Layers of zucchini ribbons, vegetables, enchilada sauce, cheese, and chunks of white chicken make this keto enchiladas casserole a flavorful dinner! Keto enchiladas are kid-friendly too, so try it with extra dabs of sour cream!
Love enchiladas? Try my Healthy Chicken Enchiladas, the classic Enchilada Casserole, and my Easy 5-Minute Enchilada Sauce (Gluten Free) to pour over everything.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 60 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees F
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes, mostly hands-off baking
- 🍽️ Serving: 6
- ⚡ Calories: 391kcal per serving, with 35g protein and 14g carbs (before toppings)
- 🥣 Ingredients: zucchini, bell pepper, poblano, onion, a little corn, cooked chicken, red enchilada sauce, sharp cheddar, avocado oil and cilantro
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Saucy, cheesy and savory, with sweet peppers and fresh cilantro
- ✋ Difficulty: Peel, saute, layer like a lasagna, bake
Quick Answer
Peel 1 to 2 large zucchini into thin ribbons. Saute ½ cup corn, ½ cup onion, 2 cups diced bell pepper and ½ cup poblano in 1 tablespoon avocado oil for 5 minutes, then stir in 4 cups cooked shredded chicken for 1 minute. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread ½ cup red enchilada sauce in a 9 by 13 inch dish, then layer zucchini ribbons, a third of the 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar, a third of the filling and cilantro, and repeat. Top with zucchini, the rest of the 1 ½ cups sauce and the last of the cheese. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, until the liquid is mostly gone. It serves 6 at 391 calories each.
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This recipe is made using zucchini ribbons in place of tortillas and grains, making this dish vegetable heavy, not to mention delicious for a keto diet. Please note the lengthy time is just waiting for it to finish baking, not actually making it.
I have to say my kids love this without any extra spicy stuff. Search for mild enchilada sauce and skip the jalapeno and chili pepper toppings. Kids also love it with lots of avocado slices and sour cream blended in or on top.
Why This Keto Enchilada Recipe Works
Click to see why it works
- Zucchini ribbons replace tortillas. Keto and gluten-free, with a paleo and grain-free option (just skip the corn).
- The filling is cooked first. Sauteing brings out the vegetables' natural flavor and removes most of the water.
- An hour uncovered. Zucchini is mostly water, so a long uncovered bake lets the liquid evaporate.
- Layered, not rolled. Layering like a lasagna is much easier and faster than rolling each ribbon.
- Budget friendly. No costly keto tortillas to purchase.
- Extra sharp cheddar. It melts well with a creamy, satisfying flavor.
Why You'll Love These Keto Enchiladas
- Keto and gluten-free, with a grain-free and paleo option.
- Super simple to make, and family-friendly too.
- A great way to get kids to eat vegetables.
- Inexpensive, with no high-priced ingredients.
- Flexible chicken: rotisserie, breast, thigh or drained canned chicken.
Enchilada Ingredients
- Zucchini ribbons - you will need 1 to 2 large zucchini. To cut them into ribbons I suggest this peeler or a similar one.
- Filling - avocado oil or olive oil, onion (purple or white), poblano pepper, sweet bell pepper (red, orange or yellow for a dash of sweetness), and a tiny bit of corn for texture.
- Cooked chicken - shredded is best, but I have also made it with canned chicken that is drained and shredded.
- Enchilada sauce - red, gluten-free and grain-free; use mild for kids.
- Cheese - extra sharp cheddar tastes extra creamy, but Mexican blend, taco blend or dairy-free cheddar work too.
- Toppings - avocado slices, fresh cilantro, salsa, onion, Roma tomatoes, jalapeno slices, red chili pepper slices and sour cream.
See recipe card for quantities.
Make It Kid-Friendly
Add extra creaminess such as sour cream and use mild enchilada sauce to make this appealing to kids. I have one child that doesn't like cheese and one that does. For the one that doesn't, I make a section for him that has no cheese, and for both I add loads of sour cream mixed in (plus that makes it extra keto!).
I personally don't eat regular cheese except for goat and feta, so I make my section of the casserole with vegan shredded cheese. Any zucchini that won't turn into ribbons can be chopped and sauteed for another meal or used in these banana zucchini muffins.
How to Make a Keto Chicken Enchilada Casserole
1Make the ribbons. Cut the ends off the zucchini, halve it, and peel down from the center with a peeler to form ribbons. Set them aside while you make the filling.
2Make the filling. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high. Saute the corn, onion, bell pepper and poblano for 5 minutes, then add the chicken for 1 minute just to heat it. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3Sauce and zucchini. Spread ½ cup enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch baking dish and layer zucchini ribbons on top.
4Cheese layer. Add a layer of cheese, about a third of it.
5Filling layer. Add about a third of the vegetable chicken filling and sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro.
6Repeat. Repeat the layers of zucchini, cheese and filling, saving a bit of cheese for the top.
7Top and bake. Finish with zucchini ribbons, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, or until there are no visible water puddles when cut.
8Add toppings. Top with avocado, fresh cilantro, peppers, onions and all your favorite toppings, and serve right away.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Bake uncovered for the full 60 minutes so the zucchini liquid evaporates.
- Edges burning but still watery inside? Tent it gently with foil, leaving openings at the sides or top so steam escapes, or turn the heat down to 325 to finish.
- Go easy on the corn. A tiny bit adds texture and sweetness, but it does have carbs.
- Shredded chicken gives the best consistency.
- Toppings are extra. The nutrition is based without them; avocado adds about 3 carbs per serving.
More Easy Casseroles
Casserole nights are the best nights. Try my Ground Turkey Spaghetti Squash Casserole, Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole or Low Carb Mexican Baked Spaghetti Squash next.
More Mexican-inspired dinners: Mexican Stuffed Peppers, Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili and Chicken Tortilla Soup. Need a crunchy side? Try my Keto Crackers (Paleo).
Keto Enchilada FAQs
Since zucchini is mostly water, the casserole needs to bake uncovered for about 60 minutes to release and evaporate the liquid. If the edges start to burn, tent it gently with foil so steam can escape.
Any chicken works, such as rotisserie, chicken breast, chicken thigh, or drained canned chicken breast. Shredded gives the best consistency.
Cooking the filling first brings out the vegetables' natural flavor and removes most of the water, so the casserole doesn't bake up too liquid.
Yes. Fill each zucchini ribbon, roll it up, and place them side by side in the dish, then bake the same way. It just takes longer to prep than layering.
Extra sharp cheddar melts well with a creamy flavor. Mexican blend, taco blend, regular cheddar or dairy-free shredded cheese also work.
Use mild enchilada sauce, skip the spicy toppings, and add plenty of sour cream and avocado.
More Enchilada Recipes
Keep dinner easy with Enchilada Casserole, Healthy Chicken Enchiladas, 5-Minute Enchilada Sauce and Ground Turkey Spaghetti Squash Casserole. I hope you enjoy this keto chicken enchiladas casserole recipe! 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!
Keto Enchiladas Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 zucchini large, ends removed and cut into ribbons or very thin slices
- 2 cups yellow, orange, or red bell pepper stem and core removed and and diced
- ½ cup corn (I use from a can and drained)
- ½ cup onion diced, purple or white onion
- ½ cup poblano pepper stem and core removed and diced (about 1 pepper)
- 4 cups cooked chicken shredded, or from a can with the water drained
- 1 ½ cups red enchilada sauce make sure it is gluten-free and grain-free, use mild for kids
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese this kind tastes best, but you can also use Mexican blend, taco blend, or dairy-free cheddar
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro chopped, divided
Keto Enchilada Toppings
- salsa
- 1 avocado
- Roma tomatoes diced
- sour cream
- onion diced
- jalapeno peppers slices
- red chili pepper slices
Instructions
Prepare the Zucchini and Enchilada Filling
- Using a peeler, cut the ends off of a zucchini. Cut it in half horizontal and using a peeler peel down from the center to form ribbons. Set aside while you make the filling. Or slice the zucchini into very fine strips.
- In a large pot or saute pan heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the corn, onion, bell pepper and poblano pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, mixing as it cooks to prevent burning. Add the chicken and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Layer the Keto Chicken Enchiladas Casserole
- In a 9x13-inch baking dish add ½ cup enchilada sauce and use a spoon to spread it out evenly to the bottom of the dish. Layer the zucchini ribbons on the bottom.
- Then layer with a ⅓ of the cheese, ⅓ of the vegetable and chicken mixture, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. Repeat the layers with zucchini, cheese and vegetable chicken mixture until you have a bit of cheese remaining for the last topping. On the last layer add zucchini ribbon and pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until the liquid from the zucchini is mostly evaporated. If it looks like it is burning but there is much liquid, tent with foil so there is an opening on the sides and top to release liquid. Garnish with your favorite keto toppings.
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