Description
Delicious Chicken Enchiladas smothered in homemade or quick green enchilada sauce, filled with shredded chicken and melted Oaxaca cheese, topped with Monterey Jack cheese, and baked to perfection for a flavorful Mexican-inspired meal. Served with traditional sides like pico de gallo, cilantro, lime wedges, Mexican crema, Tejano Pinto Beans, and Mexican Rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Enchilada Sauce
- 1 batch Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce (or cheater recipe)
Chicken Filling
- 1 pound cooked chicken for tacos (shredded)
Other Ingredients
- 15 oversized corn tortillas (6-7 inches across)
- 10 ounces Oaxaca cheese (shredded)
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese (cubed or shredded)
To Serve
- Pico de Gallo
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Mexican Crema (or sour cream)
- Tejano Pinto Beans
- Mexican Rice
Instructions
- Make the Sauce: Prepare authentic green enchilada sauce as per recipe or use the quick cheater version. Pour sauce into a shallow bowl for dipping tortillas.
- Cook the Chicken: Cook 1 1/2 pounds raw chicken thighs according to chicken tacos recipe, yielding about 1 pound cooked chicken. Shred cooked chicken and place in a bowl.
- Add Sauce to Chicken: Stir about 1/2 cup of the green enchilada sauce into the shredded chicken to coat evenly.
- Prep the Cheese: Shred 10 ounces Oaxaca cheese. Cube or shred 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese for topping.
- Preheat Oven: Set oven to 375°F (190°C) to preheat.
- Prepare Baking Dish: Spray edges of a 9×13 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. Spray one side of a foil sheet for later covering.
- Warm Tortillas: On a gas stovetop, place each corn tortilla directly over a high flame, flipping every 10-20 seconds until warm, pliable, and lightly charred. Keep tortillas warm in a tortilla warmer or sealed ziplock bag to steam.
- Create Assembly Line: Arrange warm tortillas, green sauce bowl, chicken mixture, and Oaxaca cheese for easy assembly.
- Assemble Enchiladas: Dip each tortilla in green sauce coating both sides. Place in casserole dish. Add 2 tablespoons chicken to center and sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons Oaxaca cheese. Roll and place seam-side down. Repeat for all tortillas.
- Top with Sauce: Pour remaining green enchilada sauce evenly over assembled enchiladas, enough to reach halfway up the sides.
- Add Monterey Jack Cheese: Sprinkle cubed Monterey Jack cheese over the sauced enchiladas.
- Cover with Foil: Place sprayed side of foil over the dish to cover enchiladas and prevent cheese from sticking to foil.
- Bake: Bake covered at 375°F for 20 minutes.
- Remove Foil and Continue Baking: Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes to brown the cheese.
- Broil (Optional): Move oven rack to top, set broiler to high, and broil enchiladas for 1-3 minutes until cheese achieves crispy brown spots. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Rest: Let enchiladas rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Serve: Accompany with pico de gallo, cilantro, lime wedges, Mexican crema or sour cream, plus sides of Tejano Pinto Beans and Mexican Rice.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
- Freezing Before Baking: Assemble enchiladas in an aluminum pan, seal tightly with double plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for 2-3 months. To cook, thaw 20 minutes at room temperature, then bake covered at 350°F for 45-50 minutes, uncover and bake 15 more minutes, and broil for 2 minutes to crisp edges if desired.
Notes
- Use gas stovetop flame to warm tortillas for best pliability and authentic flavor.
- If no gas stove, warm tortillas in skillet or microwave with damp cloth, but charred flavor will be missing.
- Oaxaca cheese melts smoothly and offers authentic taste; Monterey Jack cheese adds creamy topping texture.
- Cheater green enchilada sauce option offers quicker prep if short on time.
- Make sure to spray foil so cheese does not stick after baking.
- Broiling is optional but adds a delicious crispy texture to the cheese topping.
- Leftovers reheat well in oven or microwave.
