Low carb and keto chicken enchiladas make the best Mexican inspired dinner no one will even know is low carb. Made with low carb tortillas, these are only 8 net carbs each!
You'll love these keto enchiladas!
If you're missing your favorite Mexican inspired dishes after going low carb or keto, have no fear because our low carb chicken enchiladas with red sauce taste like the real deal!
Cheesy, easy, and a family favorite. Use shredded chicken, boiled chicken, or rotisserie chicken. Why not swap red sauce for green enchilada sauce for variety?
Serve the keto enchiladas with cauliflower rice, riced broccoli, or a simple salad. For your friends and family that aren't eating low carb, you can also serve quick Spanish rice or refried beans on the side.
What you'll need
- 2 lb chicken, cubed or shredded - our original recipe from 2018 has you saute the chicken pieces, but you can simply this even more by boiling chicken breasts or starting with store bought rotisserie chicken.
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion, diced - white, yellow, or red
- 1 4oz can of mild green chilis, drained - or spicy
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 jar no sugar enchilada sauce - we used red sauce but green works too! Rosarita brand doesn't add sugar.
- 8 low carb tortillas - we used Mission Carb Balance
- 2 cups Colby jack cheese, shredded - cut back if preferred or add a sprinkle of Cojita cheese on top
- Non-stick cooking spray
How to Make Low Carb Enchiladas
Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil in the pan. Cook the onions for 3-4 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
Step 2. Add the chicken, cumin, and chili powder and cook until the pieces are white on the outside. The chicken won't be cooked all the way through at this point, but will finish cooking in the oven. Stir in the drained green chilis.
Feel free to substitute roasted chicken or another type of shredded chicken you might have on hand. We like to roast or boil chicken weekly to have on hand quick and easy meals.
Step 3. Add the sauce. Add a large spoonful of enchilada sauce to each tortilla and spread the sauce on one side of the tortilla.
Step 4. Add chicken down the center of the tortilla, which will be about ½ cup of chicken. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top.
Step 5. Roll the tortillas up and place them in the baking dish either seam side up or seam side down.
Step 6. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the keto chicken enchiladas. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese.
Step 7. Bake and serve. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350F until cooked through and the cheese is melted.
Garnish with cilantro if desired, and serve with sour cream, avocado, salsa, or chives on the side. Makes 8 servings. Enjoy!
Jenni's tips
- We don't recommend using pre-shredded cheese since it uses potato starch as a binder, which adds carbs to the dish and it doesn't melt as well.
- Add in extra low carb veggies like mushrooms, black olives or bell peppers.
- Add some spice by cooking 1 jalapeno with the vegetable mix, or swap the green chilis for canned jalapenos
Other Low Carb Mexican Recipes You'll Love
- crustless taco pie
- low carb taco soup keto taco salad
- chicken fajita bake
- chicken green chili casserole
- Baked salsa chicken
- Instant pot taco chicken
Recipe
Low Carb Chicken Enchiladas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes *see note below
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 1 4oz can of green chilis, drained mild or spicy
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 jar red enchilada sauce
- 8 Mission Carb Balance tortillas
- 2 cups Colby jack cheese shred from a block
- Non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil in the pan. Cook the onions for 3-4 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
- Add the bite-sized chicken pieces, cumin, and chili powder and cook them until the pieces are white on the outside. Feel free to substitute roasted chicken or another type of shredded chicken you might have on hand. The chicken won't be cooked all the way through at this point, but will finish cooking in the oven. Stir in the drained green chilis.
- Add a large spoonful of enchilada sauce to each tortilla and spread the sauce down one side.
- Add about ½ cup of chicken to each tortilla. Sprinkle with a generous amount of shredded cheese.
- Roll tup he tortillas and place them in baking dish seam side down.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through and the cheese is melted.
- Garnish with cilantro if desired, and serve with sour cream, avocado, salsa, or chives on the side. Makes 8 servings. Enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of pan frying the chicken cubes, you can also boil chicken breast or pressure cook chicken. Chicken tenderloins work great too and are often cheaper than boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- You can substitute shredded chicken for cubed. Rotisserie chicken should work also but it will be saltier than chicken you cook yourself.
- Feel free to sub the red enchilada sauce for green enchilada sauce for variety!
- Shred the Colby Jack cheese yourself since pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch that adds extra carbs, plus it doesn't melt as well.
Nutrition
christina Best says
this recipe is confusing step 2 says "cook the chicken" but then in step 4 it says "Add the bite-sized chicken pieces, cumin, and chili powder and cook until the pieces are white on the outside. The chicken won't be cooked all the way through at this point, " the beginning sounds ok, you're adding the cooked chicken from step 2. but then it says the chicken won't be all the way cooked through, which makes you think you should ignore step 2. or you're adding additional chicken that wasn't cooked during step 2.
Darlene says
What size can of red enchilada sauce did you use?
Jenny says
these were really good! will definitely make again!
Carmen says
The carb balance tortillas have lots of bad ingredients that are not even keto friendly.
WholeLottaYum says
Hi Carmen, not everyone eating Carb Balance tortillas is on a strict keto diet, some people are eating low carb. Other brands people would rather eat can definitely be used instead of Carb Balance. We've personally found that they're the closest thing to regular tortillas and eat them now and then when we're craving Mexican food.
Lynne Houston says
Love this page!! Hi, you can use the Mini Keto Mission tortillas. The mini's are only 20 calories each. I changed it up a bit: "I sprayed my casserole dish with olive oil spray and layed flat 4-6 mini tortillas, topped with shredded rotisserie chicken, chiles & japs, enchilada sauce and one pkg of *kraft mexican creamy philly four cheese, top with 4-6 more mini tortillas, then sauce and cheese. baked at the 350 suggested. Turn out excellent. Based on 4 servings: total calories per serving with using 12 mini's: 320 calories and 12 carbs per serving.
lynne houston. [email protected]
Greg Divine says
I made these tonight for dinner and everyone love them . I used canned chicken and did homemade enchilada sauce with jalapeños on top , yummy. I love Mexican Food and it’s nice to have lower carb options. I’ll be making this again for sure. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us .