Healthy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Healthy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas combine shredded chicken with all the Mexican flavors, including salsa verde, green chiles, beans, Greek yogurt, cheese, and tortillas. A healthier Mexican enchilada recipe that will have you scraping the pan for more!
For other delicious Tex-Mex, try my Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers, some Crunchy Shrimp Tostadas with Avocado, and the best Chicken Tortilla Soup!
Nutrient-Dense Enchiladas!
We are huge Tex-Mex fans, and I love it all. The enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas…all of it. When we dine out, I almost always avoid the enchiladas because oftentimes, they look unhealthy and are swimming in cheese sauce. But homemade enchiladas? That’s a whole different story.
These homemade green enchiladas are full of lean protein and veggies, and are topped with a simple salsa verde and some pepper jack cheese. Very simple and filling. In fact, one enchilada was all I needed to fill up, along with a side of rice or a small salad.
When I have extra time, I like to bake my own chicken and make up some homemade salsa verde. But, for a quick option, feel free to use rotisserie chicken and store-bought salsa verde. Both options are SO good!
Ingredients Used:
After making these enchiladas a couple of times, I now make sure I have all these ingredients in my pantry at all times, so I can make them on a whim. 😀
- Shredded Chicken: You can use rotisserie chicken or cook your own. I like to use my Best Ever Tex-Mex Marinade, and simply bake the chicken.
- Salsa Verde: Here again, you can buy it in a jar or make my homemade version.
- Green Chiles: Use store-bought and simply strain.
- Beans: Use any variety you like – pinto, black, cannelloni, etc. Just rinse and strain.
- Diced Peppers and Onions: Sauté the veggies with all the seasonings.
- Seasonings: Let’s go with the usuals here – cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and salt & pepper.
- Greek Yogurt: Just use plain Greek yogurt, or if desired, substitute sour cream.
- Shredded Cheese: You can use any variety you like best. I used pepper jack.
- Tortillas: Flour tortillas hold up best in this dish. If watching the carbs, use a low-carb version!
What to top enchiladas with:
I added pico to our enchiladas and it’s the perfect topper. The following are some other great ideas!
How to make Healthy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas:
You will be surprised at how easy these are to make. And you can make them up in advance and then bake them at mealtime.
Step 1
Prep the chicken. You can use store-bought rotisserie chicken and simply shred it. Or you can bake your own (and then shred) using my Best Ever Tex-Mex Marinade. Both methods are very simple.
Step 2
Prep the veggies. Sauté the diced onions and jalapeño peppers, and add the seasonings – cumin, chili, powder, onion, powder, and s&p. Let cool.
Step 3
Combine the enchilada filling. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, sautéed veggies, beans, green chiles, part of the salsa verde, the Greek yogurt, and half of the shredded cheese. Stir well.
Step 4
Assemble the enchiladas. Spread a few tablespoons of the salsa verde on the bottom of the casserole dish. Take one tortilla at a time, and spoon about one cup of the filling down the center. Roll up and place in casserole dish seam side down. Repeat until all ingredients are used.
Step 5
Finish the casserole. Pour the remaining salsa verde over the enchiladas, spreading to all edges. Then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Step 6
Bake and serve. Bake the enchiladas for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until piping hot. Top with pico de Gallo and/or sliced avocado (or other toppings).
Serve with sides of your choice (see below).
Bake and Share! This recipe makes 12 seven-inch enchiladas. I baked eight in one dish and four in another and gifted the smaller dish to a friend.
Freezer Option: You can freeze these enchiladas but they are better fresh. Freezing them may make them a bit soggy.
Recipe FAQs
Typically enchiladas are not all that healthy and swimming in cheese sauce. THESE, however, are quite healthy and full of lean protein, Greek yogurt, and low-carb tortillas.
While corn tortillas are more classic for enchiladas, I love using flour, especially these carb-balanced ones. Use whatever you prefer!
We love using either green or red enchilada sauce. If you prefer red, try my homemade enchilada sauce! It’s so good!
What to serve with Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas:
- Mexican Quinoa Salad with Fresh Corn – I always have a quinoa salad handy, because we are OBSESSED.
- Cilantro Lime Rice – You can make this one in the Instant Pot too.
- Spanish Rice with Beans – An old favorite and leftovers are great.
- Chunky Guacamole – This guac, along with some chips, is a great starter to Mexican night!
Make this Tex-Mex dish next: Easy Taco Crunch Wraps
xoxo ~Sue
Healthy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion – diced
- 2 medium jalapeno peppers – diced
- salt and pepper – to taste
- 1 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 8 ounces diced green chiles – drained
- 3 ½ cups cooked chicken, shredded – can use rotisserie
- 15 oz. pinto beans – rinsed and strained
- 2 cups salsa verde, divided – can use homemade version
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt – or sour cream
- 8 ounces shredded pepper jack cheese, divided
- 12 7-inch low carb whole wheat tortillas
- pico de Gallo or sliced avocado – to serve
Instructions
- In a medium sauté pan, heat olive oil and add diced onion and peppers. Cook until soft. Add salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and onion powder. Cook another minute and remove from heat. Let cool slightly
- In a large mixing bowl, combine shredded chicken, beans, the veggie mixture, the green chiles, 3/4 cup of the salsa verde, the Greek yogurt, and half of the cheese. Mix until well combined.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13 casserole dish by adding a couple of tablespoons of salsa verde to the bottom of the dish, smoothing it to all edges.
- Spoon about one cup of the chicken mixture down the middle of each tortilla, folding over and placing into the casserole dish seam side down. You should fit eight enchiladas in a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Top the enchiladas with the remaining salsa verde, smoothing it all over to make sure tortillas are completely covered. Add the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake enchiladas for 30 minutes. Top with pico de Gallo and/or sliced avocado.
- Serve over rice of your choice.
Notes
What to serve with Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas:
- Mexican Quinoa Salad with Fresh Corn – I always have a quinoa salad handy, because we are OBSESSED.
- Cilantro Lime Rice – You can make this one in the Instant Pot too.
- Spanish Rice with Beans – An old favorite, and leftovers are great.
- Chunky Guacamole – This guac, along with some chips, is a great starter to Mexican night!
Made this recently and it was delicious! I used a few corn tortillas along with the flour tortillas, just to experiment. The corn tortillas quickly fell apart, but I didn’t care because they were yummy! My husband and son prefer the flour tortillas, so we were all happy.
We love corn tortillas too!
I made these for my family tonight and they were as good as any chicken enchiladas I’ve had. Easy to make (especially easy if you have some leftover chicken) and absolutely yummy! They were a hit with our entire family. I’ll make this one again soon.
So great to hear this, Big Papa!
Thank you. The recipe was easy, quick, and delicious. I followed all the steps and added black olives and cilantro on top after it was done. This is the first time I’ve tried one of your recipes so I will explore others.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these enchiladas, Nicole!
I just made this for lunch and it was a BIG hit with whole family!
So great to hear, Cathy!
Can I replace the tortillas with corn tortillas? With this change the prep?
I think you could definitely use corn tortillas in this!
A couple of clarifications are needed. You did not say when to add the pinto beans and you did not say what to smooth into the bottom of the baking dish.
Just fixed it! Thanks for the feedback!
Thanks! I just made it with my interpretation of what to add and when and it was delicious! I accidentally added all of the salsa to the filling and it worked out well. I added half tsp hot chili and half tsp regular chili powder and it gave it a good kick. Definitely keeping the recipe!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Heather! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out! 🙂
Mexican food is a big favorite in my home, so this is definitely a keeper. Plus, I love how just one batch of this is enough to feed a crowd. And the prep is almost no fuss, a major bonus point. Thanks for sharing.
We are huge Tex-Mex people, so this is on our regular rotation! Thanks for your feedback, Anita!
Yum! We love Mexican food in our home, so these would be a hit!
Ahhh, I’m so glad. I hope you enjoy it, Caitlyn!
Your post is making me so hungry and I just had my dinner! They look so good, will try them for dinner tomorrow.
Let me know how you like them! 🙂
What a great “healthified” version of this dish! Thanks for all the good tips.
Yes, it’s pretty healthy, and so so good!
I am a huge Mexican fan so these enchiladas are right up my alley. Yum, the combination of ingredients sounds delicious and original. I will have to try them. Cheers!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! 🙂
So fun to read your recipes and pieces of your life. ?
Thank you Stahr! 🙂
You. Had. Me. At. Homemade. This dish is awesome! More please!
You betcha!