Keto chicken enchiladas are the perfect dinner when you’re craving Mexican but need a low carb option. This dish is made with zucchini “tortillas” rather than flour or corn. This keto enchilada recipe is also gluten free and packed full of delicious ingredients like enchilada sauce, shredded chicken, cheese and tangy sour cream.
I absolutely love making these lighter, keto chicken enchiladas for dinner! This recipe is adapted from the Delish website, and at first I was a bit skeptical of the concept. But now we make it over and over again in our home and the whole family loves the taste of zucchini “tortillas.” Even my husband goes for seconds!
After this incredible inspiration from Delish, I use zucchini to make all kinds of tasty, low carb food like my Sweet Potato Zucchini Casserole, Zucchini Casserole Recipe, Zucchini noodles with Tomato Sauce and Shrimp and these yummy Chicken Zucchini Boats!
How To Make Keto Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil — Avocado oil also works.
- Onion — I generally use a white or yellow onion, either will do the trick!
- Garlic — Mince up 2 fresh cloves or use a jar of minced garlic to save time, if desired.
- Seasonings — Salt, black pepper, cumin and chili powder.
- Chicken — Pre-cooked and shredded chicken can typically be purchased in the deli section, you can also buy and shred a roasted rotisserie chicken! Another option? Poach chicken breasts or chicken thighs on the stove top in water or broth and shred by hand.
- Gluten free enchilada sauce — I use store bought enchilada sauce to keep things fast and easy, purchase mild or go with a spicier blend but be sure to double check the ingredients to make sure your sauce is gluten free (some brands are not).
- Zucchini — You’ll need 4 large zucchinis to make your “tortilla” wraps.
- Cheeses — A mix of shredded Monterey jack and sharp cheddar.
- Toppings — Fresh chopped cilantro and tangy sour cream!
Instructions
Make filling, slice zucchini:
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Drizzle olive oil into a large skillet on the stove top and turn heat to medium. Add onion and sauté until it begins to brown, this should take around 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, shredded chicken and pour 1 cup of your enchilada sauce to the skillet (reserve remaining enchilada sauce for topping). Mix until ingredients are well combined and remove from heat.
- Use a “Y” shaped veggie peeler or mandoline slicer to create thin, even slices of zucchini. Lay four slices on a plate, making sure that they overlap slightly.
Roll filling in zucchini:
- Add about 2 tablespoons of filling to the zucchini slices and roll it up!
Assemble enchiladas:
- Line your zucchini chicken rolls in a large baking dish or casserole dish.
- Top keto enchilada rolls with remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle shredded cheeses. Cover the casserole with foil. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Uncover the casserole, and bake it for more 5 mins.
Bake then serve:
- Place keto chicken enchiladas in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Once the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, they’re done.
- Add your sour cream topping and some chopped cilantro, then serve your chicken enchilada casserole and enjoy the delicious Mexican food flavors of this recipe!
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Recipe Tips
- This is a great keto chicken enchiladas recipe for chicken leftovers. If you’ve got some leftover cooked chicken in the fridge from dinner, shred it up and toss it in your enchilada filling!
- Don’t try and use a knife to make your zucchini slices, it’s nearly impossible to get them as thin and even as necessary without a Y-peeler or mandoline.
- If your zucchini slices are too thick, they’ll break when you try to roll up filling. Make sure they’re super thin and test a few pieces before you cut up all of your zucchini.
- If you’re dealing with slippery zucchini slices and excess moisture, keep some paper towels handy. They can be used to pat down the slices for easier handling.
How To Store Leftovers
To Store: Allow leftovers to cool and place them in an airtight container, store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Zucchini has a high-water content and can become mushy once thawed, so I don’t recommend freezing leftovers.
To Reheat: Reheat your keto chicken enchiladas in the microwave or pop them back into a 300°F oven until warmed through completely.
What To Serve With Keto Zucchini Enchiladas
- A hearty grain: Fluffy rice or quinoa go nicely with these enchiladas. Create a cilantro lime version by stirring in some fresh, zesty lime juice and chopped cilantro.
- Low-carb grain substitute: You can sub cauliflower rice or zucchini cauliflower rice for a more keto friendly option!
- Tortilla chips and dip: Grab a big bag of crunchy corn tortilla chips and dip them in creamy avocado sauce, guacamole, fresh peach salsa, black bean mango salsa or corn salad. All of these dips can also be used as additional toppings for your enchiladas.
- Less traditional ideas: Low-carb dinner rolls would be perfect for soaking up extra enchilada sauce, or add even more fiber to your plate with a simple salad.
Recipe Variations
Use another protein: Instead of chicken use shrimp, ground turkey, ground beef or juicy Instant Pot carnitas!
Make them vegetarian: Make a no meat version of these enchiladas! Leave the meat out all together and substitute black beans, pinto beans or tofu.
Enchiladas verdes: Use a delicious green enchilada sauce rather than red.
Add some heat! If you like spicy food, add a kick with some cayenne pepper or hot chili powder (rather than mild). You can also add jalapenos to your filling or a dab of your favorite hot sauce!
Use low carb tortillas: If you don’t want to make zucchini tortilla wraps, look for low carb tortillas at your local grocery store. These days, there are many carb-conscious options on the market, they’re usually located by the regular flour tortillas (keep in mind that these are not gluten-free).
Recommended Tools
- Baking Dish: This one is ideal because it allows for even cooking, keeps the enchiladas neatly arranged.
- Mandoline Slicer: It’s excellent for thinning zucchini slices because it provides consistent thickness, making them perfect to make this recipe.
- Large Skillet: To make shredded chicken filling. This one provides ample space for even cooking, ensuring that the chicken cooks uniformly without overcrowding the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
You do not have to peel zucchini; its skin is very tender and tasty! You’ll barely even notice it’s there. Plus, it’s the most nutrient dense part of the plant.
Zucchini is very good for you! It contains a lot of potassium, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. It’s also low calorie, low carb and high in fiber.
Yes! These enchiladas are gluten free, however, you should double check that you purchase a gluten-free enchilada sauce as some brands contain gluten as a thickening agent.
More Keto zucchini recipes to try:
- Spinach and Zucchini Lasagna: This recipe is vegetarian, low-carb, and gluten-free. It is made with delicious homemade tomato sauce, skinny ricotta, mozzarella, and zucchini noodles.
- 5-Ingredient Chicken Zucchini Boats: These are super easy to make, and it’s a great way to use chicken leftovers.
- 4-Ingredient Chicken Zucchini Rolls: This recipe makes a super-easy, healthy, and delicious dinner for the entire family to enjoy!
Looking for more low carb Mexican recipes? Try these ones too: Carnitas and Taco Salad.
Keto Chicken Enchiladas
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large white onion chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 1⅓ cups red enchilada sauce divided
- 4 large zucchini sliced with a mandolin or peeler
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- Sour cream for drizzling
- Fresh cilantro leaves for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Once hot, add diced onion.
- Sauté onion until golden and brown, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, chili powder, shredded chicken and 1 cup enchilada sauce.
- Stir well until combined.
- Using a vegetable peeler or mandolin, make thin slices of zucchini. On a cutting board, lay out 4 zucchini slices slightly overlapping. Then, add 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on top. Roll up, and transfer carefully to a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining zucchini and chicken mixture.
- After that, use the remaining enchilada sauce to top the zucchini enchiladas. Then, add the shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese. Cover the casserole with foil.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Uncover the casserole, and bake it for more 5 mins.
- Garnish with sour cream and cilantro, and serve.
Tips
- This recipe was adapted from the site Delish.
- Do you have leftover cooked chicken? Shred and use for your filling!
- Don’t use a knife to slice zucchini. A Y-peeler or mandoline are necessary for thin, even slices.
- If zucchini slices are too thick, they’ll break when rolling.
- Slippery zucchini slices? Use a paper towel and soak up extra moisture for easier handling.
- To Store: Allow leftovers to cool and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing leftovers.
- To Reheat: Warm enchiladas in the microwave or in the oven.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Similar Recipes:
If you like this Keto Chicken Enchilada recipe, please share it with your friends and family. Do you want to taste more? Try these 10 Low-Carb Zucchini Dinner Recipes or 15 Super Easy Low-carb Dinner Recipes. They’re all packed with flavour and are so easy to make.
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Crystal says
How do you keep it from getting watery & soggy ?
Olivia says
You can boil the zucchini slices before make the enchilada.
Rachel says
This was great. We were kind of lazy and just layered the zucchini like lasagna noodles, instead of rolling. And served it with sliced avocado and Lite House Cilantro Cotija dressing instead of sour cream. Definitely a new favorite in our house!
Olivia says
Mm… sounds delicious!
Shanna says
Your recipe is fanTAStic!! We loved it. After reading comments, decided to layer instead of roll the zucchini slices-worked out just fine. I highly recommend a y-shaped peeler if you don’t have a mandolin. Thank you for sharing this wonderful and healthy recipe:)
Olivia says
So happy to hear that and thanks for the tip 😉
Meaghan says
How do i make sure the zuccini won’t get all watery? I’ve tried lasagna before and it was a watery mess 🙁
Olivia says
Broil the zucchini slices. It works 😉
yesenia says
I am new to Keto and am struggling because I’m Vegetarian. The mainstay of my diet has been rice, potatoes, and pasta, and without those things, my stomach is painfully bloating with just vegetable, not to mention just feeling like gagging from having vegetables for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ve always loved vegetables, but without something to accompany them, it’s just too much fiber. The cruciferous ones are hardest on me.
I am considering adding in dairy in the form of cheese and yogurt, but am already sick of eggs, too.
So, I’m wondering if I can subdue my ethics about animals as well as the grossness of eating flesh from blood (I feel faint), in order to try meat variations.
Olivia says
I’m sorry you’re having a hard time with keto diet. I totally get you and I guess slowly but surely you’ll figure out what works best for you.
Amanda says
Hi Olivia! I’m going to be making this tonight, as I just went to the keto lifestyle. I just wanted to say thank you in advance for putting a “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of your pages. I truly enjoy reading people’s blogs on cooking a meal, but I always want to look at the ingredients first before putting in lots of time reading about something I might not make.
Olivia says
You’re so welcome. Happy you liked it 😉
Elizabeth says
I was a little nervous when I read through the comments and people said they would Blanch the zucchini next time- but I didn’t do it and didn’t need to! There was a bit of an art to getting the zucchini sliced just right (I used a vegetable peeler)- my best one was my straightest zucchini. The curved ones sliced a bit unevenly. But they all cooked beautifully and stayed together! The filling was outstanding! (If I was giving to my kids I would cut the chili powder in half, but it was on point for us). I would love to know how you used a chicken for dinner the night before and had enough leftovers for this, though! I picked our rotisserie clean and it still wasn’t quite 3 cups but it worked out well. Overall, fantastic recipe. Saving this one for sure!
Kelly Bradshaw says
I never comment but i had to stop and say thank you so much for these amazing receipe ideas. I recently started eating low carb meals and your site has inspired me. Thanks for all the hard work you put in to this site for everyone! ♡
Olivia says
You’re very welcome. Thank you so much for this lovely comment.
Jill says
OMG! Absolutely delicious!! Thank you for sharing
Olivia says
You’re very welcome!
Jean says
Which enchilada sauce do you use or do you make your own
Thank you
Jean
Olivia says
I always buy one at my local store.