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This easy turkey enchiladas recipe is my favorite way to use leftover turkey or chicken! With fire-roasted green chiles and the perfect blend of cheeses, these leftover turkey enchiladas verde may be your new favorite way to make the popular Mexican dish!
I am NOT a fan of leftovers, probably because I despise having to eat the same thing over and over again. So if we have leftover meats or sides, chances are that I’m using them to whip up something completely different.
That was the case with these delicious turkey and green chile enchiladas. After making SO many Thanksgiving turkey recipes for our pellet grilling YouTube channel, our fridge was overflowing with poultry – not really, but you get the idea.
So we decided to turn our traditional American Thanksgiving turkey leftovers into a fantastic Mexican dinner – and this turkey enchiladas recipe was born! And I’ve got to be honest, I may smoke another whole turkey just to be able to make this recipe again.
*This recipe would also be fantastic with our favorite whole smoked Mexican chicken!
Leftover Turkey Enchiladas Video
Ingredients
This recipe is simple to make because it incorporates a few store-bought sauces – after making a Thanksgiving feast, you’ll probably want to keep it easy! Here’s a look at the ingredients that we used:
- leftover turkey – You can substitute rotisserie chicken if you wish. You’ll want it to be pulled or diced.
- shredded cheeses – We used a mix of freshly grated cheddar, pepper jack, and gouda. To keep costs down, you can just use shredded cheddar or whatever you have on hand.
- cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo – For the perfect creamy filling.
- diced green chiles – These come in a can in the Mexican aisle of the grocery store.
- poblano peppers and jalapeno peppers – You’ll need whole fresh peppers to be able to roast them for the filling.
- diced onion and cilantro
- green enchilada sauce – Use your favorite canned variety. We used Old El Paso brand.
- salsa verde – Use your favorite jarred brand.
- tortillas – Enchiladas are typically made with corn tortillas, but to keep our recipe lighter (especially after gorging at Thanksgiving!), we used low-carb flour tortillas. No matter which tortillas you choose, try to get the soft taco size.
How to Make The Best Turkey Enchiladas Verde
Step 1: Roast the Peppers
This leftover turkey enchiladas recipe takes every opportunity to add major flavor, and that starts with fresh roasted jalapeno and poblano peppers. To roast your own peppers on the grill, just follow these steps:
- Oil the outside of the whole peppers with a small amount of cooking oil. Place the peppers directly on the hot grill grates. *If your grill has an open flame or searing option, use that. Allow the peppers to char and blister, turning every few minutes with tongs so that the peppers roast evenly.
- When the skin of the peppers is blistered all around, use tongs to remove the peppers from the grill and immediately place in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and allow the peppers to steam in the bowl for about 10-15 minutes.
- After steaming, the skin of the peppers will be loose and very easy to peel off. Gently peel off the skin with a knife or your fingers.
- Dice up the peeled roasted peppers and they’re ready to use for your favorite Mexican recipes.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
While the peppers are steaming, you can make the sauce. Simply combine the can of green enchilada sauce, one can of diced green chiles, and about 1 cup of your favorite salsa verde. Mix well and set aside.
Step 3: Make the Enchilada Filling
Next, make the enchilada filling. Mix together the shredded leftover turkey, sour cream, mayo, diced roasted peppers, cream cheese, diced onion, and cilantro.
Add in about 3/4 to 1 cup of the prepared sauce that you made in the last step, along with about 6 ounces of your shredded cheese. *The remaining sauce and cheese will go on top of the rolled enchiladas before baking.
Step 4: Roll the Turkey Enchiladas
Next, prepare a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish by lining it with a thin layer of the prepared green enchilada sauce. Then warm the tortillas slightly to make them pliable.
Fill each tortilla with a generous amount of the turkey filling (probably about 3/4 to 1 cup depending on the size of your tortillas), roll them up, and place them seam-side down in the dish.
Pour the remaining sauce over the rolled tortillas, and top generously with the rest of the grated cheese mix. I like to leave a few bits of the tortilla exposed to achieve a delightful crunchy texture like this:
*Grill Master’s Tip: When using good bakeware or casserole dishes on the grill, wrap the bottoms and sides with a piece of aluminum foil first. This helps to protect your pans from the smoke, soot, and grime of the grill. And it makes clean up easier!
Step 5: Cook the Turkey Enchiladas Verde
Place the dish in a preheated smoker or oven. Bake at 375°F until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
When done, garnish your leftover turkey enchiladas with some more chopped fresh cilantro or sliced green onions. Serve with sour cream, hot sauce, or your favorite enchilada toppings.
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Absolutely! You can use a rotisserie chicken instead of leftover turkey.
No worries. You can achieve a similar char effect on the peppers with a gas stove or broiler. Just ensure the peppers get that lovely charred skin. Then, just bake the prepared enchiladas in the oven at 375°F for about 30-40 minutes.
Once cooled, these enchiladas can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. They can also be frozen for extended storage – just ensure they’re properly wrapped to avoid freezer burn.
Turkey Enchiladas Verde (with Leftover Turkey)
Ingredients
- 5 cups leftover turkey, shredded and/or diced, *see notes
- 3 whole poblano peppers
- 2 whole jalapeños
- ½ tablespoon cooking oil
- 4 oz can chopped green chiles
- 10 oz can green enchilada sauce
- 1 cup salsa verde
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 4 oz freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 oz freshly grated pepper jack cheese
- 4 oz freshly grated gouda cheese, *or substitute extra cheddar or pepper jack
- ¼ onion, small diced
- ⅓ cup rough chopped cilantro
- 10 tortillas, soft taco-sized
Instructions
- Preheat smoker or oven to 375℉.
- Add the whole poblano and jalapeno peppers to a medium bowl with ½ tablespoon oil. Toss so that the peppers are coated in a thin layer of oil. Place directly on the grill grates, and allow the peppers to char and blister, turning every few minutes with tongs so that the peppers roast evenly. *If you don't have a smoker, a broiler or gas stove will work instead.
- When the pepper skins are blistered all around, use tongs to remove the peppers from the grill and immediately place in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the peppers to steam in the bowl for about 10-15 minutes. Then gently peel off the pepper skin with your fingers, and dice the roasted peppers, removing the seeds and stems.
- While the peppers are steaming in the bowl, make the green enchilada sauce. In a separate bowl, mix together canned diced green chiles, green enchilada sauce, and salsa verde. Stir well to combine. Set aside.
- Make the enchilada filling. In a separate bowl, add the diced turkey, diced roasted peppers, sour cream, cream cheese, mayo, diced onion, cilantro, and about ½ of the shredded cheeses. Add 1 cup of the prepared green enchilada sauce from the previous step. Reserve the remaining enchilada sauce and shredded cheeses for the top of the enchiladas. Mix the filling well.
- Prepare a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish by lining it with a thin layer of the prepared green enchilada sauce. Then warm the tortillas slightly to make them pliable. Fill each tortilla with a generous amount of the turkey filling (about 3/4 to 1 cup), roll them up, and place them seam-side down in the dish. *You should be able to fit 10 enchiladas in the dish.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the rolled tortillas, and top generously with the rest of the grated cheese mix.
- Place the dish in the preheated smoker or oven. Bake at 375°F until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
- Carefully remove the enchiladas from the smoker or oven, and allow to cool slightly. Garnish with some more chopped fresh cilantro or sliced green onions. Serve with sour cream, hot sauce, or your favorite enchilada toppings.
Video
Notes
- Leftover turkey – You will need approximately 1 turkey breast and 2 thighs from a 12-14 lb turkey to make 5 cups of shredded and diced. You can also substitute rotisserie chicken in this recipe.
