Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken Chicken Breast Recipes Chicken Enchiladas With Creamy Green Sauce 3.3 (335) This flavor-packed dish is rich, satisfying, and simple to put together. Close Credit: Jake Sternquist Prep Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe Our recipe for chicken enchiladas with creamy green sauce makes for a rich, satisfying meal that’s easier to pull together than it looks. The secret is using store-bought green salsa, packed with the tangy flavor of tomatillos, jalapeños, and lime juice. When combined with heavy cream, it forms a velvety, vibrant sauce that blankets the enchiladas and bubbles away as they bake. For the filling, we look to bone-in chicken breasts, which we roast alongside whole garlic cloves for an added punch of flavor. Shredded Monterey Jack cheese completes the dish, bringing it plenty of melty goodness. Add this hearty bake to your weeknight rotation or whip it up for company—this chicken enchiladas dish can do it all. 22 Recipes With Tortillas, From Breakfast Taquitos to Dinner Tacos Ingredients for Chicken Enchiladas With Creamy Green Sauce You’ll only need a handful of basic ingredients to make this delicious dish, including: Chicken: We prefer bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts for this recipe because they stay moist and juicy as they bake and are a cinch to shred. If you’d like, you can swap in boneless breasts, just keep an eye on them as they cook to prevent them from drying out. To save prep time, use a shredded rotisserie chicken instead. Garlic: To boost the flavor of the filling, roast whole garlic cloves alongside the chicken. Be sure to leave them unpeeled as this will protect the cloves as they cook. Green salsa: Unlike red salsa, which is made predominantly with tomatoes, green salsa—or salsa verde—uses tangy, bright tomatillos. A medium spice level will still have some kick, so if you’re cooking for kids or guests sensitive to heat, you may want to look for a mild option. Heavy cream: We enrich the salsa with three-quarters of a cup of heavy cream. This adds a delicious silkiness and richness to the finished dish. For a lighter version of this recipe, use light cream or half-and-half instead. However, we don’t recommend using milk as it will make the sauce too thin and watery. Corn tortillas: You’ll need 12 six-inch corn tortillas for this recipe. Warming them slightly in damp paper towels before rolling will make them more pliable, keeping them from cracking as you work with them. Cheese: We opt for Monterey Jack cheese for this dish because it melts beautifully in the oven and has just the right balance of creaminess and sharpness to complement the other ingredients. Whenever possible, it’s best to grate the cheese yourself rather than buy it pre-shredded as the latter contains anti-caking additives that can impact the finished texture of the dish. Be sure to arrange the filled tortillas seam side down in the baking dish to keep the filling from seeping out as the enchiladas bake. How to Make Ahead You can make these chicken enchiladas up to one day ahead of time. To do so, prep and assemble the enchiladas (steps 1 to 5); cover and refrigerate. Continue with baking when you're ready to serve. Directions Preheat oven, bake chicken, and mix salsa and cream: Preheat oven to 450°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper; place with garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 165°F, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine salsa and cream. Credit: Jake Sternquist Shred chicken and chop garlic: Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred meat, discarding skin and bones. Peel and chop garlic. Credit: Jake Sternquist Mix chicken, garlic, and some of salsa: In a large bowl, combine chicken, garlic, and 1/2 cup salsa mixture. Credit: Jake Sternquist Warm tortillas: Stack tortillas flat, and wrap in damp paper towels; microwave on high for 1 minute to soften. Credit: Jake Sternquist Assemble: Working with one tortilla at a time, dip in salsa mixture, lay flat, and fill with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Roll up and arrange, seam side down, 8 enchiladas lengthwise and 4 crosswise in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with remaining salsa mixture, then cheese. Credit: Jake Sternquist Credit: Jake Sternquist Credit: Jake Sternquist Bake: Bake until cheese is browned and salsa is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes; let rest 10 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with cilantro, if desired. Credit: Jake Sternquist How to Store and Reheat Chicken Enchiladas Any leftover enchiladas can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days. To reheat, cover and bake it in a 400°F oven until hot throughout or microwave, covered, for two to three minutes. What to Serve With Chicken Enchiladas With Creamy Green Sauce To round out the meal, consider adding a side of rice (check out our recipes for fluffy white rice, cilantro-lime rice, or zesty Spanish rice) and some simple black beans. For crunchy brightness, try this corn-and-avocado salad, or opt for a starter of homemade guacamole and tortilla chips. More Enchiladas Recipes to Try: Enchiladas Suizas Cheese Enchilada Casserole Vegetable Enchiladas Lighter Chicken Enchiladas Vegetarian Enchiladas Suizas Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.