If I had to pick one of my favorite Mexican dishes, it would have to be enchiladas without a doubt. While I will never pass up a good taco or chile rellenos, I think enchiladas are usually my go-to dish. My mom makes the absolute best red enchiladas I’ve ever had in my life and since I already recreated that recipe here, I decided to take a whack at the green enchildas. When I was a little girl, I actually did not like green enchiladas and it wasn’t because of the taste or anything, but just because they were green and at that an odd shade of green. Well, fast forward to now and I can’t get enough of them and here I am all these years later making a recipe for them. Who would have thought? One of the reasons I made these was because of the abundance of tomatillos I have growing in my garden along with the poblanos I have coming in. I have started to plant vegetables and fruits that I utilize quite a bit so I can save myself some money and so far it definitely has. Anyways, back to these delicious enchiladas. Before we get into the ingredients, let’s talk about the nutritional benefits of tomatillos–the star of the recipe.
Nutrition Information on Tomatillos
Unlike tomatoes, tomatillos have a very acidic taste and are much more tart than their red counterparts. However, just like tomatoes they are a carbohydrates and therefore contain fiber which I always emphasize the importance of. Tomatillos contain Vitamin A, C, and potassium among various other minerals in smaller doses. Tomatillos make such a delicious salsa when paired with poblanos which I find lend alot of flavor and no heat. They also provide additional fiber which is never a bad thing. Overall, salsa is a very healthy condiment/topping because it is essentially peppers and tomatoes/tomatillos blended together. You may find in some store-bought salsas that there is a trace amount of sugar but the great part about making your own salsa is that you can control that for yourself and ultimately customize it to your liking. If you like it spicy, include the seeds or add more peppers. It really is entirely up to you and making salsa is much easier than you think it is. Now that all that blabbering is out of the way, lets get into the recipe!
Ingredients
Chicken Filling
Makes about 2 cups worth of shredded chicken
- 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 onion diced
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
- pinch of salt
Chile Verde **
Makes 3 cups worth
- 2 cups tomatillos (about 16 oz)
- 2poblano peppers
- 2 serranos (seeds removed)
- 1 medium onion
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp Knorr Chicken Bouillon (this is reallly to your taste)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
**NOTE: To make this like a regular salsa for tacos, add only about 1/4- 1/3 cup of water.
Enchiladas
- 3 cups chile verde
- 10 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese ( I used Colby Jack)
Directions
Begin by preparing the filing for the enchiladas by seasoning the chicken thighs with cumin. Rub the cumin into the thigh to ensure it is completely coated. At this point heat a skillet or in my case the instant pot to medium heat and add 1 tbsp of avocado oil or oil of choice. Add in the diced onion and cook for about 1-2 minutes until slightly translucent.
Add in the chicken thighs to the skillet or the instant pot and brown on each side for about 3 minutes.
Once the chicken has developed a golden brown color, add in the cup of chicken broth and if using the instant pot set to pressure cook for about 8-10 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken thighs. If using a skillet, lower the heat to medium-low and cover. Allow to cook covered for about 20-25 minutes or until most of the chicen broth has been absorbed and the chicken can be easily shredded.
After the chicken is ready, shred using a fork or tongs and set aside in a warm spot.
At this time, turn the broiler on your oven on and place the tomatillos, poblanos, onion, and serrano peppers in a non-stick baking tray and toss in 1 tbsp of oil. Place the ingredients into the broiler, keeping an eye on them. The serranos should only take about 5-7 minutes whereas the onion and poblanos will take closer to 15 minutes to get the desired char. You will know the tomatillos are ready once they change in color from a bright green to a pale green/yellow.
Once all the chile verde ingredients are charred, add them to the blender along with the garlic cloves, water, and chicken bouillon. Blend until smooth and if it is still too thick add more water in 1 teaspoon increments.
After the chile is smooth, add in the 1/2 cup of sour cream and stir to combine.
At this point, start preheating your oven to 350 F and begin to build the enchiladas.
Pour about 1 cup of the chile verde into a shallow bowl to dip the tortillas into and pour another cup into the bottom on the non-stick pan you will be cooking your enchiladas in. You should reserve the remaining cup of chile verde to cover you enchiladas with.
Make sure your tortillas are warmed and pliable before you do this. If your tortillas are not warm they will crack when you try to warm them so I suggest heating them on a skillet or in the microwave first.
Once your tortillas are warm, dip them into the chile verde and make sure both sides are completely coated. Lay the tortilla down and stuff with some of the shredded chicken and about 1 oz worth of shredded cheese. Roll up and place seam side down onto the non-stick pan and continue this process until you have 10 enchiladas.
With the remaining 1 cup of chile verde cover the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese.
Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, just enough to melt the cheese.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before digging in. Serve alongside rice and beans or my Mexican quinoa for a hearty and delicious meal! These enchiladas are sure to be a hit in your household just as they were in mine!
I hope you give this recipe a try and if you do, be sure to leave a comment down below or tag us @lifeatthemesa on Instagram. Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog and as always I will be back soon with another delicious and nutritious recipe.
