Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Skillet (2024)

Published: Nov 29, 2022 · Modified: Sep 12, 2023 by Toni Dash · 5 Comments

This Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Skillet recipe is everything you love about chicken enchiladas in an easy skillet recipe that's also been slimmed down! Delicious cheesy Mexican food perfect for an easy meal on busy weeknights or lazy weekends. Ready in 30 minutes!

One pan chicken enchilada skillet satisfies a Mexican food craving without loads of calories...or time to make this favorite recipe! All the ingredients of traditional enchiladas but faster and easier to make due to no rolling. You'll use fewer pans too; only an oven-safe skillet is needed.

If you love a one pot meal this delicious recipe is a keeper. It's a family favorite any night of the week with the flavor of an enchilada recipe! It's a saucy easy recipe that serves 6 with side dishes and 4 if it's the only thing being served. It's great the next day too.

Serve this up with our Mexican Cauliflower Rice, Corn and Avocado Salad and a skinny Spicy Pineapple Margarita and you'll feel like you are eating at a restaurant!

What makes this skinny?

• Using shredded chicken breast which is lower in fat and calories than darker chicken meat.
• Reduced fat Mexican shredded cheese blend. This gives the classic flavors with less fat and fewer calories. We used less cheese then usual too. It's still plenty to mix with the filling and for a melty cheese top.
• We pared down the corn tortillas in the enchilada skillet too. This saves some calories but still leaves enough to add the tortilla flavor.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Vegetable oil.Used to sauté the onions. Olive oil can be substituted if desired.

Red onion. Yellow or white onion can be substituted.

Ground Cumin. Adds classic earthy flavor to the one pan enchiladas. Be sure to use ground cumin not cumin seeds.

Dried oregano. Adds more flavor. Mexican oregano can be substituted if desired.

Diced tomatoes with green chiles (canned). You'll need one 10-ounce can. Rotel brand or any other generic brand can be used. No straining required; use undrained tomatoes (add the whole can to the large skillet). This may be in the Mexican food section of the grocery store if it is not with the other varieties of canned tomatoes.

Red enchilada sauce (canned). You’ll need 1 15-ounce can of red enchilada sauce and we recommend mild. If everyone you are serving love super spicy food you can use hot enchilada sauce but even the mild sauce has a kick. Homemade enchilada sauce or store-bought enchilada sauce can also be used.

Yellow corn tortillas. Use 4 regular size yellow corn tortillas cut into strips. Corn tortillas have a better end result in this skillet than flour tortillas (and they are naturally gluten-free).

Cooked shredded chicken breasts. This can be homemade or store bought.Most stores sell fresh shredded chicken breast now which is a great prep time saver. You can use leftover chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken or our Air Fryer Chicken Breast shredded.

Corn.Use ¾ cup frozen corn. It does not need to be thawed before cooking.

Reduced fat Mexican style shredded cheese. This is a delicious blend of cheeses perfect for Mexican food dishes. The reduced fat version melts beautifully and has great cheesy flavor (no one will guess it's a lower fat cheese blend).

How to make this Chicken Enchilada Skillet

STEP 1. Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

STEP 2. Sauté

In an large oven-safe skillet (12-inch skillet recommended; a cast iron skillet works great) heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions until translucent (3-4 minutes).

Add the cumin, oregano, kosher salt and garlic; sauté one minute longer (photo 1). Remove from heat.

STEP 3. Assemble

Add the diced tomatoes with green chiles, enchilada sauce, shredded chicken breast, corn, corn tortilla strips and one half cup of the cheese (photos 2-3) to the onion mixture.

Stir to combine (photo 4).Top with the remaining 1 cup of the cheese (photo 5).

STEP 4. Bake

Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling (photo 6). Remove from oven allow it to sit for about 5 minutes before serving. The filling will thicken slightly while it sits.

Top with some non-fat plain Greek yogurt, torn fresh cilantro leaves or other favorite toppings (see ideas in Toppings below).

Variations

Substitute our Mexican Shredded Chicken. If you have some on hand this is a great place to use it. Since it will already have spices added skip the cumin, oregano and salt. The enchilada sauce will deepen the flavors and the ground spices won't be needed.

How to bulk it up. The easiest way to add volume to a dish like this without more calories is add extra veggies. Chopped red pepper, green pepper or yellow pepper (or a mix), shredded carrots (you'll never know they are there), chopped celery, or any other non-starchy vegetable you like. Even leftover vegetables work.

Sauté the vegetables with the onions to soften before assembling the skillet casserole.

Use a different meat.Try ground turkey instead of shredded chicken. The meat will need to be sauteed after the vegetables. This type of dish with strong flavors hides vegetable flavors so it's a great way to add more veggies that the whole family will love.

Try green enchilada sauce!For a different flavor tangier flavor.

Love some smoky heat? add some adobo sauce or a chipotle pepper from a can of chipotles en adobo.

Topping options

• Torn fresh cilantro
• Light sour cream (this also takes the spicy heat out of dishes!) or plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• Pico de Gallo or other salsa
• Sliced green onions
• Sliced jalapeno peppers
• Tortilla chips on the side for scooping

How to Store

Transfer any leftovers into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat servings in the microwave.

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