Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
Green Chili
Chicken Enchiladas
We visited New Mexico last year and fell deeply in love with the food there. New Mexico has this amazing local chili pepper called a Hatch chili that they make red or green chile sauce with. Everyone seems to eat it with every meal and if you stay there long enough you'll find you sort of want it all the time too. These green chili chicken enchiladas are made with my own house made Hatch green chili sauce.
I did neglect to take a photo of the chicken filling I made for these beautiful New Mexican enchiladas but it was quite simple. I chopped up and sauteed some chicken breasts and added a few tablespoons of taco seasoning that I make at home. It's not always exactly the same but it will always have chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper and a little oregano.
You could get a bit fancier and add some fresh chopped garlic, minced onion, cilantro or green onion but I was feeling lazy the night I made this and left it out. It was still quite delicious!
Here is what brings it all together, my house made hatch green chili sauce. Just add a few tablespoons of this sauce to the chicken filling and it will be magic.
I start making the enchiladas by softening a corn tortilla in a warm skillet with a little vegetable oil. The oil will keep the corn tortilla from cracking or falling apart when you roll it and as it bakes. I drain away as much oil as I can back into the pan and place the tortilla on a clean cutting board. I top the tortilla with 2 1/2 tablespoons of the chicken filling I've made and sprinkle with Mexican style shredded cheese.
Very gently, I fold both sides over the filling and place it onto a baking pan seam side down. I repeat this process until I have filled as many enchiladas as I plan to make. After all of the enchiladas have been filled, I top them with my green Hatch chili sauce and sprinkle them with more cheese.
I bake the enchiladas covered with foil at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Green Hatch Chili Chicken Enchiladas
I hope you will give this a try at home. This recipe can be as easy or as complicated as you want to make it but if you go the extra mile and skip the canned sauce you will certainly be rewarded!
Someday I'll add my method for home made corn tortillas!
Enjoy!
~Melisa
Green Chili
Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
6 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups cooked chopped or ground chicken
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 cups green chili sauce
2 cups shredded Mexican style cheese
3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Method
Soften a corn tortilla in a warm skillet with a little vegetable oil. Flip the tortilla once to coat with oil. Drain away as much oil as possible back into the pan and place the tortilla on a clean cutting board.
Top the tortilla with 2 1/2 tablespoons of the chicken filling and sprinkle with Mexican style shredded cheese. Gently fold both sides over the filling and cheese and place it into a shallow baking pan seam side down.
Repeat this process until you have filled 6 enchiladas. Top them all with green chili sauce and sprinkle them with more cheese.
Bake the enchiladas covered with foil at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
