Imagine the flavors of a roasted poblano stuffed with salsa verde and cheesy chicken but inside an enchilada. Yeah, these enchiladas are filled with all the deliciousness of a stuffed poblano pepper and so much more.
Mexican-inspired food is my all time favorite. I could eat it every day and would never get tired of it. Chances are, I'm always craving it. There is something about the flavors, spices, acidity, and salsas that are always so incredibly delicious.
My husband and I eat a lot of Mexican food, and while not all of it is authentic, we do love that, too. When I'm craving these familiar flavors, I tend to make enchiladas because they're a comfort food and relatively easy to prepare. It's also easy to make enchiladas for a crowd, and the flavors are easy to adapt for who you're feeding and what they like.
This year, I decided to plant poblano peppers in my garden to see how they would grow. Turns out, poblanos grow pretty well with how hot it gets here in North Carolina. As they are ready to be harvested, I've been thinking about what to do with them all. These enchiladas are a product of my homegrown poblanos, and I am so proud of them.
I was going to make stuffed poblano peppers, but I decided to try to incorporate all of the flavors of a stuffed poblano into an enchilada. Therefore, this is the result of that idea.
Ingredients for Stuffed Poblano Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken breast or thighs, boneless and skinless
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Chili Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Ground Cumin
- Salt and Black Peper
- Poblano Peppers, fresh: If you do not want to have to roast and process peppers, you can swap these for a 4oz can of green chiles (preferably hatch green chiles)
- Salsa Verde, homemade or store-bought
- Sour Cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Fresh Cilantro
- Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
- Green Enchilada Sauce
- Corn Tortillas
- 1 recipe of Jalapeño Corn Salsa
- More Cilantro, Shredded Cheese, Sour Cream, and Cooked White or Brown Rice, for serving, optional
I always serve these enchiladas with this bright, fresh, and acidic Jalapeño Corn Salsa. I honestly don't think I could ever serve these enchiladas without this salsa. It adds so much freshness and brightens up the dish. It's exactly what the enchiladas need. Don't skip this part!
How to Roast Poblano Peppers
There are many ways to roast poblano peppers. If you want more detailed instructions on how to roast peppers - see this article here.
1. Roast in the Oven
Preheat oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place the poblano peppers on the pan and roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally to evenly roast the peppers, until the skins have blistered and are blackened.
2. Broil in the Oven
Preheat oven to broil and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place the poblano peppers on the pan and broil in the oven for 5-10 minutes, turning the peppers every few minutes, until the skins have blistered and blackened.
3. Roast over an Open Flame / Gas Stove
Using metal tongs, hold the pepper over an open flame/gas stove flame and roast until the pepper is blackened, blistered, and charred all over. Repeat this for all peppers.
4. Grill the Peppers
Warm your grill to medium-high heat and place the peppers directly on the grate. Roast over the flame, turning every 1-2 minutes, until the skins are blacked and blistered all over.
Once the peppers are roasted, immediately transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (or a ziplock bag) to let the skins steam and loosen, about 5 minutes. Peel, stem, de-seed, rinse in water, and dice the peppers. From here, they're ready to use.
How to Make Green Chile Lovers' Chicken Enchiladas
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place poblano peppers on the pan. Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally to evenly roast the peppers, until the skins have blistered and blackened. OR, set oven to broil and broil the peppers for 5-10 minutes, turning the poblanos every few minutes, until blistered and blackened.
Remove the peppers from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a ziploc bag to let the skins steam and loosen. Peel, stem, de-seed, rinse in water, and dice up the peppers.
2. Reduce oven heat to 350°F, and place the chicken on a foil lined baking sheet. Rub with olive oil, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through reading 165°F internally.
3. Shred the chicken and add to a medium bowl. Add ¼ cup salsa verde, sour cream, cilantro, 1 cup of cheese, and chopped chiles. Stir to combine.
4. Combine the remaining 1 cup salsa verde with the enchilada sauce and spread a thin layer on the bottom of the 9x13 inch baking dish.
5. Dip a corn tortilla in some of the sauce to soften it, add ¼ cup of the chicken filling towards the edge of each tortilla, roll up, and place in the baking dish. Repeat these steps until all of the chicken filling is gone.
6. Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan and bake for 10 more minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy. We like to serve ours with jalapeño corn salsa, more salsa verde, sour cream, and sometimes sliced avocado.
What Can I Swap for the Roasted Poblanos?
Yes, you definitely can definitely substitute something else in here. I love roasting them myself, when I have time, but you can use one 4 oz can of chopped green chiles (preferably hatch green chiles) in the place of the roasted and chopped poblano peppers.
Other Dinner Ideas & Savory Recipes
You've gotta try this Jalapeño Corn Salsa if you're planning on making this recipe. They are like yin & yang, or pumpkin + fall. They need each other. You just need a couple of fresh ingredients to help brighten up these enchiladas. So yum.
If you're on the hunt for a savory snack or meal for the whole family - Savory Ham and Cheese Muffins are certainly the answer. They're so easy and quick to throw together and are great to pop in the freezer for those mornings when you're running behind. They're packed with protein, fiber, and nutrition. So yummy.
Love Chinese Take-Out but you want something quicker, healthier, and much cheaper? This Honey Sesame Stir Fry with Chicken will be a new go-to recipe for you. It's so quick, delicious, and will satisfy all those cravings. It's packed with veggies and protein, plus you can make it with whatever fresh OR frozen veggies you have on hand.Craving a nice, fresh salad? This Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette has the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, savory, crunchy, and creamy. It ticks all of those boxes.
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