Dinner doesn’t get any easier than this Chicken Enchilada Skillet. It’s creamy and cheesy, with all the bold flavor of classic enchiladas but without the heavy carbs. It’s an ideal low carb high protein recipe when you’re craving Mexican flavors. And it’s a guaranteed hit with the whole family!
Hey party people, it’s time for a little fiesta! This fun and easy meal is one of our favorites out of my popular cookbook, Easy Keto Dinners. While the kids enjoy theirs with some rice, I serve mine over Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice for even more great flavor.
Enchiladas are a well loved Mexican dish but those carb-filled tortillas don’t do us any favors. It also takes a lot more work to put together, rolling and filling the tortillas, topping them with sauce and cheese, and then baking. But this one-pan meal simplifies the process considerably!
I recently decided to re-visit this popular recipe and lighten it up a bit. I reduced the fat and increased the protein, but kept all the flavor. Now it’s better than ever. And make sure you check out my recipe for Chicken Enchilada Soup too!
Why we love this recipe
These keto chicken enchiladas bring my whole family to the table without complaint. And I always end up wishing I’d made more!
- Easy meal: This really is one of the easiest keto dinner recipes you will ever make. It takes only a handful of ingredients and is ready in 15 minutes!
- One pan recipe: You’ve got to love a meal that dirties only one pan. Less clean-up always makes me happy.
- Flavor: It really has all the bold Mexican flavor of chicken enchiladas.
- Great leftovers: I absolutely adore having the leftovers for lunch the next day. It heats up really nicely.
- Nutritional profile: This meal is packed with protein and has less than 4g of carbs per serving.
Reader’s Thoughts
“This recipe has been in my regular rotation for years. It’s delicious and easy. My husband calls it crack chicken and once requested it as his birthday meal.” — Pan
Ingredients you need
- Cooked chicken: You can use all chicken breast or a mix of light and dark meat. Cut the meat into cubes or shred it all together.
- Chicken broth: This creates a wonderful sauce for the skillet.
- Tomato paste: A little tomato paste adds flavor and color.
- Sour cream: This adds creaminess and body to your enchilada sauce.
- Cheese: Use shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese, which is a combination of Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack and cheddar.
- Seasonings: Chili powder, garlic powder, ground cumin and cayenne. These seasonings are the heart of the dish. You can make it as mild or as spicy as you like by controlling the chili powder and the cayenne.
Step by Step Directions
- Simmer the broth: In a large skillet over medium heat, add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
- Make the sauce: Whisk in the tomato paste, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne until smooth.
- Stir in the sour cream: Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the sour cream until well combined.
- Add the cooked chicken: Stir in the chicken and toss to coat. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top and cover the skillet until melted, about 4 minutes.
- Add toppings: Serve with chopped tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, chopped avocado, jalapeños, or cilantro.
Tips for Success
Using pre-cooked chicken makes it extra easy. Rotisserie chicken is perfect for these keto chicken enchiladas. If you happen to have some leftover grilled chicken, that works too.
If you don’t have any cooked chicken, you can cook it quickly and easily by simmering it in 1 cup of broth for about 15 minutes. Then remove from the pan and shred. Remove about half of the cooking broth as well, and leave the other half for making the sauce.
You can adjust the heat to your liking. Add more chili powder and cayenne if you prefer it spicier. A little bit of chipotle powder is delicious as well.
Top with any of your favorite enchilada toppings: salsa, guacamole, chopped avocado, jalapeños, cilantro. So many delicious ways to serve it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional enchiladas are not appropriate for the keto diet. And many of the “low carb” tortillas have too many carbs for people on a keto diet, as well as quite a few questionable ingredients. This Chicken Enchilada Skillet, however, has no tortillas and doesn’t contain other high carb ingredients like rice or beans. It’s a fabulous way to enjoy enchiladas on a low carb diet.
This recipe for Keto Chicken Enchiladas has 3.4g of carbs and 0.7g of fiber. If you calculate net carbs, then this recipe has only 2.7 grams.
Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
More Mexican Inspired Keto Recipes
Chicken Enchilada Skillet Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) chicken broth
- 2 tbsp (32.46 g) tomato paste
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 3/4 cup (172.5 g) sour cream
- 1 1/2 lb (680.39 g) cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
- 1 cups (113 g) shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese, (about 6 ounces)
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, bring the broth to a simmer.
- Whisk in the tomato paste, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne until smooth.
- Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the sour cream until well combined.
- Stir in the chicken and toss to coat. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top and cover the skillet until melted, about 4 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Excellent flavor and so easy! Love this with cauliflower Rice.
This is so easy and tasty. Also husband approved which is always a win. Made some of the keto cornbread with it which we love. I just ordered two cookbooks since I’m enjoying the recipes so much.
I will be using a rotisserie chicken. How many cups of chicken will I need?
I am honestly not sure. Put in whatever amount suits your taste.
This is delicious! I like to add a bit of chipotle spice or increase the cayenne pepper sometimes to change it up a bit. However, it does say it makes 6 portions but I find that way off. Even when I add chopped peppers and/or chillis to bulk it out a bit, it’s still not enough for 6 portions. I split it into 4 portions, which is just about enough to make a satisfying meal. I also wish this was one of the recipes where you can change to metric units to save time. The small portion size is why I’ve taken one star off, because it does taste fantastic.
Carolyn – Have you heard of Mr. Tortilla low carb tortillas? Have you ever thought of trying some recipes with them?
I don’t really use things like that… quite a few questionable ingredients, IMO. But feel free to do what works for you!
Wow! So good. Possibly one of the quickest meals ever. If the chicken is already cooked, this must take 5 minutes to throw together. I’ve made so many enchilada recipes in past that are far more time consuming and convoluted and no tastier. Hubby already agrees this should be a regular. Even my 4 kids liked it!
My husband calls this crack chicken because it’s so good. It’s a staple at our house. It’s perfect as written, and it holds up well to substitutions. Sometimes I use chipotle powder instead of cayenne for a nice smokiness. When I don’t have sour cream I use Greek yogurt yogurt and that works well too.
That’s a great compliment!
This was so good! I didn’t have any tomato paste so I used a can of green chilies instead and I can say I’ll probably use them again next time I make this. the flavor was a perfect addition.
We’ve eaten and loved this skillet exactly as you wrote it for a long time, but now we’ve upped our game! For each serving, we make two “burritos” with Southwest EggLife Wraps. We heat the wrap 20 sec, then add 1/2 the chicken skillet serving, a slice of tomato, chopped, 1/4 of an avocado, sliced thin, and sour cream. Roll it up and eat. Yummy!! You have been my go-to recipe queen since I joined TypeOneGrit FB group eight years ago and went very low carb. Thanks for all you do!
Sounds wonderful!
So easy and delicious! Just the right spices and flavors. A favorite for the household!
Deeeeelicious! I also made the cilantro lime rice and together is outstanding ! I can’t believe I am eating keto Thank you so much Carolyn . My husband is not eating keto and loved this too. 5 Stars!!!
Amazing recipe! The sauce really did taste like enchilada sauce. I was so surprised and it was so easy to make. Your idea to use leftover turkey was a great idea! I will be making this one again.
So glad you enjoyed it!
So delicious! This one was a hit with the whole family! I used precooked rotisserie chicken from Costco, which made it so easy. I used 2lbs 10oz of chicken, so I doubled everything except the chicken broth. It was the perfect consistency. You make being the only keto person in my family very easy. Thanks for all the great recipes!!
I’m definitely making this, if your daughter can make it I can do it, thanks girls!
This skillet sounds really good. But I need to know if the weight of the chicken is measured before or after the cooking. I usually use 1.5 pounds of raw chicken to feed 6 people. Thank you!
Doesn’t really matter since you won’t lose that much in weight cooking it.
May I substitute heavy cream for at least part of the sour cream? My husband can’t stand sour cream (I know, right!), but this sounds and looks so good I want to try it.
Since heavy cream is more liquid, I would simply do 1/4 or 1/3 cup cream and leave it at that.