Enchiladas Suizas are a delicious enchilada recipe filled with deliciously seasoned shredded chicken and topped with a green sauce tangy with tomatillos, jalapenos, serrano peppers, cilantro, garlic, onions, and more. This is an authentic Mexican recipe you’ll love.

If you’re looking for a new take on an old Mexican favorite, then I’ve got an enchilada recipe for you. While Enchiladas Suizas have been around since the 1800s, a lot of people still don’t know that they even exist. If you live in a southwestern state, you most likely know what they are, however, if you live anywhere else you might not have heard of this Mexican-Swiss fusion dish. Unlike many of the dishes I share with you, I only started making this particular recipe recently. However, it’s become one of my favorite dishes for any party because of its delicious combination of flavors and textures and the sheer amount of food it makes! This is a great dish for family dinners, potlucks, or gatherings.
Enchiladas Suizas
This delicious enchilada dish takes traditional enchiladas and gives them a creamy twist. A mix of tender shredded chicken, a creamy sauce, and cheese to create traditional enchiladas that are so flavorful and delicious. It’s an incredibly unique recipe and one that always disappears whenever you set it on the table. With all that ooey-gooey, cheesy goodness, it’s no surprise, really.
Why You’ll Love These Enchiladas Suizas
- They feature a super flavorful and delicious homemade creamy sauce.
- They’re loaded with cheese, and the homemade sauce is great for the enchiladas along with tacos, burritos, and more.
- They’re great for gameday, potlucks, or a weeknight dinner.
Tips
- Always wash your hands after handling hot peppers, and NEVER touch your face.
- It’s important to ensure you get a good, golden sear on your chicken to lock in the moisture.
- Shred your chicken as soon as it’s hot enough for you to safely handle. Hot chicken shreds more easily than cool chicken.
Variations
- Try making these with pulled pork or beef.
- Can use rotisserie chicken.
- Ground beef and chorizo are both excellent in this recipe.
- You can use full-fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. They taste almost the same.
What to Serve with Enchiladas Suizas
Like any enchilada recipe, these enchiladas pair well with just about any of your favorite Mexican sides from rice to refried beans and everything in between. Some great options include:
- White rice
- Mexican rice
- Spanish rice
- Grilled corn
- Elote
- Guacamole
- Chips and salsa
- Refried beans
- Pico de Gallo
What is enchilada Suiza?
Enchilada Suiza translates to Swiss-style enchiladas, which is exactly what they are. They’re a Swiss-Mexican fusion dish.
Where did enchiladas Suizas originate?
While Sanborns Cafe in Mexico City claims to have invented the dish in the 1950s, there are other claims that they were invented as far back as the mid-1800s when Swiss immigrants settled in Mexico and brought their style of cooking with them. This recipe almost feels like enchiladas that have been topped with a Mexican variation on the sauce you’d find in Swedish meatballs, so I’m inclined to believe the latter.
What is Suiza sauce made of?
It’s made with a combination of tomatillos, onions, cilantro, either jalapeno or serrano peppers, and cream cheese or cream.
Can you freeze enchiladas Suizas?
You can freeze this dish for up to 2 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container.
Storage and Reheating
Store these enchiladas in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For longer storage, place them in an airtight container, place plastic wrap directly on top of them, then close the lid. Freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat these enchiladas, place a baking dish in the oven and preheat both to 350 degrees. Then, place the enchiladas in the dish, cover, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Enchiladas Suizas Ingredients
It only takes a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. You’ll find them all easily at your local grocery store.
For the Sauce
- Jalapenos, seeds removed
- Serrano peppers, seeds removed
- Tomatillos
- Cloves garlic
- Onion, sliced
- Olive oil
- Chicken broth
- Cilantro
- Chicken bouillon
- Sour cream or Mexican crema
- Cream cheese
For the Chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Slap Ya Mama
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Vegetable oil
- Butter
- Oaxaca cheese
- Monterey Jack cheese
- Corn tortillas
How to Make Enchiladas Suizas
Making this recipe isn’t very difficult. It only takes a few steps and a few minutes.
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Step 2: Cook the Vegetables
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Then, add the jalapenos, serrano peppers, tomatillos, garlic cloves, and onions and fry lightly. Add water, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Make the Sauce
Add the pepper mixture to a blender or Vitamix, then, add cilantro, chicken bouillon, sour cream, and cream cheese and mix until blended.
Step 4: Cook the Chicken
Add more oil to the same frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with Slap Ya Mama, garlic powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, and add it to the pan. Once the chicken is seared on one side, add butter to the pan, flip the chicken, and baste it with the melted butter. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Shred the Chicken
Transfer the chicken and juices to a large bowl and let it cool until it can safely be handled. Then, shred it. Finally, add about ½ cup of the sauce to the chicken and mix well.
Step 6: Make the Enchiladas
Lightly fry the tortillas in oil, then add the chicken filling and shredded cheese to each one. Then, roll them up.
Step 7: Bake
Add a little sauce to the bottom of the baking dish and place the enchiladas seam side down in the dish. Then, cover them with the remaining sauce and top with the rest of the cheese. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until bubbly.
Try This Delicious Enchiladas Suizas Recipe Today
These enchiladas are an absolutely delicious fusion of traditional Mexican cuisine and Swiss sensibilities, and they’re always a winner. Their rich, creamy, spicy sauce combined with tender, juicy chicken and all of that cheese makes for a dish that’s as at home on your dinner table as it is at any gameday party or potluck. Give this recipe a try, and get ready for everyone to come back for more!
More Delicious Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas – These delicious quesadillas are easy to make, loaded with tender chicken, onions, bell pepper, seasonings and two types of cheese. So good and a favorite, quick dinner recipe that whole family will enjoy.
Cheesy Ground Beef Empanadas – This empanada recipe has a deliciously seasoned ground beef mixture and two types of cheese stuffed in between a flaky crust. Absolutely delicious!
Tacos Dorados – These crispy taco dorados are packed with flavor from the delicious ground beef mixture and cheese, and fried to golden brown perfection.
And, here are some Easy Beef and Bean Enchiladas, from Deliciously Seasoned, that you will enjoy too! An easy weeknight dinner recipe that can be on the table in no time.
Enchiladas Suizas
Ingredients
For the Creamy Sauce
- 3 jalapenos, stems, seeds removed
- 3 serrano peppers, stems, seeds removed
- 5 tomatillos
- 5 cloves garlic
- ½ medium white onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 3 ounces cream cheese
For the Chicken
- 3 chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 10 ounce Oaxaca cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 18 corn tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° and lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
For the Creamy Sauce
- Using a large frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add jalapenos, serrano peppers, tomatillos, garlic cloves, onion slices and fry lightly.
- Pour in chicken broth and cover for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add all ingredients to a blender or Vitamix.
- Next, add cilantro, chicken bouillon, sour cream and cream cheese. Mix until blended.
For the Chicken
- Using the same frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat over medium high heat.
- Add chicken, seasoned with Slap Ya Mama, garlic powder, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Once you have a good sear, add butter to the pan, flip chicken over and baste each breast with the butter.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add chicken and juices to a large bowl.
- Let it cool a bit then shred it.
- Add a little bit of the sauce (about ½ cup) and mix well.
Assembling the Enchiladas
- Pour a little sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Lightly fry the tortillas in oil then add chicken mixture and shredded cheese.
- Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish.
- Cover with the remaining sauce and top with additional cheese.
- Bake uncovered in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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I read about this dish in the Los Angeles Times and while visiting Mexico City in 87 I had these for lunch at Sanborns Sangritas first and flan for dessert. Great dish beautiful dining room. Dream fulfilled.
This sounds DELICIOUS! However, in your directions, it’s stated a couple of times to “add a little bit of salsa” and “Pour a little salsa in the bottom of the prepared baking dish” but there is no mention of any salsa in the ingredients list. Am I correct in assuming that it’s meant to state “SAUCE” (as in the creamy sauce) instead of “salsa” or is something missing in the ingredients?
Hi Syi, Yes, you are right, it’s sauce. I will correct the directions. Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy this recipe. :)