Green Chicken Enchiladas

These enchiladas verdes skip the canned sauce and build everything from scratch, which is what separates restaurant-quality enchiladas from watery weeknight ones. Tomatillos boil with garlic, serrano chiles, salt, and pepper, then go into the blender with fresh cilantro for a bright, tangy salsa verde that tastes nothing like the jarred stuff.

Chicken breast gets poached just until barely done, then shredded and warmed in chicken stock at service. This two-step approach keeps the meat tender rather than stringy and dry, which is where most home enchiladas go wrong.

Corn tortillas pass quickly through hot oil, a traditional move that seals the surface so they do not disintegrate under the sauce. After rolling around the shredded chicken with a spoonful of green sauce inside, the enchiladas get blanketed with more sauce, a generous pour of sour cream, and grated cheese. Just 5 to 8 minutes in the oven melts the cheese into a bubbly blanket. Serve hot with rice and beans.

Chef Tips

• Choose plump, green tomatillos without yellow spots. Yellow tomatillos are overripe and taste overly sweet.
• Peel the papery husks and rinse the sticky film off before cooking. Leaving it on dulls the bright green color of the sauce.
• Fry tortillas only for a few seconds, just to seal. Longer and they crisp up and crack when rolled.
• Use serrano chiles for authentic heat, or swap jalapeños for milder. Remove the seeds and ribs for less fire.
• Bake only long enough to melt cheese. Over-baking dries the whole dish out and makes the tortillas tough.

Variations

• Top with queso fresco, cotija, or Oaxaca cheese in place of mozzarella for a more traditional Mexican finish.
• Add sliced white onion and pickled jalapeños on top of the hot enchiladas for crunch and extra heat.
• Use leftover rotisserie chicken in place of poached for a faster weeknight shortcut.