I really wanted to do something different with butternut squash. As in, not just roasting it, or turning it into a soup, which tend to be the two most common applications, so I eventually decided on a “loaded” twice-baked butternut squash. Then, I got greedy, and wanted to do something different with the… to read the rest of Chef John’s article about this Loaded Butternut Squash “Cordon Bleu,” please follow this link to become a member.)
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Easy chicken enchilada casserole features homemade enchilada sauce, fresh chicken, plus it is done 60 minutes. That equals a great Mexican recipe for a healthy dinner “from scratch.” No pre-cooked chicken or canned enchilada sauce needed.
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Introduction and My Rating
So, are you bored with your New Year’s diet yet? I’m here to rescue you from boredom at only 300 calories per serving.
We all love good Mexican, but it can be evil on the health-o-meter. But it doesn’t have to be. By using lower fat cheese, corn tortillas, and well-trimmed chicken, this recipe comes in at about 276 calories and 8 grams of fat per serving.
My wife will give me hints about what to cook next. Mild hint requires looking at her Pinterest posts. Strong hints I will refer to as “Yum-o-grams,” which are emails starting with the Y-U-M phrase.
The best yum-o-grams will have a link to a blog I usually read anyways. This one linked to Jo Cooks, a blog I have enjoyed. Similar recipes have been around the blogs, and all use canned enchilada sauce. I much prefer my homemade enchilada sauce. So I adapted the recipe to my tastes and made it a little healthier at the same time.
I usually make enchiladas with a rolled method. Much fussier and messier. This is so much easier.
My Rating
A 5 from my wife. I was between a four and a five, but I’m good with the 5. She even said she might make it herself, so you know it’s good.
📋Ingredients
Chicken
I suggest using fresh skinless boneless chicken breast for this recipe. I then trim and simmer the chicken in the homemade sauce until 165°. Shred, and you are ready to proceed with your chicken and sauce, both ready to use.
You can also use chicken thighs, but that destroys the “low fat” part of the recipe.
You can use precooked chicken. If you’re aiming for low calorie, obviously use chicken breasts. You need about 3 cups, which will be about 1 1/2 pounds. If you do the precooked chicken, you only need to simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes before assembly.
Sauce
Most similar recipes will suggest canned enchilada sauce – that is disgusting. We are going to make our own with my Homemade Enchilada Sauce, which is as easy as it is tasty.
One huge positive is that you can cook the chicken in the simmering sauce. I do love a recipe that flows.
If you insist, you can use the canned sauce, but please don’t do that.
Cheese
I suggest using lower fat Mexican blend cheese. The lower fat cheese saves about 4 gms of fat per serving, so about 36 calories. That is not a huge amount, but I was aiming for low fat here.
So, use the cheese you want, non-low-fat is fine. I never suggest fat-free cheese. It never acts right in cooking.
✔️Tips
Tortillas: I suggest corn tortillas, but flour is fine.
Add-ins: corn, black beans, or whatever you want.
Storage: Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. It should also freeze well when sealed well for 3-4 months.
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Excellent Chicken Enchilada Casserole
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Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole
🔪Instructions
Start by preheating the oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional.
Trim two skinless boneless chicken breast and cut into three pieces each. These vary a lot in size. Aim for about 1 1/2 pound, but anywhere from 1 to 2 pounds total should be fine.
In a medium saucepan, add one 15 oz. can tomato sauce, one tablespoon chili powder, one teaspoon paprika, one teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, one teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix well. Add the chicken and bring to boil over medium-high heat—cover and decrease to simmer for 20 minutes.
Check the temperature of the chicken to be sure it is 165° or more. Remove to cutting board and shred. Divide into three equal piles.
Prep an approximately 10X7 baking pan with PAM. Spoon two tablespoons of the sauce over the bottom of the baking pan—layer two 6 inch corn tortillas over the sauce.
Add 1/3 of chicken. Then 1/3 of the sauce (about 2/3 cup). Then 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat this layering twice more.
Bake until a golden brown top – about 20 minutes.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole in 60 Minutes
Easy chicken enchilada casserole features homemade enchilada sauce, fresh chicken, plus it is done 60 minutes. That equals a great Mexican recipe for a healthy dinner “from scratch.” No pre-cooked chicken or canned enchilada sauce needed.
Prep Time40mins
Cook Time20mins
Total Time1hr
Author: Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Servings/Adjust Amount: 6
Ingredients
2skinless boneless chicken breasts
15oztomato sauce
1tablespoonchili powder
1teaspoonpaprika
1teaspoononion powder
1/2teaspoongarlic powder
1/2teaspooncumin
1teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspoonpepper
6corn tortillas – 6 inch
2cupscheese – Lower fat suggested
US Customary – Convert to Metric
Instructions
Start by preheating the oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional.
Trim two skinless boneless chicken breast and cut into three pieces each. These vary a lot in size. Aim for about 1 1/2 pound, but anywhere from 1 to 2 pounds total should be fine.
In a medium saucepan, add one 15 oz. can tomato sauce, one tablespoon chili powder, one teaspoon paprika, one teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, one teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix well. Add the chicken and bring to boil over medium-high heat—cover and decrease to simmer for 20 minutes.
Check the temperature of the chicken to be sure it is 165° or more. Remove to cutting board and shred. Divide into three equal piles.
Prep an approximately 6X9 baking pan with PAM. Spoon two tablespoons of the sauce over the bottom of the baking pan—layer two 6 inch corn tortillas over the sauce.
Add 1/3 of chicken. Then 1/3 of the sauce (about 2/3 cup). Then 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat this layering twice more.
Bake until a golden brown top – about 20 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
Easy to double in size using a standard large casserole dish or cake pan.
You need anywhere from 1-2 pounds of chicken depending on how much meat you want.
I call for fresh skinless boneless chicken breasts but thighs will work.
You can use precooked chicken. You will need about 3 cups. Don’t add it to the sauce and cut the simmering of the sauce down to 10 minutes.
You could use canned sauce but please don’t do that.
You can add some drained cooked beans or corn.
You can use flour tortillas if you want
Use cheese of your choice.
Will be good refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 3-4 months.
HAVE A QUESTION? – Look in the full post.Make it Perfect First Time and Every Time. Don’t miss out, check the full post above. Almost every recipe includes easy step by step photo instructions so you can visualize yourself cooking this recipe along with helpful tips and options.
ADJUST THE RECIPE SIZE:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole in 60 Minutes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 276Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 8g40%
Cholesterol 64mg21%
Sodium 1071mg45%
Potassium 493mg14%
Carbohydrates 17g6%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 1255IU25%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 308mg31%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
Originally Published February 3, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Grilled Chicken Fajitas are a great blend of well seasoned; marinated charred chicken served with bell peppers and onions all wrapped in a warm tortilla. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions.
Editor’s Note: Originally Published June 14, 2010. Republished with expanded discussion and options along with updated photos.
I’m calling you out Chilies. Chicken fajita from scratch in less than 30 minutes from starting to get the ingredients out to serving (28 minutes really) and including heating the grill. And a big plus, mine tastes better too.
I love the sizzling of fajitas serving in a good Mexican restaurant, but why not just do it at home. It is a relatively simple dish.
My Rating
A high 4 or lower 5. I was in the mood for Mexican and just loved it.
Pro Tips: Recipe Notes for Grilled Chicken Fajitas
You’ve seen the recipes, but you never try them. You know the recipes on the packing material of your new toy. But this time on the box of my new heavy-duty griddle I struck gold, it was just what I was thinking of anyways.
I simplified the technique and cut the cooking time on the veggies, or they would be burnt toast. And the chicken took a few more minutes then the recipe stated. And I changed up the spicing a bit.
The Chicken
This needs about 1 1/2 pounds of chicken, give or take a bit. I chose skinless boneless chicken breasts, but thighs would work great.
Trim the chicken well and cut across the grain of the meat as much as possible.
While you could use precooked chicken, it will be dry compared to the fresh-cooked chicken I suggested.
The Seasoning
I try to keep recipes to things I always have on hand, and I think most of you will also. But there are two things in this recipe you might not keep.
First, red wine vinegar may not be in your pantry. It has a nice, not in your face taste for things like salads.
If you don’t have red wine vinegar, you can substitute some apple cider or rice vinegar but not at the same volumn. Do about a third to half the volume and taste test it. Vinegar can overwhelm a dish quickly.
Second, is the lime. I buy them frequently for recipes but I do not keep them around. So I do keep some lime juice in the refrigerator usually. Or you can just slip it.
Other suggestions Add some cumin if you want spicy.
Do I have to do this on a grill?
No, you could do this on the stovetop with a skillet.
Check Out the Chicken Fajita Collection
Easy Chicken Fajitas
Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
Preheat grill with a griddle or large grill pan in place on high. And oil.
In a medium bowl whisk all marinade ingredients together.
Clean and cut chicken into strips across the grain.
Add chicken to the marinade. Mix well and let sit at room temp while dealing with veggies. Refrigerate if not being used within 30 minutes.
Cut onion and peppers and coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
After the grill is preheated for at least 10 minutes, place vegetables on the griddle and occasionally stirring, cook about 6 minutes until starting to brown and softening. Grill lid should be open for this recipe. If browning too fast, turn down the heat or move to a cooler part of the grill.
Place chicken on the griddle and cook for about 6-8 minutes until cooked well. Stir every few minutes along with the veggies. You should be able to cut the chicken with a wooden spoon when done and an internal temperature of 165.
Then mix in vegetables and stir well. Serve.
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30 minute Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Grilled Chicken Fajitas are a great blend of well seasoned; marinated charred chicken served with bell peppers and onions all wrapped in a warm tortilla. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions.
2Skinless boneless chicken breast – cut cross grain about 1/2 inch thick
Marinade
2tablespoonsoil
1clovesgarlic – minced
1/2tablespoonred wine vinegar
1lime – or 2 tablespoons juice – Optional
1/2teaspoonchili powder
1/2teaspoonblack pepper
1/2teaspoonsalt
Veggies
1onion sliced – large yellow 1/2 inch thick
2peppers – seeded and sliced about 1/2 inch thick
1-2tablespoonsolive oil – enough to coat the peppers and onion
1/2teaspoonsalt
For serving:
8-10warm corn or flour tortillas
Guacamole
salsa
Instructions
Preheat grill with a griddle or large grill pan in place on high. And oil.
In a medium bowl whisk all marinade ingredients together.
Clean and cut chicken into strips across the grain.
Add chicken to the marinade. Mix well and let sit at room temp while dealing with veggies. Refrigerate if not being used within 30 minutes.
Cut onion and peppers and coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
After the grill is preheated for at least 10 minutes, place vegetables on the griddle and occasionally stirring, cook about 6 minutes until starting to brown and softening. Grill lid should be open for this recipe. If browning too fast, turn down the heat or move to a cooler part of the grill.
Place chicken on the griddle and cook for about 6-8 minutes until cooked well. Stir every few minutes along with the veggies. You should be able to cut the chicken with a wooden spoon when done and an internal temperature of 165.
Then mix in vegetables and stir well. Serve.
Make it Perfect First Time and Every TimeDon’t miss out, check the full post above. Almost every recipe includes easy step by step photo instructions so you can visualize yourself cooking this recipe along with helpful tips and options.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
This recipe is unusual in that the grill lid is left open.
This needs about 1 1/2 pounds of chicken, I chose skinless boneless chicken breasts, but thighs would work great.
Cut across the grain of the meat as much as possible.
If you don’t have red wine vinegar, you can substitute some apple cider or rice vinegar but not at the same volume. Do about a third to half the volume and taste test it. Vinegar can overwhelm a dish quickly.
I buy limes frequently for recipes, but I do not normally keep them around. So I do usually keep some lime juice in the refrigerator. Or you can just slip it.
Add a little heat with 1/2 teaspoon cumin.
Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. And I’m sure would freeze well but I have never had that much leftover.
Nutrition does not include serving ingredients.
Nutrition Facts
30 minute Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Amount Per Serving
Calories 202Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 65mg22%
Sodium 670mg28%
Potassium 157mg4%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 300IU6%
Vitamin C 70.1mg85%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 1.1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have a question or something not clear? Ask in the comments.
Do you want more recipes from 101 Cooking for Two? Sign up for the newsletter and get all posts delivered straight to your inbox!
Nutrition is for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated.
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