Enchiladas Suizas — The Recipe I Make When I Want to Feed People Well
There are recipes you make to impress, and recipes you make because they're just right — the kind of dish that fills the house with a smell that makes everyone wander into the kitchen asking when it'll be ready. These enchiladas suizas are the second kind.
The name comes from the Swiss (suiza) influence on Mexican cuisine — the cream, the cheese, that pale golden sauce that's somehow both rich and bright at the same time. This is my version: a poblano-tomatillo salsa verde built on charred vegetables, finished with cream cheese, crema fresca, and Monterrey cheese melted right into the blender. It's deeply savory, a little smoky, and just spicy enough that you feel it.
I make these for family, for friends, for Sundays. The process looks involved when you read it, but it's mostly just good technique — charring vegetables properly, cooking the salsa before you finish it, not rushing the chicken. Once you've made it once you'll know it by feel.
A few notes before you start
The chicken: I use one large bone-in chicken breast (or two small ones), poached low and slow in a broth with onion, carrots, celery, peppercorns, bay leaf, and salt. Don't skip the aromatics — they matter. Save the poaching liquid; it's good for rice, soup, anything.
The sauce: The key step is tatemarlos — charring and blistering the tomatillos, chiles, and onion directly on a dry skillet until they're softened and darkened in spots. This is what gives the sauce its depth. It's not a step you can skip or replace with boiling.
The heat: I use two jalapeños and one serrano because we like spice in this house. Adjust freely — leave the chiles out entirely or use one jalapeño for a mild version, or go heavier if that's your thing.
The crema: I use LALA crema fresca (the whole 375ml bottle), which you'll find at any Mexican grocery store. If you're in the US, Mexican crema or crème fraîche are the closest substitutes. Don't use American sour cream — it's tangier and will break in the heat.
Enchiladas Suizas
Serves 4–6 | Makes 10–12 enchiladas
For the chicken
- 1 large bone-in chicken breast (or 2 small), skin removed
- 1 whole white onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt to taste
For the salsa verde
- 20 tomatillos, husked
- 2 poblano peppers
- 2 jalapeños (adjust to taste)
- 1 serrano pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1 small white onion
- Salt to taste
For the sauce finish
- 1 package (225g / 8oz) Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 bottle (375ml / 1½ cups) crema fresca (I use LALA)
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- Avocado oil
To assemble
- 10–12 corn tortillas
- 2½ cups Monterrey cheese, shredded (divided)
- Avocado oil for frying
Instructions
Step 1: Poach the chicken
Place the chicken breast in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add the onion, carrots, celery, peppercorns, bay leaf, and a generous amount of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45–60 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Remove the chicken and let it cool enough to handle. Shred it — I use my KitchenAid with the paddle attachment, which takes about 30 seconds and gives you perfect, even shreds. Set aside. Reserve the poaching liquid for another use.
Step 2: Char the vegetables
Start with the poblanos: place them directly over a gas flame and char on all sides until the skin is blackened and blistered and the pepper has softened. Transfer to a plastic bag, seal it, and let them steam for 10 minutes. To peel, use the sharp edge of a knife and dry paper towels to scrape and lift the charred skin off — I don't run them under water, because I find it washes away some of the flavor you just built. Remove the seeds and stems. Set aside.
For the rest — the tomatillos, jalapeños, serrano, and onion — heat a dry skillet or comal over high heat. Working in batches if needed, tatemarlos: char and blister them directly on the dry pan, turning occasionally, until they're softened, darkened in spots, and fragrant. The tomatillos are ready when they've changed color and started to collapse slightly.
Transfer everything — the charred tomatillos, chiles, onion, and peeled poblanos — to a blender. Season with salt and blend until smooth.
Step 3: Cook the salsa
Heat a thin layer of avocado oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour in the blended salsa — it will sizzle. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn off the heat. Add half the Monterrey cheese (about 1¼ cups), the cream cheese, the crema fresca, and the cilantro. Use an immersion blender to blend everything together until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust salt. Your sauce is done.
Step 4: Assemble the enchiladas
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Heat a thin layer of avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. Working one at a time, fry each tortilla for about 20–30 seconds per side — just long enough to make them pliable and lightly coated in oil. Set aside.
Take one tortilla, place a spoonful of shredded chicken down the center, and drizzle a little of the sauce over the chicken. Roll it tightly and place seam-side down in an oven-safe baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, packing them snugly in the dish.
Pour the remaining sauce generously over the top, making sure all the enchiladas are covered.
Step 5: Bake
Bake uncovered at 350°F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, scatter the remaining Monterrey cheese (about 1¼ cups) over the top, and increase the temperature to 375°F. Bake for another 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and golden in spots.
Serve immediately with extra sauce on the side and arroz con elotitos — buttered white rice with sweet corn kernels — which is what my family always wants alongside this.
The sauce makes more than you need for the enchiladas — intentionally. Serve the extra warm in a small pitcher on the side. People will want it.