Enchiladas Verdes
Tortillas in green tomatillo sauce
Ingredients
- 400 g Chicken
- 500 g Tomatillos
- 2 Serrano chilies
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 12 Corn tortillas
- ½ Onion
- 3 tbsp Neutral oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 150 g Queso fresco (optional)
- 100 ml Mexican crema (optional)
- 3 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Poach the chicken in simmering salted water until cooked through, then shred it with two forks.
- Char the tomatillos, serrano, and garlic in a dry pan until blistered, then blend to a smooth green sauce.
- Warm each tortilla in the oil until pliable, dip it in the warm green sauce, fill with shredded chicken, and roll it up in a baking dish.
- Top the rolls with the rest of the sauce and the queso fresco and bake until bubbling.
- Finish with the crema, onion, and cilantro and serve.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Enchiladas Verdes
Enchiladas verdes are the green counterpart to Mexico's red enchiladas, and the color comes entirely from a bright tomatillo salsa. Tomatillos, the tart husked fruit at the heart of the sauce, are charred alongside serrano chilies and garlic until blistered, then blended smooth; that char adds a smoky backbone while the tomatillos keep the sauce lively and acidic. The result is fresher and more tangy than a red chili sauce, with the serranos supplying a clean, grassy heat you can dial up or down. Shredded poached chicken makes a tender, neutral filling that soaks up the salsa.
This version leans on the oven: once the sauce-dipped, chicken-filled tortillas are rolled and topped with more salsa and crumbled queso fresco, a spell at 200°C melts everything into a bubbling whole. Finishing with crema, raw onion, and a scatter of cilantro adds coolness and freshness against the warm, tangy sauce. Enchiladas verdes are a staple of Mexican comidas and brunch tables, good with rice and beans or simply on their own. Because the tomatillo salsa comes together in one blender and the chicken poaches while you work, it is an achievable weeknight main that still feels celebratory.
Enchiladas Verdes: frequently asked questions
What's the difference between enchiladas verdes and enchiladas suizas?
Enchiladas verdes are corn tortillas filled (usually with chicken) and bathed in a salsa verde made from tomatillos, green chiles, onion, and cilantro. Enchiladas suizas are a richer variation of the same green-sauce dish where cream (and often melted cheese) is blended into or layered over the salsa verde, then baked so the top browns—the name "suizas" ("Swiss") nods to that dairy-heavy, gratin-like richness, and the style is associated with Mexico City. In short, suizas are essentially creamy, cheese-topped verdes.
How many calories are in Enchiladas Verdes?
A serving has about 716 calories — 33.4g protein, 52.4g carbs, 42.7g fat, 8.7g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 33.4g of protein, roughly 19% of its calories.
Is Enchiladas Verdes gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Enchiladas Verdes has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Enchiladas Verdes dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Queso fresco, Mexican crema. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Enchiladas Verdes take to make?
About 45 minutes start to finish, but only around 29 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Enchiladas Verdes?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out queso fresco, mexican crema, cilantro — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Enchiladas Verdes make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.