Easy Green Chile Enchilada Skillet
This Green chile enchilada skillet is my favorite way to get all the flavor of classic enchiladas in a faster, one-skillet dinner. This recipe is endlessly flexible - choose your protein, tortillas, vegetables, and sauce, and you’ll have a customizable meal that works on any weeknight. To make green chile enchiladas in one skillet, sauté onion, vegetables, and garlic, add enchilada sauce, tortillas, and protein, then simmer until tender. Finish with cheese, cilantro, and toppings for a flexible dinner ready in 30 minutes!
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- 1 - 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breast or thighs OR 1 pound ground turkey, chicken, or beef or cooked lentils or black or pinto beans
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 red or yellow onion diced
- 2 cups chopped zucchini mushrooms, and/or asparagus
- 1 large sweet bell pepper seeded and diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1, 15- oz jar green enchilada sauce or use red if that’s your preference or salsa
- 4 regular sized corn tortillas flour, or grain-free, cut into bite-size pieces (about 1-2 inches)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro divided
- 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack mozzarella, or queso fresco, divided
- 1/4 cup green onions chopped
Serving Suggestions
- avocado
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- hot sauce
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat a large (11-13 inches) skillet over medium heat.
- If using chicken pieces, season the chicken with cumin, chili powder, paprika, and salt and brown in the skillet coated with 1 Tbsp of oil until golden brown. You don’t have to worry about cooking all the way through yet. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside. (If using ground meat, you’ll cook the meat with spices in step 4 after the onions.)
- Add oil to the skillet to warm through and then add the onions and saute until tender and translucent.
- Add remaining vegetables and garlic, and saute for a couple minutes until slightly tender.
- Add the enchilada sauce and bring to a simmer. Scrape down the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze any browned bits. If you’re using chicken pieces, you can add the browned pieces to the skillet now. Just nestle them on top and pour in any juices left on the plate where the chicken was resting. Stir in tortilla pieces, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, and ¼ cup shredded cheese, cover with a lid.
- Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes if using ground meat or cooked beans and 15 minutes for boneless, skinless chicken pieces.
- If using chicken pieces, pull them out of the mixture and chop or shred into bite-size pieces with 2 forks. Be careful as it will be hot. Transfer the shredded chicken back into the enchilada sauce mixture. Sprinkle everything with remaining cilantro, cheese, and green onions and cover for one more minute to melt the cheese. Serve with desired accompaniments.