Rating: 5 stars
7 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 6
  • 4 star values: 1
  • 3 star values: 0
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0

These chicken enchiladas are great for using up any veggies you have lingering in your fridge. Our chicken enchilada recipe calls for zucchini, squash and onion, but you could easily swap in spinach, onions or potatoes.

Cooking Light 400 Calorie Recipes

Gallery

Read the full recipe after the video.

Recipe Summary

active:
25 mins
total:
25 mins
Servings:
4
Servings:
4
Advertisement

What Are Enchiladas?

Enchiladas are a traditional Mexican food that in it's earliest form, was recognized as simply a tortilla smothered in chili sauce. The definition of an enchilada has grown to encompass new variations on that theme with tortillas rolled around fillings that include cheese, veggies and/or meat. Depending on their region of origin, they can be made with flour or corn tortillas, smothered in a variety of sauces from red enchilada sauce to green chili sauce and are often topped and baked with cheese.

How to Make Enchiladas Quickly

From making the filling and sauce to rolling the tortillas, enchiladas can be a time-intensive recipe—but with a few handy shortcuts, you can make enchiladas on any busy weeknight. Here, we call for cooked chicken, which is a great way to use up leftovers. You could also substitute rotisserie chicken or a quick-cooking ground meat or plant-based protein. Opting for veggies that take minimal prep work and cook time like zucchini or summer squash and adding canned beans to the filling can speed up the process. And using store-bought sauce in place of homemade can help bring everything together quickly.

How to Warm Up Tortillas

To heat the tortillas in the microwave, place 4 tortillas at a time on a microwave-safe plate and cover them with a damp paper towel. Microwave in 30-second bursts until they are warm. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

Directions

Instructions Checklist
  • Preheat oven to broil with rack 5 to 6 inches from heat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add zucchini, squash, and onion, and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 1 more minute. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and 3/4 cup of the cheese; stir to combine. Cook until hot and cheese melts, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and cover to keep warm.

    Advertisement
  • Warm tortillas according to package directions. Place about 1/3 cup of chicken mixture in center of each tortilla; fold tortilla around filling, and place, seam side down, in a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 11- x 7-inch (or a 2-quart) broiler-safe baking dish. Pour salsa over enchiladas, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Broil in preheated oven until hot and bubbly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

Nutrition Facts

2 enchiladas
393 calories; protein 25g; carbohydrates 37g; dietary fiber 5g; fat 18g; saturated fat 6g; sodium 587mg.
Advertisement