This was one of the dishes we learned at our fun Mexican cooking class at La Cocina de Pueblito during our trip to Mayakoba in the Riviera Maya.
But also… growing up in the late 80s, both my mom and grandma made a VERY similar dish to this and by the 90s it was a go-to (somewhat special) dinner staple…like this was a dinner guest worthy meal – I’m not sure what that means! But I am dying to know which women’s magazine in a 1980s Publix checkout line had this recipe!!
Like the Tortilla Soup recipe, Chef Sandy de la Mora (IG: @sandy.delamora) has detailed a simple set of ingredients that are easy to prepare and assemble. And like the soup, a few key items in the prep are all you really need to pay attention to, in order to have a successful dish.
Here are my suggestions:
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Pay attention to get a good char on the vegetable without totally burning them. This roasting will deepen the flavor of the salsa.
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You can toast your black peppercorn – even though it’s a minor seasoning in this dish – I think it’s always going to add an extra flavor punch if you do.
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Making your own chicken is easy and you can control how much salt and flavor goes into it versus buying a store bought roasted chicken which you have on control over. Conversely, nothing is simpler than a store bought roast chicken, and I do think a premade rotisserie chicken is a powerful grocery store hack to utilize when you need to.
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Tortillas in this recipe are intended to be store bought as well, however making your own tortillas from masa and water is pretty damn satisfying. We had the chance to make our own at La Cocina de El Pueblito cooking school – not sure it’s something I would do all the time, but I’m glad to have tried it at least once!
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Toppings can run the gamut, growing up we typically used sour cream and a basic mozzarella type white cheese (yay suburban america!), but using more authentic Mexican crema and queso blanco or cotija will absolutely amp up the authenticity of this dish.
GREEN ENCHILADAS
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
GREEN SALSA
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10 Green Tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
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1/2 White Onion, layers separated
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2 Garlic Cloves
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1 Bunch Cilantro
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2 Jalapeno Pepper (add seeds for additional heat)
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Salt & Pepper to taste
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1 Tablespoon / 15ml Neutral Oil
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8 Cups / 2 Liters Water, Boiling
ENCHILADAS
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2 Cups / 240g Cooked Chicken, Shredded
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1/2 White Onion, for Chicken filling
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1 Cup / 236ml Neutral Oil, for frying of Tortillas
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12 Corn Tortillas, small size (4″-6″, typically)
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2 Cup / 450g Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, for melted topping
GARNISH
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1/2 Cup / 123g Mexican Style Crema (or Sour Cream)
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1/2 Cup /127 g Cotija Cheese (or Queso Fresco)
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Chopped White Onion, Avocado, Cilantro, Jalapeno slices – your choice!
INSTRUCTIONS:
Make the Green Salsa:
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Fill medium pot with 8 cups/1892ml water and bring to low boil.
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Roast the tomatillos, jalapenos and onions (either stove top or broil). When charring starts to happen on the veg, add the garlic to the mix.
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Note 1: you should protect whatever vessel you use to roast the tomatillos in with foil – when roasted, the sticky skin layer under the husk can become very difficult to clean off of a pan after the roasting.
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Note 2: You want a moderate char on all the vegetables but be sure to remove the tomatillos from heat if they burst – you don’t want to lose the juices of these.
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Add the vegetable to the pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. You want to soften the vegetable and their char.
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After their boiling water bath, remove the veg from the pot individually or with a strainer and transfer to a blender.
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Note: some blenders aren’t equipped to operate with hot foods – if this is your case, let your veg cool before blending.
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Begin blending your charred vegetables. Add the bunch of cilantro, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth
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Heat tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in medium sauce pan until hot, but not smoking.
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Add salsa to hot oil and simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes until it thickens and deepens in color. You may see a white foam form which you can stir back in or skim off if desired – this is normal.
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Taste for seasoning, add salt, black pepper or jalapeno if desired.
Prepare the shredded Chicken:
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You can either prepare you own chicken or buy store bought rotisserie chicken. If you want to make your own – you can simply boil 1-2 breast of boneless skinless chicken in seasoned water until internal temp is 160° F, about 15 minutes, remove and shred with two forks.
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Heat oil in pan and add 1/2 onion chopped. Heat until translucent, then add the chicken to combine and meld flavors.
Prepare the Tortillas, assemble the Enchiladas and bake:
Pre heat the oven 375° F
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In a pan over medium heat, add 1/2″ neutral oil, heat for about 3 minutes.
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Gently dredge each tortilla through the oil to soften and make pliable – flip and dredge both sides to ensure equal exposure. They should be able to be folded without breakage.
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Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, stack up the tortillas with pieces of paper towel between each tortilla.
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Take one tortilla and place chicken mixture (approx. 2 tablespoons) in center of the tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a baking dish, repeat for all tortillas.
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Liberally cover bare enchiladas with the green salsa, top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 8 – 10 minutes. (Pull out when cheese is melted, slightly toasted and bubbly)
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Garnish with your choice of toppings such as creme our sour cream, cotija cheese crumbles, chopped onion, cilantro, jalapeno slices – its up to you!
Enjoy!
