This is not a light meal, and I’m not going to pretend it is. It involves heavy cream, avocados, and cheese, but sometimes that is exactly what a Tuesday night calls for. These green chicken enchiladas are my “emergency button” dinner because they rely heavily on store-bought shortcuts like rotisserie chicken and canned chiles.
The sauce is a bit unconventional because you don’t cook it on the stove; you just blitz everything in a blender. I’ve found that this fresh method keeps the cilantro flavor bright, though I’ll admit the avocado in the sauce means it loses that vibrant green color if you let it sit in the fridge for too long. It still tastes great the next day, but it looks a little less photogenic.
Ingredients
The Filling
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (I usually harvest the meat from one standard rotisserie chicken)
- 2 (4-ounce) cans diced fire-roasted Hatch chiles
- 1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
- 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or Monterey Jack
- 8 to 10 large flour tortillas (8-inch size)
The Blender Sauce
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
- 1 cup fresh cilantro (it’s fine to include the tender stems)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Prep the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with a little cooking spray.
- Blend the sauce: Toss the heavy cream, chicken broth, avocados, cilantro, cumin, garlic salt, half of the kosher salt, and the lime juice into a blender. Blitz it on high until it’s pale green and completely smooth.
- Mix the filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, diced onion, and the canned chiles (juice and all). Pour in about a cup of your blender sauce and stir it up. Give it a taste here—store-bought chickens vary wildly in saltiness, so you might not need to add any extra salt.
- Base layer: Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. This stops the tortillas from sticking and turning into a gummy mess on the bottom.
- Roll: Place a scoop of the chicken mixture onto a tortilla, sprinkle with a little cheese, roll it up, and place it seam-side down in the pan. Squeeze them in tightly.
- Top and Bake: Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas. It might look like a lot of liquid, but the tortillas will soak it up. Top with the rest of the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Finish: Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes to brown the cheese. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving so the sauce can set slightly.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The “Cheat” Sauce: Traditional enchilada sauces require a roux and simmering. This one just needs a blender and 5 minutes.
- Creaminess Factor: The combination of heavy cream and avocado creates a texture that is incredibly rich.
- Pantry Friendly: Aside from the fresh produce, most of these ingredients (canned chiles, broth, tortillas) can live in your kitchen until you’re ready.
Chef’s Tips for Perfection
- Tortilla Choice: I use flour tortillas here because they are softer and absorb the creamy sauce well. If you prefer corn tortillas, you must quickly fry them in hot oil for 10 seconds first, or they will crack when you roll them.
- The Salt Balance: Be careful with the salt. The rotisserie chicken, the canned chiles, the cheese, and the garlic salt all bring sodium to the party. Taste your filling before you roll.
- Avocado Oxidation: Because the sauce contains fresh avocado, the top layer might turn slightly brown if leftovers are exposed to air. It’s purely cosmetic and safe to eat.
Storage and Reheating
These keep for about 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Note that flour tortillas will get very soft—almost dumpling-like—the longer they sit in the sauce. To reheat, use the oven at 350°F (covered) to keep them warm without drying out the edges, or microwave individual portions.
Nutritional Notes
This is a calorie-dense meal due to the heavy cream and avocados. It provides a significant amount of fat and protein. A serving size is typically 1 to 2 enchiladas depending on your appetite.
