Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A weeknight Tex-Mex tray of enchiladas built on shredded rotisserie chicken and a five-minute blender green chile cream sauce. The one technique that matters: warm each tortilla in oil, then dip it in the hot sauce before rolling, so it stays soft and never cracks or turns to mush in the oven.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 4-oz cans diced mild green chiles, with liquid
• 1 jalapeño, stemmed and roughly chopped (seeds removed for less heat)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

• 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, skin discarded (about 1 chicken)
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese
• Chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, pickled jalapeños and lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set out a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate for dipping tortillas.
2. Make the sauce base: melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes until it smells toasty but has not browned. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking, then bring to a simmer and cook 3 to 4 minutes, whisking, until it thickens to the consistency of thin gravy.
3. Blend the green chiles, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt with about 1 cup of the hot broth mixture in a blender until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour the puree back into the saucepan, return to a bare simmer, and cook 2 minutes.
4. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 2 minutes, then whisk in the lime juice and sour cream until smooth. Taste and add salt as needed. Do not let the sauce boil after the sour cream goes in or it can break. Keep it warm over low heat — it should be hot but not bubbling.
5. Make the filling: in a large bowl, toss the shredded chicken with 1 cup Monterey Jack, the scallions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and 3/4 cup of the warm green chile sauce so the filling is moist but not soupy.
6. Spread 3/4 cup of sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Pour about 1 1/2 cups of the warm sauce into the shallow dipping bowl and reserve the rest in the pan.
7. Warm the tortillas so they roll without cracking: heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high until it shimmers, then slip in one tortilla at a time for 8 to 10 seconds per side, just until floppy and fragrant — not crisp. Drain briefly on paper towels and stack them.
8. Working with one warm tortilla at a time, lay it in the bowl of hot sauce and turn to coat both sides (2 to 3 seconds a side is plenty). Lift it out, set it on a plate, spoon about 1/3 cup of filling down the center, roll snugly, and place it seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining 11 tortillas, adding more sauce to the dipping bowl as it runs low.
9. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the rolled enchiladas, making sure the ends are covered so they don't dry out, and scatter the 2 cups of shredded cheese over the top.
10. Bake uncovered for 22 to 25 minutes, until the sauce bubbles at the edges and the cheese is fully melted. For lightly browned spots, run the dish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely.
11. Let the enchiladas rest 8 to 10 minutes so the sauce sets, then top with cilantro, scallions, and pickled jalapeños. Serve with lime wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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