The yummiest chicken enchiladas you'll ever have! A bit of sweet combined with the tart and the spicy, and the unique smoky flavor of hatch green chile make these a crowd favorite. Easy to make ahead and bake later, freeze great, and a fabulous way to use up any chicken in your freezer or leftover rotisserie chicken!
2cupspepper jack cheeseshredded (sub with Monterey if you'd like it less spicy)
2cupscolby jack cheeseshredded
1/4-1/2cupcilantroroughly chopped, to taste
Honey Lime Marinade
1/3cuphoney
1/2cupfresh lime juice
1Tchili powder
1tspgarlic powder
1/2tspsweet paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2tspsea salt
1/4tspblack pepper
1/4-1/2tspground chipotle
Garnish (optional)
sour cream or crema mexicana
avocadosliced
Instructions
In a large bowl (or gallon-sized freezer bag), whisk together the lime juice and the honey until the honey is completely dissolved. Add in all of the spices and whisk well.
Add in the shredded chicken, and toss to combine. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Sauté the chopped onion in the oil over medium heat until translucent.
While waiting on the onion, heat up a non-stick or cast iron skillet (medium). Lightly toast your tortillas on both sides (when you see it bubble up, flip it!) and set aside in a stack.
Once the onions are translucent, add in the chopped green chile. Saute for a few minutes until the the chiles are heated through and onion slightly starting to brown.
Add in the minced garlic, and sauté quickly until fragrant and well combined (less than a minute).
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
Spread 1/3 cup of the salsa verde evenly over the bottom of the baking dish.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and add it to the onion and green chile mixture (I like to do this with tongs), leaving the excess marinade in the bowl. Toss until well combined.
Add the remaining salsa verde to the marinade; whisk together and set aside.
Combine 2 cups of the pepper jack with 1 cup of the colby jack and set aside.
Now it's time for assembly! Fill each tortilla evenly with the chicken/onion/chile mixture, along with some of the cheese mixture. Roll up and place in the baking dish seam side down. Don't be afraid to squeeze them in tight!
Once you've filled your dish, pour the salsa verde/marinade mixture over the top of them all. Sprinkle the remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling all around. Then pop under the broiler for a few minutes if you'd like to brown up the cheese a bit (optional).
Once it's out of the oven, sprinkle with the cilantro. Let cool for 10 minutes, then dig in!
Notes
VEGETARIAN OPTIONS
This makes fantastic avocado or potato enchiladas! Bake time the same for each. For potatoes, I'd recommend cooking them ahead of time (boiled or microwaved), cutting into 1" cubes (or again, a great way to use up leftover skillet/foil/baked potatoes!).
MAKE AHEAD
Since the bake time is short, these Hatch Honey Lime Enchiladas are perfect for making ahead and popping into the oven when you get home.Make-ahead enchiladas and refrigerate:
Prepare as stated, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Same baking instructions, but increase time by 10-15 minutes.
Make-ahead enchiladas and freeze:
Prepare as stated up through pouring the remaining marinade/salsa verde on top (don't add the remaining cheeses).
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375℉. Add the 1 cup of shredded colby jack and 1 cup of pepper jack to the top. Cover with foil, bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 or until everything is nice and bubbly.If you defrost in the fridge first, follow the baking instructions above for the refrigerated option.