Green Chicken Enchiladas
These Green Chicken Enchiladas are made with a light, creamy chicken and veggie filling and your favorite green enchilada sauce. They’re cheesy, flavorful, and easy to make in 35 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Love lighter comfort food? These easy chicken enchiladas are such a good one to keep in your weeknight rotation. The filling is creamy (hello Greek yogurt!) and cheesy, and the zucchini and corn add that fresh twist.
I tested the filling a couple of times to get the ratios right, so nothing’s soggy and you have a little of everything in each bite. They remind me a lot of my Ground Turkey Enchiladas, just with a brighter, green sauce twist and a creamier filling.
You can easily customize them, too. Add black beans, use leftover turkey, or toss in extra veggies if you have some to use up. And the leftovers reheat really well, so they’re great for meal prep or an easy lunch the next day.
They’re ready in about 35 minutes, and you can top them however you like. I usually go with cilantro, but avocado, jalapeño, and a squeeze of lime are all great.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil: Just a little to sauté the veggies.
- Onion: Half a medium yellow onion, diced.
- Zucchini: One small zucchini, diced.
- Corn: Fresh or frozen, both work.
- Green Chiles: A small can of diced green chiles.
- Taco Seasoning: I use my homemade taco seasoning, but store-bought is totally fine.
- Green Enchilada Sauce: One 15 oz can of green enchilada sauce. I love Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce with medium heat for a little kick, but mild works too. I always have a can in my pantry.
- Chicken: Either homemade chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken, shredded into smaller pieces. Read more about how to make shredded chicken.
- Greek Yogurt: Adds creaminess and keeps the filling lighter. You can swap for sour cream.
- Cheese: I like a mix of shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack, but you could use your favorite Mexican blend cheese.
- Tortillas: I use medium-sized flour tortillas. Corn tortillas work too, but warm them first so they don’t tear.
Enchilada toppings (add what you love after baking):
- Diced avocado
- Fresh cilantro
- Salsa verde
- Jalapeño slices
- Lime wedges
- Diced red onion
- Pico de gallo
- Diced tomato
- Pickled red onions
- Sour cream
*The full ingredient list with amounts is in the recipe card below.
How to Make Green Chicken Enchiladas
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion in the skillet until softened, then stir in the zucchini and cook until tender. Add the corn and green chiles and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the taco seasoning, ¼ cup of green enchilada sauce, and the shredded chicken. Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the Greek yogurt.
- Spread ½ cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of your prepared baking dish.
- To assemble the enchiladas, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cheese in each tortilla and spoon in ⅓ cup of the filling. Roll them up and place them seam side down in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the tortillas, then spread any leftover filling on top. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake the enchiladas uncovered until they’re heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Serve the hot chicken enchiladas with your favorite toppings and enjoy.
🥕 Nicole’s Cooking Tips
- Use rotisserie chicken to save time. I’ll grab a rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods when I don’t have shredded chicken prepped.
- Warm the tortillas if needed. Some brands (like Maria & Ricardo’s) are already soft once they come to room temperature, but if yours feel firm, microwave them for 20–30 seconds so they roll without tearing.
- For a golden, bubbly top, broil the enchiladas for 1 to 2 minutes once they’re done baking.
Variations
If you like having options, here are a few ways to change up the filling or sauce.
- Make it spicier. Use a medium or hot enchilada sauce or add a chopped jalapeño to the filling.
- Add black beans. Stir a can of drained and rinsed black beans into the filling for extra protein.
- Swap in leftover turkey. Leftover roasted turkey works just as well as chicken here.
- Use your favorite veggies. Bell peppers, baby spinach, or shredded carrots all work if you have extras to use up. You can even toss in some roasted sweet potatoes.
- Try red enchilada sauce. Swap the green sauce for red if that’s what you have on hand (or if you prefer the flavor).
Serving Suggestions
I usually keep things simple and serve these Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce on their own, but they’re great with my Mexican Brown Rice or just chips and salsa if you want something on the side.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make Ahead: For the best texture, prep the filling and grate the cheese up to 24 hours in advance. Store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Assemble the enchiladas right before baking.
To Store: The baked and cooled enchiladas will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: Cooked enchiladas freeze well for up to 3 months. Let them cool, then store them in airtight containers in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
How to Reheat: Warm in the oven at 350°F until heated through. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave, if you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Yes, you can. Just warm the tortillas before assembling to prevent tearing. They’ll be softer and a little more delicate, but they work great if you prefer corn.
Assemble right before baking and don’t add more sauce than the recipe calls for. If you’re making them ahead, store the filling separately and assemble just before baking (this keeps the tortillas from absorbing too much sauce).
No, you can swap in sour cream, or use more cheese if you prefer. The enchiladas will still be creamy, just slightly richer.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
- Chicken Fajita Tacos
- Tofu Burrito Bowls
- Salmon Tacos with Mango Salsa
- Chorizo Tacos with Salsa Verde
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Green Chicken Enchiladas
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 enchiladas 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American / Mexican
Description
Easy Green Chicken Enchiladas with a creamy chicken and veggie filling, green sauce, and cheese. Light, flavorful, and ready in about 35 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup corn (fresh or frozen)
- 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
- 1 (15 oz) can green enchilada sauce, divided
- 2 ½ cups cooked, shredded chicken
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups shredded cheddar and monterrey jack cheese
- 8 medium flour tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
- Heat the 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until tender. Add the corn and green chiles and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Stir in the taco seasoning, ¼ cup enchilada sauce, and shredded chicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the Greek yogurt until everything is coated.
- Spread ½ cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cheese in each tortilla. Spoon ⅓ cup of filling in each, then roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the top, then spread any leftover filling on top of the tortillas and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Bake uncovered for 15–18 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Notes
Either homemade chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken, shredded into smaller pieces work in this recipe.
If your tortillas feel firm, warm them briefly so they roll without tearing.
For a golden, bubbly top, broil the enchiladas for 1–2 minutes after baking.
Nutritional Values (per serving) are approximates only. Calculated with 0% fat plain Greek yogurt.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 enchilada
- Calories: 269
- Sugar: 3.4 g
- Sodium: 765.9 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.1 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 17.5 g
- Cholesterol: 35.8 mg
