Enchiladas are one of the most popular Mexican meals here in the states and when you think of an enchilada, a saucy red dish probably pops into your mind, but did you know that there is a lighter, creamy enchilada suizas that you may love even more that the classic red ones?
Absolutely and today, we are making these enchiladas…
The tortillas are filled with a simple combination of shredded chicken, sautéd onions, garlic and green chilies and then smothered in a tangy green sauce made with salsa verde and crema and topped in lots of melty cheese. They are fantastic and offer the comforting vibes of a classic red enchilada, but with a lighter, tangy flavor that you are going to love.
Let’s get started…
In addition to delicious flavors, enchilada suizas are also super easy to bring together. This is all that you need…
Some cooked and shredded chicken (a rotisserie chicken is great here if you don’t have leftovers!), a yellow onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 4 ounces of diced green chilies, some fresh cilantro, flour or corn tortillas, mozzarella, queso fresco or oaxaca, salsa verde or green enchilada sauce, some Mexican crema or sour cream and some cojita for garnishing.
Easy day.
Begin by whisking 1 1/2 cups of salsa verde or green enchilada sauce with 1/2 cup of Mexican crema or sour cream until smooth and set aside for now. My favorite combo here is salsa verde and Mexican crema, but any pairing will work great!
To make the filling, sauté a medium diced yellow onion until softened (about 5 minutes) and then add 2 cloves of finely minced garlic and 4 ounces of diced green chilies and cook for another 60 seconds or so.
Add 2 cups of shredded chicken and 1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro and mix until everything is evenly distributed.
This filling is perfect for 6 full sized tortillas or 10 smaller ones, so use whatever fits in your baking dish better or whatever you have on hand.
Add some of the chicken filling into the middle of your tortilla and top it with some shredded cheese and about a tablespoon of the sauce. Repeat until all of the tortillas and filling have been used.
Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce into the base of your baking dish and arrange your tortillas in a single layer.
Add the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining shredded cheeses.
Bake the enchiladas in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until they are all bubbly…
Top your enchilada suizas with some crumbled cojita and a little more cilantro and you are ready to go…
Before we get into just how fabulous these are, I have a quick note. The amount of sauce in this recipe is perfect for moist enchiladas that can be scooped out of the skillet in one piece, but if you prefer your enchiladas to be swimming in sauce like I sometimes do… consider doubling the sauce.
These enchiladas are light and creamy with a slightly tart and tangy flavor from the salsa verde and crema. The extra cheese is perfect here and if you give them a little squeeze of fresh lime right before you take a bite, you will escort yourself directly to enchilada heaven.
¡Provecho!
Enchilada Suizas
Ingredients
- 2 cups of chicken, cooked and shredded
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 4 ounces of green chilies, diced
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- a neutral oil
- 6 large corn or four tortillas (or 10 smaller tortillas)
- 8 ounces of mozzarella, shredded
- 8 ounces of queso fresco or oaxaca, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups of salsa verde or green enchilada sauce
- 1/2 cup of Mexican crema or sour cream
- cojita, crumbled
- cilantro, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- Whisk together 1 1/2 cups of salsa verde or green enchilada sauce with 1/2 cup of Mexican crema or sour cream and set aside
Make the filling…
- Place a skillet over medium heat and add a tablespoon of neutral oil
- Sauté a medium diced yellow onion until softened, add 2 finely minced garlic cloves and 4 ounces of diced green chilies and cook for another 60-90 seconds while stirring
- Add the shredded chicken and finely chopped cilantro, mix to combine and transfer the skillet off of the heat
Assemble the enchiladas…
- Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce over the base of your baking dish
- Add some of the chicken filling, some shredded cheese and tablespoon of the sauce into each tortilla, roll tightly and place seem side down into the baking dish
- Repeat until all of the tortillas and filling have been used
- Top the tortillas with the remaining sauce
- Add the remaining shredded cheese
Bake and serve…
- Bake the enchiladas in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until melty, bubbly and lightly golden brown
- Serve garnished with crumbled cojita and finely chopped cilantro and serve warm
Reader Interactions