Pressure Cooker Chicken Enchiladas Suizas in a blanket of homemade salsa verde, Oaxaca cheese and Mexican crema is truly an award winning restaurant quality meal.
Pressure Cooker Chicken Enciladas Suizas
In 1990, I lost 130 pounds (60 kg) on Weight Watchers. The WW frozen chicken enchilada suizas dinner were my favorite to eat for dinner. Confession, sometimes, I would save up calories all day, just to make two packages. I’d come home from the gym famished and pop a couple in the oven and enjoy a nice meal.
Cast of Ingredients for Pressure Cooker Chicken Enchiladas Suizas
My Pressure Cooker Chicken Enchiladas Suizas are a million times better and with the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker, so easy to make too. This recipe is in my new This Old Gal Pressure Cooker Cookbook, which I hope you will buy!
Jump to Section
Ingredients to Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas Suizas
- Chicken
- Tomatillos
- Green Chiles, Onions, Garlic
- Oaxaca and Cotija Cheese
- Yummy spices found on the recipe card below.
Don’t be scared at all the ingredients in the above photo. Most of them just get thrown in the cooking pot at the same time including those for making the delicious salas verde.
Season the Chicken
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas Suizas.
- A flavorful enchilada, starts with highly seasoned chicken.
- There is no searing necessary and most of the vegetables get thrown in with the chicken to partially cook.
- The chicken is then shredded and rolled inside of warm corn tortillas.
- The veggies are pureed to make a luscious salsa verde. Then is all bakes up in the oven.
Easy right??? Follow the recipe on the below recipe card and you will have the best Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas Suizas you have ever had!!!!
Husk the Tomatillos
What are Tomatillos?
- Tomatillos are referred to as “Mexican Husk Tomatoes.”
- They can be green or greenish purple and have a paper-like husk around them. The husk kind of looks like a green pumpkin.
- Like beefsteak tomatoes, Tomatillos are a nightshade. They are mainly used for making salsa verde, which means green sauce.
Pro Tip: Tomatillos can be consumed raw or cooked.
Add Oil, Chicken, Veggies to Pressure Cooker
This is so fast and convenient, you don’t even have to worry about chopping any vegetables. The recipe is slightly spicy and is cooled off at the end with a layer of Mexican crema. My Fresh Corn Salas recipe is a great paring with Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas Suisas. It adds some coolness and a nice bite to the enchiladas.
Pro Tip: For a spicier enchilada, more of the chili peppers can be added.
Ready to Make Salsa Verde
In this recipe, we have saved an extra step and made it very easy. The perfectly cooked veggies will turn into salsa verde after processing. Of course, the chicken needs to first be removed from the pot! Since the tomatillos and chilies cook with the chicken, the flavor is even better!
Can Other Meat Be Used?
- Yes, definitely. If you would like to make beef or pork enchiladas suizas the method would be the same.
Process the Salsa Verde
Processing Tomatillos for Salsa Verde
- The veggies and liquid, all go into an Instant Pot Ace 60 Blender or VitaMix and then processed until smooth.
- The cilantro leaves are added last and only processed a bit.
Of course, the chicken needs to first be removed from the pot! Since the tomatillos and chilies cook with the chicken, the flavor is even better!
Shred the Chicken
The quickest way to shred chicken is to use an electric hand held mixer or use these cool Bear Claws Shredder Claws, which I like to use.
See the video in my Pressure Cooker Buffalo Chicken recipe to see the mixer in action.
Salsa Verde Goes into Rectangle Baking Pan
How beautiful and green is this salsa verde?
It makes a nice bed for the chicken enchiladas.
Fry the Tortillas in Hot Oil
I find that a Cast Iron Skillet is super easy to use and works well. The heat is nicely disbursed.
Is it Necessary to Fry Tortillas?
- It is definitely necessary to fry tortillas in hot oil prior to rolling.
- Corn tortillas are quite stiff and not pliable and will may break if you try to roll them up right out of the package.
- When making enchiladas, taquitos, or any other recipe where you need to roll corn tortillas, first frying them a few seconds will make them pliable.
Just a drop of oil is needed. Once the meat is added, the tortillas will easily roll up and stay in one piece, without any breakage.
Pro Tip: Make sure to add the filling and roll, while the tortillas are warm so that they won’t break.
Filling of Chicken and Cotija Cheese
How to Roll Tortillas for Enchiladas.
- The warm tortilla should be placed on a flat surface.
- A few Tablespoons of chicken should be placed between the center of the tortilla and the end facing you.
- Simply roll up the chicken in the tortilla, like a cigar.
Pro Tip: For extra cheesy enchiladas, Cotija cheese can be sprinkled on top of the chicken before rolling.
Rolled Tortillas Added to Pan of Salsa Verde
Each tortilla is placed into the salsa verde with the cut side down.
This can be done in one long rectangle baking dish, two square or rectangle baking dishes.
Enchiladas Covered with Salsa Verde, Mexican Crema & Cheese
The enchiladas are blanketed in the rest of the salsa verde.
What is Mexican Crema?
- It is the Mexican version of French crème fraîche. If you check my Pressure Cooker New York Cheesecake recipe, you will notice that I make sweetened a homemade crème fraîche for the top layer of the cheesecake.
- Mexican Crema tastes very similar to sour cream, but slightly less sour and is quite thin.
Often used as a “table cream” it is drizzled onto rice and beans, pork and other food.
Smothered in the Mexican crema and lots of Oaxaca cheese. They are ready for a quick stint in the oven
Baked Chicken Enchiladas Suizas
Does this not look delicious?
During the writing of my book, I had some testers on many of the recipes. In some of my tease posts, I will be using their photos, along with my own.
Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas Suizas
If you want this delicious Pressure Cooker Chicken Enchiladas Suizas recipes, please buy my This Old Gal Pressure Cooker Cookbook.
There are lots of amazing recipes that I know you will love!
More Delicious Mexican Recipes to Make
- Pressure Cooker Pork Carnitas {Crispy Mexican Pulled Pork}
- Mexican Homemade Classic Pico de Gallo {Salsa Fresca}
- Elote Mexican Corn on the Cob Mexico Street Food
- Air Fryer Carne Asada {Grilled Meat Tacos}
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
- J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Rachael Ray Stoneware EVOO Oil Dispensing Bottle
- Porcelain & Bamboo Salt Box with Spoon
- Gravity Electric Salt and Pepper Grinder
- My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
- Long Rectangle Baking Dish,
Caring is sharing! If you would like to support This Old Gal, please share this recipe on Social Media, so that I can continue to bring you more wonderful recipes!
If you share a picture of something you make from our blog, tag it with #thisoldgalcooks so we can see it. We might feature it on Instagram! It makes my day when I see you’ve made one of our recipes!
Here is the handy printable recipe:
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Chicken Breasts Boneless/Skinless cut into 2 inch chunks
- 1.5 teaspoons Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus 2 TBL for frying Tortillas
- 1 Tablespoon Salted Butter
- 1/4 cup Chicken Stock/Broth
- 2 pounds Tomatillos husked
- 2 Serrano Chiles (Green) stemmed
- 2 Guerito Chiles (Yellowish Green) stemmed
- 1 small Yellow/Brown Onion peeled and halved
- 3 cloves Fresh Garlic
- 1/2 bunch Fresh Cilantro Leaves stems removed
- 12 Corn Tortillas
- 1.5 cups Mexican Crema (crème fraîche, or half sour cream and half heavy cream)
- 10 ounces Oaxaca Cheese shredded
- 4 ounces Cotija Cheese crumbled
Recommended Products
Instructions
Prepare Salsa Verde Sauce and Chicken
- In a medium bowl, combine the salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cumin. Add the chicken chunks and rub in the seasonings to coat.
- To the Instant Pot cooking pot, add in this order: (1) olive oil, (2) butter, (3) chicken chunks, (4) chicken broth, (5) tomatillos, (6) Serrano chilies, (7) Guerito chilies; and (8) onion to the cooking pot.
- Lock the lid and close the pressure valve. Cook for 2 minutes on High Pressure.
- When the beep sounds, wait 5 minutes, then release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid from Instant Pot and scoop out the chicken and transfer the chicken to a bowl.
- Shred the chicken well with Bear Claws Shredding Claws or 2 forks.
- Transfer the vegetables and liquid from the cooking pot to a Vitamix, Instant Pot Ace or other blender.
- Add the fresh garlic to the blender and process until smooth.
- Lastly, add the cilantro to the blender and very lightly process the salsa verde so that you can see bits of the cilantro. Set aside until ready to assemble.
Fry Tortillas (Don’t skip this step—lightly frying the tortillas makes them pliable and easier to roll.)
- 1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil.2. Add a few tortillas at a time to the hot oil, adding more oil as necessary, and flip them over, frying for 15 seconds per side.3. Transfer tortillas to a paper towel to drain.
Assemble and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Pour half the salsa verde from the Vitamix into a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish.
- Place one tortilla at a time on a flat work surface and add about 1/3 cup (50 g) shredded chicken.
- Roll up the tortilla and place the tortilla seam side down into the baking dish. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas and chicken.
- Pour the remaining salsa verde over the enchiladas.
- Drizzle the Mexican crema over the top of the enchiladas and cover them with the Oaxaca cheese.
- Place casserole/baking dish into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and crumble the cotija cheese over the enchiladas and serve.
Notes
What is Mexican Crema?
- It is the Mexican version of French crème fraîche. If you check my Pressure Cooker New York Cheesecake recipe, you will notice that I make sweetened a homemade crème fraîche for the top layer of the cheesecake.
- Mexican Crema tastes very similar to sour cream, but slightly less sour and is quite thin.
- Sour creamed mixed with a teaspoon of milk can be substituted for the Mexican Crema.
PIN this Pressure Cooker Chicken Enchiladas Suizas!
Chicken Enchiladas Suizas
Too hot in SoCal for baking. But, this made me hungry just looking at it. Can I microwave? And for how long?
I wouldn’t. Jill
Two minutes high pressure?! Is this correct? Yet, it also says total time 47 minutes. I’m confused. Appreciate your comment asap, if possible. Thanks
I no longer have a reason to go out for Mexican food! Made a few adaptations as couldn’t find a few ingredients. We both enjoyed making and eating this dish!
Thank you, Ruthie. Jill
This is in the oven right now and looks and smells so good. I made a few necessary changes given what they had at the store. I used jalapenos and poblanos. I also used queso fresco and cojita inside and on top because who doesn’t love cheese. I added one juiced lime. It gave me a chance to use my immersion blender. I can’t wait to eat this, it is my Go to order at our local Mexican restaurant. This was a bit time consuming but I used to make salsa verd e where I broiled all the veggies and then put the peppers in a bag to skin them, so This was so much easier. Thanks so much. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Ooooh, I can’t wait for you to take a bite. Thank you for using my recipe. Jill
It was the Best! So delicious. I also make your eggs every other day because my husband likes egg salad. Thanks for the inspiration.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe and the eggs. Thanks so much. Jill
Jill, have you ever used this sauce to make a homemade Pork Chili verd e with small pork cubes and perhaps some white beans? The sauce itself is so great and sharp/fresh. I talk your recipes up all of the time
I have not, but totally you can and it would be incredible. Thank you so much. Jill
I’m curious to try this recipe. This salsa verde looks great!
Thank you, Diana. Let me know the result. Jill