These Green Chili Chicken & Sour Cream Enchiladas were time intensive as I spent the better part of a Sunday afternoon making them; however they were a labor of love as they turned out amazing! The roasted chili pepper enchilada sauce tasted so fresh and complimented the smooth sour cream interior of the enchiladas so well.
The sauce was prepared in multiple steps, the first involving roasting the peppers. I used Anaheim and Poblano peppers, both which are relatively mild, with the jalapeno taking things up a notch. If you prefer less heat, you can remove the jalapeno. There are other varieties of green chili peppers, just be sure to check heat index before buying. Covering the peppers with foil post-cooking allows them to steam to assist with removing the skin. Removing the skin is important to prevent bitterness in the sauce. Don’t drive yourself crazy trying to remove every piece though, as long as you get the majority. And remember to use gloves while handling the peppers! To simplify, you can use canned diced chilis to make the sauce instead of fresh peppers. I would use 4 cans for the sauce and 1 for the enchilada filling if you choose this route. You could also omit sauce preparation altogether and use a canned enchilada sauce found at the grocery store – my go to is Hatch brand!
In regards to the enchilada filling, I used a rotisserie chicken for my protein source. This was a time saver and allowed me to use a mixture of both white and dark meat. You can certainly cook your own chicken, substitute shredded beef or omit meat altogether for a veggie option. Speaking of veggies, I used a mixture of white and red onion to add complexity of flavor. You can always choose just one to simplify.
There are so many customizable options for this dish. Just be sure not to forget the toppings – extra sour cream, cilantro, pico de gallo, avocado and green onion are some of my favorite! Serve with Mexican rice or refried beans for a complete meal. Let me know what you think of my Green Chili Chicken & Sour Cream Enchiladas!
Green Chili Chicken & Fajita Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 4 Anaheim peppers
- 2 Poblano pepper
- 1 Jalapeno pepper
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tsp salt + more to taste
- 1.5 tsp cumin
- 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups shredded chicken, cooked
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/2 red onion
- 1/2 white onion
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 2.5 cups cheddar jack cheese, shredded
- black pepper, to taste
- 6 large burrito tortillas
Instructions
Green Chili Enchilada Sauce
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Clean, de-stem and remove seeds from all Anaheim, Poblano and Jalapeno peppers. Rub with 1 tbsp olive oil and place on tin foil lined baking sheet.
- Place baking sheet on top rack of oven for 10 minutes, flip, and cook for additional 5 minutes until peppers are blistering.
- Remove from oven and cover tightly with tin foil for 15 minutes to steam.
- Remove tin foil and remove skin of peppers as best you can. Set aside.
- In a pan over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add chopped yellow onion, 1 tsp salt, pepper and cook 5 minutes until soft.
- Add chopped garlic and cook for additional 3 minutes until fragrant. Do not brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Blend 3 Anaheim peppers, 1 Poblano pepper, Jalapeno, onion/garlic mixture, cumin, cilantro and chicken broth in food processor until smooth. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Enchiladas
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Slice green bell pepper, red onion and white onion into thin strips. Cook in 2 tbsp olive oil with salt and pepper (to taste) over medium heat for 10 minutes until soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Dice 1 Anaheim pepper and 1 Poblano pepper.
- Combine shredded chicken, fajita veggies, sour cream, Anaheim/Poblano peppers, 1 cup cheddar jack cheese, 1 tsp salt and black pepper to taste.
- Separate mixture into 6 portions, placing onto 6 tortillas and rolling up into burrito shapes.
- Place in 13×9" deep baking pan sprayed with non-stick spray, seam side down. Pour enchilada sauce over stuffed tortillas. Cover tightly with tin foil.
- Cook for 20 minutes on middle rack until hot. Remove tin foil. Sprinkle with remaining 1.5 cups cheese and return uncovered to oven for 10 minutes until bubbling.
- Serve with desired toppings.
