If you’re looking for a comforting, crowd-pleasing recipe that will never fail you, it’s this healthy enchiladas recipe! These Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are a lightened-up version of my Grammy’s legendary recipe.
These easy enchiladas were one of the first recipes I learned to make on my own and were one of the earliest dinners I made for Ben when we were dating.
They are also my family’s Christmas dinner tradition (because, why not?), and were the FIRST recipe I ever posted on Well Plated.
Yes, nostalgia is a big part of why I love these simple green chile chicken enchiladas.
However, these cheesy, creamy chicken enchiladas serve up more than memories:
- Made with whole wheat tortillas (which are also great with Beef Fajitas), these hearty enchiladas provide a full serving of whole grains plus added fiber, iron, and other key nutrients.
- I tweaked my Grammy’s recipe opting for protein-rich nonfat Greek yogurt to make these green chile chicken enchiladas without sour cream.
- PLUS, these healthy enchiladas can be on your table in an hour (less if you use leftover cooked shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken from the deli).
These easy chicken enchiladas are not fancy.
Still, no matter how many recipes I share, this pan of creamy, Mexican-inspired goodness will never lose its place in my heart. (This Chicken Quesadilla and Chicken Tortilla Soup are also pretty special.)
5 Star Review
“I made these last night and they were a hit! I live in TX and my husband and kids are native Texans and they loved it.”
— Zoe —
How to Make Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
These may not be authentic green chile chicken enchiladas, but they are simple enough for beginner cooks to master (as is this Taco Skillet) and taste spectacular.
Even a chef as accomplished as my grammy makes them on a regular basis.
The Ingredients
- Chicken. Lean and packed with protein, you can cook the chicken for these easy green chile chicken enchiladas as you prepare the recipe, or use leftover cooked shredded chicken from your fridge.
- Onion + Bell Peppers. A classic combo of yellow onion and red bell peppers lends the recipe some zip, sweetness, and authentic flavors.
- Green Chiles. You’ll want not one but TWO cans of green chiles for this recipe. They give the dish (and this Chile Verde Pork, and White Chicken Chili) so much flavor and very subtle heat.
- Greek Yogurt. My healthy swap for sour cream, which is used for the most traditional authentic green chile chicken enchiladas.
- Green Enchilada Sauce. Use your favorite storebought or homemade recipe.
Tip!
Snag a copy of The Well Plated Cookbook for my all-time favorite homemade green enchilada sauce recipe.
- Whole Wheat Tortillas. Whole grain goodness.
- Cheese. Melty Monterey jack is my go-to cheese for these easy green chile chicken enchiladas (and Chicken Tortilla Casserole). You could also go for your favorite shredded Mexican cheese blend.
- Spices. A simple blend of chili powder, cumin, garlic, and black pepper contributes depth and plenty of spicy punch.
The Directions
- Cook and shred chicken, if necessary.
- In a skillet, sauté the peppers and onions until soft and translucent.
- Stir in the shredded chicken, spices, and some salt. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the yogurt and green chile mixture. Add the chicken and vegetables.
- Roll the enchiladas, top with green enchilada sauce, then cover the baking dish. Bake green chile chicken enchiladas at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, uncover, and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Return to the oven until the cheese is melted. Serve warm with desired toppings. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Leftover green chile chicken enchiladas may be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Warm leftover enchiladas in a preheated 350-degree F oven until heated through in a covered baking dish. You may also microwave them in a covered container until steaming.
- To Freeze. Baked enchiladas may be frozen and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating as directed above.
What to Serve with Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Casserole Dish. The perfect size for making these enchiladas.
- Mixing Bowls. Ideal for prepping the filling.
- Skillet. For quickly sautéing the peppers and onions.
The Best Casserole Dish
I really enjoy Staub stoneware because it’s highly scratch resistant and retains heat exceptionally well.
From my blog’s earliest days to today, these green chile chicken enchiladas have never let me down, and they’ll pick you right up too!
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The main difference between traditional salsa verde and authentic green enchilada sauce is salsa verde is generally raw, whereas Enchilada Sauce is typically cooked (e.g., roasted or sautéed). Enchilada sauce also usually adds liquid to the recipe, such as broth, stock, or water.
Absolutely! You can freeze these fully baked, or unbaked. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring the pan to room temperature, then bake as directed. Be sure to use a freezer-safe baking dish.
Hatch chiles are a special variety of green chiles produced in Hatch, New Mexico. They are a little spicier than the California and Anaheim green chiles, which are usually the variety canned and sold in most grocery stores.
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded (see cooking directions below if needed—or use storebought rotisserie chicken)
- 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 9×13-inch casserole dish with baking spray and set aside.
- Cook and shred chicken, if necessary.*
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan on medium heat. Once the oil 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
- *HOW TO COOK CHICKEN: Check out my ultimate guide on How to Cook Shredded Chicken. To cook the chicken in the Instant Pot, see this post for Instant Pot Chicken. For slow cooker instructions, see Crock Pot Shredded Chicken.
- TO STORE: Leftover green chile chicken enchiladas may be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Warm leftover enchiladas in a preheated 350-degree F oven until heated through in a covered baking dish. You may also microwave them in a covered container until steaming.
- TO FREEZE: Green chile chicken enchiladas are a great freezer meal. Baked enchiladas may be frozen and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating as directed above.
Nutrition
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These are so yummy! Everyone loved these, and I love that there is no condensed soup in this! Thank you!!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Hope! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Erin, I enjoy alot of your recipes, thank you for sharing them! I was wondering what the sodium content is per serving in this Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas recipe?
Hi Brenda! I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!
Thank you, I did find it online…I ended up using kosher salt and just kept it to 1/2 teaspoon…ended up being very good.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe!
Hi Erin: I love your blog, and this recipe has been a staple for our house for years!! Thank you so much for sharing. I was wondering, does this freeze well? I was thinking to freeze in the pan but without the enchilada sauce. I apologize if you’ve stated this elsewhere; I didn’t see it in the post.
Thank you very much in advance!!
I’m SO happy that you’ve enjoyed it, Sarah! This recipe does freeze well. I recommend cooking the recipe completely, then letting it cool before freezing. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating, covered, in the oven until hot. I’d use the same temperature, 350 degrees F, when you’re reheating.
Thank you, Erin!! I know it’s a bit late, but I’m trying the frozen method this week! :D
Hi Sarah! Hope you enjoy it!
These are so delicious! I made my own green chile enchilada sauce, but otherwise I followed the recipe. The fat-free Greek yoghurt works so well in this recipe; none of my family could tell it wasn’t sour cream 😂
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Laura! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Amazing! So simple to make and so good!
Hi Allison! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
Hi!
A friend of mine made these and they were delicious!
I was just wondering if anyone ever used shrimp instead of chicken.
Hi Wendy! So glad you enjoyed them! Let me know if you experiment with shrimp!
I made these last night and they were a hit! But – the standout is the tomatillo sauce from your cookbook, which is not included on the blog? For those readers who do not yet have Erin’s cookbook, buy it and make these with the green enchilada sauce in the book. It’s really easy and tastes great. I live in TX and my husband and kids are native Texans and they loved it.
I forgot to buy canned green chilis, but I had half a leftover poblano chili from the tomatillo sauce and a can of Ro-tel (because, um, Texas), so I substituted those. Slightly different flavor, but still great.
Hi Zoe! Thank you so much for your support of the cookbook! Thank you for this kind review!
Yummy!!!! I substituted beef for the chicken when preparing the Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas. Can you freeze the beef-yogurt mixture to use later? Also could you freeze leftover enchilada sauce?
Thanks,
Billy
Hi Billy! I have never tried freezing the beef-yogurt mixture, but I have frozen the enchilada sauce. You would freeze it up to 3 months then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Hope this helps!
Everyone loved it, thank you!
Hi Marie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I forgot to buy the two cans of green chiles… what’s a good alternative?!
Hi Maggie, you could try salsa verde or jalapenos.
Was gifted this dish to heat up and serve at home by a friend. I was very surprised that you use flour tortillas. The flavor of the dish was outstanding, but the tortillas were mushy and made the dish really heavy. I suggest that corn tortillas be used to lighten it up.
BTW, these were made from your cookbook, which I gifted to my friend last Christmas.
Hi Pam! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Can you freeze the filled tortillas before baking them?
Hi Tiffany, I haven’t tried it this way, so I am not sure. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
I made these the other night and they were so good! I did substitute corn tortillas. I finally learned to put a damp towel on the tortillas and microwave them a minute or so to avoid them splitting before filling and rolling. I also had a bit of cottage cheese sitting in the frig so I added that into the cheese mixture. I used Las Palmas green enchilada sauce and two cans of diced Hatch green chilies. They were a bit spicy, but we like that! Thank you.
Hi Betsy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
These were so tasty! I made them with pre-made shredded chicken, quicker and easier with little ones running around! lol Thank you so much!
Hi Leilani! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Delicious, we all loved it, thank you!
Hi Marie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
We love this recipe!! and the leftovers are always amazing :)
Hi Athen! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!