Green chili chicken enchiladas get a deliciously healthy dose of veggies, adding good for you fiber. Then topped with the easiest homemade green sauce, for high-protein comfort food made easy!
We absolutely love all things Mexican food in our house, and we do weekly taco nights. But every now and then I love a good tray of enchiladas, especially when you make enough for leftovers the next day!
These healthy chicken enchiladas have added plant fiber by way of a simple frozen veggie mix, and are topped with a super easy homemade green sauce. But don’t fret, if you’re not up for homemade sauce, just pick up your favorite store-bought brand. Use my fool-proof shredded chicken recipe for a delicious and comforting dinner the whole family will love.
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Why you’ll love these green chili chicken enchiladas
- Packed with protein and fiber – each serving has 39 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber! That’s a power-packed dinner.
- Doesn’t sacrifice flavor for health – these enchiladas are just as flavorful and delicious as the ones you’ll get at your favorite Mexican restaurant!
- Easy to assemble and perfect to make-ahead – once you get on a roll (no pun intended), you’ll have these assembled and ready to go in under 30 minutes. Then just pop in the oven when you’re ready to bake, and they reheat in a flash!
- Family friendly meal in one! While you can certainly serve some rice and beans or a salad on the side, this is really an all-in-one meal. You can also adjust the amount of sauce used and the heat of the sauce for young kids.
Ingredients Needed
- Tortillas – I personally like the Mission extra thin and extra soft corn tortillas, but use whichever brand you prefer. Note that most traditional Mexican enchilada recipes use corn tortillas over flour.
- Shredded chicken – of course I use my easy 30 minute shredded chicken recipe, but you can also use store-bought pre-shredded chicken to make life even easier!
- Fiesta/southwest style frozen veggie mix, like the one pictured from Birdseye.
- Shredded cheese and Cotija cheese. I love to add the cotija cheese to the inside of the enchiladas, and then top with the shredded cheese.
Ingredients to make the homemade Enchilada sauce
- Salsa verde of choice, about 24-28 ounces. Most packages come in 14 ounce containers.
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Low-fat sour cream
Making the healthy chicken enchiladas
Make the homemade sauce
Add the salsa verde and cilantro leaves to a blender or food processor, and blend till smooth. Transfer blended salsa and cilantro mix to a small sauce pan and gently heat over medium-low heat.
In a small bowl, combine the low-fat sour cream and a spoonful of the warm salsa mix, to temper it. Gently stir in the tempered sour cream mix into the salsa verde, and stir till well combined. Set aside.
Make the chicken and veggie mix
Add thawed and gently heated veggie mix and shredded chicken to a large bowl. Stir till well combined.
Assemble Enchiladas
If necessary, warm tortillas to make them more pliable. When ready, lay flat in a casserole dish and add chicken and veggie mix and cotija cheese. Roll up and lay folded side down. Repeat steps till all enchiladas are assembled.
Set and Bake
Pour enchilada sauce and sprinkle shredded cheese all over each tray of finished enchiladas. Bake in a 350 degree f preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, till warmed through and cheese is bubbly.
Recipe Tips and Faq’s
Yes, you can absolutely make these up to 2-3 days in advance. Just assemble the enchiladas but hold off on adding the sauce till ready to bake. Pour sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese right before baking. Make sure to keep well-covered in an airtight container so the tortillas don’t become stale.
Green sauce may be a no-go for risk adverse young kids, especially toddlers. No problem, simply bake the enchiladas sans sauce, but add some extra cheese on top. They are like a delicious baked flauta or taquito.
We limit the cheese and use low-fat sour cream to reduce the saturated fat content. Using all white meat breast meat also keeps the protein source nice and lean. Lastly, by adding a whole package of fibrous veggies, we add essential vitamins and minerals as well as fiber!
Storing and freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze assembled enchiladas without the sauce, in a freezer proof container for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the fridge, then pour sauce on top and bake as directed.
More REcipes you’ll Love!
- Hearty and nourishing Fiesta Salad would pair perfectly with these green chili enchiladas (just skip the added chicken in the salad).
- Dutch oven carnitas is a healthier spin on traditional fried carnitas. Less fat but just as much flavor!
- Beef and potato tacos are a family favorite around here and make for a quick and affordable Taco Tuesday!
- Serve all these delicious Mexican inspired dishes with a jalapeno cucumber margarita.
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Did you make this recipe?
If you gave this recipe a try, I’d love your feedback! Any tips or recipe additions you’d like to share, I’d love to hear it! Let’s connect down in the comments below.
Healthy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Equipment
- 2 9×13 casserole baking dishes
Ingredients
For the enchiladas
- 24 Corn tortillas
- 24 ounces Shredded chicken homemade or store bought
- 14 ounces Fiesta blend frozen veggies or similar veggies of choice
- 10 ounces Cotija cheese crumbled
- 8 ounces Shredded cheddar cheese Mexican cheese blend
For the green enchilada sauce
- 28 ounces Salsa verde mild or medium heat
- ¼ cup Low-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup Cilantro leaves
Instructions
Make the enchilada sauce
- Add the salsa verde and cilantro leaves to a blender or food processor, and blend till smooth.28 ounces Salsa verde, ¼ cup Cilantro leaves
- Transfer blended salsa and cilantro mix to a small sauce pan and gently heat over medium-low heat.
- In a small bowl, combine the low-fat sour cream and a spoonful of the warm salsa mix, to temper it. This will prevent it from curdling.¼ cup Low-fat sour cream
- Gently stir in the tempered sour cream mix into the salsa verde, and stir till well combined. Remove from the heat and set aside your homemade green chili enchilada sauce!
Assemble the enchiladas
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
- Thaw and lightly cook the frozen veggie mix either in the microwave or on the stove top. In a large bowl, add the shredded chicken and heated veggie mix and stir till well incorporated.14 ounces Fiesta blend frozen veggies, 24 ounces Shredded chicken
- In 2 stacks of 12, wrap the corn tortillas in a tea towel or paper towel and warm in the microwave till soft and pliable, about 45-60 seconds.24 Corn tortillas
- In a casserole dish, lay flat one tortilla and add about 1.5 ounces of the shredded chicken and veggie mix to the tortilla. Then add about .5 ounces of the cotija cheese.10 ounces Cotija cheese
- Gently roll up the stuffed tortilla and lay folded side down. Repeat this step for the remaining tortillas and chicken mix, assembling approximately 12 enchiladas for each casserole dish.
- Pour about 10 ounces of the homemade enchilada sauce on each casserole dish of finished enchiladas, reserving about 8 ounces of sauce to use for those who want more sauce after baking. Sprinkle each casserole dish full of enchiladas with 4 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese.8 ounces Shredded cheddar cheese
- Bake the enchiladas in the oven for 20-30 minutes, till cheese is melted and enchiladas are warmed through.
- Serve immediately, spooning on more homemade enchilada sauce if desired.
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