Blackened Chicken Enchiladas

Creamy, cheesy, and so very easy to make, these Blackened Chicken Enchiladas are here to liven up your kitchen! Each enchilada is slathered in homemade salsa verde, filled with tender blackened chicken, then smothered in cheese, sour cream, red onion, cilantro, and a whole lot of love!

Ingredients

For the Salsa Verde

1 1/2 lbs tomatillos with husks removed and rinsed

1/2 jalapeno up to 1 jalapeno for more heat (with stem removed or for even more heat, 1 serrano chile pepper)

1/3 cup cilantro packed

1/2 cup chopped onion

4 tsp fresh lime juice

2 garlic cloves

salt to taste I start with 1/2 tsp for reference

For the Chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tsp cajun or blackened seasoning up to 2 tsp

1 chipotle pepper plus 1 tbsp chipotle sauce

3 tbsp Land O Lakes® Butter with Canola Oil

1/2 cup sour cream optional

For Enchilada Assembly

1/4 cup Land O Lakes® Butter with Canola Oil or more as needed

12-14 corn tortillas

2 cups Monterey jack or Mexican cheese blend

red onion chopped for garnish

tomatoes chopped for garnish

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions

For the Salsa Verde

Find the full recipe HERE

For the Chicken

Add chicken to a medium sized pot or pan then cover with chicken broth. Sprinkle in Cajun seasoning, chipotle pepper, and sauce then add Land O Lakes® Butter with Canola Oil.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and cook covered for about 20 minutes. Remove chicken and place in a separate bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, shred chicken with a fork or knife or even with a hand mixer, then toss with ½ cup of the premade salsa verde and sour cream, if desired, and set aside.

To Assemble

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add 1 tablespoon Butter with Canola Oil to a pan and melt over medium-high heat. Add 1 corn tortilla and cook for about 10-15 seconds then flip over and cook again for another 10-15 seconds. Remove from the pan and place on paper towels to drain. Repeat with all the tortillas (add more butter with canola oil as needed) until they are all warmed through.

Add ½ cup of salsa verde to the bottom of a greased or nonstick sprayed casserole dish and spread out.

Next add about 1 tablespoon prepared chicken to the center of each tortilla and roll it up. Add each filled tortilla seam down to the greased casserole dish and repeat until complete.

Pour the rest of the salsa over the top of the tortillas evenly, top with cheese, then finally cover with foil.

Bake for about 15 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 5-10 minutes more until the cheese is completely melted.

Garnish with chopped red onion, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream if desired and serve.

Notes

Store any leftover enchiladas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Alternatively, enchiladas can be frozen for 2-3 months.

To reheat leftover enchiladas, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking dish with aluminum foil. Place the enchiladas in the dish, cover with another piece of aluminum foil, and bake for about 20 minutes, uncovering the dish for the last 5-10 minutes. If reheating from frozen, add about 10-15 minutes of baking time.

If you’d prefer to use the microwave, that’s alright! Place the enchiladas on a microwave-safe plate, make a few shallow cuts into the tortillas, then tent them with a moistened paper towel. Heat for 1 minute on high. If it’s not hot enough, continue to heat in 30-second intervals.