With just four basic ingredients you can have a Healthy Chicken Enchilada Casserole ready to go in the oven -- with only 5 minutes of prep time! Easy, nutritious, and family-friendly weeknight dinners don't get any faster than this!
You guys know that I love a simple dinner that I can toss together with little-to-no prep time, right? Well I managed to tweak one of our family's favorite casseroles to make it healthier AND faster -- and best of all, every boy in the house loves it!
Tips for Prepping in Advance
Take advantage of shortcuts by using rotisserie chicken meat that you pull or chop in advance, leftover grilled or roasted chicken from a previous meal.
Put prepared chicken into a sandwich or freezer bag and keep it in the refrigerator or freezer (I like to also keep the all-natural cooked frozen chicken strips from Costco in my freezer so that I always have some meat on hand for dishes like this).
With your chicken already cooked and chopped, it's really just a matter of layering your ingredients in your prepared dish and popping it in the oven. So simple!!!
And you know what? You can even make it in advance (nap time, weekend meal prep, whenever it suits YOUR schedule), and keep it refrigerated until you're ready to cook it. Again, so simple!!
How to Keep Your Chicken Enchilada Casserole Healthy
There's nothing in this casserole that's unhealthy. Chicken is a lean meat that's full of protein and by swapping regular full-fat Mexican cheese for a low-fat version it cuts down the fat and calories but doesn't compromise flavor!
You can decide on what topping to opt for, I like to top with sour cream and guacamole. Again, you can go for low-fat sour cream to keep the calories down and instead of buying store-bought guacamole simply top with slices of avocado.
How to Make Healthy Chicken Enchilada Casserole in 4 Easy Steps
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In a large bowl, toss together chicken, half of the enchilada sauce and half of the cheese.
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Place 4 of the tortillas in the bottom of the prepared dish, tearing them as necessary to cover the bottom.
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Top with half of the chicken mixture and drizzle with more enchilada sauce. Repeat layers one more time.
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Cover with foil and bake. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake until cheese melted and casserole is hot and bubbly.
Got Leftovers?
You can store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days or store in the freezer in suitable containers for up to 3 months.
Looking for other quick and easy dinner recipes? Try these favorites:
- Barbecue Chicken Ramen Noodle Bowls
- Honey Dijon Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Sheet Pan Supper: Skinny Chicken Taco Fries
4-Ingredient Healthy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups 12 ounces diced or shredded cooked chicken (such as rotisserie chicken meat)
- 1 ½ cups enchilada sauce
- 1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- 8 6-inch corn tortillas
- Optional garnish: sour cream sliced green onion, sliced olives, diced avocado or guacamole
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, toss together chicken, half of the enchilada sauce (about ¾ cup) and half of the cheese (about ½ cup).
- Place 4 of the tortillas in the bottom of the prepared dish, tearing them as necessary to cover the bottom (overlapping is fine).
- Top with half of the chicken mixture and drizzle with ¼ cup of enchilada sauce. Repeat layers one more time.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of cheese, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes (until cheese melted and casserole is hot and bubbly).
- Garnish with optional toppings!
Notes
Nutrition
You sold me on 5 minutes of prep time! You seriously make the best casseroles, Blair! I love the zesty flavors in here. My husband and I eat Mexican quite often, so this looks like the perfect way to spice things up. Pinned!
Thanks, Gayle!! Easiest dinner EVER, right?
How do you make the enchilada sauce?
Hi, Glutey! I don't make homemade enchilada sauce -- I just buy it in the jar. 🙂
I'm down with a 4-ingredient meal made in one single dish! I love the fact that this casserole is also healthy. It's perfect for dinner when I'm in a rush to get it on the table.
Thanks, Jen! Exactly...I always feel rushed at dinner time, and this is the solution!
You don't have to say anything more than easy because that's all I do! I feel like I want to swim in this. So good!
Hah! Thanks, Megan! I couldn't agree more! I don't make anything that's not EASY!
You know what....I just love your blog and use many of your recipes. To watch your family grow is just an added bonus! Thank you so much for all your ideas and great meals.
Thank you, Sandi! That means so much to me, and I'm so glad that you left me a note. Thank you for reading!!!
what an easy dish to make and great way to use up all the left over roasted chicken 🙂 Love the pics Blair !
Thank you, Ruwani!! You're right -- it's a great way to use up leftovers!
We enjoyed this, and it is so easy. I did make some enchilada sauce, so that took some time. However, if I had this on my menu I could make my sauce ahead of time. Thanks for the idea.
I made this for dinner tonight, and everyone enjoyed it. I would start with a layer of the enchilada sauce next time (like lasagna). I also made a second portion with black beans and corn (no cheese) for a vegan eater. Thanks for an easy meal!
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting me know! I agree -- the layer of sauce on the bottom is a great tip!
In the enchilada recipe, there seems to be an extra 1/4 cup sauce?
Only change 1 thing. I used both green and red enchilada sauces for more color. I also used the optional topping you listed at the end. Wonderful meal and will make again.
Wonderful! Thank you so much!
I’m confused about the “2 cups 12 ounces chicken”. Is that just 3 3 1/2. Cups? Or is it supposed to be 2 cups 2 ounces?
Hey, Allison! Sorry about that typo -- there were supposed to be parentheses around the (12 ounces), implying that you need 2 cups (which is about 12 ounces). It's just the same thing -- 12 ounces is equal to about 2 cups, whether you're measuring by volume or weight. Hope that helps! 🙂
I can see the confusion. One measuring cup is 8 oz., not 12.
Best thing for leftover chicken...also good to pop in when not a lot of time for dinner and delicious!
Hello Blair:
This looks so delicious and I plan to make it tomorrow. I had a question, Is it possible to make it ahead of time. Will it become soggy if kept for an hour and the reheated?\?
Also cam I prep everything and place in the casserole dish to bake it later in the evening?
Thank you
Hi, Neha! Yes -- this should work well as a prep ahead meal. The tortillas become soft once they're layered in the dish, so I don't think they will be any more soggy if the casserole rests for an hour before being reheated. You can assemble it in advance, too! Enjoy!
Thanks for a quick reply.
This is very helpful
Can I use green enchilada sauce?
Yes! That should work well, Lynn. Enjoy!
Blair! Pinned this appetizing and flavoursome CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE to my weekly menu. But I was using homemade chipotle ENCHILADA sauce instead of that from the stores. Would the same dish made with Flake fish in combo with green ENCHILADA sauce taste more delicious? Any suggestions, please!
Hi, Alekhya! I think you can take the general idea and run with it...making it with any ingredients that you love. If you prefer fish, you can certainly use cooked, flaked fish with the green enchilada sauce. Enjoy!
This looks so good and I can't wait to try this!! Do you know if canned chicken could be used instead?
Hi, Em! Absolutely -- the canned chicken should work perfectly!
This was a good, healthy recipe. I'm glad my husband and I tried it this evening. I enjoyed the crunch of the tortillas on bottom but the mushier tortillas in the middle. I doubled the cheese in the recipe because I was in the mood for lots of cheese! It was still low cal with the extra cheese. We made our own enchilada sauce (from a recipe from gimmesomeoven.com) which I think added to the richness and flavor of the dish. We didn't use as much chicken as the recipe called for, and it was still delicious and filling. We had avocado on the side. We baked it in a 2.5-quart casserole dish for the time stated in the recipe, and it was perfect. I'm not the biggest "red sauce on enchilada" fan, but this recipe changed my mind. We will probably make it once a month going forward. I'm glad we have leftovers, too; I don't have to think about making something for lunch. Thanks so much for this easy recipe!
Thanks! I'm glad that you enjoyed it and that this dish changed your mind about red enchiladas. 🙂
This was DELICIOUS! Thank you!
Awesome! Thank you!
Made this last night...Delish!!! Truly this was a wonderful dish and will definitely go on our rotation list. I have already given it to 2 other people today! It's just my husband and I so we will have it again tonight and can't wait. Thanks for publishing!! P.S. I totally forgot any toppings... no avocado, black olives or onions... All still in my fridge and cupboard!! Tonight I will remember... 🙂 P.S.S. when writing this email it is so small and light I can't tell what I am writing... Just a thought...
Thanks, Carin! I can't tell you how many times I've bought toppings for recipes like this and then totally forgot to pull them out at the last minute. Glad that it was still delicious, and I hope you enjoy it again tonight! 🙂
I love your recipes and this one is no exception! Quick, easy, WW friendly, and the fam doesn't even know it's healthy. All of my favorite things! I made this for dinner one night when I had exactly 8 corn tortillas leftover from another dish I made, and I needed to use them. I always have the cheese, enchilada sauce and diced chicken on hand. I use grilled diced chicken breast found in the freezer section of the grocery store. Just thaw and use. No one even realized this was a healthy dish. It’s delicious and so easy for a weeknight. There were only two servings leftover and they were devoured for lunch the next day.
Hi, Christine! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a note. I know it can be hard to find recipes that are healthy and that also appeal to the rest of the family. So glad that this one works for your crew! 🙂
Can this be made in a slow cooker (on high?) It's just too hot during the summer to use the oven but this recipe sounds so good! Just for the 2 of us but imagine we could freeze some if we needed to make a larger amount using the slow cooker. Any suggestions on length of cooking and/or change in recipe if doing it that way? Thanks.
Hi, Teresa! I don't know -- I think it would probably work okay, but I would worry that it will be a bit more soggy than when you bake it in the oven. The condensation from the lid of the slow cooker will fall back down onto the casserole as it cooks. It might be fine, just different. A shorter cooking time (just long enough to heat it through) -- maybe 2 hours on HIGH -- might help to prevent it from getting too damp. Just my thoughts! 🙂