Chicken Enchiladas Suizas Verdes

If you’ve ever craved a dish that wraps you in warmth and flavor, Enchiladas Suizas are calling your name.

These creamy, melty, sauce-drenched enchiladas are a staple in many Mexican kitchens — and for good reason. They’re rich but balanced, comforting yet vibrant, and every bite is like a warm hug from your abuela (even if you’ve never had one).

Wait — “Suizas”? What’s Swiss About It?

“Suiza” means Swiss in Spanish, and this dish gets its name not from any direct Swiss origin, but from its creamy, dairy-forward sauce — a nod to European influences, especially the Swiss love of dairy.

The story goes that Enchiladas Suizas were created in Mexico City, likely at Sanborns, a popular café and restaurant, where chefs took the traditional enchilada and gave it a twist by adding a creamy, cheesy green sauce, inspired by European techniques.

The result? Mexican soul food with a slightly European flair. And let me tell you — it works.

What will you need?

• chicken breast
• white onion
• garlic
• Chicken bouillon, preferably Knorr
• black peppercorns
• salt
• bay leaf
• cilantro
• water
• tomatillos
• jalapenos
• poblano pepper
• oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
• Mexican crema, our sour cream
• Asadero cheese, or monterey jack
• red onion, sliced thin for garnish
• corn tortillas
• neutral oil

How to make Chicken Enchiladas Suizas Verdes

Add chicken breasts, white onion, garlic, chicken bouillon, salt, black peppercorns, bay leaves, fresh cilantro, and water to a pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until chicken is tender. Remove the chicken to a bowl and shred. Ladle in some of the broth to keep it moist. Cover with tin foil to keep warm and set aside.

In a dry pan add in tomatillos, jalapenos, a poblano pepper, white onion, and garlic. Roast until everything gets a good char.

Add the charred ingredients to a blender along with some cilantro, salt, Mexican oregano, and a ladle of the chicken broth. Blend until smooth. Add some oil to a pot over medium heat and pour in the salsa verde to fry. Now add in the crema and mix. Taste for salt.

Briefly fry some corn tortillas in oil then spoon in some of the chicken. Roll the tortillas with the chicken and repeat until all the chicken is gone.

Spoon in some of the salsa verde to a baking dish and place in as many of the rolled tortillas as you can fit. Cover them with more of the salsa verde and sprinkle over some shredded asadero cheese. Bake in the oven until the cheese is nice and melted.

Serve on a plate with crema, thinly sliced red onion, and fresh cilantro.

Chicken Enchiladas Suizas Verdes

5 from 2 votes

Recipe by Zachary Rodriguez Course: MainCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

• For the Chicken

• 1.5 lbs 1.5 chicken breast

• 1/2 1/2 a white onion

• 3 3 garlic cloves

• 2 tsp 2 black peppercorns

• 2 2 bay leaves

• 1 tbsp 1 chicken bouillon, preferably Knorr

• 1 tsp 1 salt

• 4 cups 4 water

• For the Salsa Verde

• 8 8 tomatillos, husked and cleaned

• 1/4 1/4 white onion

• 2 2 garlic cloves, skin still on

• 2 2 jalapenos, stems removed

• 1 1 poblano pepper, stem removed

• 1 tsp 1 salt

• 1 1 small bunch of cilantro

• 1 tsp 1 oregano, preferably Mexican oregano

• 1 tbsp 1 neutral oil. I use avocado oil

• 1/2 cup 1/2 Mexican crema, or sour cream

• For serving

• 8-12 8-12 corn tortillas

• neutral oil, for frying. I use avocado oil

• Asadero or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

• red onion, thinly sliced

• fresh cilantro

• Mexican crema

Directions

• Cook the chicken
• Add the chicken breasts to a pot along with the water, garlic, onion, bay leaves, black peppercorns, chicken bouillon, salt, and cilantro. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
• Remove the chicken to a bowl and shred. Mix in about 1/2 cup of the broth to keep the chicken moist. Cover the bowl with tinfoil to keep the chicken warm while we make the salsa verde. Do not discard the leftover chicken broth.
• Make the salsa verde
• To a dry pan over medium heat, add in the tomatillos, jalapenos, white onion, garlic, and poblano. Roast until all the ingredients are charred all over. We keep the skin on the garlic to prevent it from burning.
• Remove the ingredients from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes. Peel off as much of the poblano skin as you can and remove its seeds. Also, remove the skin from the garlic. Add everything to a blender along with the oregano, salt, cilantro, and 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. Blend until smooth.
• Add the oil to a pot over medium heat. Pour in the salsa verde and let fry for 5 minutes. If the sauce is too watery, let simmer until you get your desired consistency.
• Add in the crema to the sauce and mix. The sauce should now be nice and creamy.
• Make the enchiladas
• Add enough oil to a pan over medium heat to just coat the bottom. Fry a corn tortilla for 10 seconds per side and place on a tray. Immediately add in some of the shredded chicken to the tortilla, and roll into a cylinder. Repeat this process until all the chicken is gone.
• Coat the bottom of a baking dish with the salsa verde and place in your chicken filled tortillas. Once the dish is full, spoon over more of the salsa verde. Sprinkle over some shredded asadero cheese. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the cheese is nice and melted. About 10-15 minutes.
• Serving
• Serve your enchiladas suizas on a plate and garnish with crema, thinly sliced red onion, and cilantro. Enjoy!