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Chicken enchiladas are one of my family’s favorite meals for dinner. Sometimes, it’s nice to take a break from red enchiladas and serve these green enchiladas suizas instead. The Verde Sauce is so fresh and full of authentic Mexican flavor. This is a wonderful dinner dish just waiting to be served during a summer evening.
Tomatillos, also called Mexican green tomatoes, are abundant during summer and early autumn. They are full of Vitamins C and K, niacin, potassium, and fiber.
There are several steps to making these enchiladas, but don’t let that intimidate you because the steps are really simple. The Verde Sauce can be made ahead of time and freezes well too.
During the late spring or early summer evenings , we enjoy having our Sunday family dinners outdoors. This picture was taken of me with my daughters on one of those Sunday evenings, which happened to be on Mother’s Day.
Healthy Enchiladas Suizas
Adapted from San Diego Cuisine
Serves 6
For the Chicken:
- 3 to 4 chicken breast, boneless and skinless
- 1 onion, quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and slightly mashed
- Salt and pepper to taste
In a heavy pot with lid, cover chicken with water and simmer with onion and garlic for 45 minutes. Start on the Verde Sauce while the chicken simmers.
Drain, let cool, and shred. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
For the Verde Sauce:
- 4 pounds fresh tomatillos
- *1-cup water (reserved)
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar or agave
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
Remove skin from tomatillos, cover with water and boil in water for 20 minutes. Drain and *reserve 1 cup of cooking water. Cool tomatillos in cold water. Transfer cooled tomatillos to a food processor or blender, add onion, cilantro, salt, sugar or agave, and garlic, puree until smooth, thinning with reserved water if necessary.
Makes 4 cups
For the Enchiladas:
- 12 corn tortillas
- Shredded Chicken
- 3 cups Verde Sauce
- 1-½ cups diced green chilies
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese grated
- ¼ cup chopped black olives
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. One at a time, dip both sides of tortillas in warm Verde Sauce, fill with 2 tablespoons chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons chilies, roll into enchilada shape, and place on bottom of a 9-by-13 inch baking dish. Pour remaining Verde Sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle them with cheese and olives. Bake for 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 509 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 459
Calories from Fat 128
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14.2g
Saturated Fat 3.9g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 90mg
Sodium 522mg22%
Total Carbohydrates 48.3g
Dietary Fiber 11.6g
Sugars 4.9g
Protein 39.1g
Vitamin A 47%•Vitamin C 71%Calcium 23%•Iron 24%
Nutrition Grade A
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet
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