These easy Chicken Zucchini Enchiladas are stuffed with melted cheese, chicken and red enchilada sauce for a delicious low carb twist on this Mexican classic! We replaced the tortillas with zucchini strips to make this recipe low carb and gluten free!
Table of Contents
- Chicken Zucchini Enchiladas
- How to slice a zucchini into strips?
- Ingredients Needed
- How To Make Zucchini Enchiladas:
- Tips for rolling up the Zucchini Enchiladas?
- Other filling ideas:
- Can these Enchiladas be made ahead of time?
- What about the leftovers?
- Optional Toppings
- What do you serve with Zucchini Enchiladas?
- Get the Recipe
Chicken Zucchini Enchiladas
Can you really use a zucchini instead of a corn tortilla in enchiladas? Yes you can! Honestly you will not miss the tortilla, because the zucchini adds a whole new level of flavor. Bonus, these zucchini enchiladas also look very fancy, adding to the overall appeal.
These Chicken Zucchini Enchiladas are stuffed with a delicious and easy homemade filling with chicken, cheese, red enchilada sauce, garlic, herbs and spices. They are rich in Mexican flavors that wake up your taste buds, but won’t bust your diet.
To keep this dinner extra fast and easy, you can use a rotisserie chicken and canned enchilada sauce if you would prefer.
How to slice a zucchini into strips?
I like to use a mandoline for cutting the zucchini into thin and uniform strips. A mandoline is also very quick to use and will speed up the prep work.
Cutting the zucchini into thin slices will make rolling and filling your zucchini enchiladas much easier. If the zucchini slices are thick, the zucchini strip will break when you roll it.
How to slice zucchini with a mandoline:
- Slice the ends off of the zucchini.
- Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise.
- Place the inside of the zucchini on the mandoline and apply even pressure as you press the zucchini down across the blade.
Ingredients Needed
You will only need a handful of ingredients to make these zucchini enchiladas. Don’t skimp on the cheese as it adds so much to the final dish!
- Cooked and Shredded Chicken
- Garlic
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Salt & Pepper
- Canned Green Chilies
- Red Enchilada Sauce
- 4 Cheese Mexican Blend
- Pepper Jack Cheese
- Zucchini
How To Make Zucchini Enchiladas:
Step 1: Mix together the chicken, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, green chilies, 1 cup shredded cheese and ½ cup of the enchilada sauce.
Step 2: In the bottom of a casserole dish add a half of a cup of enchilada sauce.
Step 3: Using a mandoline, slice the zucchini into thin strips.
Step 4: Lay the zucchini on a cutting board or wax paper and spread 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the zucchini strips. Start at the bottom of the zucchini and roll up and place in the baking dish with the seam side down.
Step 5: Once you have filled the baking dish with zucchini enchiladas, top the enchiladas with the remaining Mexican cheese and the pepper jack cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for 10 minutes more. Serve!
Tips for rolling up the Zucchini Enchiladas?
Lay the zucchini strips in a row and spread the filling down the middle of each one. Keep the ends free from the chicken filling, as this will help seal the rolls and keep them from leaking.
Try not to overfill the zucchini. If you do, it will not roll tight and the filling will leak out during the baking time. As you make your rolls, place them in the prepared baking dish and tuck them tightly into each other as seen in the image above.
Other filling ideas:
Chickened out? Try using pulled pork, carnitas, beans or ground beef instead in these delicious Zucchini Enchiladas. If you substitute beans for chicken that will add carbs to your enchiladas, but they will still be lower in carbs than if you used a tortilla.
If you make our Best Pulled Pork you can always set some of the meat aside before you add in the BBQ sauce to use in this enchilada dish as well. We do it often and it’s delicious!
Can these Enchiladas be made ahead of time?
Yes! Do you like to meal prep on Sunday? You can definitely make these Zucchini Enchiladas ahead of time. Follow all of the directions up till placing in the oven. Instead cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking.
What about the leftovers?
Well, we doubt you will have many because they tend to disappear at our house in minutes! However, you can absolutely save the leftovers! These Chicken Zucchini Enchiladas are always better fresh, but still tasty for lunch the next day. Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to two days, after that they get pretty soggy.
To reheat these Zucchini Enchiladas, I recommend using the oven for best results. Preheat oven to 325°F add a little cheese to the top cover place in oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly. Or if you are in a hurry, of course the microwave will do.
Optional Toppings
There are so many to choose from, but here are our favorites:
- Sour Cream
- Cilantro
- Avocados
- Extra Cheese
- Hot sauce
- Jalapeños (pickled or fresh!)
What do you serve with Zucchini Enchiladas?
If you are looking to keep your meal low carb, we love to serve these enchiladas with some cauliflower rice seasoned with cilantro and lime.
If you are instead looking for gluten free options, my husband loves when we make these with some Spanish rice and black beans or refried beans!
These Chicken Zucchini Enchiladas are one of our favorite ways to enjoy Mexican food at home, but still fit in our jeans the next day. However, if you are looking for more easy dinner ideas with a Spanish theme, check out our Walking Tacos!
Please leave a comment or review below letting us know how these Zucchini Enchiladas turn out for you!
Chicken Zucchini Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded chicken breast
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles, drained
- 1 10 oz can red enchilada sauce
- 8 oz 4-cheese Mexican blend shredded cheese, divided
- ½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese, for topping
- 3 large zucchini
Optional Toppings:
- Cilantro
- Sour Cream
- Hot Sauce
- Jalapeños
- Avocados
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a mandoline, slice zucchini into thin strips, set aside. (Find detailed instructions in the post above for slicing your zucchini with a mandolin.)
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the chicken, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, green chilies, 1 cup shredded cheese and ½ cup of the enchilada sauce.
- In the bottom of a casserole dish, add ½ cup of the enchilada sauce and spread it evenly.
- Lay the zucchini slices on a cutting board or wax paper and spread 2-3 tablespoons of chicken mixture onto the zucchini strips. Start at the bottom of the zucchini and roll up and place in the baking dish with the seam side down.
- Once you have filled the baking dish with zucchini enchiladas, top the enchiladas with the remaining Mexican cheese and the pepper jack cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more.
- Let rest for 5 minutes after baking to cool and set up just a little, then serve topped with your favorite toppings!
How much is one serving size? One roll? 4oz? Please let me know thanks!
This is perfect for when you are looking for a light dinner. It is packed with all of your traditional enchilada flavors! So good!