I didn’t realize it until I began writing this post, but these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas have been a constant, even milestone recipe in my life. They are inspired by my grammy’s legendary green chile sour cream chicken enchiladas, which I devoured growing up, and which Grammy still serves for Christmas night dinner (don’t argue with tradition). These enchiladas followed me across the ocean to France, where I cooked them for my host parents. They are one of the first meals I ever made for Ben, remain a regular in our recipe rotation, and were the first recipe I ever posted on my blog.
When I hit publish on that first recipe post, titled “Healthy Chicken Enchiladas,” I expected my grammy would see it and (hopefully) be pleased by my more wholesome version of her sour cream chicken enchiladas, even if she elected to stick with the original on Christmas night.
Little did I suspect that these easy green chile cheese enchiladas would turn out to be the recipe that would inspire me to publish another. Then another. A few days after I posted the recipe (along with a horrific photo taken with my flip phone), my high school pal Kathryn emailed to tell that she’d made my healthy chicken enchiladas and loved them. I was flabbergasted. Apparently if you post recipes online, people will actually cook them. Who knew?
That was the moment I fell in love with sharing recipes online.
About These Enchiladas
To date, Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are one of nearly 800 recipes I’ve posted here, but no matter how many new recipes I try, this pan of creamy, Mexican-inspired goodness will never lose its place in my heart.
Nostalgia-factor aside, these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are luscious, fully-flavored, and simple to make; I’d recommend them to anyone in the market for a satisfying meal. And aren’t we all?
These Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are easy enough for beginner cooks (they were one of the first recipes I ever cooked on my own) but taste so flavorful, even a chef as accomplished as my grammy makes them on a regular basis.
I’ve updated my grammy’s original green chile chicken enchilada casserole recipe to be healthy by swapping the sour cream for Greek yogurt and using whole wheat tortillas in place of white or corn.
They’re still creamy, saucy, and cheesy—everything a good-to-the-last-bite pan of chicken enchiladas can and should be.
From my hometown to France to my blog’s earliest days to today, these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas have been through the years and around the globe. Next stop: your dinner table!
More Enchilada Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas
- Zucchini Enchiladas
- Vegan Enchiladas
- Butternut Squash Spinach Enchiladas
Recommended Tools to Make This Recipe
- Casserole Dish. The perfect size for making these enchiladas.
- Mixing Bowls. Ideal for prepping the filling.
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded (see cooking directions below if needed)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small red bell peppers (or yellow, or orange bell peppers), cored and diced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups reduced-fat shredded Monterey jack cheese or Mexican blend cheese, divided
- 1 1/2 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 cans diced green chiles (4-ounce cans) , drained
- 8 whole wheat flour tortillas (7-inch)
- 1 can green enchilada sauce (15 ounces)
- For serving: diced fresh tomato fresh cilantro, diced avocado, diced red onion, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch casserole dish with baking spray and set aside.
- Cook and shred chicken, following these easy steps*.
- To make the enchiladas: Heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan on medium heat. Once oil the is warm, add the peppers and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onions become translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- To the skillet, add the shredded chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and black pepper. Stir to coat evenly, then remove the skillet from the heat and let cool.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the cheese, Greek yogurt, green chilies, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Once the chicken and veggie mixture has cooled to nearly room temperature, add it to the bowl with the yogurt mixture and stir to coat evenly.
- To assemble the enchiladas: Fill each tortilla with a slightly heaping 1/2 cup of the chicken-yogurt mixture. Roll closed and place in the prepared dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Pour the green enchilada sauce evenly over the top, cover the pan, then bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, uncover, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 5 additional minutes, until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with desired toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- *To cook the chicken in the Instant Pot instead, see this post for Instant Pot Chicken. For slow cooker instructions, see Crock Pot Shredded Chicken.
Nutrition
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We made them last night, used a whole milk yogurt as. Tomatillo salsa. It was fantastic! Great recipe!
Thanks for sharing this review, Aaron! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for a healthy and DELISH enchilada recipe. We LOVE these!!!
I’m so glad you enjoy them, Elizabeth! Thanks for sharing this review! :)
These are just soooooooo good. I used two green bell peppers instead of red and added a can of rinsed & drained pinto beans, and turned on the broiler for 2-3 minutes on a whim at the end. SO GOOD.
YAY! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Lauren! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
Could I make these and then freeze them or refrigerate them (fully cooked) and then microwave them? Trying to find dishes that I can make ahead of time and just need reheated. Thanks
Hi Diane! I recommend cooking the recipe completely, then letting it cool before freezing. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. I hope you love the recipe!
Hey I was wondering how much is in one serving, is it one whole recipe or one enchilada piece?
Hi Kayla! It’s per enchilada. I hope you love these!
Delicioso! Place enchiladas under the broiler last five minutes. Watch carefully!
I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit, Susy! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
I stumbled upon this and I am amazed because my family (no Mexican heritage to speak of) also ate green chili chicken enchiladas on Christmas for years! Still my favorite meal after all these years!
I’m so happy you found the recipe, Renee! I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try!
These were amazing!!! I Loved them. My sauce separated and curdled a bit though. I let it bubble quite aggressively because I love the browned cheese and crispy enchilada edges, is that why? I used Fage 2% yogurt.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed this dish, Marci! I haven’t had my sauce curdle before, so it could certainly be due to the extra time/heat in the oven. Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Excellent recipe ! I served them with black beans and mexican rice. My husband said it was the best Mexican dinner he’s ever had . Thank you !!!
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the recipe, Cheryl! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hi can I Sunday the green Chiles for a can of rotel?
Hi Cathy! I’ve never tried this swap myself, but you could experiment with it. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I’ve made these enchiladas twice now, so good!!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe(s)!
Also, I halved the recipe but forgot to half the spices and I’m not great with spicy so for anyone fearful of these being too spicy, don’t worry, they’re mild!
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed them, Hailey! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I make these with shredded chicken but just add a can of rotel and cook until sauce reduces and follow the remainder of you recipe
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Phyllis! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
can you make these a head of time?
Definitely Johanna! They reheat really nicely.
This has become a favorite of our family and friends who have tried them! They are absolutely delicious, and feels so much healthier than my typical enchiladas. The greek yogurt is a GREAT idea, and gives them such creamy richness. They are a #1 request for anytime we have friends or family come and stay with us. I have started to make larger and larger batches because having leftovers is a MUST! And, the leftovers are even delicious for breakfast with a fried egg on top!
Thanks Erin!
I’m SO happy that you’ve enjoyed the recipe, Liz! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hi! I’m wondering if this recipes calls for green enchilada sauce where GREEN CHILES are the main ingredient or TOMATILLOS are the main ingredient. I’m seeing two different kinds and want to make sure I make it as intended! Thanks!
Hi Larissa! I used a canned green chile enchilada sauce, but other readers have used different varieties of green enchilada sauce with success (including homemade). I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thanks, Erin! Green CHILE enchilada sauce it will be, then. Might even make my own!
I hope you love it Larissa! And I have stellar recipe for homemade green enchilada sauce in my cookbook if you don’t have a copy already: https://amzn.to/2SAd7JF
This is a great way to use up leftover chicken! I liked that the filling includes some added veggies, as well. Great as leftovers!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Amanda! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made these yesterday. They sounded so good and the pics looked so good that I made a double batch! Glad I did. I’m hoping they will freeze ok for dinner during the week!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Marie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Made these exactly as the recipe was written and they were amazing! Full of flavor and I liked them so much more than traditional enchiladas.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Angela! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Wow, these enchiladas were amazing! I’ve tried to prepare one new recipe a week during C-19 and have found several good ones, but this recipe is simply delicious, a true winner. I messed up and added the green chilis to the first step with the red peppers and onions but it didn’t matter. The flavor is simply divine. I found the directions for cooking chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, for quick reference my 8 cup pot used 1½ cups water, pressure cooked 10 minutes and quick release. Next time I’ll do 9 -9½ minutes. Easy Peasy. I’d never done enchiladas before but found the recipe easy to follow, other than my inattention at the start that turned out to be no issue. I used half Mexican shredded with half Monterey Jack. My avocados were not ripe enough so omitted them but even without, it was absolutely delicious. This is a keeper!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Laurie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!