These poblano chicken enchiladas are zesty, meaty, and oh, so cheesy. With a full 7 cups of cheese, these creamy enchiladas explode with rich, creamy flavor and just the right amount of heat.
Growing up in California, we were exposed to some amazing Mexican food, and now that we both live in Texas, we’ve discovered even more delicious flavors and recipes.
We love traditional Mexican dishes, but we also love to put our own twist on classics. That’s what we’ve done with these enchiladas. Rather than a red or green enchilada sauce, we’ve made them with a creamy, spicy sauce that’s super rich but has all the sensibilities and flavors of regular enchilada sauce. It’s a tasty dish that always has our friends and family coming back for more, and once your family tries it, they’ll be asking for seconds, too.
Why You’ll Love These Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses simple ingredients found in your kitchen and your local grocery store.
- Easy to Make: Roasting the vegetables and making the enchiladas themselves are both simple, straightforward processes even beginners can do.
- Rich and Creamy: The poblano sauce is super rich and creamy, thanks to both heavy cream and sour cream.
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Shredded boneless skinless chicken breasts are tender, juicy, and meaty, and they make the perfect canvas for the other flavors in the dish.
- Cheese: A blend of Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar cheeses make this an ooey-gooey dish.
- Corn Tortillas: Corn tortillas add a deep flavor and stand up to the sauce and cheesy filling well.
- Tomatillos, Poblanos, and Jalapenos: This blend of peppers creates a sauce that packs a Mike Tyson-sized punch of flavor and heat.
- Sour Cream and Heavy Cream: Sour cream and heavy cream make the poblano sauce super rich and creamy.
- Seasonings: Cumin, cilantro, and black pepper add even more bold flavor.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact measurements.
Flavor Variations
- Chicken: You can make this dish with shredded beef or pork, as well.
- Sour Cream: Full-fat Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream for the same texture and almost the same flavor.
- Cheese: Try other cheeses like Mexican and taco blend for even more south-of-the-border flavor.
- Mild: Omit the jalapenos and use more poblanos for a milder version.
How to Make Poblano Chicken Enchiladas
1: Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Then, toss the poblanos, jalapenos, onions, and garlic with oil and cumin.
2: Step 2 – Spread the vegetables in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes until the poblano skins begin to char.
3: Step 3 – Remove the vegetables from the oven and place them back into the bowl. Then, cover them with plastic wrap and let them steam for 15 minutes to loosen the skin.
4: Step 4 – Remove the skins from the poblanos.
5: Step 5 – Add the vegetables, seasonings, heavy cream, sour cream, and lime juice to a Vitamix, food processor, or blender and blend until smooth.
6: Step 6 – If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with a little more cream or chicken broth.
7: Step 7 – Reduce the oven heat to 350 and lightly spray two 9×13 baking dishes with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
8: Step 8 – Pour 1 cup of poblano sauce into the bottom of each baking dish.
9: Step 9 – Add the shredded chicken and both cheese to the center of each tortilla, then roll them up and place them in the dishes. Repeat until the dishes are full.
10: Step 10 – Add about ¼ cup of sauce over each tortilla to cover the enchiladas, then add the remaining shredded cheese.
11: Step 11 – Bake covered for 20 minutes. Then, uncover the dishes and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
Hint
Wash your hands thoroughly when handling hot peppers, and NEVER touch your face!
Storage
Refrigerate these enchiladas for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
To reheat them, place them in a baking dish and bake covered at 350 until heated through.
What to Serve with Chicken Enchiladas with Poblano Sauce
Serve these hearty chicken enchiladas with other Mexican and Tex-Mex sides like Spanish rice, 7-layer bean dip, or habanero salsa with chips.
Tips
- Be very careful when transferring your roasted vegetables to your blender. They’re hot!
- Don’t overfill your tortillas. You should be able to roll them up easily to prevent them from opening as they bake.
- Let the vegetables cool a bit after peeling the peppers. You don’t want to curdle the cream.
FAQ
Poblano peppers are hot, however they aren’t quite as hot as jalapenos.
No, tomatillos are not hot. They’re tart, sweet, and slightly acidic with no heat.
Flour tortillas are not recommended for enchiladas. They don’t stand up well to all the sauce used in the recipe.
Try These Poblano Chicken Enchiladas
These poblano chicken enchiladas are meaty, bold, and loaded with rich, creamy poblano sauce. Their deep flavor, wonderful texture, and rich, creamy sauce, combined with how easy they are to make, is the perfect combination for a delicious weeknight dinner or addition to any potluck. Everyone will love the flavor, and you’ll love how easy they are to make. Give them a try, and we know you’ll fall in love with them.
More Delicious Enchilada Recipes You’ll Enjoy
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Poblano Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
- 4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 24 yellow corn tortillas
Poblano Cream Enchilada Sauce
- 8 tomatillos, skins remove and rinsed
- 6 poblanos
- 3-4 jalapenos
- 1 large onion, cut in half
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 bunch cilantro
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 3 limes, juiced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Roast the Vegetables and Peppers
- In a large bowl, add poblanos, tomatillos, jalapenos, onions and garlic. Toss with oil and cumin.
- Place poblanos, tomatillos, jalapenos, onions and garlic on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake/roast for 20-25 minutes or until the skins of the poblanos start to char.
- Remove from the oven and place back in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 15 minutes (so the skin removal on the poblanos is easier to peel).
- Remove the skin from the poblanos.
Poblano Cream Enchilada Sauce
- Place all ingredients into a vitamix, food processor, or blender and blend until smooth.
- Add more cream or you can use chicken broth if necessary to thin out the desired consistency.
- Reduce the oven to 350 degrees, and lightly spray a (2) 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Assembling the Enchiladas
- Pour 1 cup of poblano sauce on the bottom of each baking dish.
- Add shredded chicken and both types of cheese to the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place in the baking dish.
- Line each dish with a single layer of enchiladas.
- Add about ¼ cup of sauce over each enchilada to cover the tortillas and add shredded cheese on top.
- Baked covered for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly.
Notes
- Be very careful when transferring your roasted vegetables to your blender. They’re hot!
- Don’t overfill your tortillas. You should be able to roll them up easily to prevent them from opening as they bake.
- Let the vegetables cool a bit after peeling the peppers. You don’t want to curdle the cream.
- This sauce makes a lot. It makes a great dip for tortilla chips too. So enjoy any leftover sauce to go along with your dinner.
