Chicken Enchiladas: compare the 2 variations
Time, effort, key ingredients, diets, nutrition and cleanup side by side, so you can pick the one that fits tonight.
Which should I make?
- Fastest Salsa VerdeReady in 50 min; the other takes 1 hr 5 min.
- Easiest Salsa VerdeEasy like the other, but 9 steps against 12.
- Lightest Red Chile SauceAbout 500 calories a serving, against 830 calories for the other (an estimate).
- Kid helper Salsa VerdeA child can do 5 of the 9 steps: no knife, no heat.
Side by side
| Salsa Verde | Red Chile Sauce | |
|---|---|---|
| Total time | 50 min | 1 hr 5 min |
| Prep | 20 min | 25 min |
| Level | Easy | Easy |
| Steps | 9 | 12 |
| Serves | 10 enchiladas | 12 enchiladas |
| Key ingredients | cooked chicken, salsa verde and flour tortillas | chicken broth, cooked chicken and corn tortillas |
| Only in this one | cream cheese, fresh cilantro, salsa verde and sour cream | all-purpose flour, chili powder, dried oregano and tomato sauce |
| Dietary | ||
| Calories | 830 | 500 |
| Protein | 50 g | 37 g |
| Carbs | 59 g | 31 g |
| Fat | 44 g | 26 g |
| Cleanup | 3/5 3 things to wash | 3/5 3 things to wash |
| Kid helper | Yes, 5 of 9 steps | No |
Nutrition is per serving. Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Dietary: Based on the ingredient list and estimated nutrition; check labels; not medical advice. Cleanup score: 5 means one thing to wash, 1 means six or more. We count pots, pans, bowls and appliances, not the knife, board and spoons.
How we pick
- Fastest: the shortest total time, at least 10 minutes ahead of the next.
- Easiest: the lowest level (easy, medium, hard), then at least 2 fewer steps.
- Lightest: the fewest estimated calories a serving, at least 15% and 40 calories under the next (only when two or more have an estimate).
- Kid helper: the variation where a child can do the biggest share of the steps (no knife, no heat), when that's not all of them equally.
- Least cleanup: the best cleanup score, a point ahead of the next.
- Make it ahead: the only variation whose notes say how to make it ahead.
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or dairy-free: the variation that fits a diet the others don't, from the ingredient lines.
A pick needs a clear winner; close calls are left out.