Veggie-Loaded Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
These Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas are not only delicious and satisfying, but they are packed with zucchini, bell peppers, and spinach! A great healthy, family-friendly dinner that is also perfect for making during meal prep or for stocking your freezer.
I really love finding new veggie-loaded dinner recipes that my family goes wild for. And these Veggie-Loaded Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas always have them running to the table.
Loaded with 3 different veggies (spinach, zucchini, and bell pepper) and protein from shredded chicken, these chicken enchiladas are brought next level in the flavor department by the easy salsa verde sour cream sauce that ties everything deliciously together. There are a few steps in making this family-friendly dinner, but making these enchiladas is easier then you might be thinking!
Not only are these Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas easily gluten free when you use certified gluten free corn tortillas, but they are a great meal prep or freezer friendly meal! Make a double batch so you can have some for later and no one has to fight over the leftovers.
Check out How to Store Spinach So It Stays Fresh All Week and How to Cut A Bell Pepper (for minimal waste).
Time Saving Hacks
Use rotisserie chicken. Want to make this chicken tonight but don’t have any chicken prepped? Just pick up a rotisserie chicken on your way home and use that! Simply cut the meat off, discard the skin and shred the cooked chicken with two forks. Good to go.
Make shredded chicken in your Instant Pot. This is my go-to method for cooking chicken for shredding and is super easy.
Shred cooked chicken with your stand mixer. Seriously, if you have ever dreaded the time suck of making shredded chicken, this will be your new favorite kitchen hack. Just put cooked chicken breasts in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and turn on low. BOOM. The mixer shreds the chicken for you in minutes!
Use your food processor to cut veggies. I LOVE using my food processor with the “S” blade to finely chop veggies fast! Just roughly cut the onions, zucchini, bell pepper, and spinach. Toss into your food processor and pulse a few time to finely chop those veggies in seconds!
Want to find out the BEST way to cut bell peppers? Head over to my How To Cut a Bell Pepper…to minimize waste! post!
Suggested Adaptations
Spice level: Salsa Verde can range in spice level from mild to spicy, and even the mild versions can still have a slight kick to them. Be sure to buy the salsa with the spice level you prefer.
Like things extra spicy? Use a poblano pepper instead of a bell pepper, if you can get one, and mince up a jalapeno pepper and add that in with the other veggies in the dish. Plus, you can serve the finished dish with some of your favorite hot sauce.
Don’t want to use green pepper? You can substitute it with any color bell pepper you have or like.
Dairy free: I have not tested a dairy-free version of this recipe. However, my guess is that you could use a dairy-free sour cream in the sauce and a dairy-free shredded cheese substitute in place of the cheese. If you try, let us know how they turn out!
This recipe is easily gluten free because we use corn tortillas, but make sure you check on the package to ensure the tortillas you buy are certified gluten free.
Tortillas: You can use flour tortillas instead or some stores sell a corn-wheat hybrid tortilla as well. If you use flour tortillas for this recipe, you may have to bake the casserole for an additional 5 to 8 minutes to make sure the tortillas have softened in the sauce.
Want it vegetarian? To make these salsa verde enchiladas without the chicken, use one can (2 cups) drained and rinsed white beans, such as navy bean or great northern beans, instead of the chicken.
How to store and reheat veggie-loaded enchiladas
To freeze: make sure you make and assemble these salsa verde chicken enchiladas in a freezer-safe baking dish. Assemble, but do not bake. Cover with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for about 2 months. Thaw in fridge overnight before baking as instructed. Be sure to take off the plastic wrap!
To refrigerate: Store in an air-tight container or cover baking dish tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Store in fridge for about 4 days.
To reheat: Place enchiladas in an oven safe dish and cover with foil. Bake in an 350℉ for about 15 minutes or until warmed through. Alternatively, heat portions in microwave for about 2 minutes.
Other veggie-loaded recipes your family will love
- Mexican-Style Corn Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
- Veggie-Loaded Quinoa Black Bean Casserole
- Veggie-Loaded Chicken Bites
- Healthy Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Veggie-Loaded Turkey Tacos
- Healthier Hamburger Helper (with veggies!)
- Veggie-Loaded Turkey Lasagna
- Healthier Tater Tot Casserole (with veggies)
Did you make this recipe and now you are hungry for more?
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Veggie-Loaded Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 16 ounces jar salsa verde
- ¾ cup sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt (preferably full fat)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced, or poblano pepper
- 1 cup packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ⅓ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish (optional)
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- optional toppings: diced tomatoes, avocado, hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Grease a 9-by-13 casserole dish.
- In 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium-sized bowl, mix the salsa verde and sour cream/yogurt together until combined.
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the onion, pepper, and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach, salt, garlic powder, cumin, and coriander. Cook another minute to wilt the spinach and let the flavors combine. Stir in the cilantro and 1 cup of the salsa verde sauce you mixed in Step 1. Turn off the heat then stir in the shredded chicken. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. (To heat in the oven, wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven 5 minutes.) This makes the tortillas more pliable and easier to roll.
- Stir 1 cup of the shredded cheese into the veggie and chicken mixture in the skillet. Spread 1 cup of the salsa verde sauce evenly over the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Place once tortilla onto a cutting board and place 2 heaping tablespoons of the chicken filling across the bottom third of the tortilla. Tightly roll the tortilla around the filling and place seam down into the casserole dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, packing the tortillas together snugly.
- Pour the remaining cup of sauce evenly over the tortillas then sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheese.
- Bake until the sauce is bubbly, and the cheese is golden brown in spots, about 10 minutes.Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes then sprinkle with additional cilantro leaves. Serve topped with chopped tomatoes, hot sauce, and/or avocado, if using.
Zucchini is not listed in the ingredients, but directions says to add Zucchini? Please comment.
Thanks for catching that typo! I have updated the recipe with the zucchini amount, but I just did 1 small zucchini dice. So about 2 cups.
Zucchini is not included in the ingredients. How much?
Thanks for catching that typo! I have updated the recipe with the zucchini amount, but I just did 1 small zucchini dice. So about 2 cups.
Made these for a quick reheat dinner tonight but couldn’t help but sneak a bit (or several) when they came out of the oven. Oh boy. So good! I was worried the veggies to make the enchiladas soggy, but they didn’t and there is so much flavor. Totally going to be a regular meal. Thanks!
So yummy! My kids and husband all loved it.
I am so glad, Maggie! Thanks for taking the time to share!
Delicious and filling dinner! The whole family enjoyed this dish. Another awesome meal to add to our rotation!
I am SO glad you and the family enjoyed it, Andrea!
Hi Taesha!
We have been making your recipes for about 2 years now, but we especially love this one! We made it diary free with plain cashew yogurt and vegan cheddar and it was incredible!
Hi Alexis! I’m so glad you are a regular on the pages of TNN and am dazzled you love this recipe as much as we do. I think my family could live off these enchiladas. And I LOVE the adaptations you made. So helpful for those who want to make them dairy free. Since I know someone is wondering, what vegan cheddar did you use? I know vegan cheeses all melt a little differently. Thank you for sharing.
DELISH! as always. I’m a pretty picky eater- specifically texture, and i loved these. my husband and i devoured them.
I’m so delighted to hear that these were a hit, Taylor! We love them and now I kinda want to make them for dinner.
YUM! These were a tad spicer than I thought they would be, which was only a problem because I was serving them to my toddler. I just dolloped some plain Greek yogurt on hers and she gobbled them right up! Maybe there is a milder form of salsa verde I can use next time. Very delicious though!
I think a lot of the spice level depends on the salsa verde you use! I know mine is pretty mild and low spice (which bums my spice-loving husband out), so look around to see if there is a milder version for you family. Regardless, I’m so glad you all enjoyed them and you were able to mellow it out for your tot!
Yet another delicious, easy, and nutrient dense meal! I love how versatile and adaptable this meal, like all Natural Nurturer recipes are. It was a big hit with my family. This meal is bursting with flavor, while incorporating several veggies so I feel like I’m best supporting my body and my family….while simultaneously satisfying our taste buds. Highly recommend this winner of a meal….although you truly can’t go wrong with any of TNN’s recipes! I’m hooked with this approach and can’t wait for others to Enjoy!! Thank you!
What an amazing review, Tara! Thank you for taking the time to share. I’m so happy to hear that so many TNN recipes help you to eat more veggies in a way that you love!
These were delicious and my family gobbled them up. Will probably add even more spinach next time as the veggies blend so well with the yummy sauce!
So glad it was a hit with your family, Meg! And yes for even more veggies!!
Victory!!! Everyone in my family loved this recipe, even my pickiest eaters! They all rated it 9 or 9.7 out of 10…which for 4 boys is a huge compliment. I loved that its packed with protein and veggies! This may be our new Taco Tuesday staple. Thanks for such a delicious and healthy recipe!
So delighted to hear that, Amy! Truly a victory AND a compliment!
I accidentally bought parsley instead of cilantro. Can I use the parsley instead or would it be best to just go without?
Thanks!
I would just skip it, probably! Lots of other elements give this dish flavor!
It turned out great without the cilantro. Thanks for another tasty recipe!
Yay! So glad! Thanks for sharing!
Hi, I used 4 ounces of soy curls then I rehydrated them with 2 tbsps of chick’n bouillon and 2 cups of water. I added vegan sour cream into the salsa verde for the sauce and used Follow your heart shredded cheddar. It was lovely. Thank you for the recipe.
Love love love this, Moonica! I’ve never worked with soy curls as a meat replacement, but know many love it! Thank you so much for sharing, as I am sure many other reader will benefit from your experiment.
Made these last night and they were *chef’s kiss*! I omitted the cilantro and used flour tortillas. Just had the left overs for lunch. Soooooo good! I will be making these a lot! Thanks, Taesha!
So glad you enjoyed these so much! Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth!
So so yummy!! My husband and I loved them and my 10 month old loved the filling! We plan on using extra filling for quesadillas tomorrow!
So glad you love this recipe as much as our family does!
These are restaurant quality and we will be making them over and over again. SO GOOD!
So happy to hear that, Leah! We adore this recipe too!
Wowsers! We usually eat vegetarian but we mix in some fish and chicken once or twice a week. This was delicious! We made a double batch of the filling too so we could repurpose it throughout the week for quesadillas, tacos, and just on its own. It was delicious.
So happy you loved it, Lindsay!
These are always a hit with my husband and kids! And I love all the veggie additions!
I made these for tonight’s dinner and freezer meals for later. They are delicious! With all the chopping, prep and clean up I was done in about 1.5 hours and now have 3 family (dinners not including left overs). I replaced the chicken with pinto beans and used sweet potato instead of zucchini. I also swapped pepper jack/ colby cheese for the cheddar. Will make these again once we are out. Thank you!
Yum! Love your swaps! I must try!
I had leftover salsa verde from another recipe so as I was looking at Pinterest and when I saw a natural nurturer recipe, I knew it was the one! I am LAZY and rolling enchiladas is not my strong suit so I turned it into a casserole (making my midwestern heart happy!) by mixing everything and pouring it into a 9×13 and placing the shells on top, covered in cheese. I added frozen corn to the skillet as well, just to use up what I had! Oh, and kale! This was REALLY good! I think next time I’d add a jalepeno into the mix and maybe some black beans for a little body but other than that, I’d keep it exactly as is! It didn’t taste like we were eating 6+ different vegetables at all! Thanks for another great recipe! I am positive it will taste even better as leftovers tomorrow!
So, Katie….I feel like you just developed a new recipe for me 😆 I love a enchilada casserole and yet haven’t made one for the blog yet! Now you’ve totally inspired me. Look for a green chicken enchilada casserole recipe in the future with your name in the credits!