Low Carb Chicken Enchiladas will spice up your dinner rotation! Shredded rotisserie chicken and low carb tortillas make it easy, you can enjoy Mexican food without blowing your carb count for the day.
My dad was a pilot and pilot instructor in the Air Force. As you can imagine, we moved around a lot when I was a kid. I spent most of my childhood in the Southwest (New Mexico, Arizona and Texas). Delicious Southwest flavors are a part of my history whether they be rooted in Tex-Mex, Pueblo style, or Mexican cuisine. They are a different style of food than can be found in the abundant California taco shops. I miss them.
Chicken enchiladas were a favorite dish when dining out. Juicy, flavorful shredded chicken rolled in a tortilla and topped with enchilada sauce and cheese was different in every restaurant but always good. Sometimes, I ordered green chile chicken enchiladas for a change, but chicken enchiladas with red enchilada were and always will be the standard.
We frequently enjoy low carb chicken enchiladas during the week. It's a recipe that comes together in a snap and never disappoints. I always have a rotisserie chicken in the refrigerator for quick week night meals and this is one of our go-to meals.
Low Carb Chicken Enchiladas
Low carb enchiladas are easy to make at home. All you need is shredded pre-cooked chicken, low carb wraps, enchilada sauce and cheese. I make my own low carb enchilada sauce. It's an easy recipe that tastes great.
Spoon a little enchilada sauce into the baking dish, roll the shredded chicken (and maybe some cheese) in a low carb tortilla or wrap. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Top with enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 until the enchiladas are heated through and the sauce is bubbly. Top with Cotija cheese and garnish with cilantro and green onions for color.
Low Carb Tortilla and Wrap Ideas for Enchiladas
There are many low carb tortilla options for enchiladas. Low carb store bought tortillas are always an option (shown in photos) but because they are high in total carbs and fiber, they might not be the best choice for some. There are several recipes on Pinterest for vegetable tortillas made from zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower, which are lower in carbs and fiber. My favorite option is using low carb crepes, but I have used sandwich meat and also egg whites cooked like an crepe in a pan.
- store bought low carb tortillas like La Tortilla Factory
- zucchini tortillas (3 net carb per tortilla)
- coconut flour or flax tortillas
- low carb crepes (1 net carb per crepe)
- sandwich meat (like turkey or ham)
- egg whites (lowest carb option)
Low Carb Chicken Enchiladas are 8 net carbs per serving.
Low Carb Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 Easy Low Carb Red Enchilada Sauce (one full recipe)
- 10 La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Tortillas (see post for other options)
- 16 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
- 16 ounces shredded chicken
- ½ bunch of green onions sliced
- chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- If you haven't made the enchilada sauce, it takes 15 minutes to make. Get it on the stove simmering while you prepare the chicken. Shred the chicken, season with salt and pepper and set aside. If your enchilada sauce is tasting and looking good, turn the heat off before it get too thick.
- Grate the cheese and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spoon a little sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Place a tortilla on your work surface. Put 2 tablespoons of cheese in a line down the middle of the tortilla and about ¼ cup of chicken on top of the cheese. Roll-up the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking pan. Continue until you run out of ingredients. Put any left-over chicken on top of the enchiladas. Pour the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. Add the remaining cheese on top. Sprinkle the green onions on top of the cheese.
- Cook until hot and bubbly (about 30 minutes). Garnish with cilantro, gualcomole and sour cream if you desire.
Jenny
Another success Kim! VERY flavorful. I was concerned that it would be too spicy, but it wasn't at all, just had a wonderful depth of flavor. I think the coffee, cinnamon and cloves took it to another level and tamed the heat a bit. I doubled the sauce recipe and added some to the shredded chicken prior to rolling it in "Wonder Wraps" by General Nature (I gram net carbs). After I topped off the enchiladas with the sauce, cheese and scallions, there was plenty of sauce left. While the enchiladas were cooking in the oven I let the sauce thicken further on the stove. When I served the enchiladas I used a dollop of sour cream, cilantro and the additional reduced sauce. It was perfect!
Kim Hardesty
They sound delicious, Jenny. I will look for Wonder Wraps. I haven't seen them at my local store, but I don't shop around like I once did since things went crazy! Lol. Thank you for coming back to share how you prepared your enchiladas and sauce. Have a nice week. -Kim
Marti
I made as directed except I added some garlic and onion powder directly to the shredded chicken. This will be in my rotation. Thanks for the recipe!
Nancy K
I listened to others and reduced the amount of heat. Darn, it came out bland. I tasted the sauce before I used it with the chicken enchilada recipe. It was deliciously spicy. But when you add it to chicken enchiladas, it falls flat. I would definitely keep the spice as the recipe calls for. But then, all the chili adds depend on where the spices come from. I will definitely make again. Maybe add chipotle chili in adobo.
Stacey
Just made this and the sauce. Very good, loved it. The sauce was very flavorful. I added a can of diced chiles to the chicken and cheese.
ChapelHillBetsy
I'd like to make this a day ahead, then bake when I need them. Will that work?
Kim
Hi Betsy. Yes, but I think that the low carb crepes work better than the low carb tortillas which can get soggy if left to sit in the fridge overnight. Take the dish out of the fridge for a at least 30 minutes before baking. I would probably warm them at 50% power in the microwave to take the chill off before placing in the oven to bake. -Kim
Nancy
I was looking for a Keto friendly enchilada recipe and sure glad I found this one! I substituted browned grass fed ground beef for the chicken just because that is what I had on hand. I used half shredded cheddar and half Queso Chihuahua cheese. These were simply amazing, the sauce really does send them over the top! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Kim
Hi Nancy. Your beef enchiladas sound incredible! I love Queso Chihuahua - so yummy. Thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to share your version of low carb enchiladas. Enjoy your week! -Kim
Sonia
Hi Kim...just made your low carb crepes?...they were a hit and seem perfect to make enchiladas with. May i please know the revised macro count for this dish made with your crepes as all macros would change not just the carbs. Thanks for making it a little easy for the rest of us.
Kim
Hi Sonia. I'm glad you like the crepe recipe. Getting the macros for the enchiladas with the crepes will involve entering all of the ingredients for all three recipes as a new recipe in my recipe program. It will take some time, but I will get it for you! -Kim
Kim
Okay Sonia. I'm thinking I need to recalculate the original recipe. The total carbs is much lower with the crepes, but the net carbs is almost the same. Most of the carbs are coming from the ground spices, coconut flour and cheeses.
Calories: 502g, Fat 38g, Carbs 8g, Fiber 3g, Protein 30 g Net Carbs 5
I hope this helps. -Kim
Linde
Thanks for doing the recalculation!! I want to make this with the crepe recipe and I was hoping I'd find adjusted macros in the comments.
Kim
You're welcome, Linde. Enjoy. -Kim
Gayle Babcock
Looks delicious.....will try soon!
Kim
Enjoy! -Kim
Hilda Sterner
Thanks for the great recipe! Just made it for my port enchiladas. Can't wait until dinner!
Kim
I hope you enjoy it Hilda. I love that sauce. Have a nice evening. -Kim
Mary
I tried these with beef and green chilies instead of chicken. They were great, but it's the sauce that makes the dish. Best enchilada sauce I've ever tasted!
Kim
Mary, I am absolutely completely thrilled that you liked the sauce. I think you are the first person who has ever tried it and commented. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how great your dinner was. Have a wonderful rest of the week -Kim
Marion Schack
Hi Kim, My husband and I are new to low carb dieting, but after a few short weeks and seeing amazing results in weight loss and improvements to health issues we are never going back to the way we used to eat! The hardest part for us has been trying to find meals and recipes we both like and low carb treats. (You can only eat so many salads.) I was very pleased today to find your blog and enchilada recipe, among other deliciousness. I will be checking back often. Thank you. --Marion
Kim
Hi Marion. I agree that this way of eating has some great benefits for health. And, finding recipes that fit what you like to cook and eat can be a challenge. Luckily, there are many wonderful low carb/ keto sites and cookbooks available now - so much more than even 5 years ago. Soon, you will be able to "low carb" and develop your own recipes per your taste! That's the fun part of it all - coming up with new recipes. Thank you so much for commenting, it was very nice to meet you. Have a wonderful Sunday. -Kim
McDonna
Can you please list the carb, fat, protein and fiber values? This recipe looks delicious. Thank you for posting it.
Kim
Thank you McDonna. It was really good! Since this was one of the first recipes I ever did on the blog, I don't have that information. I will try to re-make it this weekend and and re-shoot everything so it looks better. That way I can spend some time to add up the nutritional information from the different recipes. Thank you for your comment and patience. -Kim
Verl
Recipe sound good but you did not list a cooking time.
Kim
You're right, Verl! I'm sorry about that. Cook until hot and bubbly - about 30 minutes. Have a nice weekend! -Kim