Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe is easy to make and full of flavor. This is my go to when I have all the ingredients lying around the kitchen. I prefer to use chicken thighs, but I think that pork or even tofu would work in this recipe. You can omit whatever ingredients you'd like, but the flavors are delicious. You can also really impress your diners by making your own enchilada sauce and salsa verde. But to keep it short and quick and easy to make, I like to use Trader Joe's enchilada sauce in a jar, and whatever kind of salsa verde you can get your hands on.


Chicken Enchiladas
4 chicken thighs
1 small to medium white onion, small chop
3 small chili peppers, fresh
1 can (10oz) salsa verde
2 limes juiced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated with microplane
corn tortillas
Cheese, sliced- a variety can be used, suggestions : sharp cheddar, jalapeno jack, colby etc
salt and pepper
veggie oil ( I wouldn't use olive oil with this dish unless it doesn't taste too much like olives, veggie oil is a bit more muted of a flavor, better for Mexican foods)


Heat oil in pan on high heat, salt and pepper the chicken. When pan is hot, place chicken. Brown on one side, flip and brown the other, take out of pan. (not going to be fully cooked).

In the same pan, add diced onions, lower to medium heat, cook onions on med until transparent. add chilies. cook down. Deglaze pan with lime juice, reduce until liquid is almost gone. Add garlic and heat until just fragrant, do not burn.

While the onions etc are sweating, dice the chicken thighs into a fine dice. turn heat back up to high, and add diced chicken meat. Cook until meat is done, browning the meat as much as you can. Deglaze pan with salsa verde. Let reduce, lower to medium heat. Cook on medium for another 5 minutes. remove from heat.

Using a large baking pan (a lasagna size pan; glass or metal), pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce on bottom. heat corn tortillas over open flame of stove (helps them roll up better if they are heated). Place piece of cheese into tortilla, top with chicken mixture roll place in baking pan seam side down, continue until pan is full. Cover the tortillas with remaining enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with more grated cheese, and bake in oven at 325 for 10-15. (remember, all ingredients in this are cooked, so you are really just heating the enchiladas through and melting the cheese, so don't leave in too long) Cut and serve.