These crazy-good healthy chicken enchiladas in red enchilada sauce are 21 Day Fix and Weight Watchers approved and a kid-friendly, family favorite! Perfect for meal prep, too!
Hey guys! Do you make enchiladas at Christmas time? Enchiladas really are one of the ultimate comfort foods, aren't they? All of those beautiful carbs and ooey gooey cheese. I mean, come ON! I. Am. In.
Well even you don't have that tradition, I'm so freaking pumped to share this 21 Day Fix red chicken enchiladas recipe with you! We're seriously obsessed with them over here and I just know that you're going to love them, too!
If you already checked out my Easy Red Enchilada Sauce post, you'll know that I've been working on the sauce that covers these bad boys for a while, and it is really what makes these enchiladas so amazing.
AND!!! I didn't even get to the best part yet -
My kids love them.
Like love them, love them.
You guys, my kids (like I'm assuming many of yours) are so stinking tough and definitely my harshest critics, so when they LOVE a recipe as much as they loved this one, it sends me over the moon. Plus, then I know that it'll likely be a hit with many of your kiddos. 🙂
Oh! And they make great leftovers so they're perfect for meal prep!
Ok, let's get to a little Q&A and then I'll show you how to make these beauties!
Will these enchiladas get soggy in the fridge?
Nope! They refrigerate and reheat beautifully, so they're perfect for leftovers and meal prepping!
How long will they last in the fridge?
About 4 days.
Can these healthy chicken enchiladas be frozen?
Yes! They freeze beautifully, too!
Can you prep these chicken enchiladas in red sauce ahead of time?
I have fully cooked them ahead of time as I noted above, but I haven't tried making them ahead of time, so I'm not sure if they'd get soggy in that instance. If I were wanting to get a jump on these, I would make the sauce and filling ahead and then assemble the day of.
Are these healthy enchiladas 21 Day Fix and Weight Watchers friendly?
Yes! I love that you can have something as comforting and indulgent as enchiladas on both of those programs! Counts for both 21 Day Fix and WW are in the recipe card 🙂
What kind of chicken should be used in these 21 Day Fix chicken enchiladas?
I usually use shredded chicken breast that I've cooked in my Instant Pot - I just season them with salt and pepper (or some Smokey Southwestern Seasoning), then mostly cover them with low-sodium chicken broth and pressure cook them for 10 minutes with a natural release, then pull them out and let them rest for a few and then shred. And be sure that when you put the leftovers in a container to put in the fridge, that you use some of the broth from the pot to cover it, that'll keep your chicken from drying out!
You can also use shredded chicken thighs (I cook them the same way as breasts in the IP, but for 15 minutes with a natural release), or even a rotisserie chicken!
Truth be told you could really use any protein in these and I think they'd be amazing.
What to serve with these easy chicken enchiladas:
I love serving these with a side of Garlic-Cilantro Cauliflower Rice, but this Cauliflower Rice with Lime and Cilantro from Confessions of a Fit Foodie or this Spicy Roasted Corn Salad from Grandnanny's House would be great, too!
Oh! And I try really hard to save a yellow for a Margarita! My Strawberry Margarita was a huge hit this past Cinco de Mayo, but I also have a Skinny Pineapple Chipotle Margarita recipe that's fantastic if you like a little heat, and my fave - these Watermelon Margaritas!
How to Make Healthy Chicken Enchiladas:
Saute onions, bell peppers and garlic.
Stir in the chicken, some of the sauce and heat through. Then add the lime juice and cilantro.
Cover the bottom of your baking dish with sauce, then fill and roll your enchiladas and add them to your prepared dish.
Pour remaining sauce of enchiladas, cover with cheese and bake!
Swoon!!
Top 'em how you like and enjoy!
If you guys give this Healthy Chicken Enchiladas recipe a try, please let me know what you think!! You can leave a comment below or tag me on Insta @thefoodieandthefix. Or if you’re in my private Facebook group, I’d love to see a photo of your creation in there! I hope you enjoy ♥
Don’t forget to save the BEST Healthy Chicken Enchiladas recipe to Pinterest! ⇓
📖 Recipe
The BEST Healthy Chicken Enchiladas
These are the BEST healthy chicken enchiladas that your whole family will love! It's all about that yummy red enchilada sauce!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup white or yellow onion, chopped
- ¾ cup bell peppers (I like to use a mix of red and green, but whatever you have on hand will work!)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 ¾ cup cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works!)
- â…“ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ½ Tbs lime juice
- full batch of hot Easy Red Enchilada Sauce (see the card below this one for recipe), DIVIDED
- 6 whole wheat tortillas
- 1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded*
Optional Toppings:
- avocado
- lime wedges
- chopped cilantro
- finely diced red onion
Instructions
Make your filling:
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Add your chopped onions and peppers and cook until softened, stirring occasionally.
Add your garlic and cook for a minute more, then add the shredded chicken and ¾ cup of the enchilada sauce and heat through. Stir in the cilantro and lime at the end.
Make the enchiladas:
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with olive oil cooking spray and cover the bottom of the dish with ¾ cup of enchilada sauce.
Heat your tortillas. I like to put them in a stack on a plate then cover them with a damp paper towel and heat them in the microwave until hot, flipping the stack over about halfway through.
Fill each tortilla with a little over ½ cup of filling, then roll up and place each one seam side down in the prepared 9X13 dish.
Pour the remaining hot enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, making sure they're completely covered (I like to use a basting brush for this, but a spoon would work, too). Cover the enchiladas with the shredded cheese and bake uncovered in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is just melted and everything is hot.
Serve with the optional toppings if ya like (I like!) and enjoy!
Notes
*If you're doing 21 Day Fix and have a full blue to use (and don't want the avocado), you can double this amount of cheese - either on top or you could add the extra to the filling!
21 Day Fix Container Counts per Serving: 1 Red, 1 Yellow, ½ Green, ½ Blue, ½ teaspoon (be sure to count extra blue if you use the avocado or extra cheese!)
Weight Watchers Points: The Best Healthy Chicken Enchiladas (be sure to add the points for the avocado or extra cheese if using!)
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 EnchiladaAmount Per Serving: Calories: 346Total Fat: 9.5g
📖 Recipe
Easy Red Enchilada Sauce
This easy red enchilada sauce is the perfect starting point to so many delicious enchiladas, soups, chilis and more!
Ingredients
Seasoning blend:
- 3 ½ Tbs whole wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 1 Tbs cumin
- ½ Tbs oregano
- ½ Tbs cinnamon
- ½ Tbs raw sugar (you could also sub any other natural sweetener you like)
- ½ Tbs salt
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (optional - it's great if you already have some on hand, but it'll still be great without)
Remaining Ingredients:
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 3 Tbs tomato paste
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth* (or vegetable broth for a vegan enchilada sauce)
- cayenne or chipotle powder to taste if you want to make this spicier
Instructions
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all of the seasoning blend ingredients, set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until hot, then whisk in the seasoning blend, letting it toast in the pan for a minute or two. Next whisk in the tomato paste, then slowly add the broth, whisking to remove any clumps. Let simmer over medium-low heat until thickened (note that this doesn't get super thick, see photos), about 10 minutes.
Check seasonings to see if you want to add any cayenne or chipotle powder, and add some if needed 🙂
Notes
*I usually use Imagine, Pacific or Trader Joe's brands, if you use something like Swanson's low-sodium, you'll want to cut back on the salt in this recipe because it's significantly higher in sodium.
- If you're not using this sauce right away, you can put it in a jar (or any sealed container) and refrigerate it up to a week.
- This sauce also freezes beautifully. It would be great to make a double or triple batch and freeze for quick enchiladas anytime!
21 Day Fix Container Counts per serving: ½ tsp, ⅙ yellow, ⅙ green (I don't usually count the yellow or the green for 1 serving since it's so low, but wanted to give you the info!
Weight Watchers Points: Easy Red Enchilada Sauce
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: about ½ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 53Total Fat: 2g
Jacob says
Whats the protein and carb content of these?
Stephanie says
I'm sorry, I don't know!
Molly says
I meal prepped these for my lunches this week and OMG they’re soooo delicious! And 40g protein 🙌
Stephanie says
I'm so happy you love them, they're so great for meal prep, right?!
Stephanie A Marschang says
Any recipes specifically cooking the chicken in an instant pot? A healthier way like the Mexican restaurant do for the inside of the enchiladas?
Stephanie says
Hi! I'm actually working on a post for this, but what I do is season chicken breasts with salt and pepper (you can do a quick sear on saute mode if you like, but it's not necessary), mostly cover with low-sodium chicken broth and cook on manual (or pressure cook) for 10 minutes with a full natural release. Remove from the pot, let rest for 5-10 minutes, then shred it up! When you store it in the fridge, be sure to add some of the liquid from the pot to keep it juicy!