This article provides a comprehensive guide to making creamy keto green chile chicken enchiladas, a flavorful and satisfying low-carb meal. Whether you're a seasoned keto dieter or just looking for a healthy and delicious alternative to traditional enchiladas, this recipe is sure to please.
Introduction
Keto green chile chicken enchiladas are a delicious, low-carb twist on a classic Mexican dish. This recipe uses a creamy green chile sauce and is packed with flavor. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or a potluck. Make these entirely from scratch or opt for the easier method. This dish is the comfort food of comfort foods, the kind of meal everyone will look forward to (and request again and again).
Ingredients
This Creamy Keto Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas recipe has only 5 ingredients!
- Cooked Chicken: My recipe calls for cooked chicken. This recipe is super easy when there is leftover chicken or even leftover turkey. However, it is just as easy to cook a couple of large chicken breasts in the slow cooker with ½ cup of chicken broth, salt, and pepper on low for 6 hours. You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken or other kind of shredded meat like pot roast or carnitas. Simply heat the meat through in the skillet and toss with the seasonings.
- Green Enchilada Sauce: I love this Roasted Salsa Verde made with tomatillos, chile peppers, onion, and garlic. It works beautifully in this recipe. I’ve also used store-bought enchilada sauce and particularly love the green chile sauce from Hatch, Las Palmas, and Frontera. You can use store-bought green chile enchilada sauce or salsa verde for this recipe. I like the options from Hatch, Las Palmas, and Frontera. Is salsa verde the same as green enchilada sauce? Salsa verde and green enchilada sauce are very similar, however green enchilada sauce is cooked where as salsa verde is not. Can I substitute salsa verde for green enchilada sauce? Yes, salsa verde is generally a good substitute for green enchilada sauce.
- Sour Cream: This makes our sauce super creamy and delicious.
- Cheese: I add cheese to the filling and use it to top our enchiladas. It bakes to be so melty! Use pepper jack or Monterey jack cheese in place of the Mexican cheese blend.
- Tortillas - If you do not want to make the keto coconut flour tortillas used in this recipe you can use your favorite store-bought low-carb tortillas. For these enchiladas, you can use either flour or corn tortillas. Corn tortillas have a more traditional flavor and texture, while flour tortillas are a better option if you prefer a softer result. If using corn tortillas, soften them before filling for easier rolling. Use study corn tortillas in place of the flour tortillas.
Optional Ingredients
- Sautéed zucchini
- Chopped jalapeno or green chiles and diced tomato
- Fresh cilantro
- Queso fresco
Equipment
This Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas recipe uses very little equipment.
- 9 x 13 baking dish
- Food processor or blender
- Large bowl
- Skillet
Instructions
This is a basic breakdown of the steps involved in making Keto Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas.
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- Prepare oven and dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Coat the bottom of the pan with cooking spray.
- Make enchilada sauce: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute.
- Make it creamy: Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in sour cream and cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. In a large bowl, mix together the enchilada sauce and ½ cup of sour cream until well combined.
- Add the chicken: Remove 1 cup of sauce from the skillet and set aside to assemble the enchiladas later. Add the chicken, salsa verde, salt, pepper, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. In another bowl, mix together the chicken, cilantro, ½ cup of the enchilada cream sauce, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Stir to combine.
- Assemble enchiladas: Spread half of the reserved sauce on the bottom of the dish. Spread a 1/3 cup of the salsa mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. On your cutting board or other flat surface, place one tortilla on a cutting board and spoon 2 tablespoons chicken filling on one side of the tortilla. Roll into a cylinder. Roll to enclose filling. Arrange rolled tortillas seam-side down in the baking dish. Place tortilla seam side down in a casserole dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Spread the remaining reserved sauce over the enchiladas. Cover tortillas with remaining enchilada sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Top with remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake the enchiladas: Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F. Then, remove the foil and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil the top for 2-3 minutes to get the cheese bubbly and slightly browned. Allow the enchiladas to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing them to set up in the middle. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Serve the green chicken enchiladas with your favorite toppings. If desired, top with crumbled queso fresco, fresh cilantro and jalapeno slices.
Detailed Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine the salsa and sour cream in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken and 1 1/2 cups of the pepper jack cheese.
- Spread a 1/3 cup of the salsa mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- One by one, roll 1/8th of the chicken and cheese mixture (about 1/2 cup) up in a tortilla and place seam side down in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining salsa mixture evenly over the top of the enchiladas.
- Top with remaining shredded cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Tips for Perfect Keto Chicken Enchiladas
- Tip 1: Make the sauce extra creamy. I love turning plain enchilada sauce into a creamy sauce. To do this, quickly sauté a little garlic in oil in a skillet, then pour in your sauce. When it’s bubbling, stir in sour cream and fresh cilantro.
- Tip 2: Add chicken and cheese to the sauce. For the best chicken enchiladas, I love adding my chicken to the warm sauce as well as a good handful of cheese. This way, they are easy to roll later on, and turn out super cheesy in the middle. By the way, this step makes truly delicious chicken.
- Tip 3: Place them seam-side down. To roll your enchiladas, add a spoonful of the chicken and creamy green sauce to the tortillas and roll them up. Then, place them seam-side down in your baking dish to keep them in place. I bake them in the oven until they’re heated and the cheese has melted (just under 30 minutes).
- How do you keep the enchiladas from sticking together? Spreading a small amount of the sauce on the bottom of the pan before placing the enchiladas in it helps to keep them from sticking on the bottom and covering the enchiladas evenly with the sauce will help to keep them from sticking to each other.
- Make ahead: As these enchiladas sit, they absorb more of the sauce, making them soft and soggy. For make-ahead enchiladas, cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake according to the recipe instructions.
- Could I make these Creamy Keto Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas with ground chicken? Sure! If you prefer ground chicken over shredded chicken, by all means, go for it!
- Do I need to fry the tortillas before using them in this Creamy Keto Green Chile Chicken Enchilada recipe? Nope! A lot of traditional enchilada recipes do call for you to lightly fry the tortillas before rolling the enchiladas but these coconut flour tortillas are already very pliable so it is not necessary.
- Substitute salsa verde for the green enchilada sauce.
- Sprinkle the baked green chicken enchilada casserole with chopped jalapeno or green chiles and diced tomato.
- Substitute red enchilada sauce for the green sauce.
- To make these low-carb and keto chicken enchiladas dairy-free, omit the cheese or substitute with your favorite vegan cheese (make sure it's a type that will melt).
- The zucchini is optional. If you'd like to make these keto enchiladas with only chicken, replace the zucchini with one extra chicken thigh.
Serving Suggestions
These enchiladas work really well all by themselves, but you can always add something on the side. Classic Tex-Mex sides, such as Mexican Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice, Refried Beans, or these Creamy Black Beans, are perfect. And a bowl of Pico de Gallo and Tortilla Chips is always a good idea.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Make sure to fully cool your leftover chicken enchiladas before storing them. Store any leftover chicken enchiladas in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days, or in the freezer up to 2 months. The good news is that you can freeze enchiladas before or after they've been cooked. To freeze unbaked enchiladas, cover with plastic wrap and then place a the lid or aluminum foil on the container. To bake frozen keto enchiladas, remove the plastic wrap and cover the enchiladas with aluminum foil. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Keto Green Chile Sauce Recipe
This keto green chile sauce is a spicy Mexican sauce to serve with enchiladas, tacos, and more! Traditional green chile sauces are made by roasting green peppers (like Hatch, not bell pepper!), before peeling them, chopping them, and adding them to the sauce. The fresh taste is fantastic - but I found a short-cut: canned fire-roasted diced green chiles! Some recipes also include tomatillos, but that sounds like it is too similar to salsa verde to me.
Ingredients
- Canned fire-roasted diced green chiles
- Garlic
- Onion powder
- Ground cumin
- Chicken broth
- Sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the diced chiles (no need to drain) to a small blender or food processor, together with the garlic, onion powder, and ground cumin.
- Blend until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and add the chicken broth.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a medium simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the sour cream.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
Green Enchilada Sauce Recipe
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- Diced onion
- Jalapeño
- Minced garlic
- Green chiles
- Chicken broth
- Spices
- Coconut aminos
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook the diced onion and jalapeño for 5 minutes to soften, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook another 1 minute.
- Add the green chiles, chicken broth, spices, and coconut aminos. Stir the mixture to combine.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the temperature to medium-low and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Carefully pour the sauce into a blender and blend for 1 minute or until smooth (can also use a stick blender). See note 5.
- Pour the sauce back into the saucepan or bowl if using immediately. If preparing ahead of time, transfer the sauce to a glass jar.
Other Low Carb Recipes You Will Love
- Keto Green Chicken Enchilada Cauliflower Casserole
- Jalapeno Popper Cauliflower Casserole
- Spinach and Artichoke Dip Cauliflower Casserole
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs will not be included as it has a glycemic index of 0 (meaning it does not spike blood sugar) and it’s not metabolized. Carbohydrates from sugar alcohols are not included in net carb counts as it has been shown that they do not impact blood sugar.
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