Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Bake

This dish turns classic enchiladas into a lighter layered version.

Posted by Katie O.

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Salsa verde chicken enchiladas baked into a layered casserole and lightened up!

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You Will Need (17 things)

  • Shredded Chicken

  • 1 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1 White Onion
  • 3 Garlic Cloves , peeled

  • Salsa Verde

  • 1 ½ lbs Tomatillos
  • 1 White Onion
  • 3 Garlic Cloves , from cooking shredded chicken
  • 2 Jalapeño Pepper , stemmed, seeded and chopped
  • ½ cup Fresh Cilantro
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
  • Salt , to taste

  • Enchilada Assembly

  • 3 cup Salsa Verde
  • ½ lbs Small Corn Tortillas
  • 2 ½ cup Shredded Chicken
  • ½ cup Cheddar Cheese or Manchego Cheese

Steps (3 steps, 60 minutes)

  1. 1

    Shredded Chicken:
    1. Fill a large pot ¾ of the way with water and bring to a boil. Add onion, garlic, and chicken.
    2. Boil for about 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. The timing will depend on the thickness of your chicken breasts, and you may need to pull one out and cut it with a knife to see if it is finished yet.
    3. When thoroughly cooked, remove onion and garlic with a slotted spoon and place into a blender. Remove chicken breasts and let cool before shredding (you can make the salsa verde while the chicken cools). DO NOT discard the water.
    4. Once cool, using your fingers, two forks, or a Kitchen Aid mixer with paddle attachment, pull the chicken apart.

  2. 2

    Salsa Verde:
    1.Remove the outer skin of the tomatillos and rinse clean with water. Add whole tomatillos to the same water used to cook the chicken and return the water to a boil. Once boiling, simmer tomatillos for about 5 minutes, or until tomatillos are soft when you poke them with a fork. Remove tomatillos with a slotted spoon, add them to the blender with the onion and garlic. Discard the water.
    2. Add cilantro, lime juice, and jalapeño peppers to the blender.
    3. Blend everything together until smooth. Season to taste with salt.

  3. 3

    Enchilada Assembly:
    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    2. Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan and spread a layer of salsa verde on the bottom. Cover with tortillas (its okay if they overlap a bit) and sprinkle with shredded chicken. Top with more salsa verde. Continue layering with tortillas, chicken and salsa verde, ending with tortillas, salsa verde, and shredded cheese.
    3. Bake, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown. Remove and let cool for at least ten minutes before slicing and serving.
    4. Garnish with avocado, thinly sliced red onion, and fresh cilantro.