If you love Mexican food, especially chicken enchiladas, but are on a keto diet, then try this easy keto chicken enchiladas recipe. There are lots of recipes out there for keto chicken enchiladas that use low carb tortillas as the wrapper. But swapping out the low carb tortilla for sliced sandwich meat makes these carnivore styled keto chicken enchiladas even lower in carbs!
Traditional enchiladas are made with flour or corn tortillas and have about 17 to 20 net carbs per enchiladas. Most keto chicken enchiladas swap out the flour tortilla and are made with low carb tortillas are about 8 to 10 net carbs. But these carnivore styled enchiladas are only 5 net grams of carbs each.
You can use a store bought sauce or make your own. Add your choice of low carb vegetables to go with the shredded chicken (don’t forget to add in the carbs). No matter what you choose to put in them the whole family will enjoy these enchiladas.
Keto Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
This recipe starts by creating the shredded chicken filling to be used in the low carb enchiladas. You can bake the chicken in the oven but I prefer to use a slow cooker. This makes the chicken incredibly easy to shred.
You can make the shredded chicken ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator or the freezer until you are ready to put the enchiladas together. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe.
Ingredients for Keto Chicken Enchiladas:
For the shredded chicken mixture:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – use about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast. You can also substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Both taste delicious in this recipe.
- Green Chiles – I used a 4 ounce can of green chiles.
- Cream Cheese – I used full fat cream cheese. The cream cheese mixes in with the juice created when the chicken is cooking to make a light creamy sauce.
- Dried Onion – dried onion adds flavor without adding a lot of carbs to this recipe.
For the chicken enchiladas:
- Sliced chicken or turkey sandwich meat – the sliced sandwich meat is used in place of a traditional higher carb tortilla. Look at the carbs on the nutritional label for whatever sandwich meat you are using. You will be surprised at the number of carbs that can be found in sandwich meat. Honey and smoked versions of sandwich meats often will have more carbs in them as some form of sugar is used to provide the honey or even smoked flavor to these meats.
- Enchilada sauce – Look for a brand that does not have added sugar. As the red enchilada sauces include tomatoes there will be carbs in the enchilada sauce. It will not be carb free. However looking on the nutrition label at the ingredients will show you which sauces do not have added sugar. These sauces will have the lowest amounts of carbs. If you have a favorite homemade enchilada sauce you can use that as well.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – use your favorite type of shredded cheese. We like to use sharp cheddar cheese or pepperjack cheese in our enchiladas.
- Toppings for the enchiladas: diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, sour cream, cilantro or parsley (fresh or dried).
To make the shredded chicken:
Place the chicken breasts in a crockpot.
Spread chopped green chilies over the chicken. Sprinkle dried onion over the green chiles.
Add the cubes of cream cheese to the top of the mixture.
Cook the chicken on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 or until chicken is tender enough to shred.
Once the chicken is cooked remove it from the crockpot and use two forks to shred the chicken. Put the meat back into the crockpot and stir into the liquid.
To assemble the keto chicken enchiladas:
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Using four slices of the chicken/turkey sandwich meat to create the enchilada wrapper start by placing two slices down next to each other slightly over lapping. Add two more next to those making sure they also slightly over lap.
Make a small row of shredded chicken, about 2 to 3 tablespoons worth, in the middle of the sandwich meat wrapper. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of shredded cheese over the chicken if desired.
Roll the cooked chicken mixture in the sandwich meat. Keep in mind that the sliced sandwich meat isn’t as firm as a flour based tortilla wrapper so you need to roll them gently so they don’t tear.
Once completely rolled, place seam side down in a pan.
Spoon the enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled enchiladas.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.
Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and serve. Top with a drizzle of sour cream, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes, sliced green onions, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro or parsley, avocado slices, Mexican cheese such as Cotija cheese and whatever other toppings you enjoy on your enchiladas.
How to store these keto chicken enchiladas
Store these enchiladas in the refrigerator in a covered airtight container for 3 to 5 days.
Can I freeze keto chicken enchiladas?
Yes you can easily freeze the prepped chicken enchiladas before adding sauce to them. Roll each one up and carefully place in a freezer bag or container. When you are ready to make the enchiladas place them frozen in your baking or casserole dish and top with the enchilada sauce before baking.
You can also freeze the shredded chicken filling by itself. When you want to make enchiladas just remove a container of the frozen filling, thaw and continue with the recipe instructions on rolling/baking them.
Can I use shredded rotisserie chicken in this recipe?
Yes you can swap out the crockpot shredded chicken for shredded rotisserie chicken or shredded leftover chicken. Place the green chilies, cream cheese, dried onion and about 1/2 a cup of chicken broth in a sauce pan. Heat until the cream cheese melts and stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken. This should make a quick version of the sauce that is made when the chicken is cooked in the slow cooker to make these easy keto enchiladas.
Are these chicken enchiladas keto or low carb friendly?
Absolutely! I’ve made them even lower in carbs than those recipes that use a low carb tortilla. By using high protein sandwich meat as the wrapper this will cut the carbs in half when compared to other keto enchiladas.
Can I reheat the keto chicken enchiladas?
Yes they can be reheated in the microwave (about 1 minute) or even in the oven (350 degrees F until heated through).
Try serving these chicken enchiladas with keto friendly side dishes including Mexican styled cauliflower rice or a simple salad.
Homemade spicy salsa or freshly made Pico de Gallo is also a perfect topping to add to these enchiladas.
If your family eats more traditional side dishes you can serve them rice or these easy refried beans along with a salad.
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Keto Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Equipment
- Baking dish
- Slow cooker
Ingredients
Make shredded chicken filling
- 16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 ounces Green Chiles canned, diced
- 1 tablespoon Dried Chopped Onions
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese diced into cubes
Make the enchiladas
- 16 ounce turkey sandwich meat sliced
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 14 ounces Enchilada Sauce jarred
Instructions
TO MAKE THE SHREDDED CHICKEN:
- Place the chicken breasts in a crockpot. Spread chopped green chiles over the chicken. Sprinkle dried onion over the green chiles. Add the cubes of cream cheese to the top of the mixture.
- Cook the chicken on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 or until chicken is tender enough to shred.
- Once the chicken is cooked remove it from the crockpot and use two forks to shred the chicken. Put the meat back into the crockpot and stir into the liquid.
TO ASSEMBLE THE ENCHILADAS:
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Using four slices of the chicken/turkey sandwich meat to create the enchilada wrapper start by placing two slices down next to each other slightly over lapping. Add two more next to those making sure they also slightly over lap.
- Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of shredded chicken on one side of the slices of sandwich meat. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of shredded cheese over the shredded chicken.
- Roll the sandwich meat over the shredded chicken mixture. Keep in mind that the sliced sandwich meat isn't as firm as a flour based tortilla wrapper so you need to roll them gently so they don't tear.
- Once completely rolled, place seem side down in a pan.
- Spoon the enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled enchiladas.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the top.
- Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
If you liked these delicious keto enchiladas here are some other keto recipes you may like:
Italian Stuffed Sausages and Peppers
If you are looking for other low-carb/keto recipe ideas, be sure to check out our growing Recipe Index full of low-carb/keto recipes!
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