Easy Roast Chicken and Poblano Enchiladas Recipe

This Easy Roast Chicken and Poblano Enchiladas Recipe is a family favorite! Trust me when I say: there is no real replacement for freshly made enchilada sauce. Canned is great, don’t get me wrong. I have a few cans in my pantry for days when I’m in a pinch and I don’t want to make it, but this sauce. It’s smoky, slightly spicy, and just subtly sweet because of the roasted garlic and onion. It’s sooooo good. Prep a batch of these delicious easy chicken enchiladas on a Sunday and enjoy your leftovers throughout the week.

Why You'll Love this Easy Roast Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

I absolutely love making enchiladas. Soften corn tortillas dressed in a savory and slightly spicy sauce and filled with lots of veggies and proteins. We amp up the veggie count here using squash from our CSA and corn from the freezer. It's always good to have some frozen veggies on hand for this purpose. You can use whatever vegetables you like! We also use leftover diced roast chicken to save a step. Alternatively, you can leave it out for a vegetarian option. And of course: don’t forget the cheese.

Ingredients for these Easy Roast Chicken and Poblano Enchiladas

This recipe will yield about 10 enchiladas. Here's what we need to make them:

• Assorted Peppers: Anaheim peppers, poblano peppers, and jalepeños will be used here.
• Tomatillos: To create our zesty sauce, I love the use of tomatillos here. I'm also partial to enchiladas verdes or enchiladas with a green sauce. It compliments the flavors of the chicken beautifully.
• Garlic: A part of our aromatics to give the sauce its delicious flavor.
• Dried spices and Seasonings: We'll use a mix of dried Mexican oregano and cumin to help add flavor to our sauce and filling.
• Olive Oil:
• Seasonal vegetables: zucchini and paddy pan squash are great in summer. When corn is in season, I love adding in some fire roasted corn to our enchilada filling too.
• Corn Tortillas:
• Cheese of Choice: We're using shredded Monterey Jack cheese here. You can also use queso fresco or a shredded Mexican cheese blend.
• Garnish options: chopped fresh cilantro, crema, cotija.

How to Make These Delicious Enchiladas

When it comes to making these delicious chicken and poblano enchiladas, the biggest prep will come from roasting the peppers. Here's how we do it:

Part 1: Making the Sauce

• First, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove the husks from your tomatillos. Rinse the tomatillos to remove the sticky residue, pat dry with a towel, and place on the parchment lined baking sheet. Rinse your remaining peppers, pat dry with a towel, and place them on the baking sheet with tomatillos. Add your garlic cloves with the skins still on to avoid burning the cloves while they roast. Slice your half onion into fourths and add to the peppers and garlic. Drizzle the peppers and onions with olive oil and toss to combine.
• Roast on center rack for 40 to 50 minutes until onions soften and peppers begin to brown and blister. Cool slightly before removing stems and seeds from the poblanos, Anaheim peppers, and jalapeños. Remove garlic cloves from their skins. Take one of the poblanos and dice finely for your enchilada filling. Set aside. Lower your oven temp to 350 degrees.
• With the exception of your tomatillos, give your peppers a rough chop and add to your blender. Add your tomatillos, onion, and peeled roasted garlic cloves. Add in 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, oregano, cumin, and cilantro. Blend on low speed until well combined and smooth. If sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon or two or water at a time until your sauce is desired consistency—not too watery but not too thick. Pour into a nonstick skillet and keep warm on low heat while prepping the rest of your enchiladas.

Part 2: Preparing the Filling

• Next, dice your roast chicken and set aside. In a separate nonstick skillet heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Dice your zucchini and onion and mince your garlic. Add your diced onion the skillet and season with a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes, then add your garlic and zucchini squash.
• Sauté the veggies until zucchini is softened, about 5 minutes. Add your corn and cook until warmed through and any liquid from frozen corn is evaporated, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add your diced chicken, the reserved diced poblano, and about a ¼ cup of your prepared enchilada sauce. Stir to combine everything together. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. This is your enchilada filling.

Preparing the Enchiladas

To prep the enchiladas for baking:

• Heat about 1 cup neutral oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil bubbles immediately when you touch the edge of a tortilla to the surface, it’s ready to fry your tortillas. Working with one at a time, fry the tortillas, turning once, about 10 to 20 seconds per side; the tortillas should still be pliable but slightly browned. Transfer your tortillas to the warmed enchilada sauce, about two or three at a time, to coat your tortillas in the sauce. Remove your prepared tortillas to a plate and work on saucing the rest of your tortillas.
• Ladle a spoonful of sauce onto a baking dish for your enchiladas. This will help prevent some sticking while baking. Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon a couple tablespoons of filling on your tortilla, roll them up, and place them in your prepared baking dish. Repeat until all tortillas have been filled. Top your enchiladas with remaining sauce and sprinkle your cheese on top.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees until cheese is melty and golden and edges of enchiladas are crisp. Allow to sit 10 minutes to cool slightly before serving. Serve with chopped fresh cilantro, dollops of crema, and cotija, if desired.

FAQs

Easy Roast Chicken and Poblano Enchiladas Recipe

Frances Kellar

I love the flavors of poblano chiles in this delicious filling and homemade enchilada sauce that is the epitome of easy weeknight comfort food.

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Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Roasting Peppers 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 10 enchiladas

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 6 Anaheim peppers
• 3 poblano peppers
• 1 pound tomatillos
• 2 jalapeños
• 6 garlic cloves whole
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 cup chopped cilantro stems and leaves
• 2 cups diced roast chicken
• 2 paddy pan squash or 1 large zucchini
• ½ yellow onion
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ cup diced roasted poblano pepper
• ½ cup frozen fire roasted corn or sweet white corn
• 10 corn tortillas
• Scant 1 cup neutral oil like canola
• ¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Garnish options: chopped fresh cilantro crema, cotija.

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove the husks from your tomatillos. Rinse the tomatillos to remove the sticky residue, pat dry with a towel, and place on the parchment lined baking sheet. Rinse your remaining peppers, pat dry with a towel, and place them on the baking sheet with tomatillos.
• Add your garlic cloves with the skins still on to avoid burning the cloves while they roast. Slice your half onion into fourths and add to the peppers and garlic. Drizzle the peppers and onions with olive oil and toss to combine. Roast on center rack for 40 to 50 minutes until onions soften and peppers begin to brown and blister. Cool slightly before removing stems and seeds from the poblanos, Anaheim peppers, and jalapeños. Remove garlic cloves from their skins. Take one of the poblanos and dice finely for your enchilada filling. Set aside. Lower your oven temp to 350 degrees.
• With the exception of your tomatillos, give your peppers a rough chop and add to your blender. Add your tomatillos, onion, and peeled roasted garlic cloves. Add in 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, oregano, cumin, and cilantro. Blend on low speed until well combined and smooth. If sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon or two or water at a time until your sauce is desired consistency—not too watery but not too thick. Pour into a nonstick skillet and keep warm on low heat while prepping the rest of your enchiladas.
• Dice your roast chicken and set aside. In a separate nonstick skillet heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Dice your zucchini and onion and mince your garlic. Add your diced onion the skillet and season with a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes, then add your garlic and zucchini squash. Sauté the veggies until zucchini is softened, about 5 minutes. Add your corn and cook until warmed through and any liquid from frozen corn is evaporated, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add your diced chicken, the reserved diced poblano, and about a ¼ cup of your prepared enchilada sauce. Stir to combine everything together. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. This is your enchilada filling.
• Heat about 1 cup neutral oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil bubbles immediately when you touch the edge of a tortilla to the surface, it’s ready to fry your tortillas. Working with one at a time, fry the tortillas, turning once, about 10 to 20 seconds per side; the tortillas should still be pliable but slightly browned. Transfer your tortillas to the warmed enchilada sauce, about two or three at a time, to coat your tortillas in the sauce. Removed your prepared tortillas to a plate and work on saucing the rest of your tortillas.
• Ladle a spoonful of sauce onto a baking dish for your enchiladas. This will help prevent some sticking while baking. Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon a couple tablespoons of filling on your tortilla, roll them up, and place them in your prepared baking dish. Repeat until all tortillas have been filled. Top your enchiladas with remaining sauce and sprinkle your cheese on top.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees until cheese is melty and golden and edges of enchiladas are crisp. Allow to sit 10 minutes to cool slightly before serving. Serve with chopped fresh cilantro, dollops of crema, and cotija, if desired.

Keyword easy recipes, dinner ideas, enchiladas

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