These easy green chicken enchiladas are filled with shredded chicken, green chiles, cheese, and Greek yogurt, then baked under salsa verde and more melty cheese. They make 8 servings and are ready in about 75 minutes, including resting time.
Jump to:
Healthy Green Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
Enchiladas are one of the yummiest meals, and the tangy green sauce and cheesy filling are a big reason why.
This version stirs Greek yogurt into the filling with sautéed onion, garlic, green chiles, and cilantro, so every bite is creamy. Store-bought salsa verde keeps the sauce simple.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Creamy filling made with Greek yogurt
- Store-bought salsa verde makes the sauce easy
- Melty cheese with crispy, bubbly edges from the broiler
- Makes 8 servings for dinner and leftovers
- Easy to customize with your favorite toppings
Erin's Expert Tips
From my kitchen to yours
- Cook the chicken plain. Bake chicken breasts with salt and pepper at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until they reach 165°F. I wouldn't recommend rotisserie chicken since it's usually pre-seasoned, but if it makes things easier, go for it!
- Roll the tortillas tightly. Roll them snugly and place them seam side down so the filling stays inside.
- Don't skip the broil. Broiling for the last 5 minutes gives you crispy, bubbly cheese on top. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
- Let them rest. Give the enchiladas 15 minutes to cool before serving so they hold together.
Ingredients for Green Chicken Enchiladas
The full amounts are in the recipe card below. Here's what to know about the key ingredients.
- Chicken: Cooked and shredded chicken breasts. The recipe card notes include how I cook mine.
- Onion and garlic: Sautéed in olive oil for the base of the filling.
- Green chiles: One small can adds a mild kick.
- Seasonings: Oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper.
- Salsa verde: Used in the filling and poured over the top. It's made with tomatillos, green chiles, onion, garlic, and lime juice, though brands vary a bit.
- Cheese: Monterey Jack or cheddar both melt well.
- Greek yogurt: Makes the filling creamy. Sour cream works too.
- Cilantro: Stirred into the filling and sprinkled on top.
- Tortillas: Eight 8-inch flour tortillas.
How to Make Green Chicken Enchiladas
- Step 1: Add the shredded chicken to a large bowl and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 375°F, grease a 9x13 baking dish, and spread ¼ cup of salsa verde in the bottom.
- Step 2: Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften. Turn the heat to medium and add the garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and green chiles. Heat through for about a minute, then turn off the heat.
- Step 3: Add the green chile mixture to the chicken along with ½ cup of salsa verde, half the cheese, the Greek yogurt, and the cilantro. Mix until combined.
- Step 4: Add about ¾ cup of the filling to each tortilla. Roll it up tightly and place it seam side down in the dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
- Step 5: Pour the remaining salsa verde over the enchiladas and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
- Step 6: Bake for 35 minutes, then broil for the last 5 minutes, watching closely so the cheese doesn't burn.
- Step 7: Let the enchiladas cool for 15 minutes, then top with more Greek yogurt and cilantro and serve.
Toppings and Sides
Add avocado, cotija cheese, jalapeño, green onion, red onion, or cherry tomatoes on top. For sides, serve them with Mexican rice, black beans, or refried beans. You can also bake bell pepper or black beans right into the filling.
Storing, Freezing, and Making Ahead
Store leftover enchiladas covered tightly or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave, or cover the dish with foil and warm it in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, until heated through.
To freeze, let the baked enchiladas cool completely, then wrap the dish tightly in plastic wrap and foil (or move them to a freezer-safe container) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat covered in a 350°F oven until hot in the center.
To make them ahead, assemble the enchiladas without the final layer of salsa verde and cheese, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you're ready, add the sauce and cheese on top and bake as directed, adding about 10 minutes since the dish will be cold.
Recipe by Erin Morrissey and photos by The Mindful Hapa.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipes on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Follow @erinliveswhole on Instagram and tag me in any of the recipes you make so I can repost them!
Ingredients
- 4 heaping cups cooked chicken shredded* see note for cooking
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4.5 oz can green chiles
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 16 oz salsa verde
- 3 cups shredded monterey jack or cheddar
- ¾ cup plain greek yogurt sub sour cream
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 8 - 8 inch tortillas
- toppings: more greek yogurt and cilantro
Instructions
- Add shredded chicken (4 heaping cups) to a large bowl and set aside. See the notes for how to cook the chicken.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Add salsa verde (¼ cup) to the bottom of the dish.
- In a small sauté pan, heat olive oil (2 tbsp) over medium-high. Add onion (1 small, diced) and cook until it starts to soften. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic (3 cloves), oregano (1 tsp), cumin (1 tsp), salt (1 tsp), pepper (½ tsp), and green chiles (4.5 oz can). Heat through for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.
- Pour the green chile mixture into the bowl with the chicken, then add salsa verde (½ cup), cheese (1 ½ cups), Greek yogurt (¾ cup), and cilantro (½ cup). Mix until well combined.
- To each tortilla (8 total), add about ¾ cup of the chicken mixture. Roll up tightly and place seam side down in the dish. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled and rolled.
- Pour the remaining salsa verde (about 1 ¼ cups) over the rolled tortillas, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese (1 ½ cups).
- Bake for 35 minutes at 375°F and broil for the last 5 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn.
- Let the enchiladas cool for 15 minutes before topping with more Greek yogurt and cilantro, then serve. Enjoy!
- Cooking the Chicken: Bake chicken plain with salt & pepper at 400F for 20-25 minutes or until internal temp 165.
- Roll the Tortillas Tightly: For enchiladas that hold together beautifully, roll them snugly and place them seam-side down in the baking dish to keep the filling from spilling out.
- Don't Skip the Broil: After baking for 35 minutes, broil the enchiladas for the final 5 minutes. This is what gives you those irresistible crispy, bubbly cheese edges on top. Just watch closely so they don't burn!
- Let Them Cool Before Topping: Give the enchiladas a full 15 minutes to cool after they come out of the oven before adding your Greek yogurt and fresh cilantro. This keeps the toppings from melting into a pool and gives you that beautiful finishing touch.
Nutrition
Per serving. Nutrition is an estimate.
Leave a star rating below and tag me on Instagram so I can see your creation!
Rate This Recipeif you liked this recipe, try these!
Here are more enchilada and taco recipes to try:
Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa
AD says
What brand of salsa do you recommend?
Morgan says
Made these for the first time tonight and they were SO GOOD! Will absolutely be making them again and I’m already excited to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow 😋
Erin says
Hi Morgan, so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Kendra says
Delicious green enchilada recipe! Tried it for the first time this week and it will be making its way into our meal rotation. Thank you for sharing!
Erin says
Hi Kendra, so glad you loved them!! 🙂
Katie says
Love this recipe! It's great to make for the week ahead. I've made it multiple weeks in a row.
Erin says
Hi Katie, so happy you love them so much!! 🙂
Kayla says
My go to green enchilada recipe! I much prefer using verde salsa versus red enchilada sauce so this recipe is perfect. I always use the greek yogurt as well instead of sour cream and you wouldn't even be able to tell the difference.
Erin says
Hi Kayla, so happy you loved them so much! 🙂
Alyssa says
These are such a hit! Used Siete almond flour tortillas, tilamook sharp cheddar and red onion. We all loved them!
Erin says
Hi Alyssa, so glad you enjoyed them!!
Ana says
Made exactly as written and they were delicious and a big hit with the family. Don’t skip the broil at the end
This will be a repeat
Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Erin says
Hi Ana, so happy everyone loved them!!
Rachel V says
So delicious! And perfect for meal prepping.
Erin says
Hi Rachel, so glad you liked it!!
Peach says
These came out so good!!! We followed the recipe exactly except we lined the pan with tin foil (our mistake). Some of the tortillas stuck to the tin foil, so next time we will put them directly in the pan!
Erin says
Hi Peach, so happy you loved them!
Summer says
Parchment paper may be a good sub for the foil. 🙂
Ashley says
We make these so often in our house!
Erin says
Hi Ashley, so happy they're a hit!!
Emily says
Yum! The enchiladas turned out so great!! Added mushrooms too since I had those on hand and it was a perfect addition
Erin says
Hi Emily, so glad you loved them and great addition!
Rae says
Delicious! This made about 10 enchiladas for me. A lot of prep for a weeknight but now we have leftovers!
Erin says
Hi Rae, so happy you loved it! 🙂
Jenny says
Does this freeze well?
Erin says
Hi Jenny, yes, you can freeze in an airtight container.
Dana says
Made it as is. Lovely and it makes a lot!
Erin says
Hi Dana, so happy you loved them! 🙂
Allison says
Yummy!
Erin says
Hi Allison, so glad you loved them!!
Meaghan Quay says
Ahhh!!! These are AMAZING! My fiance is so picky about enchiladas because he grew up with his Dad making the most delicious ones. He loved these and even had seconds. I also had them reheated today for lunch and they still tasted just as good. These we're so good, thank you Erin!
Erin says
Hi Meaghan, so happy they were such a big hit!! 🙂
Olivia G says
These were sooooo good ! I followed the recipe exactly. Thanks Erin!
Erin says
Hi Olivia, so happy you loved them so much!! 🙂
Rosie Belleman says
My boyfriend and I LOVED this dish. I had never made enchiladas before, so I was little nervous, but they turned out so great. Will make again!
Erin says
Hi Rosie, so happy you loved it and congrats on your first enchilada dish!! 🙂
Sam says
Ok, these are amazing! Simple to make, and so so tasty. Will definitely be making again!
Erin says
Hi Sam, so happy you loved them so much! 🙂
Leah says
I have a couple cans of green enchilada sauce in my pantry! Could I substitute this in the recipe do you think?
Erin says
Hi Leah, sure! Feel free to give it a try and let me know how they come out!!