• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Me
  • Breakfast
  • Mains
  • Chicken
  • Sides and Sweets
  • Contact Me

Over the Spoon for logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Me
  • Breakfast
  • Mains
  • Chicken
  • Sides and Sweets
  • Contact Me
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Mains » Keto Chicken Enchilada Casserole

    Published: Feb 6, 2021 · Modified: Feb 15, 2021 by Marissa · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Keto Chicken Enchilada Casserole

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    While a classic enchilada dish involves rolling tortillas with stuffing of choice and covering in sauce - this  keto enchilada casserole is much easier  and healthier to make!

    It uses a layering technique, similar to a lasagana, and more specifically, similar to my Low Carb Lasagna.

    To make this Keto Chicken Enchilada Casserole you use zucchini slices, rather than tortillas for a lightened up enchilada dish!

    Keto Chicken Enchilada Casserole topped with hot sauce

    What do you need:

    • 2 large zucchini
      • Substitute yellow squash if you don't have zucchini
    • Red Enchilada Sauce
      • You can use green if you prefer!
    • Cooked Shredded Chicken
      • Omit to make this a vegetarian enchilada
    • Corn
    • Cottage Cheese
      • Substitute ricotta if you prefer
    • Refried Beans
      • I like refried black beans, or try regular black beans
    • Green Chiles
    • A small amount of quinoa
    • Shredded Mexican Cheese

    Optional Toppings:

    • sliced cherry tomatoes
    • avocado
    • fresh cilantro

    If you aren't looking for a keto enchilada dish, you can absolutely add tortilla layers to this casserole! Slice tortillas into strips and layer with zucchini slices.

    How to make this low carb enchilada casserole:

    Keto Enchilada Casserole Zucchini slices

     

    1. Preheat oven to 375 and then slice all zucchini (long ways) about ⅛ of an inch thick.  I use a mandolin, or you could use a cheese slicer with a blade, or a knife!
    2. Line 2 sheet pans with zucchini slices, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 10 minutes. The salt allows the zucchini to sweat out excess water. After 10 minutes, take out zucchini and pat excess water dry with paper towels
    3. In a mixing bowl, empty refried beans and microwave about 20 seconds to allow beans to mix.
    4. Stir in green chiles, cottage cheese, and ½ tsp of salt with beans.
    5. In a 8 X 12 baking dish, cover the base of the dish with enchilada sauce and about ¼ cup quinoa.
    6. On top of thin quinoa layer, add a layer of zucchini, bean mixture, corn, and then chicken.
    7. Repeat sauce, zucchini, bean mix, corn, and chicken until top of dish. Finish with any remaining sauce.
    8. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
    9. Add shredded cheese and bake for 10 more minutes.
    10. Serve with favorite toppings!

    quinoa at base of casserole to reduce liquid

    Tips for the best keto chicken enchilada casserole:

    zucchini pat dry for casserole

    • Reducing water content is the name of the game!
    • Since zucchini is 95% water, we want to make sure everything is as dry as possible.
    • Baking and patting zucchini dry first helps get rid of excess water.
    • Make sure chicken and corn are patted dry as well. Sometimes if you lightly strain corn it will container excess juice.
    • If after baking you notice extra water - slightly tip edge of dish to drain water.
    • The purpose of the small amount quinoa is to absorb the excess water. While quinoa isn't keto it is a very small amount meant to be an absorbing agent.

    Leftovers:

    Since zucchini is so full of water, this dish will not freeze well. However, it lasts about 4 days in the fridge!

    Over the Spoon for:

    Keto Enchiladas

    A high protein and low carb meal

    A great use for extra zucchini

     

    Could anyone else eat Mexican food every day? If you like this healthy enchilada recipe you should try my Chicken Fajita Casserole or Mexican Breakfast Casserole.

     

    Keto Chicken Enchilada Casserole topped with hot sauce

    Keto Chicken Enchilada Casserole

    Marissa
    This low carb enchilada casserole is a lightened up version of enchiladas. It uses zucchini rather than tortillas to make it keto.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 50 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 4
    Calories 450 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 large zucchini
    • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
    • 15 oz can refried beans
    • 15 oz red enchilada sauce
    • 15 oz cottage cheese
    • 4 oz can green chiles
    • 8 oz can corn
    • ¼ cup quinoa
    • ½ cup shredded Mexican cheese

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 375 and then slice all zucchini (long ways) about ⅛ of an inch thick.  I use a mandolin, or you could use a cheese slicer with a blade, or a knife!
    • Line 2 sheet pans with zucchini slices, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 10 minutes. The salt allows the zucchini to sweat out excess water. After 10 minutes, take out zucchini and pat excess water dry with paper towels
    • In a mixing bowl, empty refried beans and microwave about 20 seconds to allow beans to mix.
    • Stir in green chiles, cottage cheese, and ½ tsp of salt with beans.
    • In a 8 X 12 baking dish, cover the base of the dish with enchilada sauce and about ¼ cup quinoa.
    • On top of thin quinoa layer, add a layer of zucchini, bean mixture, corn, and then chicken.
    • Repeat sauce, zucchini, bean mix, corn, and chicken until top of dish. Finish with any remaining sauce.
    • Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
    • Remove foil add shredded cheese and bake for 10 more minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 450kcal
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

     

     

    « Shredded Buffalo Chicken Salad (Whole30 Friendly)
    Blueberry Smoothie with Almond Milk »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kay says

      February 06, 2021 at 2:29 pm

      5 stars
      Superb! Also the cooking directions were very helpful!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi! Welcome!

    What's in Season

    a small charcuterie board with vegetables, cheese, meat and crackers on the side

    Small Charcuterie Board Ideas

    A bowl with spring mix and greek meatballs on a pink napkin

    Greek Chicken Meatballs (without breadcrumbs)

    a bowl of chicken pasta

    Sundried Tomato Chicken Pasta

    fresh orzo pasta salad with lemon slices

    Pasta Asparagus Salad

    Popular Recipes

    Soy Chorizo

    Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo Spaghetti Squash

    a bowl of baked ceviche

    Healthy Baked Mahi Mahi (Ceviche Style)

    2 bowls with poke ingredients

    Trader Joe's Poke Bowl Recipe

    asian broccoli tossed in sesame seeds

    Asian Broccoli (Roasted from Frozen)

    za'atar chicken with lemon on a sheet pan

    Za'atar Chicken Recipe

    artichokes dipped in aioli

    Easy Air Fryer Artichokes (with Aioli)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

     

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy

     

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme