This recipe for homemade Enchiladas Suizas is a family favorite. The Mexican-inspired casserole is loaded with shredded chicken and cheese rolled into tortillas & covered in an easy creamy salsa verde sauce. Bake until bubbly & hot for a meal that's comforting and hearty.
Why this Enchiladas Suizas Recipe is Amazing: This is one of the best way to use rotisserie chicken meat. Whether it is leftovers from your own baked chicken or the hand-pulled package from Costco, run to make this delicious recipe.
For those not familiar with enchiladas suizas, the term translates to "Swiss enchilada". Though these did not originate in Switzerland the nod comes from the use of dairy (cream or cheese) along with the green salsa.
This recipe is 100% comforting with full fat dairy & loads of protein. For a lower carb enchilada you can also try my Keto Chicken Enchiladas recipe. Ok, now we cook!
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Ingredients for Enchiladas Suizas with Chicken
Here is everything you need for this recipe. You will be making a 4-ingredient blended creamy white enchilada sauce with green chiles. Plus only 3 ingredients for the enchilada & filling.
Using a jarred salsa make this quick, simple, & semi-homemade with all the authentic flavors. Another great shortcut tip, I buy the 2-pound rotisserie chicken already shredded up at Costco. It is a great timesaver & inexpensive in bulk for this & my Keto Chicken Pot Pie Recipe.
Here are important notes for some ingredients:
- Mexican Crema - sour cream
- Salsa Verde - green tomatillo & chile onion salsa jarred or canned such as Herdez.
- Cilantro - fresh leaves
- Garlic - whole fresh cloves
- Shredded Chicken - rotisserie pulled chicken (homemade, Costco, store-bought)
- Shredded Cheese - Monterey jack, Oaxaca, cheddar jack, or other good mild melting cheese
- Corn Tortillas - classic for filling & rolling
- Vegetable Oil - optional, see below
All ingredients are gluten-free. See the recipe card for full list, quantities, & any substitutions/variations.
How to Make Enchiladas Suizas
This recipe looks complicated but it takes just 15 minutes to prep. Blend up the Swiss-inspired enchilada sauce & roll up the enchiladas. If you can convince others to help, this one is fun to do as a family for extra speed.
Here are the easy steps for rolling chicken & cheese enchiladas in creamy green sauce:
- Make the Suizas Sauce
- Fill & Roll the Enchiladas
- Oven Bake the Enchiladas
See the step-by-step instructions with photos below plus the recipe card at the end of the post.
1 - Make the Suizas Sauce
Before making the quick green chile cream sauce, preheat the oven to 350°F. Next wash and dry the cilantro leaves removing most of the stems (some are ok).
Combine the 4 sauce ingredients in a blender cup; salsa verde, crema, cilantro, & whole garlic cloves.
Blend until smooth. (mine took 2 batches since I was using my small Ninja blender cup vs the big blender pitcher)
2 - Fill & Roll the Enchiladas
Once the sauce is ready, set up your rolling station. I like to fill bowls or shallow pie pans with all my items - cheese, chicken, & enchilada sauce. Plus an empty plate to use as my work station.
Add nonstick spray to 9x13 baking dish. Then lightly cover the bottom with some of the enchilada sauce.
Working in batches of 2 tortillas at a time - warm them up so they are soft & pliable. 30 seconds in the microwave or in a skillet with a bit of vegetable oil on medium heat - either way works. (I did the microwave for this version)
Work quickly with the warm tortillas. Begin by barely dipping both sides of a warm corn tortilla in the enchilada sauce. To the center of the tortilla add shredded chicken and cheese to fill it edge to edge as seen here.
Tightly roll the enchilada and gently place it in the baking dish already prepped with sauce on the bottom.
Repeat with remaining enchiladas one by one.
Once all 10 are in the baking dish, pour on the remaining enchilada sauce to cover them all evenly.
Sprinkle on more cheese - as little or as much as you wish.
3 - Oven Bake the Enchiladas
In the preheated oven bake the enchiladas until the edges are bubbly and the cheese has melted.
After 25-30 minutes the enchiladas will look like this. Hot but the enchiladas will still be soft.
For crispy cheese & edges, continue baking another 10 minutes if this is how you prefer them. (or a quick 2 minutes under the broiler)
Serving & Storing
After the enchiladas cool for a few minutes so they set (nothing to ooze out or fall apart), use a spatula to plate 1-2 enchiladas at a time. Top with sour cream, avocado, salsa/hot sauce, or fresh cilantro if desired. Enjoy!
These store well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers in the oven or microwave until the meat is hot inside. Tip; additional green salsa helps bring them back to life so they are not as dry.
You can also assemble and make them the night before & store in the fridge to bake the next day. These can be frozen but the sauce may separate a bit once defrosted due to the crema/sour cream in the sauce.
What to Serve with Enchiladas Suizas : This cozy meal is a favorite in fall or winter and goes well with any of these best sides to serve with enchiladas.
Hands down this is best served with my recipe for Homemade Restaurant Style Mexican Rice. For something lighter, enjoy a refreshing summer dish, Mexican Watermelon Cucumber Salad.
Recipe Tips & Behind the Scenes
Here's my recipe for success - including what I learned when testing, fun stories, recipe history, and more.
- #1 Tip - Work quickly once you warm the tortillas so they will roll easily and not break/crack once cooled off.
- Don't be afraid to use store-bought items like the salsa and shredded chicken & cheese. Makes prep fast perfect for busy weeknight meals.
- This is also a great recipe to use up leftover chicken whether diced, pulled/shredded, or ground.
- If you cannot find the green salsa, a green enchilada sauce will work so try one from my list of best store-bought enchilada sauces.
- Want a vegetarian enchilada recipe, try my Potato Enchiladas that are filling & cheesy good too.
FAQ
Yes, enchiladas suizas can be made with flour or corn tortillas. You can also use zero-carb for a great low-carb/diabetic friendly version if you diet allows.
A mild cheese that melts well is what I always use. Monterey Jack & Oaxaca (a Mexican cheese similar to mozzarella) are favorites. Try also any Mexican blend, Colby, or for a spicy twist try Pepper Jack.
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Enchiladas Suizas
Equipment
- 9x13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 24 ounces Salsa Verde
- 1 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- ⅓ cup cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 10 corn tortillas "king size" not small street taco size
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil optional
- cilantro, crema, avocado, hot sauce, onion, etc additional for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a blender, combine ½ of the salsa verde, crema, cilantro, & garlic. Blend until smooth.24 ounces Salsa Verde, 1 cup Mexican crema , ⅓ cup cilantro , 2 garlic cloves
- In a pie pan, pour in the crema mixture and add the remaining salsa verde, stir to combine. Spoon ¼ of the sauce into the bottom of the 9x12 baking dish to thinly coat the bottom. Set remaining aside.
- Now set up the enchilada filling station on the counter near your stovetop. Have an empty plate next to the stove to start - this will be used for filling & rolling each enchilada.Place the shredded cheese in a bowl or plate. Do the same for the chicken. Set both aside near the prepared sauce.
- Heating up the tortillas - OPTION 1 Bring a medium skillet to heat on the stovetop with a few drops of oil at a time. Once hot, using tongs warm and soft one tortilla at a time in the hot oil. Remove from the pan and let any oil drop off. OPTION 2: heat 2 tortillas at a time in the microwave for 30 seconds. (my favorite way to do this!)Transfer a hot tortilla to the enchilada sauce and quickly & lightly dip it in the sauce on both sides and place on the empty plate.2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Immediately top each heated tortillas with chicken and a tiny bit of cheese to fill the center leaving the edges to roll each one up. For best results I like a 2:1 chicken to cheese ratio (cheese will be on top too so you will get plenty!)
- Place the enchilada seem side down in the baking dish. Continue with remaining tortillas and filling filling the baking dish in a single layer.
- Cover with the remaining sauce and remaining shredded cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. For crispier edges & brown cheese - let it cook another 10 minutes. (see photos above in post for comparison)
- Remove from oven once bubbling and the edges are just getting golden. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving - so the enchiladas set up and the cheese doesn't ooze out.
- Serve on individual plates and top with your favorite - more fresh cilantro, diced onions, avocado slices, hot sauce, or a drizzle more of crema.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- These can be frozen but the sauce may separate a bit once defrosted due to the crema/sour cream in the sauce.
- Reheat each enchilada for 1 minute in the microwave.
- Work fast when rolling the warm tortillas so they stay soft & easy to work with.
- Cheese - try Monterey jack or cheddar jack combo (any favorite melting cheese)
- Chicken - shredded is best but cooked ground chicken or diced can be used or even shredded turkey meat.
- Salsa Verde - use green enchilada sauce as an alternative
- Tortillas - don't like corn, use small flour tortillas instead.
Nutrition
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