Chicken Enchilada Suiza Recipe With Homemade Sauce

My chicken enchilada suiza recipe is filled with tender chicken and a creamy tomatillo-poblano sauce under a layer of melted cheese. It’s rich, comforting and perfect for using up leftover chicken.

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I’ve made a lot of enchiladas recipes over the years, and I’ll happily make room for just about any version, but cozy Enchiladas Suizas are especially hard to resist.

Most enchiladas have cheese but it is the creamy charred poblano and tomatillo sauce that sets these enchiladas apart. The silky sauce adds an extra layer of indulgence that makes them completely irresistible.

This isn’t an easy weeknight dinner recipe but more of a celebratory dish. Don’t be put off by the process, it is well worth the effort.

What Are Enchiladas Suizas?

Enchiladas suizas, aka Swiss enchiladas, has one of the more debated names in Mexican cuisine, and even Mexican food historians don’t fully agree on how it got there.

Most trails lead back to a restaurant in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico, in the building now known as Sanborns de los Azulejos and the owner, Walter Sanborn who compared the dish’s white, melted cheese topping to snow on the Swiss Alps.

The origin of the name aside, what’s certain is that chicken enchiladas suizas couldn’t exist without a creamy green sauce poured over tender shredded chicken, rolled in tortillas, and finished under a blanket of melted cheese.

Ingredients

For the Chicken Filling

• Shredded chicken: Just like with my chicken chimichanga recipe, I use store-bought rotisserie chicken to make this quicker and easier. You can always cook chicken for the recipe instead (see the recipe card for details).
• White onions: Add savory flavor and a little sweetness. You will use half the onion for the filling and half for the sauce.
• Cream cheese: Gives the filling a decadent richness.
• Monterey Jack cheese: Mild, creamy, and an excellent melting cheese for both the filling and topping.
• Kosher salt: Season the filling to taste once everything is mixed together.

For the Suiza Sauce

• Tomatillos: The tart, slightly fruity base of the creamy tomatillo sauce. Look for firm tomatillos and rinse off the sticky coating after removing the husks; green tomatoes can work in a pinch, although the flavor will be different.
• Poblano and serrano peppers: Poblanos bring roasted chile flavor while serranos supply the heat. Both are usually easy to find in the produce section; for a milder sauce, replace the serranos with canned diced green chiles. For more roasted green chile goodness, try my chile rellenos casserole.
• White onion and garlic: Give the verde sauce its savory backbone. Yellow onion can stand in for white onion if that’s what you have.
• Chicken broth: Helps the vegetables blend into a smooth sauce while adding more flavor than water.
• Heavy cream: What turns the green salsa into the rich, silky Suiza sauce. Sour cream works too and gives it a slightly tangier finish.
• Fresh cilantro: Adds freshness and keeps the creamy sauce tasting bright; if cilantro isn’t your thing, you can simply leave it out.

For Assembly

• Corn tortillas: My first choice for enchiladas because they hold up well under the sauce and have that classic corn flavor.
• Oil: You only need a little to quickly soften the tortillas before filling and rolling.
• Monterey Jack cheese: Sprinkled over the top for a bubbly, melted finish. Swiss cheese can also be used as a playful nod to the name Enchiladas Suizas.
• Limes, sour cream, Cotija cheese, extra cilantro: For serving

How To Make Enchiladas Suizas

1. Cook the chicken, if starting from scratch. If you’re not using leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, place 2 chicken breasts in a large saucepan and cover with chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Shred with two forks and set aside. If using rotisserie chicken, simply shred and place in a large bowl.

2. Char the poblano and serrano peppers. Set the poblano peppers and serrano peppers on a rimmed baking sheet under the broiler, or directly over a gas flame, turning occasionally until blackened and blistered on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam for 10 minutes, then rub off the charred skins and remove the stems and seeds.

3. Boil the tomatillos. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the tomatillos, quartered white onion, and garlic. Cover with the chicken broth, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer until the tomatillos turn olive-green and soften, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

4. Blend the sauce. Transfer the peeled poblanos, serranos, tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chicken broth to a blender. Add the fresh cilantro, and kosher salt. Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large frying pan, set over low heat and whisk in the heavy cream (or sour cream) until you reach the consistency of a light cream soup. Taste and adjust the salt — this creamy tomatillo sauce is your suiza sauce. Set aside a scant cup of the sauce for the chicken filling and keep the remaining sauce warm.

5. Make the chicken filling. In a small skillet, warm the oil over medium heat and cook the sliced white onions until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the sautéed onions to the shredded chicken along with the softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese, and the scant cup of sauce you set aside. Season with kosher salt and stir until creamy — this is your chicken filling.

6. Fry the tortillas. Heat a light coating of oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Using tongs, dip each tortilla in the hot oil for a few seconds, coating both sides of each tortilla until softened and pliable and a little crispy just along the edges; this keeps the enchiladas from turning soggy in the oven. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining tortillas.

7. Fill and roll. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spread a scant cup of the sauce across the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish (or casserole dish) to keep the enchiladas from sticking. Working with the warm tortillas one at a time, dip the tortillas in the sauce coating both sides and place on a plate. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture on the lower-third of the tortilla, roll it up snugly, and place seam side down in the dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

8. Sauce and bake. Pour any remaining sauce evenly over the rolled enchiladas, coating them completely, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more, until you’ve got bubbling, melted cheese and golden brown edges.

9. Serve. Let the enchiladas suizas rest 5 minutes, then top with extra fresh cilantro, and a sprinkling of Cotija cheese.

Variations to Try

Once you’ve made Enchiladas Suizas, it’s easy to take the same idea in a few different directions.

• Keep it bright and green: For something less creamy, try my Enchiladas Verdes with Chicken, where the tomatillo and chile flavors stay front and center.
• Make it stacked: My Pastel Azteca layers chicken, creamy tomatillo sauce, poblanos, and cheese instead of rolling the tortillas individually.
• Try a completely different sauce: These Creamy Chicken Enchiladas with Jamaica Mole take chicken enchiladas in a deeper, more unexpected direction.
• Go meatless: Black bean or squash-filled enchiladas are an easy way to keep the format but change up the filling.

What to Serve With Enchiladas Suizas

Since the enchiladas already have plenty of creamy sauce and melted cheese, I like to serve them with something crisp, fresh, or vegetable-forward to balance all that richness.

• Mexican Cucumber Salad with Lime and Chile: Cool cucumber, lime, and chile add exactly the kind of bright crunch that works with a creamy green sauce.
• Cilantro-Lime Slaw: Crisp cabbage and plenty of lime keep the plate fresh without adding another heavy element.
• Roasted Mexican Street Carrots: Roasting brings out the carrots’ sweetness, while the chile-forward seasoning fits right in with the poblano and serrano flavors in the enchiladas.
• Grilled Asparagus Salad with Olive-Chile Dressing: A good choice when you want something a little more substantial but still fresh, with enough acidity and chile to stand up to the rich Suiza sauce.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The Suiza sauce and chicken filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated separately; for the best texture, assemble the enchiladas just before baking. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days, then reheat covered at 350°F or microwave individual portions.

If you want to freeze enchiladas, transfer your cooled enchiladas to an airtight container or freezer-safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat: if reheating from frozen, let the enchiladas defrost in the fridge. Once defrosted, microwave them until warmed through.

If you want to freeze the enchiladas before baking, follow the instructions up to assembly. After you assemble the enchiladas, you can place them in a baking dish or an aluminum baking tray. Top with sauce and cheese, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake after freezing, transfer the enchiladas to the fridge overnight to defrost. Once defrosted, bake as directed.