These healthy chicken enchiladas are a majorly delicious, lightened-up version of the classic dish. It’s just as creamy and comforting, but made with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream!
Plus, if you use corn tortillas, it’s gluten-free. It’s an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love. I also included a recipe for homemade enchilada sauce, but you can totally skip that part and use store-bought sauce if you prefer.
Healthy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
I actually originally developed this recipe way back in 2011 as part of a gluten free recipe challenge at one of my dietetic internships! It was such a hit with everyone in person that I shared it here on the blog, and since it has now had a photo update, I wanted to fully update it and re-share the blog post to give it some new love and fresh eyes.
I adapted this recipe from a variety of recipes that I found online, swapping out the usual sour cream for plain yogurt, dialing down the cheese, etc. I was really pleased with how it came out.
Corn tortillas make this recipe gluten-free — but feel free to use regular wheat tortillas if you want!
To make this healthy chicken enchiladas recipe, you’ll need:
- cooked chicken (shredded) (rotisserie chicken makes this extra easy, or you can make shredded Mexican chicken in your crockpot or in your Instant Pot! And, here’s how to cook frozen chicken breasts in your instant pot.)
- canned chopped green chilies
- plain Greek yogurt
- fresh lime juice
- black pepper
- cumin
- enchilada sauce (see recipe below, or use store-bought if short on time!)
- large white or yellow corn tortillas (or wheat tortillas if not gluten-free)
- Extra virgin olive oil or cooking spray
- shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp – it’s more flavorful!)
- fresh cilantro
Feel free to add some veggies if you’d like, too – chopped fresh baby spinach would be great to add in, or try adding in some diced bell pepper!
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas
Start by preheating your oven to 350. Then, in a large bowl, combine cooked chicken, green chilies, yogurt, lime juice, pepper, and cumin. Mix and set aside for later.
Next, you’ll want to make your enchilada sauce (if not using store bought). (Ingredients and instructions are in the following section below.)
After that, lightly grease a 13 x 9″ baking dish. Spread a thin layer of your enchilada sauce over the bottom of the dish. Set the first tortillas on top, covering the bottom of the dish in a thin layer.
Separately, spoon about 1/10th of the chicken mixture into the center of a tortilla and roll it up. Place it seam-side down into the casserole dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas.
Next, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and cilantro.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted, sauce is bubbling, and enchiladas are hot.
Serve warm with salsa, hot sauce, or guacamole/avocado slices, if desired! It’s great with roasted broccoli on the side, too.
How to Make Homemade Enchilada Sauce
To make your own enchilada sauce, you’ll need:
- olive oil
- onion
- chili powder
- cumin
- garlic cloves
- crushed fire roasted tomatoes (canned)
- sugar
- balsamic vinegar
- fresh cilantro
Start by heating the olive oil for one minute in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in the onion, garlic, and spices; saute for 5 minutes.
Next, add the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and cilantro. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 20 minutes. That’s it!
Of course, if you’re short on time, you can definitely use store-bought enchilada sauce. Nothing wrong with that!
The full healthy chicken enchiladas casserole recipe is at the bottom of this post. Enjoy! 🙂
For more healthy and comforting dishes, check out these recipes:
- Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Overnight Crockpot French Toast Casserole
- Veggie Egg Casserole (Frittata) with Smoked Salmon
- Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas
- Creamy Mexican Chicken Chili
- Walnut and Mushroom Vegetarian Enchiladas
- Cheesy Mushroom Quinoa (vegan)
- Mexican Lasagna
- Sage Butter Pasta with Chicken Sausage
Healthy Chicken Enchiladas (Gluten-Free!)
These healthy chicken enchiladas are deliciously cheesy and gluten-free (if using corn tortillas)!
Ingredients:
- 3 C cooked chicken, hand torn
- 1/2 C canned chopped green chilies
- 3/4 C plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- Juice from 1 fresh lime
- 1/2 tsp. cracked pepper
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 2 C enchilada sauce (see recipe below)
- 10 large white or yellow corn tortillas
- Extra virgin olive oil or cooking spray, as needed
- 3/4 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
For Enchilada Sauce
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled, diced finely
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 28-oz. can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 splash of balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cooked chicken, chopped green chilies, yogurt, lime juice, cracked pepper, and cumin. Set aside.
- Make your enchilada sauce* by heating the olive oil for one minute in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in the onion, garlic, and spices; saute for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and cilantro; stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 20 minutes.
- Lightly oil/cooking spray a 13 x 9" baking dish. Spread a thin layer of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish.
- Set the first tortillas into the baking dish. Spoon one tenth of the chicken mixture into the center of the tortilla and roll it up, placing the seam side down. Repeat for the remaining tortillas.
- Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with shredded cheese and cilantro.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted, sauce is bubbling, and enchiladas are hot.
- Serve warm with salsa, hot sauce, or guacamole, if desired.
Notes:
*If you're tight on time, you can use store bought enchilada sauce!
