This hot and bubbly keto enchilada casserole has all the flavor of traditional enchiladas minus the extra carbs. It's also much less work than filling, rolling, and baking enchiladas. And the leftovers are really good - just as good as the freshly made dish
I'm so in love with this delicious casserole! It's flavorful and filling. My entire family loves it and requests it often. The secret is in the seasonings. They make the dish taste like enchiladas, even without the tortillas. And not using tortillas means this casserole isn't just keto and gluten-free - it's also easy to make.
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Olive oil: If you prefer an oil with a higher smoke point, use avocado oil instead.
- Shredded chicken: I often use pre-cooked chicken breast. You can also use rotisserie chicken, but make sure to remove the skin.
- Fresh cilantro: It adds great flavor to this dish, but I know that some people dislike this herb. If you're one of them, use parsley instead.
- Shredded cheddar: I like to use sharp or extra-sharp cheddar.
Variations
- Shredded turkey meat works well in this recipe, but make sure you use dark meat. Turkey breast is too dry.
- You can use shredded provolone instead of cheddar.
- Try adding a pinch of oregano to the sauce.
- Sometimes, I add sliced black olives to the chicken mixture.
Instructions
Making this casserole is super easy. So much easier than making enchiladas. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. These are the basic steps:
Prepare the enchilada sauce using olive oil, onion, spices, and tomato sauce.
Combine the shredded chicken with the sauce, green chiles, cilantro, and half the cheese.
Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish, sprinkle it with the remaining cheese, and bake until bubbly, for about 10 minutes in a 400°F oven. Serve immediately.
Expert Tip
It's easy to keep this casserole low-carb by not using beans, rice, or tortillas. You won't miss these ingredients! It's incredible - this casserole truly tastes like enchiladas.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, absolutely. And the result isn't just lower in carbs - it's also a lot easier to make than traditional enchiladas.
You simply mix shredded chicken with enchilada sauce, chile peppers, cilantro, and cheddar, top the mixture with more cheese, and bake until hot and bubbly.
Any cooked shredded chicken will work. You can use baked chicken breast, broiled chicken breast, grilled chicken breast, or rotisserie chicken (make sure to remove the skin).
If you use rotisserie chicken, you will probably need to buy two of them and use about half of the second one, unless the one you buy is very large.
Of course! In fact, if you use store-bought sauce and shredded rotisserie chicken, this recipe becomes ridiculously easy and super quick. Just make sure that you're OK with the sauce ingredients and its carb count.
When I go this route I use Whole Foods Market's enchilada sauce, which has 4 grams of carbs for ¼ cup. I find that I need to use 3 cups, which means I need to buy two jars.
Serving Suggestion
This is a rich casserole, so it's best paired with a simple vegetable side dish. I often serve it with one of the following:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power or (uncovered) in a 350°F oven.
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Recipe Card
Keto Enchilada Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- Olive oil spray
Enchilada sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion - minced; 6 ounces
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper - freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 15 ounces canned tomato sauce - no salt/sugar added
- ½ cup water
Casserole:
- 2 pounds cooked chicken breast - boneless, skinless, shredded, from 4 medium or 3 large chicken breasts
- 4 ounces canned diced green chile peppers
- ½ cup cilantro - minced, packed; 1 ounce
- 2 cups sharp cheddar - shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
Make the sauce:
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, black pepper, chili powder, and cumin, and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. You can strain the sauce if you wish. I usually don't.
Make the casserole:
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, chile peppers, cilantro, and 1 cup of cheese.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle it with the remaining cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Instead of making the enchilada sauce from scratch, you can use about 3 cups of store-bought enchilada sauce.
- You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken in this recipe. I find that I need to buy two of them (unless they are very large) and use about 1 ½ in this casserole.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power or (uncovered) in a 350°F oven.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Cathey says
Great recipe!
Pamela says
Great
Janice says
what is the serving size per person?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Janice,
I divide the casserole into six portions and each portion is a serving. I'll try to remember to weigh a portion next time I make it.
Rhonda says
Made this, best enchilada sauce I've ever had, lost the recipe and was devastated, found it again today. You don't miss the tortilla's at all!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad you like this casserole, Rhonda! Thanks for the comment.
Leila says
Wow, 2 keto people, 1 gluten-free and 2 normal in my family and I’m looking for something new to eat because look what I’m working with. I like simple and I need help. I came across your website, saw this recipe, ran out to get the ingredients I needed (got the rotisserie chickens) and my whole family loved this! They ate all of it! It’s really “oh my gosh” good and was nice and quick!! Thanks for your website, looking forward to using more of your recipes!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Oh, Leila, this made me so happy! I'm glad everyone in the family enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to write a comment - I appreciate it!
Amanda says
Excellent recipe. My whole family loved it.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad this was a success, Amanda!
Lana says
I made this recipe except used super lean beef and keto friendly tortillas. They were scrumptious. This is the first time I made enchilada sauce from scratch. So good!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Lana! Thank you for sharing your tweaks.
Clarence says
Great recipe easy to make and delicious
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you like this casserole, Clarence!
Ervin Loest says
Your recipe is awesome and I’m going to make the dish to bring it to my fishing vacation with the guys. My question. Why when I print off the recipe do I have to print 25 sheets of paper? Why not have a setting that just prints off the ingredients, prep info and cooking instructions? You would have gotten 5 stars.
Vered DeLeeuw says
To print just the ingredients and instructions, please use the "print recipe" button inside the recipe card.