Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are a flavorful New Mexico classic with Hatch Valley chile peppers, salsa verde, cream cheese, chicken, and navy beans.
My favorite thing about the chicken enchiladas is heat of green chiles, and of COURSE the lovely melty cheese on top. We love to make green chile enchiladas with homemade sourdough discard tortillas and top them with Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing and all the fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream our hearts desire!
Any brand of green chiles will work for this recipe! You do NOT need to use Hatch Valley green chiles, any kind will work! New Mexico is famous for its chile peppers grown in Hatch Valley, and the best roasted peppers never leave the state and are roasted every harvest season. These chiles make this enchilada recipe special and packed with flavor.
This post includes step-by-step instructions to make the enchilada filling, variations, storage tips, and FAQ's.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Taste: Creamy, cheesy enchiladas with a little spice from the Hatch green chiles and classic latin seasonings for a genuine taste of New Mexico. This recipe uses salsa verde instead of green enchilada sauce for the tangy flavor.
- Ease: Easy to assemble once the filling is cooked. It's versatile and customizable! See the substitutions section to adjust spice levels, use different cheeses, or substitute proteins.
- Time: 15-20 minutes to make the filling and assemble the enchiladas, and 30 minutes to bake. It can be prepared in advance and frozen for later, perfect for a make-ahead meal.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Chicken - chicken breasts or chicken thighs work really well for this recipe, they cook evenly and are juicy. I use seasonings similar to my Homemade Chicken Taco Seasoning blend.
- Diced Green Chile (preferably Hatch)- they can be found online or in grocery stores. This recipe uses the flame roasted variety from Hatch Valley in New Mexico, but as long as they're green chiles any brand will work!
- Cream Cheese- makes the sauce nice and creamy!
- Navy Beans - adds protein, flavor, and rounds out the enchiladas nicely. You can always leave them out if you don't like them! I love to make Instant Pot Navy Beans ahead of time and use them.
- Salsa Verde - tastes SO MUCH BETTER than canned green enchilada sauce, which tastes pretty bland. Salsa verde is made with tomatillos and tastes more tangy, canned green chile sauce for enchiladas has a little spice but little in the way of zesty flavor.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Rotisserie Chicken is a fantastic substitute for the raw chicken! Just saute the onions and peppers, and add chopped cooked rotisserie chicken in to save a little time. I would leave out the salt if you use it though!
- For a vegetarian option, use mushrooms or other veggies like zucchini in place of the chicken, vegetable bouillon, and cream of celery soup as alternatives.
- Cream cheese can easily be swapped out for sour cream or plain greek yogurt.
- Bell pepper is a good one to switch out with a poblano pepper.
- For a spicy kick, use hot green chiles or add jalapeños.
Pro Tip: Mixing in different cheeses can add depth to the flavor profile.
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1 - Prepare the Filling Dice the veggies and chicken. Smaller chicken pieces (½ inch cubes) is best (above left image).
- Step 2. Heat a larger frying pan or pot over high heat with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. You'll want a bigger pan (or even a pot) so it can fit everything without overflowing (above right image).
Pro Tip: Roasting your own green chiles enhances the smoky flavor of the enchiladas, especially if you don't have roasted Hatch chiles.
- Step 3. Add all seasonings to the chicken: salt & pepper, garlic & onion powder, cumin, and chicken bouillon. Saute 5-7 minutes, until everything is cooked and peppers/onions are semisoft.
- Step 4 - Make the Sauce In a small bowl mix together salsa verde and cream of chicken soup.
- Step 5. To the chicken and veggies add in the beans, cream cheese, green chiles, and HALF the salsa verde mixture. Make sure to save the rest for the top of the enchiladas so they have a nice sauce on top and don't dry out and get too crispy as they bake.
- Step 6 - Assemble the Enchiladas Spread out 4 tortillas at a time to be more efficient. Sprinkle 2ish Tablespoons of shredded cheese onto each tortilla, followed by about ⅓ cup of enchilada filling on one end of the tortilla.
- Step 7. Roll up the tortillas - fold in the sides, and then roll from one end, keeping the sides tucked in. Enchiladas should be short and fat so they fit in the pan side by side. Line them up in a (9x13inch) pan, should be 10-12 enchiladas.
- Step 8 - Add Sauce and Cheese Spread remaining enchilada sauce mixture (salsa verde and cream of chicken soup) over tops of enchiladas, top with 1 cup shredded cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream, diced tomatoes, cilantro, easy 4 ingredient guacamole, chopped green onions, a side of Instant Pot black beans or brown cilantro lime rice, whatever you'd like!
📌 Common Mistakes & Troubleshooting
- Tortillas Breaking
- Warm up the tortillas (in the package) in the microwave for 30-45 seconds before rolling to help prevent cracking.
- Soggy Enchiladas
- Avoid over-saucing and make sure the oven is properly preheated before baking.
- Bland Flavor
- Taste and adjust seasoning (garlic, salt, and pepper) in the filling and sauce as needed.
🍽️ Serving suggestions
Side Dishes
- Serve with Mexican cilantro rice, refried beans or homemade instant pot black beans, or a fresh green salad.
Toppings
- Garnish with chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, avocado, diced tomatoes, or a dollop of sour cream.
Beverages
- Pair with cold Brazilian Limeade, or a refreshing agua fresca.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Look for brands that use authentic ingredients for the best flavor. I prefer to use salsa verde instead of enchilada sauce since it has a more distinct flavor.
Green chile sauce typically features roasted green chiles and has a smoky flavor, while salsa verde is usually made with tomatillos and has a tangier taste.
Use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas and ensure all other ingredients, like the cream of chicken soup and chicken bouillon are gluten-free.
❄️ Storage & Reheating
Refrigeration: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing: freeze assembled (but not baked) enchiladas for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
Reheating: reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through (can take an hour or longer if they've been frozen so they're not soggy) or microwave individual portions.
🍗 More Delicious Chicken Recipes
Did You Try This Recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Make sure to leave a star rating and a comment below the recipe card. I love hearing from you, and it is so helpful to other readers! Better yet, share it with family and friends. Thank you!!
📝 Printable Recipe
Hatch Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Equipment
- 1 Large frying pan
- 1 9x13 inch pan
Ingredients
- 1½ lb chicken
- 1 green bell pepper
- ½ medium yellow onion
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 8 oz salsa verde
- 1 (15 oz) can navy beans
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup (4 oz) Hatch green chiles (mild or hot, can be canned)
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Dice the chicken, bell pepper, and onion. Smaller chicken pieces (½ inch cubes) is best.
- Heat a large frying pan or pot over high heat with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken, peppers, and onions,
- Add all seasonings to the chicken: salt & pepper, garlic & onion powder, cumin, and chicken bouillon. Saute 5-7 minutes, until everything is cooked and peppers/onions are semisoft.
- In a small bowl mix together salsa verde and cream of chicken soup.
- To the chicken add in beans, cream cheese, green chiles, and HALF the salsa verde mixture. Save the rest for the top of the enchiladas.
- Spread out 4 tortillas at a time, and sprinkle 2ish Tablespoons cheese into each, followed by ⅓ cup of enchilada filling.
- Roll up tortillas (sides first, then from one end to the other so they are short and fat) and line up into a foil lined (9x13inch) pan side by side in two rows of six. Spread remaining salsa verde mixture over the tops of the enchiladas, and top with 1 cup shredded cheese or more if you like.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi there, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
Alexandra says
I love that these use salsa instead of enchilada sauce (which I am not a fan of), and they’re creamy without getting soggy. I did use rotisserie chicken, a red bell pepper, and black beans, because that’s what I had on hand, and they were still great. This will definitely be my go-to enchilada recipe now!
Sara says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! I'm not a fan of green enchilada sauce either. Not enough flavor for me!
Velda Stewart says
I was wondering what made you choose to add bean's?
Sara says
We prefer them with beans. High protein and fiber, lower cost than adding more meat which there’s already plenty of.
Nicki says
Delicious every time!