Roasted Poblano Salsa Chicken Enchiladas with Cucumber Pico de Gallo

You didn’t think I’d come back from Mexico without a vacation-inspired recipe, did you?

Roasted Poblano Salsa Chicken Enchiladas with Cucumber Pico de Gallo are fresh, fabulous, and such a great twist on regular chicken enchiladas with red sauce. I can’t wait for you to try them!

Walter, our chef at the villa we stayed at in Puerto Vallarta, made homemade fresh salsas for us to snack on with tortilla chips all week long – some hot, some mild, some green, some traditional – so I took a cue from him and made my own roasted poblano salsa to act as the sauce for these cheesy, totally addicting enchiladas.

Vine-ripened tomatoes, onion, poblano pepper, and garlic are roasted then blended with cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper to create a simple homemade salsa that you’re going to flip for – plus it can be made ahead of time, too. The salsa smothers corn tortillas wrapped with sauted chicken and shredded Queso Quesadilla cheese then the whole thing is baked until bubbly and topped with fresh Cucumber Pico de Gallo.

Yes, cucumber pico de gallo!

Traditional pico de gallo is an uncooked salsa made with chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper, but Walter made his with fresh cucumber thrown into the mix and the cooling crunch is genius. Each creamy, cheesy bite topped with fresh and snappy pico is better than the next. Let’s do this!

Start by making the Roasted Poblano Salsa, which features a poblano pepper. Poblano peppers are typically used for Chile Rellenos and are delicious once lightly roasted and slightly charred.

You can find poblano peppers by the jalapeno peppers at the grocery store and as I mentioned, they aren’t spicy – just a little warming.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees then line a baking sheet with nonstick sprayed foil and rub 1 poblano pepper, 4 vine-ripened tomatoes and 1 small onion peeled then cut in half with just a little bit of extra virgin olive oil.

Slice the top quarter off a head of garlic, place it in a piece of foil, then drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil and close the foil up to create a little pouch.

Roast the entire pan for 20 minutes, flipping everything but the garlic over half way through, then turn the heat down to 350 degrees.

Once cool enough to handle, transfer the onion and tomatoes to a food processor or blender then squeeze the head of garlic to remove 7 cloves (they should slide right out.) Remove the stem from the poblano pepper plus any excess seeds (there shouldn’t be too many,) then add the juice of 1 lime, 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro, 1 Tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Process the salsa until smooth then taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Salsa = done! So easy, right? Set the salsa aside, or stash in the fridge for up to 5 days before using.

Next, saute 1lb chicken breasts that have been seasoned with garlic salt and pepper until cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly then shred or chop.

Meanwhile, shred 8oz Queso Quesadilla.

Enchilada assembly time! You’ll need 8 corn tortillas (I like Mission’s yellow corn tortillas).

Microwave half the tortillas in a damp paper towel for 30 seconds then add a scoop of chicken, a spoonful of salsa, and about a Tablespoon shredded Queso Quesadilla to the center of each tortilla. Roll then place seam side down in a nonstick sprayed baking dish.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients then spoon the salsa generously on top of the tortillas, making sure every inch is covered (FYI you’ll have extra salsa – grab some chips!) Finally, sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top.

Cover the pan tightly with a piece of foil that’s been generously sprayed with nonstick spray then bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil then bake for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is totally melted.

While the enchiladas are baking, chop up the quick Cucumber Pico de Gallo. That’s just 2 chopped vine-ripened tomatoes, 1/2 chopped cucumber, 1/2 chopped small onion, 1/2 minced jalapeno, 1/4 cup cilantro, the juice of 1 lime, salt, and pepper. Scoop over the hot and cheesy enchiladas, then devour!

Enchiladas were one my favorite things to order from Mexican restaurants pre-CD, but since most enchilada sauces are made with all-purpose flour as thickeners I haven’t eaten them in ages. Since this version swaps regular enchilada sauce for fresh, homemade salsa, I can eat and enjoy until my gluten-free heart’s content. Hope you love them as much as we did!

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Roasted Poblano Salsa Chicken Enchiladas with Cucumber Pico de Gallo

5 from 1 vote

by Kristin Porter

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

Servings: 4

GFGluten FreeEFEgg Free

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Roasted Poblano Salsa Chicken Enchiladas with Cucumber Pico de Gallo are a fresh and light twist on classic enchiladas with red sauce.

Equipment

• Food processor
• Half sheet pan

Ingredients

For the Roasted Poblano Salsa:

• extra virgin olive oil
• 4 vine-ripened tomatoes
• 1 poblano pepper
• 1 small onion, peeled then halved
• 1 head garlic, top 1/4" sliced off to reveal cloves
• 1/4 cup packed cilantro
• 1 lime
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

For the Enchiladas:

• 2 chicken breasts, ~1lb, pounded to an even thickness
• garlic salt
• pepper
• 8 corn tortillas
• 8 oz freshly shredded Queso Quesadilla or Monterey Jack cheese

For the Cucumber Pico de Gallo:

• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 1/4 cup packed cilantro
• juice of 1 lime
• salt
• pepper

Directions 

For the Roasted Poblano Salsa:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees then line a half sheet pan with foil. Add tomatoes, pepper, and onion to the baking sheet then drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and rub to coat. Place head of garlic onto a smaller piece of foil then drizzle the revealed cloves generously with extra virgin olive oil and close the piece of foil up and place on baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping everything but the garlic halfway through.
• Once cool enough to handle, add tomatoes, onions, 7 roasted garlic cloves (squeeze the head to remove the cloves,) cilantro, juice of 1/2 lime, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Remove stem from poblano pepper and any excess seeds then add to food processor. Process salsa until smooth then taste and add more lime juice, salt, and pepper if desired. Salsa can be made up to 5 days ahead of time. Set salsa aside then turn oven down to 350 degrees.

For the Chicken:

• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat then spray with nonstick spray. Season chicken on both sides with garlic salt and pepper then saute for 3-4 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly then shred or finely chop when cool enough to handle.

For the Enchiladas:

• Spray a medium-size baking dish with nonstick spray then spread a couple Tablespoons Roasted Poblano Salsa in the bottom. Wrap half the tortillas in a damp paper towel then microwave for 30 seconds. Spread a scant 1/4 cup chicken (eyeball it) across the center of each tortilla then top with a spoonful of salsa and about 1 Tablespoon shredded cheese. Roll then place seam side down into prepared baking dish, and repeat with remaining ingredients. Spoon enough salsa on top to completely cover the enchiladas (you will have extra), then top with remaining cheese.
• Cover the baking dish with a piece of nonstick sprayed foil then bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil then bake for 5-10 more minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving with Cucumber Pico de Gallo.

For the Cucumber Pico de Gallo:

• Add tomatoes, cucumber, jalapeno, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper to a bowl then stir to combine. Can be made a day ahead of time.

Notes

• For this entire recipe you'll need: 6 vine-ripened tomatoes, 2 small onions, 1 bunch cilantro, and 2 limes.

Nutrition

Calories: 563kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 44g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 123mg, Sodium: 2255mg, Potassium: 1233mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 2303IU, Vitamin C: 61mg, Calcium: 528mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.

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