place in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating: Tent with foil and reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and they're heated through.
More Easy Weeknight Dinners
- 15-minute Cherry Tomato Pasta with Spinach and Walnuts15 Minutes
- Air Fryer Salmon Patties30 Minutes
- Feta Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Basil25 Minutes
- Buffalo Shrimp10 Minutes
More Easy Mexican & Tex-Mex Inspired Dishes
- Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos40 Minutes
- Walking Taco Casserole30 Minutes
- Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas30 Minutes
- Mexican Stuffed Peppers without Rice50 Minutes
Recipe
5-Ingredient Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce
Print RateIngredients
Shredded Chicken (not included in cook time)
- 1 whole chicken
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 4 cups water
Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce
- 2 cups shredded chicken homemade or rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups green enchilada sauce divided; homemade or store-bought
- 2.5 cups shredded cheese divided
- 8 medium-sized corn tortillas
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro optional, or use more/less
Instructions
Optional: Shredded Chicken (Stove Top) - not included in cook time
- Place a whole chicken in a large pot and add chopped garlic, salt and water. Boil 45 minutes or more until chicken is cooked through and meat falls off the bone.1 whole chicken, ½ tablespoon salt, 4 garlic cloves, 4 cups water
- Set chicken aside to cool slightly, then pick the meat off the bones and shred the chicken breasts using two forks. Save the liquid to use as chicken broth.
Optional: Shredded Chicken (Instant Pot) - not included in cook time
- Place a whole chicken in the Instant Pot and add chopped garlic, salt and water. Close the lid and set to cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes (about 6 minutes per pound of chicken). Make sure "Keep Warm" is turned off.1 whole chicken, ½ tablespoon salt, 4 garlic cloves, 4 cups water
- When the pressure cooking cycle is over, leave to release pressure naturally for 15 minutes. After this you can use the quick release valve to release the last of the pressure.
- Set chicken aside to cool slightly, then pick the meat off the bones and shred the chicken breasts using two forks. Save the liquid to use as chicken broth.
Chicken Enchiladas
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃) and bring out a large oven safe dish.
- Place shredded chicken in a large bowl and add half of the enchilada sauce,1 cup of shredded cheese (for 4 servings) and all of the fresh cilantro. Mix well.2 cups shredded chicken, 2 cups green enchilada sauce, 2.5 cups shredded cheese, ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Make the enchiladas one at a time by placing a corn tortilla on a plate and adding 2 heaping tablespoons of chicken mixture in the middle. Fold into an enchilada and place seam down in the oven-safe dish. Repeat until you have made all the enchiladas.8 medium-sized corn tortillas
- Pour over the remaining green sauce as evenly as possible, then sprinkle over the remaining cheese.2 cups green enchilada sauce, 2.5 cups shredded cheese
- Bake in the middle of the oven at 350℉ (175℃) for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.
Notes
What to Do With Leftovers
These enchiladas are great as leftovers, either stored in the fridge or the freezer. Make a batch and keep on hand for extra busy nights! Storing: Let the enchiladas cool down completely, then store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezing: These enchiladas freeze really well. Let them cool completely, then place in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Reheating: Ttent with foil and reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and they're heated through.Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
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