Mexican food is one of those foods that I just constantly crave. And a couple of weeks ago, when I came up with this Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada with green sauce recipe, I wanted enchiladas. I have other enchilada recipes on the blog, but I really wanted something different. I’ve also wanted to create a green sauce with tomatillos for awhile too. Before this recipe, I had never even bought a tomatillo!

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas Verde | Hungry Healthy Girl

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Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas Verde

A delicious and healthy chicken enchilada recipe with a homemade tomatillo sauce.
Author: Kim

Ingredients

For the Enchiladas:

  • 1 lb. chicken breast, cooked and shredded
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup corn, canned or frozen
  • 1 large avocado, pitted, peeled and diced (1/4-1/2 reserved for garnishing the top of enchiladas)
  • 5 oz. baby spinach, chopped
  • 12 corn tortillas or other comparable tortilla, I used La Tortilla whole wheat tortillas and only used 8.
  • 1 small can of diced black olives for garnish, optional
  • cilantro for garnish, optional

For the Green Sauce:

  • 6 to matillos, husks removed
  • 1/2-1 jalapeno, seeds removed
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 F. and spray a 9x13 baking dish with an all natural cooking spray.
  • Add a thin layer (about 1/4 cup) of green sauce {recipe below} to the bottom of the baking dish and set aside.
  • Carefully combine the chicken, black beans, corn, avocado (reserve 1/4-1/2 for garnish), spinach, salt, pepper in a medium to large bowl.
  • Stir about a 1/2 cup green sauce {recipe below} into chicken mixture.
  • Fill each tortilla with the chicken/green sauce mixture, about 1/4 – 1/3 cup.
  • Roll tortilla up, placing the seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until all tortillas have been filled. Drizzle remaining green sauce over the top of the enchiladas.
  • Garnish with black olives, avocado and cilantro, if desired.
  • Cover enchiladas with foil and bake for 20 minutes and until enchiladas are fully heated.

For the Green Sauce:

  • Place tomatillos in a medium pot. Cover with hot water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove tomatillos from water and place in a food processor or high-speed blender with remaining ingredients, starting with only half the jalapeno. Process until smooth. Test for heat and add the remaining half of the jalapeno if desired.

Notes

Adapated from Good Life Eats
If you are short on time, feel free to use a can of sauce.
Calories: 355kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 383mg, Potassium: 989mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 2458IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 93mg, Iron: 3mg

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Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas Verde | Hungry Healthy Girl

These Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas Verde came out wonderfully and I loved the green sauce. It’s always fun to make something different that you’ve never experimented with before. You may notice in the pictures that I sprinkled a little cheese over the top of some of the enchiladas. My husband is a non-cheese-eater and I can take or leave cheese, but thought adding the cheese may make for a prettier picture. The cheese really isn’t necessary, plus leaving it out saves you calories, so you can have plenty of tortilla chips and guacamole on the side. 😉

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas Verde | Hungry Healthy Girl

Just a thought…. if you’re planning a special meal for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day, this sure would make a great one. Brad was a big fan of this meal!!

Something to think about…..

Are you a Mexican food fanatic like me?

Any fun plans this weekend? Nothing too crazy for me. I am planning a run to Costco and Trader Joe’s….. fun, fun, fun!

Hope your weekend is fantabulous!!!