Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

HONEY LIME CHICKEN {OR PORK} ENCHILADAS

PREP TIME 30 MINUTES

 

COOK TIME 30 MINUTES

 

ADDITIONAL TIME 30 MINUTES

 

TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

•  6 tablespoons honey 
•  5 to 6 tablespoons lime juice (2 to 3 large limes) 
•  1 tablespoon chili powder 
•  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 
•  1/4 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt 
•  1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground) 
•  2 pounds chicken, cooked and shredded - about 4 cups total (see note) 
•  8 to 10 flour or corn tortillas (about 6- to 8-inches) 
•  4 cups (about 1 pound) shredded Monterey jack cheese (or a combo of cheddar and Monterey Jack) 
•  16 ounces green enchilada sauce (see note) 
•  1 cup heavy cream, sour cream, or half-and-half 
•  Additional Toppings (optional): sour cream, chopped tomatoes, extra lime wedges, avocado, chopped cilantro 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place the shredded chicken in a resealable bag or other covered container. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss until the chicken is evenly coated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
2. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and pour about 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan.
3. Fill flour tortillas with chicken (save the leftover marinade!) and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the leftover marinade and the the cream (or sour cream/half-and-half).
4. Spread sauce evenly on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until brown and crispy on top. Serve with chopped tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, extra lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and/or avocado. 

NOTES

A rotisserie chicken works great in this recipe. Or, this is my go-to quick stovetop method for making cooked, shredded chicken at home. Otherwise, I often throw chicken breasts in the Instant Pot with 1 cup broth and some salt and pepper and cook for 8-12 minutes at high pressure and then shred (discarding liquid).

Here is an easy, delicious recipe for homemade green enchilada sauce. Green salsa also works for this dish (slightly different flavor profile and the consistency is a bit thinner than enchilada sauce). Also, if you want to skip the cream in the topping all together, you can mix the remaining green enchilada sauce or salsa with the leftover marinade and spread that over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. 

Freezable Meal: Freeze prior to baking. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake enchiladas, covered (without thawing first) for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer, until brown and crispy on top. The tortillas may be a bit softer after freezing and baking.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

These enchiladas are one of our favorites! The filling includes marinated Honey lime chicken, black beans, corn, and cheese, rolled in tortillas and smothered in salsa verde. 

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Marinate15 mins

Total Time50 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

 

Servings: 10 enchiladas

 

Calories: 364kcal

 

Author: Lauren Allen

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 15 ounce can black beans , drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen) cooked
• 16 ounce bottles Salsa verde
• 10 large flour tortillas
• 3 cups Monterey Jack Cheeses , shredded

For the marinade:

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For Garnish

• sour cream
• fresh cilantro

Instructions

• Cook chicken and shred with forks (or use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken).
• Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a liquid measuring cup (Should make about 1 cup). Add 2/3 cup of the marinade into the bowl with the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to several hours. 
• Add chili verde sauce to the remaining 1/3 cup of marinade and stir to combine. If the green chiles are chunky I like to pulse the sauce with an immersion blender until smooth. 
• Add beans, corn to the chicken mixture. Fill the tortillas with a spoonful of the chicken filling and sprinkle a generous handful of cheese on top (reserving about 1 cup of cheese for topping on the enchiladas at the end). 
• Roll up the tortillas and place them in the pan, seam side down. 
• Pour the green chili sauce on top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, then place under broiler for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is golden.