Healthy Chicken Enchiladas

These healthy chicken enchiladas are packed with flavor and nutritious ingredients! The homemade enchilada sauce is the star of this recipe.

I don’t know what it is but I love Mexican food. Maybe it’s the spice or just the overall flavor profile but I love the cuisine! I have a vegetarian enchilada bake but hadn’t shared a straight forward enchilada recipe… until now. I love this recipe and hope it becomes a staple with your families!

I think a lot of people would consider Mexican food unhealthy but the truth of the matter is, within every cuisine there are healthy options! Sure, you can order or make the heaviest, creamiest dish but you could also make some simple swaps to lower the calories and up the nutrition profile. These chicken enchiladas are the perfect example. I took the traditional recipe and upgraded a few key ingredients to make it a nutritious and delicious meal.

Ingredients for Healthy Chicken Enchiladas

• Whole wheat flour tortillas
• Homemade red enchilada sauce – this is the star of the recipe in my opinion!
• Shredded Chicken – I use my slow cooker shredded chicken recipe
• Vegetables – corn, black beans, yellow onion, garlic and cilantro
• Cheese – I use low-fat, shredded Mexican cheese
• Spices – chili powder, cumin, salt
• Toppings – scallions, cilantro and jalapeños

Prepping and Storing Enchiladas

There are a couple of different ways you can prep these enchiladas ahead of time. One big time saver is making the homemade enchilada sauce ahead of time! You can freeze it if you make it more than one week in advance, otherwise just store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use. You can also prep the entire meal ahead of time and then bake it when you’re ready.

To store, use an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to five days. I don’t think I would freeze the leftovers because the cheese gets a little wonky, but if that doesn’t bother you, you can absolutely try it!

How to Serve Enchiladas

When serving these enchiladas I usually have a few topping options on hand including fresh cilantro, green onions, jalapeños, sour cream or Greek yogurt, salsa, hot sauce and guacamole or fresh avocado. You don’t need all of these. Pick your favorite toppings and use those!

These chicken enchiladas are a meal on their own, but it’s always fun to have a few sides… especially if you’re hosting. Here are some options:

• Sides: easy black bean dip, frozen pea guacamole, avocado salad, Mexican street corn salad
• Drinks: skinny paloma or skinny margarita

More Healthy Mexican Recipes

• Slow Cooker Cheesy Mexican Quinoa Casserole
• Healthy Mexican Layer Dip
• Mexican Sweet Potato Chicken Soup
• Tempeh Taco Salad
• Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Healthy Chicken Enchiladas

4 from 93 votes

These healthy chicken enchiladas are packed with flavor and nutritious ingredients! The homemade enchilada sauce is the star of this recipe.

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 8

Ingredients

Enchilada Sauce

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 chipotle peppers, diced (from canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
• 1 Tablespoon of adobo sauce from can
• 1 16 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper

Chicken & Veggies

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken, about 2 breasts
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 cup cooked black beans
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, from above

Enchiladas

• 8 7-inch whole wheat flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese, divided
• green onions and fresh cilantro, for topping
• jalapeños, for topping (optional)
• plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, optional
• sliced avocado, optional

Instructions

 

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil and sauté garlic until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, tomato sauce, oregano, chili powder, cumin, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. This will help thicken the sauce. Set aside until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 400°F degrees.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add chicken, corn, black beans, cilantro, chili powder, cumin and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Spray a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Fill each tortillas with 1/4- 1/3 cup of the chicken and black bean mixture, a sprinkle of cheese and roll it up.
• Place rolled tortilla into the baking dish, seam side down. Once all the tortillas are filled, cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over top.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are warm throughout. Serve enchiladas with your toppings of choice: green onions, fresh cilantro, jalapeños, sliced avocado and Greek yogurt and/or sour cream.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1enchilada without toppings Calories: 288kcal Carbohydrates: 34g Protein: 18g Fat: 9g Sodium: 753mg Fiber: 6g Sugar: 3g

Author: Brittany Mullins

Course: Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: healthy chicken enchiladas

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