Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I know the appeal of a one-pan meal, and this green chile enchilada skillet recipe is one I return to often. It skips the step of rolling and assembling individual enchiladas and instead layers everything together in the skillet. The result? A cozy, family-style dish with all the comfort of enchiladas and none of the fuss.
What I love most about these skillet enchiladas is how adaptable they are. Use chicken, turkey, beef, lentils, or beans, depending on your mood or what’s in your fridge. Just as important, you can use any enchilada sauce you love, whether it’s a roasted green chile sauce, a jar of red enchilada sauce, or a quick homemade version.
If you’re like me and enjoy teaching recipes that work as templates, this one is ideal. You can customize it every time you make it, and toppings only make it better. I actually never list ALL the possible toppings since there are so many. A sprinkle of cheese, fresh cilantro, avocado, sour cream, hot sauce – there’s no wrong way to finish it off.
I love serving this over cauliflower rice with a side salad like my Mexican Cobb Salad. You can also serve these with my Green Chile Cheese Cornbread for a delicious and easy spread.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what goes into this easy green chile enchilada skillet. You’ll have dinner on the table in 30 minutes – no rolling, no baking dish required!
- Avocado or olive oil: Provides a base for sautéing and adds richness. Either oil works, so use what you have on hand.
- Protein: Chicken breasts, thighs, ground turkey, beef, or plant-based options like lentils, black beans, or pinto beans.
- Vegetables: Onion, zucchini, mushrooms (and/or asparagus), and bell peppers which add texture and flavor to these enchiladas.
- Garlic: Essential aromatic that sharpens the sauce flavor.
- Cilantro: Adds freshness. Parsley can substitute if you don’t love cilantro.
- Seasonings: Cumin, chili powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper give a Tex-Mex kick. Use taco seasoning if you prefer.
- Tortillas (corn, flour, or grain-free): Bind the enchiladas together. Corn is traditional for authentic Mexican enchiladas verdes; flour holds up better in the skillet.
- Enchilada Sauce: Green or red, depending on your preference. Hatch green chile enchiladas are especially popular when chiles are in season.
- Cheese + Garnishes: Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or queso fresco, plus cilantro, green onions, and your favorite toppings.
- Green onions: Bright garnish for flavor and crunch.
- Toppings (avocado, Greek yogurt or sour cream, hot sauce, more cilantro): The finishing touch to customize each serving.
How to Make This Green Chile Enchilada Skillet
Step 1: Preheat a large skillet and brown your chicken or cook ground meat with the spices. Set aside.
Step 2: Sauté onion until soft, then add garlic and vegetables until just tender.
Step 3: Stir in the enchilada sauce and deglaze the pan. Add tortilla pieces, cilantro, and a little cheese.
Step 4: Shred or chop the chicken if needed, then return it to the sauce. Cover and simmer until everything is tender and the flavors meld together. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, cilantro, and green onions. Cover for one more minute to melt the cheese. Serve hot with avocado, Greek yogurt or sour cream, hot sauce, and extra cilantro.
Tips for Customizing
This is where skillet enchiladas really shine. You can adapt them for any dietary preference:
- Make it vegetarian: Use lentils, black beans, or pinto beans.
- Make it vegan: Omit cheese or use a dairy-free variety.
- Protein-heavy: Increase the chicken or add extra beans for a more filling dish.
- Tex-Mex toppings: Think avocado slices, salsa, pickled jalapeños, shredded lettuce, or crushed tortilla chips.
- Craving a layered casserole? Try my Mexican Lasagne for another family-style favorite.
Make Ahead + Freezer Instructions
- Yes, you can freeze green chile enchilada skillet – which makes this recipe even better. Assemble in the skillet, transfer to a freezer-safe dish, and cover tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake from frozen at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, then add fresh toppings.
- For a shorter make-ahead option, prepare the filling up to two days in advance and refrigerate. When ready to serve, reheat gently, add tortillas and cheese, and finish in the skillet.
Recipe FAQs
The key is lightly toasting tortillas before adding them and not over-simmering once everything is combined.
Monterey Jack melts beautifully, but mozzarella or queso fresco are also delicious. For cheese enchiladas with green chile sauce, queso fresco gives the most traditional flavor.
Corn tortillas are classic for authentic Mexican enchiladas verdes, while flour tortillas hold up well for skillet versions. It’s completely up to you which ones you use.
It comes down to taste. Hatch green chile enchiladas and New Mexico green chile enchiladas highlight roasted green chiles, while red enchiladas bring a deeper, smoky flavor.
Look for Hatch chiles labeled mild if you prefer less heat, or blend them with poblano or Anaheim peppers. For spicier enchiladas, use medium or hot Hatch chiles and add a few roasted jalapeños.
These skillet green chile enchiladas are quick, flexible, and family-friendly, the kind of meal I keep in regular rotation. Whether you make chicken green chile enchiladas, a vegetarian version, or something in between, the result will always be comforting and customizable.
Pair these enchiladas with Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice or Chicken or Turkey Tortilla Soup for a full-on Mexican-inspired feast.
More Mexican-Inspired Favorites
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Easy Green Chile Enchilada Skillet
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.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
This was SO good – and soooo easy. Definitely try it. The green enchilada sauce (I mixed Siete and Wegman’s) with the tortillas cooked it was such a good flavor! The chicken would have probably been even better (I used ground turkey) – but I wanted to make it as easy as possible. I used extra veggies and loved it – lots of mushrooms and zucchini. Thank you!!
fantastic! store bought enchiladas sauce is such a great shortcut!
I made this tonight and it was incredible!!! We couldn’t stop eating it. I used ground turkey, zucchini, peppers, monterey jack, siete green enchilada sauce, and wrapped it in one mighty mill whole wheat tortillas. Came together so fast too. Thank you Pamela!!
Forgot to give it 5 stars!
hanks!
woohoo!!! this is one of those perfect weeknight recipes that you can do a hundred different ways. so glad you loved it!
This dish is flat out amazing, I couldn’t stop eating it! Please make it again!!
lol! Glad you loved it!
What type or brand of green enchilada sauce do you prefer to use?
Trader Joe’s has a really good one! I used to like the Siete Foods one, but I think they changed the formula.