Tender slow cooked chicken rolled into enchiladas, and topped with a piquant salsa verde.
Enchiladas are one of my mother-in-laws favorite meals, and when she lived with us she taught me some of her tricks for making them great. For this recipe I’ve incorporated her savvy along with my own personal touch, including the use of a slow cooker. This creates tender, fall-apart chicken, infused with flavor from the simmering vegetables. In return, those vegetables—in this case a combination of tomatillos, bell pepper, and aromatics—infuse with flavor from the schmaltzy chicken drippings.
Once this mixture has had time to thoroughly stew, shred the chicken and blend the vegetables into a tangy salsa verde. Next the enchiladas are ready to assemble: dunk warm tortillas in the salsa verde, fill them with chicken, beans, and cheese, roll them up, and sprinkle with queso fresco. Bake until melty and melded, then top as desired (I like it with some crunchy pepitas and splash of hot sauce).
Love salsa verde like I do? Check out my recipes for Salsa Verde Skillet Pie, Salsa Verde Braised Chicken Thighs, and Tilapia in Salsa Verde with Cumin-Scented Rice.
If you are interested in the origins of enchiladas, and how they evolved in the face of colonialism, check out this article from History Today.
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion roughly chopped
- 10 cloves garlic smashed
- 8 oz tomatillos husked and cut in half
- 1 green bell pepper seeds removed and roughly chopped
- ½ tsp cumin seeds or ground cumin
- 1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- Kosher salt and pepper
- ¼ cup chicken broth or water
- 2 chicken thighs bone-in skin-on
- 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more leaves for topping
- 1 jalapeño cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
- Butter for pan
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 15-oz can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup shredded Monterey or cheddar cheese
- ½ cup queso fresco crumbled
- Pepitas (optional) for topping
- Salsa roja or hot sauce (optional) for topping
Instructions
- Place onion, garlic, tomatillos, green bell pepper, cumin seeds, oil, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp in a slow cooker. Toss together. Pour in broth or water. Place chicken thighs on top, skin side up. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours until bubbling and chicken is easily shreddable.
- Remove chicken thighs to a cutting board and set aside to cool.
- Place contents of the slow cooker into a blender. Add cilantro and jalapeño. Blend until smooth.
- Remove skin and bones from chicken thighs. Shred chicken meat with two forks.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a large casserole dish or 9×13-inch pan. Spread about ¼ cup of salsa verde in the bottom of the pan. Pour the rest into a shallow bowl.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When skillet begins to lightly smoke, heat tortillas one at a time for 10-15 seconds per side then wrap in a towel to keep warm.
- Working one at a time, dip tortillas in salsa verde, place on a plate, and fill with chicken, pinto beans, and Monterey or cheddar cheese. Roll into tight cylinders and place in the prepared pan side-by-side.
- Top enchiladas with remaining salsa verde. Sprinkle with quest fresco. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melty.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with pepitas, salsa roja or hot sauce, and cilantro, as desired.
