You will be amazed to discover how quick and easy these healthy chicken enchiladas are! This chicken enchilada recipe is gluten-free and can be made in as little as 30 minutes, and it is one of the best ways to use up leftover chicken.
A few times a month I bring home a ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken from the store (so convenient)! We eat half of it one night with roasted vegetables and turn the rest into a Mexican dish such as adding it to fajitas, nachos, and this enchilada casserole recipe.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 people (10 enchiladas)
- ⚡ Calories: 348kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Warm corn tortillas, savory chicken and cheese under a rich red enchilada sauce, not too spicy
- ✋ Difficulty: Warm, fill, roll, bake. The sauce does the sealing.
Quick Answer
Warm a soft corn tortilla in a lightly oiled pan for about 30 seconds so it will not break, fill it with about a tablespoon each of cooked shredded chicken and cheese plus a tablespoon of enchilada sauce, roll it closed using a stripe of sauce as the glue, and repeat for 10 tortillas in a sprayed baking dish. Top with the remaining sauce, cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, then add shredded cabbage, cilantro, tomatoes, avocado and lime.
Jump to:
One of the great ways to use leftover chicken is to turn it into enchiladas or Mexican dishes! It is already cooked and ready to assemble with cheese in corn tortillas. The most recent round of our leftover chicken was easily turned into healthy chicken enchiladas with some homemade red enchilada sauce I made a few days prior.
What started as a taquito ended up being a row of chicken and cheese enchiladas. So think of this recipe as a combination of taquitos and an enchilada wrapped up in corn tortillas. The best is yet to come… add your favorite toppings! Fun fact: the secret to delicious chicken enchiladas is in the chicken! Ok, I made that up. But really - if it is too chunky, slimy, or chewy - that can become a big disappointment.
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Warming each tortilla stops the cracking. About 30 seconds in a lightly oiled pan on low-medium heat helps the tortilla not to break when it is folded.
- Enchilada sauce is the glue. A stripe of sauce on one side seals each tortilla closed when it is rolled up.
- A thick sauce holds everything in place. You can use any red or green enchilada sauce, but a nice thick one helps set each enchilada so it is less likely to fall apart.
- Finely chopped chicken rolls tight. Shredded, pulled, or finely chopped cooked chicken gives the best consistency, never chunky or chewy.
- Foil keeps them moist. Covered, 20 minutes at 400 degrees F heats everything through without drying the tortillas.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ready in as little as 30 minutes when the sauce and chicken are ready ahead.
- Gluten-free with soft corn tortillas, just make sure the sauce is specifically gluten-free for any intolerance.
- The best use for leftover chicken or half a rotisserie bird.
- Not too spicy. You can add the heat with extra salsa or jalapenos on top.
- Taco-night flexible. It trades nights with my cod fish tacos and vegetarian taco salad.
Key Ingredients
- 10 ounces enchilada sauce - any red or green sauce works; what I like about using my sauce is it is nice and thick which helps set each chicken enchilada in place.
- 1 cup cooked chicken, pulled, shredded, or diced very small. I prefer white chicken meat as it is lower in saturated fat and calories.
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese - also delicious with dairy-free cheese.
- 10 soft corn tortillas and 2 tablespoons olive oil for warming them.
- Toppings: shredded cabbage or lettuce, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes and onions, lime wedges, avocado slices and salsa.
Full recipe ingredients and measurements are in the recipe card below.
Toppings for Chicken Enchiladas
Favorite Mexican toppings are shredded lettuce, cabbage, radish slices, cilantro, fresh salsa, tomatillo salsa verde, avocado slices, regular or mango guacamole, limes, diced tomatoes and onions or pico de gallo.
- Extra cheese - optional on top prior to baking, although that defeats it being quite as healthy.
- Spicy - add the heat with extra salsa or jalapenos on top.
- Green sauce - swap the red sauce for tomatillo salsa verde.
- Casserole style - layer instead of roll and you have my enchilada casserole.
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Chop the chicken into fine pieces if not using pulled or shredded chicken, and have the cheese, tortillas and sauce ready to assemble.
1Heat about ½ teaspoon oil in a non-stick pan and heat a tortilla on low-medium heat to warm gently. This helps the tortilla not to break when it is folded. After about 30 seconds or until it is slightly warm remove it from the pan.
2Add a small amount of chicken and cheese (about 1 tablespoon of each). On top of that add 1 tablespoon of enchilada sauce, and put more sauce on one of the sides to act as a "glue" to seal the tortilla when it is rolled up.
3Roll up the tortilla and close the side with the enchilada sauce.
4Carefully transfer to the baking dish seam side down and repeat for each enchilada.
5After all the chicken enchiladas are rolled up and placed in the baking dish, top with the remaining enchilada sauce (or desired amount) and use a knife or spoon to spread evenly over the tortillas. Optional to top with extra cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
6While the chicken enchiladas are baking chop up the toppings. Once they are finished baking, remove from the oven, add the toppings and serve right away while warm.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- The best chicken: shredded chicken, roasted chicken or cooked chicken breasts finely chopped and pulled works best for the consistency in this recipe.
- Slow cooker shortcut: add chicken breasts to a slow cooker with salt and pepper and cook on low heat 6 hours or high for 3 hours. The juice from the chicken will be enough moisture. Shred with two forks.
- Make the sauce ahead. If the sauce is prepared and the chicken cooked and just waiting to be used up, these are ready to eat in as little as 30 minutes.
- Check the sauce label - any red or green enchilada sauce works, just make sure it is specifically gluten-free for any intolerance.
- Warm every tortilla. Skipping the 30-second warm-up is how corn tortillas crack.
- Freezer dinners: the same rotisserie trick stocks my chicken freezer meals.
Serving Ideas
Serve them right away while warm with baked tortilla chips for scooping extra salsa, a side of vegetarian taco salad, or a starter cup of vegetarian tortilla soup. This revolutionary approach to simple chicken enchiladas will blow your mind! You've got this: have all the ingredients ready, layer, wrap, place in a baking dish, top with extra enchilada sauce, bake and add fresh vegetables on top.
Chicken Enchiladas FAQs
Shredded chicken, roasted chicken or cooked chicken breasts finely chopped and pulled works best. White chicken meat is lower in saturated fat and calories, and a store rotisserie chicken makes it effortless.
Yes, with soft corn tortillas and a gluten-free enchilada sauce. Any red or green sauce works, just make sure it is specifically gluten-free for any intolerance.
Warm each tortilla in a lightly oiled non-stick pan on low-medium heat for about 30 seconds before filling. A gently warmed tortilla rolls without cracking.
This recipe is delicious and not too spicy. You can add the heat with extra salsa or jalapenos on top.
The sauce and the chicken are the make-ahead pieces. With homemade enchilada sauce made a few days prior and cooked chicken ready, assembly and baking take about 30 minutes.
Yes, this is also delicious with dairy-free cheese in the filling or sprinkled on top before baking.
More Mexican-Inspired Dinners
I have the greatest affection for simple recipes like this one! If you make it, tag me @delightfulmomfood so I can see and share what you are making! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Healthy Chicken Enchiladas
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Ingredients
- 10 ounces Enchilada Sauce
- 1 cup cooked chicken pulled, shredded, or diced very small
- 1 cup cheese shredded, Mexican blend
- 10 corn tortillas soft
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Toppings:
- cabbage or lettuce shredded
- cilantro chopped
- tomatoes diced
- onions diced
- lime wedges to squeeze the juice on top
- avocado slices
- salsa
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Chop the chicken into fine pieces if not using pulled or shredded chicken. Have the cheese and tortillas ready to assemble.
- Heat about ½ teaspoon oil in a non-stick pan and heat a tortilla on low-medium heat to warm gently. This helps the tortilla not to break when it is folded. After about 30 seconds or until it is slightly warm remove it from the pan. Add a small amount of chicken and cheese (about 1 tablespoon of each). On top of that add 1 tablespoon of enchilada sauce. Put more enchilada sauce on one of the sides to act as a “glue” to seal the tortilla together when it is wrapped/rolled up. Roll up the tortilla and close the side with the enchilada sauce. Carefully transfer to the baking dish and repeat for each enchilada.
- After all the chicken enchiladas are rolled up and placed in the baking dish, top with the remaining enchilada sauce (or desired amount) and use a knife or spoon to spread evenly over the tortillas. Optional to top with extra cheese. Cover with foil and transfer to the oven to bake. Bake for 20 minutes.
- While the chicken enchiladas are baking chop up toppings. Once the chicken enchiladas are finished baking after 20 minutes, remove from the oven, add the toppings and serve right way while warm.
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