Sheet Pan
by: zora
July14,2021
4.5
14 Ratings
- Prep time 20 minutes
- Cook time 50 minutes
- Makes 8 enchiladas
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Author Notes
Chicken enchiladas with a smooth and savory green sauce have always been one of my go-to weeknight dinners. It's a great dish to make with leftover roasted, grilled or even rotisserie chicken. And faces always light up around here when I say: "We're having Enchiladas Suizas for dinner tonight." —zora
- Test Kitchen-Approved
What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
EnchiladasSuizas
Ingredients
- 1 medium white or yellow onion
- 4 large or 6 small tomatillos
- 2 poblano chiles (or 1 can of whole green chiles)
- 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
- 1 1/2 cupschicken stock
- 1 handfulcilantro leaves and stems, plus more leaves for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoondried oregano, preferably Mexican
- 1 pinchground allspice or clove
- 1 teaspooncumin, ground
- Zest and juice of one lime
- 1 teaspoonsalt, plus more to taste
- 1 jalapeño chile, seeds removed (optional)
- 2 cupsboneless cooked chicken, shredded, sliced or diced
- 8 corn tortillas
- 2 cupsshredded jack or mild cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cupsour cream, crème fraîche, or Mexican crema
Directions
- Heat the broiler. Peel and quarter onion. Remove papery husks and wash tomatillos. Cut poblanos in half lengthwise and remove stems and seeds. On a foil-lined sheet pan, place onion, tomatillos, unpeeled garlic cloves and poblanos skin side up. Broil vegetables until mildly charred, turning the onion pieces and tomatillos over after a few minutes to expose other sides to the heat source. Take care that the garlic doesn't get too burnt.
- Scrape blackened skin from the poblanos, peel the garlic and put vegetables into a blender; include any juices from the baking sheet. (Drain and add canned green chiles, if using.) Add chicken stock, cilantro, spices, lime juice and zest, and salt and blend until completely puréed. Taste, and if you want it to be spicier, add the jalapeño and purée again until completely smooth.
- Pour contents of blender into a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until slightly reduced. Taste and add more salt, if needed. If salsa is too thick, add a little bit of water to it. Lower oven temperature to 350° F.
- Make the enchiladas one at a time: Dip a tortilla in the salsa until just softened. Lay out on a plate, put some chicken across the middle of the tortilla and roll it up. Place in a baking dish or directly on an oven-safe dinner plate. When all of the tortillas have been made, ladle the salsa generously over them, sprinkle the cheese over the top, and place the baking dish or plates into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, until chicken filling is heated through and cheese has melted. Serve with generous dollop of sour cream on top, and some chopped fresh cilantro.
Tags:
- Mexican
- Tex-Mex
- Chicken
- Cilantro
- Clove
- Tomatillo
- Sour Cream
- Sheet Pan
- Summer
- Winter
- Spring
- Fall
Contest Entries
- Your Best Chicken
See what other Food52ers are saying.
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Karen Brooks
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bellly
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Änneken
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Smaug
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Nacho Jones
Popular on Food52
67 Reviews
Karen B. August 23, 2022
This is really great. The tomatillo sauce is so tasty! I used a combo of Jack and Cheddar cheeses and added some cheese to chicken mixture as I filled the tortillas.
BigK June 16, 2022
This is delicious. The sauce is fantastic and versatile. I prefer flour tortillas and so don’t need to wet them to soften them. I follow everything else as written. We love this recipe.
Linda D. July 14, 2021
Thank you so much, Zora. Absolutely delicious!
bellly October 25, 2018
what brand and type of dish are they using in the video?
Änneken August 14, 2016
I had made veggie chili the other night and found the amount of cumin in it overwhelming. So I decided to try to 'mask' it by filling tortillas with the chili and make enchiladas using the recipe above for the tomatillo sauce. It was outstanding! This sauce is a keeper. So, so good!
Smaug December 31, 2015
A decent enough recipe, but a little vague on the quantity of tomatillos, which vary tremendously in size. For what it's worth, I use 1 1/4 lb. tomatillos with 2/3 c. liquid to make sauce for a dozen enchiladas.
Katie D. July 18, 2018
the recipe says 4 large or 6 small tomatillos.
Smaug March 26, 2019
Yes, it does, but that's not very helpful. As I say, they vary tremendously in size.
Nacho J. November 5, 2015
Since my first comment I've made these three more times. Every time a little different. Love this recipe. The roja enchilada are really good too.
Karen B. November 5, 2015
I agree totally w/Nacho!! A wonderful recipe, easy to make, ingredients I have in my kitchen. Thanks be to Zindc for sharing and thanks for the heads up on the Salsa Rojo. I have the Ancho chilies in freezer ready to go. Next time I'm making the salsa rojos ;-). Now as to enchilada suizas I just made them last night AMAzing!! but I put grated baby swiss cheese on top. When you cook at home u can do anything thats good Thanks again for sharing Zindc. Just beautiful.....
Frannie October 27, 2015
This was so delicious! My family loved it! Next time I'm going to make more sauce because my tortillas really soaked it up quickly! I like my enchiladas swimming :D
Darlene September 6, 2015
I'm new to this site and can't wait to try this recipe. I also really enjoyed reading all the comments posted with this for tweaking the recipe and new recipes shared. Thank you everybody♡ Have a great day and Bon Appetite!
Nacho J. September 11, 2015
with this discussion....Disfruta tu comida! (aproximadamente)
Nacho J. July 13, 2015
I was picking up what you were laying down. Both times. No worries. Es bueno!
Nacho J. July 12, 2015
Love this recipe. Loved the sauce. Loved the whole thing. Thanks so much. I can't wait to use this Verde sauce on other Mex-Mex foods and as a chip dip. And thanks to everyone for the hints on re-hydrating the corn tortillas. Mine fell apart as well even when dipped in the sauce so I just did my best and it still tasted fantastic. So what if they aren't pretty. I can't wait to try making some home made tortillas and using some "real" Mexican cheese (hopefully I can find some Oaxaca or Chihuahua).
Haters are gonna hate. And why do people on the internet feel the need to be rude? Just keep publishing these great recipes Zindc. I can't wait to try some others. You have a new fan/follower and this recipe is going into my save file.
zora July 13, 2015
Thanks, Nacho! Here's my method for making adobo (a salsa rojo). Dry toast, remove stems and seeds and soak 6 or 8 guajillo chiles (or 3 guajillos and three anchos) in hot water. Roast the same veg as for the salsa verde below, but add a large red or two small red tomatoes to the roasting pan. Remove the chiles from the soaking water, but save the water. Blend the softened red chiles and the roasted veg with all other ingredients below, adding 2 or 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar, a T of honey and some of the chile soaking water. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Use this salsa for braised beef, lamb or goat, or pork tamales, or enchiladas rojas. It has great depth of flavor and will keep almost
forever in the refrigerator.
zora July 13, 2015
Salsa roja. Sorry for the egergious Spanish grammar error. This program for replies doesn't let you go back and make corrections.
zora July 13, 2015
Egregious.
Mark H. June 20, 2015
Amazing! Love the response. I will try this Deb and Yazzie
Debra June 19, 2015
This is basically the tomatillo sauce that I make, except I do not char anything. The corn tortillas do not do well unless I heat them in a little oil for a little while in a skillet and then pat them with a paper towel to remove some of the grease. I add some finely chopped onion and some shredded cheese along with the chicken inside the enchiladas. Cilantro is key here, have made it without and no muy bueno. It is easy to get too much though so be careful.
Mark H. June 15, 2015
What tortillas do you use?...mine ALWAYS fall apart, no matter how much I soak them. Thanks in advance
zora June 15, 2015
I use corn tortillas and just dip them in the sauce for 5-10 seconds. An alternate method for softening tortillas is to brush them on both sides with wet fingers and then lay them on a hot skillet or directly onto a lit gas burner. Turn them a couple of times until they are flexible but not burned.
Mark H. June 16, 2015
They still crack. Maybe I'm using bad tortillas
zora June 16, 2015
You may be using old tortillas. Try wrapping a few of them in a wrung-out damp towel and microwaving them for a minute or two. That often will soften tortillas that are a bit dehydrated. The best thing is to use fresh tortillas.
YazzieMarshall June 20, 2015
Hi Mark Hardin. The correct way to soften the tortillas, and I know because I am Mexican and cooked all things the Mexican way since I was 12 or 13 years old is: Heat vegetable oil in a small skillet/pan, enough oil to cover the tortilla. When oil is hot put the tortilla in the oil and leave it on that side 4 - 5 seconds, then turn it on the other side (with a fork) and leave it also 4 - 5 seconds. Take the tortilla out and get rid of the extra oil with paper towels. Assemble the enchiladas as soon as possible after softening the tortillas in oil and they should not crack. I suggest also you eat your enchiladas as soon as they are ready. Enchiladas are made right before eating them. Also, the extensive use of comino (cumin) in the USA is really an American thing; try them once before the coumin to eat authentic Mexican enchiladas. In Mexico we use cumin very, very sparingly, in albondigas (meatballs), chorizo, longaniza and very few other dishes. Personally I've come to dislike cumin very much because of its excessive use here in the USA. Hope your enchiladas turn out delicious.
Sherri L. August 9, 2015
Debra and Mark - I have a good way to soften tortillas in order to work with them (I haven't tried zindc's way). I have been making chicken enchiladas for well over 20 years (and my recipe, I think, is far superior to anything in a restaurant). I am looking forward to trying this one. Years ago, it was always suggested to soften the tortillas by placing in warm oil, but I hated the extra oil. I figured out another way by the microwave. Roll out ample good quality paper towels (I use Bounty) and then I soak them with water and wring out. Starting at one end, place a tortilla, then cover it with another towel and placing another tortilla on top. I do 4 tortillas at a time, making sure all are covered. Heat in the microwave for 40 seconds (mine is a large watt one, so time could vary). I take out 1 tortilla at a time to work with. If the tortillas are too hot to touch, lesson the time on the next batch. When I try this recipe, I will probably do that way and then cover with the sauce via spoon. Thanks again for the recipe - I can't wait to try it since Mexican food is our favorite.
aniabot June 7, 2015
i made this today & it was fabulous! i didn't have any stock on hand, so i boiled some chicken with chopped onion, garlic, salt & bay leaves. tossed the bay leaves when it was done, then shredded the chicken along with the onion & garlic, and used the cooking liquid in the sauce. good stuff!
used flour tortillas (which were quite pliable & didn't need the dipping, sorrynotsorry) - there were 10 soft taco size-ish, so i added some leftover brown rice on the inside as well. since i was having such a broiler party already, i charred some corn on the cob to go on the side. nom.
Markhous April 7, 2015
The photo makes these enchiladas look so appealing. Don't know why everyone is so hung up on "authentic". Everything starts somewhere. You think when You go to korea and order a cheeseburger it's not going to come with kimchee? In Japan squid is a common pizza topping. Not very authentic, but still good. A good cook knows how to make their ingredients work for them. These look wonderful.
BarnOwlBaker March 31, 2015
Made this last night and loved the sauce. Doubled the recipe for the sauce as it is time consuming to make. Blistered the peppers and roasted the onions, tomatillos and garlic on the grill. My people like my usual enchiladas better as the filling is more complex/tasty. Will make again but will add more ingredients to the filling. Thanks for the sauce extraordinaire!
Jocelyn L. March 24, 2015
Please provide Nutritional Content on ALL recipes please !!!!
zora March 24, 2015
That is an issue that should be taken up with Merrill and Amanda. This is a forum for home cooks; it takes a professional nutritionist to calculate what you are looking for. Perhaps you should stick to recipe websites that provide the information you want.
catdaddysammy December 29, 2015
LOL.
Amy June 26, 2016
Jocelyn, this USDA site has been extraordinarily helpful for providing nutritional values for the foods we eat in all their various stages: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods
Quinta531 March 23, 2015
Definitely corn tortillas but they should be lightly fried in a little oil in a pan before being filled and put in any sauce (otherwise they soak up the sauce making their texture less than ideal) plus tortillas in the US from the market are terrible, want excellent? make your own- also, I would not cook the sauce for so long as it will get thick and then lose flavor when it has to be made more liquid later; the ingredients for the sauce are all strong tasting so the addition of a pinch of clove is not needed. Why would you char the chiles, onions and garlic only to get rid of this later? Another level of flavor wasted. The sauce has superfluous ingredients too. Mexico does not have Cheddar nor Monterrey Jack Cheeses, you want to be genuine use Oaxaca, Chihuahua or Mexican String Cheese. Not the worst recipe. There are NO decent flour tortillas in the US for the most part (you have this thing against lard so they will never be good), flour tortillas are NOT used for enchiladas. If you are concerned about Atkins or carbs, tomatillos are not Atkins friendly and will take you out of ketosis by the way.... You should read up on fats too which everyone needs in their diet, low fat is not the way to go, but this is just me and I'm just a Chef so what do I know?
zora March 24, 2015
"Not the worst recipe"--really? That's what's known as a left-handed compliment. I would like to respond to a couple of your criticisms: frying tortillas before filling and rolling them to make enchiladas is one of several ways to soften the tortillas. Sometimes I moisten them and lay them on a gas flame for a few seconds. Using an extra pan and frying each tortilla, which can make a mess on the stovetop, might not matter to a professional chef who has people cleaning up behind her, but I am a home cook and often look for simpler solutions. I like to let the sauce cook a little longer on low heat to blend the flavors and mellow the sharpness of the acidic ingredients. Don't want to cook it that long? It's your call. Many Mexican dishes, especially cooked salsas and braises use allspice--probably from the historical influence of Moorish Spain. You are perfectly welcome to leave it out. The burned poblano chile skin is discarded, and the papery peel of the garlic. Nothing else. Are you suggesting that these should not be peeled before using in a green sauce? That's a new one on me.
Crescendo O. May 3, 2015
For+a+professional+chef,+you+clearly+don't+know+as+much+as+you+think+you+do+about+Mexican+food,+as+charring+the+chilis+and+garlic,+and+then+peeling+and+removing+the+skin,+is+traditional+in+many+areas+-+particularly+in+northern+New+Mexico,+which+is+considered+by+many+to+have+the+most+delicious+style+of++Mexican+cooking.
Overall,+your+comment+was+snarky+and+insulting,+and+you+held+your+own+personal+preferences+up+as+superior+-+when,+in+fact,+it+is+a+matter+of+individual+choice.++
Becoming+a+chef+clearly+did+nothing+for+your+politeness.
