Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Verde

Enchiladas Suizas
Chicken enchiladas with creamy salsa verde.

This recipe for chicken enchiladas with creamy salsa verde is also known as enchiladas Suizas. The name comes from the addition of dairy to the vibrant salsa verde. You can make this recipe with rotisserie chicken — simply skin and debone it and shred the meat. I am going ahead and cooking chicken thighs in a flavorful broth.

Once the chicken is cooked, I will skim the fat off the liquid and strain it for future use. It makes a great addition to rice, for example. Or you can freeze it in an ice cube tray and use the cubes for other recipes.

For the salsa, we will use tomatillos, seeded poblanos, seeded jalapeños, onion, garlic and cilantro. I am not making it very spicy but feel free to add more jalapeño (or leave the seeds on) or substitute for serranos. Tomatillos come in a husk and look a lot like a small green tomato. They are actually not tomatoes, even though their name suggests it. Once you remove the husk you will notice that they have a sticky film which you can easily remove by rinsing them.

I am adding Mexican cream to my salsa but don’t worry if you can’t find it. Feel free to mix regular cream with sour cream or use plain cream or just sour cream. No worries!

Finally, I am mixing Mozzarella with Pepper Jack cheese for this recipe. You can use plain Mozzarella or Oaxaca or any other cheese that melts well.

This is a great casserole for the whole family to enjoy!

Here are a few other enchilada recipes that you might enjoy Chicken Enchiladas in Red Sauce, Chicken Enchiladas Casserole, and Chicken Enchiladas in Red Sauce, and Cheese Enchiladas

This is what you are going to need to make these delish chicken enchiladas on creamy salsa verde:

1 – 13×9 casserole dish

You can totally use rotisserie chicken for this recipe if you would like. Simply remove the skin and shred and skip the chicken step!

FOR THE CHICKEN:
4 large chicken thighs — skin on and bone in
1/4 onion — peeled and halved
2 garlic cloves — peeled and smashed
2 bay leaves
6 to 7 sprigs of fresh thyme — optional
6 cups water
Salt
Place all the ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes — until the chicken is completely cooked through. Skim off all the foam that starts forming when the water starts to boil.

Remove the cooked chicken from the pot. Let it cool, skin and debone it and shred it. Do not shred it too thin.

Let the chicken stock cool down completely and skim off the fat. Strain it and keep it in a closed container for making things like rice or any other recipe that asks for chicken stock. Freeze it if you are not going to use it within 4 days.

FOR THE SAUCE:
8 tomatillos – husked, washed and halved
2 poblano chillies — seeded and halved
2 jalapeños — seeded and halved
1/4 of a medium white onion — chopped
2 garlic cloves — peeled
1/2 bunch cilantro — leaves and stems
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt
1 cup Mexican crema or sour cream or plain cream or 1/2 sour with 1/2 plain cream

Place the tomatillos, poblano chillies, jalapeños, onion, garlic, and cilantro in a blender. Add a maximum of 1/2 a cup of water. Blend well and transfer to a dry, heated skillet.

Add cumin, oregano and salt to the salsa. Mix well and allow to simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, until it changes from bright green to a darker, brownish one.

Taste for salt and adjust accordingly. Set aside.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Heat your oven to 350F (175C).

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
8 – 6 inch corn tortillas
Oil
Chopped cilantro, lime wedges and sliced radishes for garnish
Mix about 1 cup of the sauce with the shredded chicken. Mix the cheeses.

Spread about half of the sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish. Sprinkle some on the cheese.

Heat some oil in a deep skillet. Once it is hot, place the tortillas in it, one at a time, for about 10 seconds per side. Do not leave the tortillas in the hot oil for too long because they will start to fry and turn crisp. We simply want to soften the tortilla.

Dab the excess oil off the tortilla and fill with 1/8th of the chicken. Roll and place into the casserole dish over the sauce. Repeat with all the tortillas. Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas. Cover with the rest of the cheese.

Place the casserole dish in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes. Serve with chopped cilantro, radish slices and lime wedges.

Print the Chicken Enchiladas Recipe Here

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