READY IN 1 hr

Enchiladas Verdes

Read Reviews (73)

"I learned this recipe from an amazing cook from Puebla. I've been perfecting it for over 15 years and realized that it was time to share it when my foodie friends tried to drink the sauce out of the saucepan. I use the roasted or baked chicken from the grocery store. I did it once only to save time, but found that they are tastier. Be conservative with the cream and the cheese. Do not use sour cream!" — Tequila Pro!

Directions

Cover a large griddle with aluminum foil and preheat to medium-high.
Cook the garlic, serrano peppers, and tomatillos on the hot griddle until toasted and blackened, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes for the garlic, 10 minutes for the peppers, and 15 minutes for the tomatillos. Remove to a bowl and allow to cool.
Heat oil in a small, deep skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Using kitchen tongs, fry the tortillas individually, turning them once. They shouldn't be in the hot oil for more than 5 seconds per side. Remove excess oil with paper towels and keep warm. Remember that the hotter the oil, the less that the tortillas will absorb.
Place the toasted garlic, serrano peppers, tomatillos, and the water in a blender and blend until smooth; pour into a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Dissolve the chicken bouillon into the mixture, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. The sauce shouldn't be too thick.
Soak three tortillas in the sauce, one at a time, for a few seconds, fill them with shredded chicken, sprinkle the meat with some of the sauce, roll them and place them seam side down on a pasta bowl. Spoon a generous amount of sauce over them and top them with lettuce, cilantro, crema, and cotija cheese. Pour a little more sauce over the whole thing if desired. Repeat the procedure twice more. Serve immediately.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 30 mins
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 1 hr

Footnotes

Editor's Note
We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and the specific type of oil used.

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Apr 28, 2010

Sooooo good! and easy to prepare. One suggestion broil the tomatillos and garlic instead of doing it on the griddle it only takes a couple min. also if you want to cut calories cook your tortillas with cooking spray on a hot pan, to me they still taste like they've been deep fried. Gracias Gema! Elvira S.

—lvmy2girls

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jan 18, 2011

followed the directions close as possible while demonstrating in-front of a class but had to make a few alterations. Such as the amount of water, i would have used maybe 1 cup maybe less considering after i poured maybe 2 cups it got super liquidy and i had to put cornstarch in to thicken it up. As for the roasting the garlic, peppers, and tamatillos that went down the drain completely; I had to stick them in the oven after 30 minutes and not seeing much difference. Over all the sauce was good and everyone liked the dish but i would have left out cotija cheese beacuse people were complaining it tasted rubbery (i'm not sure if that's how the cheese is supposed to taste) overall i wouldn't mind making this again only if i didn't have to go out and buy the ingredients.

—caitlin.s

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90 Ratings

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Mar 19, 2010

Wow! Better than any dish we have had in a mexican restaurant for sure. I will say that this recipe is a lot of work to prepare as well as to gather the ingredients. We live in a small town and I had to go to several stores in order to find the peppers and the 2 cheeses. I finally located the cheeses at a mexican store. Since there were no instructions to seed the chilis, I used them with the seeds which made the sauce extremely HOT and although the crema helped offset the heat, they are too hot for children or sensitive adults. My husband loved them so much that he is willing to help make them in the future which is a miracle in itself since he does NOT cook. I will definetly make them in the future and will also double the recipe and serve to company. I wouldn't change any of the ingredients or add a thing. This recipe is fantastic as is and believe me, the extra work was well worth it!

—Rivka

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May 03, 2010

This comports with my own recipe and is obviously authentic because it calls for CORN tortillas (NOT flour!), cotija cheese, and crema ("not sour cream"). If you cannot find cotija cheese and cream at your market, substitute mild parmesan for the former and for the crema, try this: Put a tablespoon of plain yogurt in a cup of milk and let sit for 24 hours. It works!

—GormandJim

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Apr 26, 2010

Fantastic! The recipe itself is nice and simple, and the taste is very authentic. I made this as written except I broiled my tomatillos, garlic and peppers in the oven, removing each as they blackened - just thought it was easier. This sauce also has the potential to be a bit salty for me - I cut the amount of bouillon in half and was thrilled with the outcome, so you may want to start with 2 tsp and go up to your taste when the sauce is done. Also note that serranos are spicy, so 1 or 2 will do if you are a heat sensitive - I'm not, so 3 was perfect. Excellent, easy recipe. Thanks!

—SunnyByrd

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Mar 08, 2010

These were the best chicken enchiladas I've had in a long time. I won't be ordering them in restaurants, as these are better - I'll be making them myself! The sauce was so yummy, and so simple to make. Gema is right, light on the cream and cheese brings the flavors of the sauce out. And I love using the deli roasted chicken, makes it very easy!

—Lynn

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Apr 26, 2010

This is a keeper! I had only tried something as good in Mexico City. I used table cream (media crema) which tastes more like the real Mexican cream. To save myself some calories, I brushed both sizes of the tortillas with olive oil and baked them for 5 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees. The meal was a total success. My neighbors could't have enough. I would definitely make it again and again.

—jackie

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May 04, 2010

All 4 of my grandparents were born and raised in Jalisco, Mexico. I know authentic Mexican and this recipe is authentic. It is a very time consuming recipe but worth it. My family has always de-seeded their peppers after toasting them on a cast iron griddle or "comal". Cotija is a dry salty cheese. I find Greek Feta to be as salty and crumbly as Cotija - and neither melts. Sometimes I see Mexican Crema in small cans that look similar to Eagle Brand Condensed Milk.Crema is thick but pourable unlike sour cream. You can make crema by simply adding about two teaspoons of buttermilk to one cup of heavy cream and heating it to just about 100° (use a food thermometer). Remove from the heat and let stand in a warm spot overnight. When it has thickened slightly, stir gently and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and thickened.

—KitchenDiva

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Nutrition

Calories
284 kcal
14%

Carbohydrates
17.1 g
6%

Cholesterol
70 mg
23%

Fat
20.3 g
31%

Fiber
3 g
12%

Protein
11 g
22%

Sodium
222 mg
9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Enchiladas Verdes

Serving Size: 1/9 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 9
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 284
Calories from Fat: 182

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 20.3g 31 %
Saturated Fat 10.2g 51 %
Cholesterol 70mg 23 %
Sodium 222mg 9 %
** Potassium 291mg 8 %
Total Carbohydrates 17.1g 6 %
Dietary Fiber 3g 12 %
Protein 11g 22 %
** Sugars 3.5g
** Vitamin A 13 %
** Vitamin C 15 %
** Calcium 17 %
** Iron 12 %
** Thiamin 8 %
** Niacin 34 %
** Vitamin B6 12 %
** Magnesium 15 %
** Folate 10 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.