Baked and breads
Enchiladas suizas
Mexico City enchiladas of chicken in green tomatillo sauce with cream, baked under melted cheese.
Enchiladas suizas, Swiss-style enchiladas, are corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken, rolled, covered with a green salsa of tomatillos and chillies enriched with cream, and baked under a layer of melted cheese. They are a classic of Mexico City restaurants and are served for lunch with rice or beans.
What goes in
- Queso Chihuahua or Oaxaca418%, Melted on top.
- Corn tortillas523%, Lightly fried.
- Shredded chicken523%, Filling.
- Tomatillo salsa523%, Green, with chillies.
- Cream314%, The Swiss touch.
Rough parts by weight. The ring shows each ingredient's share of the dish.
Made step by step
Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Quantities and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional way, in outline.
Step 1: Simmer Poach and shred the chicken. Step 2: Simmer Cook tomatillos, chillies, onion and garlic, then blend with coriander and cream. Step 3: Fry Soften the tortillas briefly in hot oil. Step 4: Fill Fill each with chicken, roll and lay in a dish. Step 5: Grate Pour the green sauce over and cover with grated cheese. Step 6: Bake Bake until the cheese melts and browns in spots, then serve. Finished Enchiladas suizas, by share.
Why Swiss
The name refers to Swiss dairy: the cream and cheese that set this dish apart from other enchiladas. It is generally credited to a Mexico City restaurant in the mid twentieth century, which created it for its menu. The idea of Switzerland as a land of milk, cream and cheese gave rise to other suiza dishes in Mexico too.
Green salsa
The sauce is made with tomatillos, green husk tomatoes, cooked with serrano or jalapeño chillies, onion, garlic and coriander, blended and finished with cream. The tortillas are briefly fried so they hold their shape. The cheese on top is usually a melting variety such as Chihuahua, Manchego-style Mexican cheese or Oaxaca, grilled until golden spots appear.
Where it is used
The cheeses in it
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Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryCheese desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are a rough, illustrative ratio, not a recipe: every family and kitchen makes it differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.