These All Natural Easy Chicken Enchiladas are a great way to use up leftover chicken but transform it in to a healthy meal that will WOW the whole family. There's nothing better than a warm, cheesy meal that's also good for you!
In the past, I've shared the easiest recipe for Slow Cooker "Roasted" Chicken and today I am sharing with you one way I turn that leftover chicken into a delicious dinner 2.0. I wanted to come up with a recipe that I could use all that great chicken but was different enough to not get boring. Ya know, chicken, chicken, and more chicken at dinner can get pretty old quick.
Ingredients
When I was shopping for simple ingredients I tried to find the most all-natural enchilada sauce and tortillas. (The point of this easy recipe is QUICK and HEALTHY.) Here are the brands that I chose that seemed to have the cleanest ingredient list.
- Bell pepper
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Shredded cooked chicken - leftover rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or leftover shredded chicken from my recipe for Slow Cooker "Roasted" Chicken work well.
- Enchilada sauce - I went with store-bought enchilada sauce and chose La Preferida Organic Red Enchilada Sauce, but you could make your own enchilada sauce if you'd like.
- Green chiles
- Shredded cheese- Cheddar, Mexican blend, or Monterey Jack cheese all work great.
- Whole-wheat tortillas- you can use smaller tortillas to get a higher yield.
Instructions
Start by preheating your oven to 375° F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non stick spray. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and sautee onions and peppers for about 4 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, until all veggies are tender. Turn off heat and let cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine sauteed veggies, shredded chicken, all but 3 tablespoons of enchilada sauce, and green chilies.
Fold in 1 cup cheese.
Fill each tortilla with a "strip" of the chicken filling down the center. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in pan. Continue until you've used up all the filling and tortillas.
Brush remaining 3 tablespoons of enchilada sauce on top of the prepared tortillas in the pan. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of cheese.
Bake in preheated oven uncovered for 20 minutes, or until enchiladas are heated through and golden. Serve with light sour cream, avocado slices, and/or salsa.
Variations
This All Natural Chicken Enchilada recipe is one you can hide all kinds of veggies in. I was soooo tempted to add fresh spinach to the filling too but didn't. Next time I certainly will and may even add double peppers and onions. If you want to make this vegetarian, nix the chicken and use two types of canned beans (like black beans) or refried beans.
To make dinner even more fun, let everyone choose their favorite toppings such as greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, green onions, or pico de gallo.
PrintRecipe
All Natural Chicken Enchiladas
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 -6 1x
Description
These Easy Chicken Enchiladas are a great way to use up leftover chicken but transform it in to a healthy meal that will WOW everyone. There's nothing better than a warm, cheesy meal that's also good for you!
Ingredients
- Avocado oil (or your favorite cooking oil)
- 1 green bell pepper (diced)
- 1 large yellow onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
- 1 can Enchilada sauce (15 oz)
- 4 oz can canned green chiles (use amount to your preference; I only used ½ the can)
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese (Cheddar, Mexican blend, or Jack all work great)
- 8 to 10 whole wheat tortillas-8" (can use smaller tortillas to get higher yield)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non stick spray.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and sautee onions and peppers for about 4 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, until all veggies are tender. Turn off heat and let cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sauteed veggies, shredded chicken, all but 3 tablespoons of enchilada sauce, and green chiles. Fold in 1 cup cheese.
- Fill each tortilla with a "strip" of filling down the center. Roll up tortilla and place seem side down in pan. Continue until you've used up all the filling and tortillas.
- Brush remaining 3 tablespoons of enchilada sauce on top of the prepared tortillas in the pan. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until enchiladas are heated through and golden. Serve with light sour cream, diced avocado, and/or salsa.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Mexican
Storage
Store leftover enchiladas in the fridge in an airtight container.
These beautiful enchiladas are one of my favorite recipes to make and take as a meal for someone. So Pin this as an idea when you need it in the future. You can also make a double batch for your family and freeze the second pan.
These homemade enchiladas have been a life saver for my family and I hope it is for you too! For another great recipe, check out my Healthy Taco Lasagna.
Enjoy!
