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A PatiJinich.com Recipe

Enchiladas Verdes in a Tomatillo Sauce

Enchiladas Verdes

Recipe Yield

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

For the sauce:

  • 2 pounds green tomatillos husks removed and rinsed
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 serrano chiles or to taste
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup white onion roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt more or less to taste
  • 1 tablespoon safflower or corn oil

For the enchiladas:

  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken home cooked or rotisserie works great!
  • Oil for frying the tortillas
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1/2 cup Mexican style cream can substitute for heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco farmers cheese, cotija or mild feta
  • 1/3 cup white onion chopped, for garnish

To Prepare

To make the sauce:

  • Place the tomatillos and garlic cloves in a pot and cover with water. Place over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until tomatillos change their color from bright to pale green, are cooked through, and are soft but not coming apart.
  • Place the tomatillos, garlic and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid in the blender and puree. Add the chiles serranos, cilantro leaves, onion and salt, and puree again until smooth. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Once it is hot, but not smoking, pour in the sauce and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer over medium heat for about 6 minutes, until it thickens and deepens in color. Taste for salt and add more if need be.

To make the enchiladas:

  • In a large saute pan over medium heat, add enough oil to have about 1/2 inch depth. Let it heat about 3 minutes. Gently "pass each tortilla through the oil," one by one, for about 15 seconds on each side, they will soften and become resilient. You should be able to fold them without breaking them. Transfer them to a paper towel covered plate.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Place about 2 to 3 tablespoons chicken inside of each tortilla and roll them up. Place them, seam side down on a baking dish. Cover, generously, with the green sauce. Place them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven, sprinkle with the crumbled cheese, the cream, and the chopped onion. They are very satisfying with a side of rice and/or beans, as well as with a light green salad.
  • Eat the enchiladas while they are hot!