This cheesy Green Chicken Enchiladas Recipe with Salsa Verde recipe boasts added nutrition from kale in a creamy, piquant sauce. Using rotisserie chicken makes it weeknight-friendly!
If you're looking for a fun, crowd-pleasing weeknight meal idea, this is it! With rotisserie chicken and lots of cheese, even the pickiest eaters won't bat an eye about eating kale in this form.
I absolutely love Tex-Mex flavors! But I don't often go out for Tex-Mex, and I even more rarely make it at home. I realized I had to fix that.
Tex-Mex is not only fun to eat, but a lot of recipes are also family-friendly. And they can be healthy with a few easy tricks up your sleeve, like sneaking green vegetables into green enchiladas!
Green Chicken Enchiladas Recipe with Salsa Verde
In this Green Chicken Enchiladas Recipe with Salsa Verde, flavorful creamy, cheesy, salsa verde chicken filling is combined with sautéed onion, garlic, and kale. The filling is good enough to eat on its own, but I roll it up in tortillas.
Line them up in a baking tray, top with more salsa verde and more cheese. The result is a meal you'll want seconds of, and won't mind eating again for lunch the next day!
Are Enchiladas Healthy?
Like anything else, you can make enchiladas into a healthy meal! Enchiladas are as healthy as the ingredients you put in. These Green Chicken Enchiladas feature chicken and kale, so they're a full meal.
Kale in This Green Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Kale, that humble leafy green that leaves so many other veggies green with envy.
This vegetable is wildly popular these days because of its numerous health benefits, plus the fact that it’s versatile and pretty darn delicious. Suddenly, kale is like the little black dress of the veggie world; everyone’s eating it!
The fact that these enchiladas are meant to be green (hello, salsa verde!), means sneaking kale into them is as easy as pie.
Salsa Verde FAQs
If you're not familiar with salsa verde, give it a try! It's a fun switch from regular salsa. Salsa verde is a Mexican sauce that means "green sauce".
What Is in Salsa Verde?
Roasted tomatillos and green chili peppers are the base of salsa verde. Acid from lime juice, lemon juice, or vinegar is a common addition. Also, cilantro and onion and/or garlic are often added to salsa verde.
What Does Salsa Verde Taste Like?
Tomatillos give salsa verde a bright, fruity flavor with a bit of tang. Using roasted tomatillos will give the salsa verde a roasted, smoky flavor.
Salsa verde isn't overly spicy-hot. Of course the hotter the peppers in it, the hotter the sauce will be, but in general it's not fire-in-your-mouth-hot.
What Do You Eat Salsa Verde With?
- Sauce for grilled chicken, steak, or fish
- Condiment for tacos, taco salads, enchiladas, burritos, etc.
- Topping for fried eggs
- Dip for tortilla chips
More Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes to Try:
- Turkey Taco Rice Salad Bowls
- Mole Sauce
- Beef Queso Soup
- Shredded Beef Taco Salad
- Low Carb Cheesy Chicken Casserole with Poblano Peppers
- How to Make Corn Tortillas
- Egg Skillet Breakfast Recipe
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below because I love hearing from you! You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media. To stay up-to-date FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Xoxo, Faith
Green Chicken Enchiladas Recipe with Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for the dish
- 1 medium-large onion chopped
- 5 ounces baby kale
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup milk plus more as needed
- 16 ounce jar salsa verde divided
- 12 ounces cooked shredded rotisserie chicken or about 2 large chicken breasts (about 3 cups)
- 4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese shredded and divided
- 8 8-inch round soft flour tortillas
- 2 scallions white and green parts, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and brush the inside of a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish with oil.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the kale, cover the skillet, and cook until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
- Add the oregano, cumin, salt, black pepper, cream cheese, milk, and ½ cup salsa verde. Bring up to a simmer, then add the chicken and simmer 1 to 2 minutes, adding more milk to thin the sauce out if needed. Turn off the heat and stir in ⅓ of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Measure ½ cup salsa verde and reserve it for topping; spread the rest of the salsa verde in the bottom of the oiled dish.
- Wrap a slightly scant ½ cup of the chicken filling in a tortilla and place them seam-side-down in the prepared dish (you should get 8 enchiladas). Spoon the reserved ½ cup salsa verde on top, and sprinkle on the reserved shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake uncovered until the enchiladas start to brown and are warm throughout, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle the scallion on top and serve warm.
Faith's Tips
- Recipe inspired by the recipe for Chicken Enchiladas from Fifty Shades of Kale by Drew Ramsey, M.D. and Jennifer Iserloh (Harper Wave; July 2013).
- Make Ahead: Complete Steps 1 through 5; cover the dish and keep refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking.
- Reheat: Reheat the leftovers in an oven-safe baking dish covered with foil in a 350F oven until warm, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on October 5, 2015. It was updated with more information on March 10, 2020.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items. Thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!
Jacques says
I love this recipe! Just wondering how fine or coarse y'all chop the kale? I chop it quite fine, but is it better in bigger pieces?
Faith says
Jacques, Thank you so much! I also chop the kale into relatively small pieces.
Jay says
I'm waiting to pull these out of the oven now. This is about my 10th time making them, and I just thought I'd browse the reviews to see if everyone else thinks they are as absolutely delicious as I do. Faith- thanks a million for posting a white enchiladas recipe. I've never been a big fan of red sauce enchiladas. You are an absolute genius for incorporating the kale. We are a family of kale lovers over here! Every time my kids realize I'm making this dish they get super excited- just like they are right now!
Kyla says
Am I just missing it? What temp are we preheating the oven to?
Faith says
Kyla, I had accidentally left it out, sorry about that; it's 400F and I just updated the recipe. Thanks for catching that!
Krista says
These enchiladas are absolutely stunning!! It's such a good idea to add whatever you've made onto a bed of greens.
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago says
I'm always looking for ways to incorporate kale into different dishes and this looks like a delicious option!
Bianca @ Sweet Dreaming says
The most unique thing I’ve ever made with kale…I don't think I've been too adventurous, but once I saw a brownie recipe that used kale or spinach!
Kaitie @ Fuchsia Freezer says
i love the twist on a classic dish. These enchiladas look amazing and I'm a huge fan of kale, so this is like having two loves in one dish!
Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says
I love kale and I love Mexican cuisine, so together they are just dynamite! I mean, kale just tastes good, is easy to work with, and has plenty of nutrition :)
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I've never made enchiladas before but I so have to try this recipe out - the creamy chicken and kale combination sounds divine.
Steph says
I haven't made anything too exciting with kale!!! Just kale chips with various seasonings
Debbie Spivey says
I'm learning to like kale. My favorite recipe is Spanish-Style White Bean, Kale & Chorizo Soup it was adapted from a Sara Moulten recipe.
Gina Marie says
Love the photography for this post! I had to go through and pin different pictures for my boards. I like putting kale in my soups, especially with chicken sausage and beans.
Rosa says
They look delicious! Lovely ingredients and great dish.
Cheers,
Rosa