Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Low carb chicken enchilada casserole that's easy, delicious, and is made in one skillet! Made extra creamy with a sour cream sauce and no tortillas, it's a Whole Lotta Yum in less than 30 minutes.
Our chicken enchilada casserole without tortillas is so good!
When you want to get dinner on the table fast and serve a meal everyone will love (and won't even realize is low carb), our popular keto enchilada casserole is perfect!
We start with pre-cooked chicken which is great for using up leftover shredded chicken or using a store-bought rotisserie one.
You're getting all of the classic enchilada flavors in a simple creamy casserole that's keto friendly and gluten-free.
I think you'll also love our keto enchiladas using low carb tortillas and our green chili chicken casserole too.
When my husband followed a keto diet and lost 40 lbs, I was adapting all of our family favorite recipes and making them low carb. This was one of his favorite casseroles. We now eat low carb at home, but we still love this when we're craving Mexican inspired comfort food.
What you'll need
- 1.5 lb shredded chicken - 2 large breasts boiled until soft, then shredded equals about 4 cups of meat
- ¾ cup enchilada sauce - we used La Victoria red sauce made without sugar. You could use green enchilada sauce for a green enchilada variation.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 (4 ounce) can green chilis
- 1-2 tablespoon taco seasoning -(we love our sugar-free homemade seasoning)
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- 1.5 cups+ shredded cheddar cheese
- optional garnish- cilantro or chives, sour cream, salsa
If you have uncooked chicken breasts you can quickly cook it on the stove or in a pressure cooker. Shred it with two forks or in an electric mixer.
How to make Keto enchilada casserole
In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add the olive oil. Once heated, add chicken broth, cream cheese, and sour cream, and cook until everything is melted and well combined.
Mix in the taco seasoning, chilis, and enchilada sauce.
Add the shredded chicken to the skillet and simmer until heated through.
Sprinkle the casserole with shredded cheese.
Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and broil for 3 mins to melt cheese if want it browned and crispy. Otherwise, you can cover the skillet with a lid or baking pan and simmer on the stovetop until the cheese is melted.
Top with optional garnishes salsa, guacamole, cilantro, or sour cream. Enjoy!
Jenn's tips
- Shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese adds starch which increases the carbs but also doesn't melt as well.
- If you're following a keto health plan, you'll want all of your dairy products like the sour cream and cream cheese to be full-fat.
- We used a large cast iron skillet which works great going from stovetop to oven. If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, you can melt the cheese on the stove by putting a lid or cookie sheet over the pan and simmering on low until it's melty.
Recipe Card
- 1.5 lb shredded chicken
- 3/4 cup red enchilada sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 14 oz can green chilis
- 1-2 tbsp taco seasoning (sugar free preferred)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 1.5 cup 1.5 shredded cheddar cheese (from a block)
- Place your skillet over medium-low heat and add the oil. Once the pan is hot, add chicken broth, cream cheese, and sour cream, and cook until everything is melted and well combined.
- Add in the taco seasoning, green chilis, and enchilada sauce, and stir to combine.
- Add the shredded chicken to the skillet and simmer until heated through. Top with shredded cheese.
- Place the skillet in the oven and broil for 3 mins to melt cheese if want it browned and crispy. Otherwise, cover the skillet with a baking pan and simmer until melted, 10 mins on the stovetop.
- Top with garnishes such as chopped cilantro and chopped avocado and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Servings 1
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 335kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 19g30%
- Saturated Fat 8g40%
- Cholesterol 114mg38%
- Sodium 710mg30%
- Total Carbohydrate 7g3%
- Dietary Fiber 1g4%
- Sugars 4g
- Protein 32g64%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
- We like to cook the large 2.5 lb bags of frozen chicken to use in recipes like this. If you need to cook it still, here's how we boil chicken or cook it in a pressure cooker.
- Shred your own cheese since pre-shredded includes hidden starch and doesn't melt as well, plus it adds extra carbs (if you're low carb)
- A large cast iron skillet is great for this recipe since you can cook it on the stovetop but then broil the cheese all in the same pan.
- The recipe starts with 1 ½ lb cooked and shredded chicken, it's recommended to cook 1 ¾-2 lbs of raw chicken since it shrinks about 25% during cooking.
- A rotisserie chicken would work well instead of cooking it yourself if you're short on time! It does taste a little saltier than homecooked chicken but there's no added salt in this dish other than taco seasoning, so it will still taste great.
- Make a green enchilada version by swapping the red enchilada sauce for green sauce.
Hi, I’m Esther, a full-time food blogger, mother of 2 beautiful daughters and a lovely wife. I currently live in New York with my family. Loves travelling, sharing new recipes, and spending time with my family.