This 5-ingredient creamy chicken enchiladas suizas recipe has a simple cream sauce made with green chile salsa verde, bake it in a casserole dish for an easy and delicious meal that's gluten free and full of Mexican flavor!
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Note that you can choose one of two ways to cook the tortillas below. Choose ONE method, DO NOT DO BOTH!
Make the suiza sauce
Place a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the salsa verde and the cream and stir to combine. Let the sauce cook gently and reduce slightly while you prepare the tortillas, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning, if your salsa is salty, you may not need to add anymore. Make sure the suiza sauce is very warm but never bubbles, you don't want to scorch the cream. If it begins to simmer, turn the heat down or turn it off completely.
Option 1: Fry the tortillas
Place the tortillas on a sheet pan and put them in the oven for about 2 minutes, flip them and return to the oven for another 2-4 minutes until they have a slightly leathery texture.
Line two baking sheets with paper towels. Add about ½-inch of neutral oil to a small heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, begin to fry the tortillas one at a time. (See note.)
Use tongs to carefully add one tortilla to the hot oil, fry for about 2-5 seconds, it will start to puff up and turn lightly golden, then flip it over and fry for another 2-5 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Be careful not to fry the tortillas too long. They shouldn't be crisp, you should still be able to bend them.
Option 2: Cook the tortillas in a dry skillet
Place a cast iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Add the tortilla to the dry skillet and cook until it starts to get golden brown spots on it, then flip it over and cook on the other side. Wrap cooked tortillas in a kitchen towel to keep warm until ready to fill the enchiladas.
Assembling the enchiladas suizas
Pour about ⅓ of the suiza enchilada sauce into a 9x13 casserole dish. Put a little cooked chicken in the center of a tortilla and roll it, then transfer to the casserole dish seam side down. Continue this process until all are filled. I usually have 8 enchiladas down the center, with two more nestled in on each side of the dish.
Pour the remaining creamy suiza sauce evenly over the chicken enchiladas, then top with the grated Monterey Jack cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and turning golden brown.
Let the enchiladas stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve topped with fresh cilantro if desired.
Notes
Make sure the enchilada cream sauce is very warm: If the sauce is not warm enough, you will have to bake the enchiladas much longer, and this could cause them to break down and not hold their shape. It should never boil or it will scorch, but it should be very warm.
Don't overstuff the tortillas: You may be tempted to put a lot of chicken in the tortillas, but this could cause them to break. Enchiladas are about a balance of all the ingredients and flavors, so let the tortillas, suiza sauce and cheese shine, too!
Test one tortilla to make sure the oil is hot enough: Using tongs, just dip the edge of the tortilla into the oil. It should sizzle instantly. If it doesn't, wait a bit longer and try again.
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