These Cheesy Keto Enchiladas made with zucchini tortillas are a great low-carb Mexican food inspired dinner that's also gluten free and perfect for the Keto Diet and ready in just about 30 minutes!
When we were looking over the recipes we had planned for 2018, we knew we wanted to do some type of Keto Enchiladas recipe sans the traditional corn tortilla. After discussing it we came up with using zucchini as the tortilla!
It's the perfect veggie vessel for the enchilada filling and you get an extra nutritional boost. It's a win-win!
Is zucchini Keto?
Yes! Zucchini has about 3.9g of total carbs in a 1 cup (chopped) serving and about 1.2g of fiber making that a grand total of 2.7g of net carbs.
Zucchini has a ton of super awesome nutritional benefits, but when I was researching for this post one fact kinda sorta blew my mind. Did you know zucchini is technically a fruit? More specifically a berry? Just one of these long green “berries” boasts nearly 50% of your daily vitamin! To read more on all the nutritional benefits of zucchini, check out the links below:
What is in Keto Enchiladas?
- cooked shredded chicken
- white onion
- diced green chilis
- zucchini
- avocado oil
- shredded cheese
- enchilada sauce - we use Fonterra
That's it! This is a super easy recipe. Want even more flavor? Check out these topping ideas:
- sour cream
- guacamole
- pico de gallo
- jalapeno
- creamy jalapeño sauce
- cilantro
Need another side? Try these enchiladas with our Keto Mexican Cauliflower Rice!
How to Make Keto Chicken Enchiladas:
Just 4 simple steps, and #1 hardly even counts...
- Preheat oven broiler to high heat.
- Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, saute the onion for about 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Stir in green chilis and shredded chicken, remove from heat and stir in half of the cheese.
- Cut the zucchini into long flat sheets using a mandoline or vegetable peeler. Layer 4 pieces slightly overlapping and place ¼ cup of filling at the end of the strips. Carefully roll up and place each enchilada into a 10.5" cast-iron skillet.
- Top the zucchini enchiladas with the enchilada sauce and the remaining cheese. Broil in oven for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve with desired toppings.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Totally! Or follow these instructions for how to make the BEST shredded chicken in the Instant Pot:
- Place desired amount of chicken breasts (we use about 3 lbs at a time) into the Instant Pot, add in enough water to just cover.
- Place the lid on the IP and set to manual high pressure for about 18 minutes for 3 lbs of chicken.
- When time is up, let the pressure naturally release. Shred and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Can I use a baking dish instead of a cast-iron skillet?
You can! Just use one that is about the same size or a touch smaller as you want the zucchini Keto Enchiladas to touch on each side so that they don't unravel.
Plant-based options:
Swap the shredded chicken for shredded tofu and use dairy-free cheese. Easy peasy!
What if I want actual Keto tortillas instead of zucchini?
Opt for a low-carb tortilla.
What is the nutritional information?
As always, you can find the full nutritional breakdown including the carb count (total carbs and net carbs) at the bottom of the recipe card. You can find the serving size/yield at the top of the recipe card. You should always double-check your specific ingredients as different brand’s ingredients may have different values.
To get a specific serving size you’ll want to weigh the final dish then divide by the number of servings. We can’t provide this information as your cooking style will vary from ours as well as the brand ingredients you choose to use.
Keto Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked shredded chicken breast or shredded tofu for plant-based
- 1 medium white onion sliced
- 1 (4-oz) can green chilies
- 3 large zucchini cut into long strips
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 8 oz shredded jack cheese dairy-free if plant-based
- 1 cup enchilada sauce we use Frontera
Optional Toppings: [see post for more ideas]
- sour cream dairy-free if desired
- guacamole
- pico de gallo
- jalapeno
- cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven broiler to high heat.
- Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, saute the onion for about 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Stir in green chilis and shredded chicken, remove from heat and stir in half of the cheese.
- Cut the zucchini into long flat sheets using a mandoline or vegetable peeler. Layer 4 pieces slightly overlapping and place ¼ cup of filling at the end of the strips. Carefully roll up and place each enchilada into a 10.5" cast-iron skillet.
- Top the zucchini enchiladas with the enchilada sauce and the remaining cheese. Broil in oven for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve with desired toppings.
Janet says
The flavor of this dish is good but I think largely comes from the enchilada sauce. The rolling of the zucchini impossible. I ended up layering the zucchini and turning it into a casserole. When doing so however, the presentation isn't great. More of an enchilada blob.
Alex Lester says
You are not the first person to have trouble getting the zucchini to roll. I hope it wasn't too frustrating and I'm glad you enjoyed the flavor.
Janice says
After reading your comment, this is what we did... One double layer of zucchini, then the meat, then another double level of zucchini, then the meat, then a final double layer of zucchini, topped by enchilada sauce and cheese. Cooked it one minute longer than the recipe called for (so 8 minutes). It was perfectly delicious (although I definitely had zucchini left over for another use). More like a zucchini pie. It was delicious.
Kim says
This was amazing! So delicious. Thank you.
S says
Wow- those look amazing and juicy!! Being allergic to chicken, I will use pulled pork. What enchilada sauce do you use?
(I'm so sorry- I have to point out that the plural of zucchini is zucchinis. Not zucchini's. Apostrophes denote possession , not plurals. It's a huge pet peeve of mine. I apologize if it comes off as pedantic.)
Alex Lester says
We typically use Frontera's red enchilada sauce