Lately, I’ve been experimenting with making more balanced versions of some of my favorite comfort foods and enchiladas were top of my list. I love the warmth and subtle spice of a good chicken enchilada, but that much melted cheese doesn’t exactly align with my health and fitness goals. That’s why I came up with this still very creamy, but higher-protein, lower-carb version.
The key to this recipe is using Greek yogurt and cottage cheese to add richness and protein rather than fat. By combining shredded chicken with your favorite enchilada sauce, a few spices, the yogurt, and cottage cheese you get a filling that’s packed full of flavor. I ate this meal for lunch and dinner a couple days in a row and didn’t grow tired of it.
I also love how easy this one-pan recipe is to pull together. It uses simple ingredients and is quick to make with no chopping. It’s easy to reheat and taste even better the next day.
I nearly always have cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, shredded mozzarella and chicken on hand, which makes these an easy repeat dinner. I used carb balance tortillas but you can use whatever tortillas will help you achieve the macro content that best suits your lifestyle.
High-protein chicken enchilada recipe
This recipe makes four large enchiladas. I used the recipe creator feature in the MyFitnessPal app and found that a single enchilada contains nearly 35g of protein, under 9g of fat and carbs, and is only about 265 calories. That much protein content helps keep you full, meaning you’re less likely to sneak back to the fridge an hour later for something else to eat.
You could also add pinto or black beans, bell peppers, onions, or additional spices to make these your own.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup cottage cheese, blended smooth
- 10oz enchilada sauce, divided
- ¼tsp cumin
- ¼tsp garlic powder
- ¼tsp chili powder
- 4 Mission Foods carb balance tortillas
- ¾ cup part-skim mozzarella shredded cheese
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a bowl, mix the shredded chicken, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and ¼ cup of enchilada sauce until well combined.
- Lightly coat the bottom of the dish with enchilada sauce and coat each tortilla with the sauce from the bottom of the dish before filling and rolling.
- Divide the filling evenly between the tortillas, roll tightly and place seam-side down in a small baking dish.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly golden.
- Let cool slightly before serving.
