Try this lively, unforgettable recipe with Chef Tom's Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas! Made with juicy grilled chicken thighs and a creamy sour cream cheese sauce, these delicious enchiladas are smothered in a tantalizing fire roasted salsa verde for a truly mouthwatering delight.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Marinating the chicken thighs in a diluted ancho chipotle brine before grilling seasons the meat through, giving the shredded filling flavor beyond what the sauce and salsa add later
- Charring the tomatillos, peppers, and onion directly over flame before blending builds smoky depth into the salsa verde that a raw-blended version couldn't match
- Steaming the charred peppers in a zip-top bag loosens their skins, so they peel cleanly instead of leaving tough, blackened bits in the finished salsa
- Mixing the shredded chicken directly into the sour cream cheese sauce before rolling the enchiladas means every bite of filling is already sauced, rather than relying on the salsa poured over the top to carry all the moisture
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 2 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
Mexican
Servings
12
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 5 minutes
Calories
298
Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, featuring grilled chicken thighs tossed in a sour cream cheese sauce, stuffed into flour tortillas and smothered in fire roasted salsa verde.
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
-
1 cup Sweetwater Spice Ancho Chipotle Brine Concentrate
- 5 cups water
-
Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning
- 2 oz pepper jack cheese, grated
- 12 medium flour tortillas
- 1 lb tomatillos, husks removed
- 2 Anaheim peppers
- 2 jalapeño peppers
- 1/2 yellow onion, quartered
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
-
Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 6 oz pepper jack cheese, grated
For the salsa verde:
For the sour cream sauce:
Directions
- Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 450°F, set up for direct grilling, with the door in the diffuser removed (or entire diffuser).
- Combine the Sweetwater Spice Ancho Chipotle Brine Concentrate and water in a Briner Mini 4 quart Briner Bucket. Whisk well. Add the chicken thighs. Marinate thighs for 45-60 min.
- To make the salsa verde, grill peppers, tomatillos and onion over direct flame until the onion and tomatillos are lightly charred and softened, then remove. Char the peppers on all surfaces, then remove from grill and transfer to a zip top bag.
- Allow the peppers about 10 minutes to steam in the bag. Meanwhile, dice on the onion and place in a blender pitcher with the tomatillos, cilantro and garlic.
- Remove the peppers from the bag. Peel off the skins and remove the seeds. Dice the flesh and add to the blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt, to taste.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the Briner Bucket. Pat excess marinade off the surface with a towel. Season the chicken with Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning.
- Grill the thighs over direct heat until the internal temperature reaches 175°F, flipping to brown both sides. Remove from grill and shred meat.
- Lower the heat in the grill to 400°F, and place the door back in the diffuser (or return the entire diffuser to the grill) to set up for indirect grilling. Place the second shelf in place in the grill, as well.
- To make the sour cream sauce, melt the butter in a Lodge 8” Cast Iron skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to make a roux. Keep the roux moving until it just becomes aromatic, about 1 minutes. Add the stock, slowly at first, whisking constantly until all stock is incorporated. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in sour cream and pepper jack cheese. Cook until thickened, just a few minutes.
Combine shredded chicken and sour cream sauce. Mix well.
- Roll 1/4 cup of the chicken into each tortilla.
- Pour 1/2 cup salsa verde in a half sized foil pan. Spread to cover the bottom of the pan. Place the rolled enchiladas in the pan. Pour the remaining salsa verde and pepper jack cheese over the top.
- Place the pan full of enchiladas on the second shelf of the grill and bake until the cheese on top is melted and browning and the sauce is bubbling around the edges, about 45 minutes.
- Remove from the grill and serve warm.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why marinate the chicken thighs in diluted brine before grilling instead of seasoning them dry?
Soaking them in the ancho chipotle brine concentrate for 45-60 minutes seasons the meat through, so the shredded filling carries flavor on its own rather than depending entirely on the sauce and salsa layered on top later.
Why char the tomatillos, peppers, and onion before blending them into the salsa verde?
Grilling them directly over flame first builds smoky depth into the salsa that blending the same vegetables raw wouldn't produce.
Why steam the charred peppers in a zip-top bag before peeling them?
Letting them sit in the bag for about 10 minutes loosens the blackened skin, so it peels away cleanly rather than leaving tough, charred bits mixed into the finished salsa.
Why mix the shredded chicken into the sour cream cheese sauce before rolling the enchiladas, instead of just topping them with sauce?
Combining the two first means every bite of filling is already sauced and moist, rather than relying on the salsa verde poured over the top to carry all the moisture on its own.
What internal temperature should the chicken thighs actually reach?
This recipe grills them until they reach 175°F, comfortably above the USDA minimum of 165°F for poultry no correction needed here.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
4 out of 5 a hot cast iron grill pan or broiler on the stovetop can char the salsa vegetables and cook the chicken; a regular oven bakes the assembled enchiladas exactly the way the grill does here.
Recipe Highlights
Diluted brine marinade: Seasons the chicken through before it's shredded.
Charred salsa verde base: Builds smoky depth beyond a raw-blended salsa.
Bag-steamed peppers: Makes the blackened skin easy to peel cleanly.
Pre-sauced filling: Ensures every bite of chicken is moist before rolling.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 8.24 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 298
- Carbs
- 16 grams
- Protein
- 20 grams
- Fat
- 18 grams
- Sodium
- 307 milligrams
