Gluten Free Chicken Enchiladas Verde Recipe
Updated Jul 27, 2018, Published Jul 09, 2012
This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Many of us are looking for recipes that are not just gluten free but grain free too. If you are one of those people and are, like me, addicted to Mexican food, and thought that enchiladas were off the menu, think again!
The first step to these verde (means “green” in Spanish) enchiladas is the sauce. It is so simple to make, you may never buy prepared salsa verde again! Simply roast up some tomatillos (a relative of the gooseberry that looks like a green tomato), peppers, onions and garlic, then toss it all into the blender with a handful of cilantro leaves and voila! Fresh, vibrant, homemade salsa verde.
To save time in making this recipe, I employed one of my favorite cooking “cheats,” a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket. It costs about the same in most cases to buy a rotisserie chicken as it does to buy a raw chicken and roast it and it saves so much time! I shredded up the chicken, tossed it with some of my salsa verde and some Queso Fresco – a white, Mexican crumbling cheese readily available in most supermarkets. If you can’t get Queso Fresco, Monterey Jack is fine too. If you are dairy-free, just substitute your favorite dairy free cheese or leave it out altogether.
But the real genius of these enchiladas is the “corn tortillas” made without a speck of corn meal or other grains. How is that possible? With the help of the incredibly versatile egg!
The tortillas for this recipe are made basically the same way I make one of my gluten free kitchen staples, egg crepes. The difference is the addition of pureed corn and a hint of ground cumin. Using organic, cage free eggs with their richer yolks (I use Nature’s Yoke) will even give your tortillas a nice yellow hue.
No-way-Jose does being gluten free and grain free mean giving up enchiladas!
Gluten Free Chicken Enchiladas Verde Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds tomatillos
- 1 large white or yellow onion
- 2 large poblano chilies
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt & Pepper
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 12 ounce Queso Fresco or Monterey Jack Cheese, or dairy free
- 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 2 ears corn, shucked or 1 cup frozen corn kernels, defrosted
- 4 large organic, cage free eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Gluten free, non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos and cut into quarters. Cut the onion into wedges. Cut the poblano and jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and veins. Peel the garlic cloves but leave whole. Place the vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat the vegetables well and bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and starting to brown. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- Place the vegetables into a blender along with any juices that have accumulated in the pan. Add the cilantro and blend until smooth.
- Crumble or shred the cheese, reserving about ½ cup for garnishing the top, and toss with the cooked chicken and 1½ cups of the salsa verde.
- Cut the kernels from the corn cobs and puree in a blender until smooth. Add the eggs, 2 tablespoons water, ground cumin and ½ teaspoon salt, and blend. Pour the egg mixture into a bowl and stir until the foam dissipates.
- Heat a small (6 inch) non-stick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles immediately. Spray the pan with some cooking spray and ladle in 2 tablespoons of the egg batter, immediately tilting and rotating the pan so that the batter covers the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1 minute or until the mixture is set and the bottom is golden brown. Gently flip the tortilla over and cook for 1 more minute. Continue with the rest of the batter; you should have 12 tortillas.
- Place some of the chicken mixture on a tortilla and roll. Place the enchiladas in a 9 inch by 12 inch baking dish, seam side down, and heat in the oven for 15 minutes or until warmed through. Heat the remaining salsa verde in a small sauce pan. To serve, place some warmed sauce over the enchiladas and top with the reserved cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owner’s. This blog accepts free manufacturers’ samples and forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. Affiliate links may be included in this post.
Oh, how I wish you were my neighbor. Or, better yet, my private chef. I’m a huge enchilada fan and I’ve just not been able to recreate a GF version of the awesome enchiladas I used to eat while living in Taos, New Mexico. These look to be the answer to my gluten-free prayers. Can’t wait to give them a try. Do they go with red wine? I’m thinking red wine and green enchiladas. =) Perfect, don’t you think?
Melissa
I can not think of anything more perfect!!! I wish we were neighbors too!
xo, c
These look awesome, Carol! I don’t know that they’d be considered grain free with the inclusion of corn in any form though. I agree with Melissa on wishing I lived next door! I’d take your leftovers or be your guinea pig any time. ;-)
xo,
Shirley
Technically fresh corn is a vegetable and dried corn a grain. In any case, if someone can’t tolerate the corn, they can just leave it out and add a bit more water, still works great as a tortilla sub.
Carol, that’s terrific that this recipe will still work without the corn. :-)
Shirley
Thanks for pointing it out to me – I had meant to put that in the recipe originally and forgot!
xo,
c
I agree with Shirley on corn being a grain in any form, not to mention that many people who are intolerant or allergic to wheat gluten also cannot eat anything corn, like myself. Unfortunately that means this recipe won’t work for me. :-(
Laurie, if you can’t tolerate the corn, just leave it out and add a bit more water – still tastes great and works really well for a tortilla substitute!
What a great sounding recipe – love those tortillas! And the salsa verde :)
Thank you Laureen!
Love your tortillas – what a great idea, and a healthy one too! Your salsa verde sounds wonderful too!
Thank you so muc!
Wow Carol, the roasted tomatillo sauce in this recipe is over the top and sounds amazing!
Thanks Alisa – I love it!
You are cute Carol! I can’t wait to try your salsa verde recipe. I’m all for easy enchiladas!
Thanks Maggie! Enjoy.
Careful the pre-cooked chicken from the store is NOT always gluten free. Actually, every time I have looked at them the contain wheat ingredients. Why they find that necessary, I do not know. lol.
Thanks for pointing that out. My store carries only gluten free potiserrie chickens so I have gotten used to that but yes, you should always check. And I am with you – why oh why do they have to take something naturally gluten free and add gluten? Grrr. Makes me crazy!!!
Sometimes I feel like someone walks around with a bag of flour, throwing some into things randomly just so it will NOT be gluten-free. I understand gluten in some things, but I honestly do not understand what purpose the “wheat starch” serves in other things. (Like chocolate. Why on earth would you need to add flour to chocolate?)
This looks fantastic!
You are preaching to the choir sister! My biggest beef is when things that are naturally gluten free get glutenized. Anyway, thank you!
Hi Carol,
I’m with you – I could eat Mexican every night. No problem. I LOVE your egg crepe recipe. How clever and they make excellent tortillas!
Beautiful recipe. And congratulations on your new book. :-)
Be Well,
–Amber
Thank you so much Amber. I too, could eat Mexican EVERY night!
Oh my. This sounds amazing! My dear husband would think I hung the moon if I made these for him. He loves chicken enchiladas Verde!! And I love the idea of the wraps/tortillas here!! Brilliant!! :D
Aww, thanks Kim! Your hubby and I seem to have very similar tastes!