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!
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.
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. 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.
You can use any red or green enchilada sauce, just make sure it is specifically gluten-free for any intolerance. But what I like about using my sauce is it is nice and thick which helps set each chicken enchilada in place so it is less likely to fall apart as you make it!
If you have the sauce prepared or ready ahead of time and the chicken cooked just waiting to be use-up😊, then these healthy chicken enchiladas are ready to eat in as little as 30 minutes!
How to make chicken enchiladas
Step 1: Chop all chicken and have chicken, cheese, corn tortillas, enchilada sauce, oil, and a sprayed baking pan prepared and ready.
Step 2: 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 end with the enchilada sauce. Carefully transfer to the baking dish and repeat for each enchilada.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: 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.
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!
Toppings for healthy 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.
Fun fact: The secret to delicious chicken enchilada 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! So is my recipe and take on the chicken…
What kind of chicken works best for these enchiladas
Shredded chicken, roasted chicken or cooked chicken breasts finely chopped and pulled works best for the consistency in this recipe. I prefer to use white chicken meat as it is lower in saturated fat and calories. Shred a rotisserie chicken or make a slow cooker shredded chicken breast that has been cooked in advance. Add chicken in a slow cooker with salt and pepper and cook on low heat 6 hours or low for 3 hours. The juice from the chicken will be enough moisture. Shred the chicken with two forks.
This revolutionary approach to simple chicken enchiladas will blow your mind! It is delicious and not too spicy. You can add the heat with extra salsa or jalapenos on top.
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! This is also delicious with dairy-free cheese or extra cheese on top prior to baking, although that defeats it being quite as healthy😊.
I have the greatest affection for simple recipes like this one! How about you? If you make it I would love to see it on social media so please tag me @delightfulmomfood #delightfulmomfood so I can see and share what you are making!
If you like these healthy and simple chicken enchiladas, you may also like:
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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.
Notes
Nutrition
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