Healthy Green Chicken Enchiladas
Our healthy green chicken enchiladas are made with black beans, cottage cheese queso, and Mexican verde sauce for fresh, homemade flavor in every bite.
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound chicken breast trimmed
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 to 2 pinches salt
Enchiladas
- 1½ cups cottage cheese queso
- 3 cups Mexican verde sauce
- 15 ounces canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 8 10-inch flour tortillas
- ½ cup shredded Mexican cheese
- Fresh cilantro chopped, optional garnish
Instructions
- First, combine the chicken, vegetable oil, lime juice, minced garlic, and salt in a medium size bowl. Marinate the chicken for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
- While the chicken marinates, make the Mexican verde sauce and cottage cheese queso by following the instructions linked here.
- Once the chicken is marinated, heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat on the stove. Cook the chicken until it reaches 155 degrees F, about 3 minutes per side, flipping 2 to 3 times.Then, let the chicken rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing it into small chunks, about ¼ to ½ inch cubes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
- Combine the cubed chicken, black beans, and cottage cheese queso in a large bowl. Mix well to combine evenly - this is your enchilada filling.
- To assemble the enchiladas, fill each flour tortilla with a few spoonfuls of the filling. Split the filling evenly between the 8 tortillas.Wrap each enchilada tightly and place them into the baking dish, seam side down. They should fit snugly.
- Top the enchiladas with the verde sauce and sprinkle lightly with shredded Mexican cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 18 to 20 minutes to warm through.
- Serve hot with tortilla chips, salsa, and guacamole, or let cool completely before storing in the fridge for meal prep.
Notes
Verde sauce and cottage cheese queso: Homemade ingredients like these are what make these green chicken enchiladas so healthy! We highly recommend you use the recipes linked in the ingredients list above. If you want to simplify things, you can always use a store-bought verde sauce - just look for one that has fresh, whole ingredients and is minimally processed.
Baking enchiladas: Make sure to cover the enchiladas before baking so they don't dry out in the oven! This will keep them super saucy and moist.
Serving suggestions: Pair these enchiladas with tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa, or pico de gallo. Or, make a side of cilantro lime rice and beans for a more filling meal.
Meal prep: This big batch dish is great for meal prep! Make the recipe as usual, bake them, and save the leftovers for easy lunches or dinners, or let the whole dish cool completely before storing in the fridge.
Storing and reheating: Store leftover enchiladas in an airtight container in the fridge. We love this 9x13 baking dish that comes with a lid for easy storage (and no clean up!) after dinner.
Reheat the tray of enchiladas in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes (covered with foil), or reheat single servings in the microwave for about 2 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1enchilada | Calories: 575kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 842mg | Potassium: 435mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 316mg | Iron: 4mg
