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5 from 218 votes

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Skillet

Everything you love about a chicken enchilada baked into an easy one skillet recipe! Earthy satisfying flavors topped with melted cheese. Just fewer calories!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie
Servings: 6
Calories: 252kcal
Author: Toni Dash

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • cup chopped red onion
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 1 15-ounce can red Enchilada sauce
  • 4 soft corn tortillas cut into strips
  • 2 cups shredded chicken breast purchased or homemade
  • ¾ cup frozen corn
  • 1.5 cups reduced-fat shredded Mexican blend cheese divided

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • In a large oven-proof skillet (12-inch pan recommended), heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.
    1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Sauté the red onion over medium heat until softened and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
    ⅓ cup chopped red onion
  • Add cumin, oregano, salt and garlic. Cook an additional 30- 60 seconds. Remove from heat.
    2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 garlic clove
  • Add diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, tortilla strips, shredded chicken, corn and ½ cup of cheese. Stir to combine.
    1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies, 1 15-ounce can red Enchilada sauce, 4 soft corn tortillas, 2 cups shredded chicken breast, ¾ cup frozen corn, 1.5 cups reduced-fat shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese evenly over the top.
  • Bake for 20 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and allow to sit 5 minutes before serving for the filling to thicken slightly.
  • OPTIONAL: Garnish with torn fresh cilantro and a dollop of plain non-fat Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream.

Notes

Serving size note. This recipe serves 6 with side dishes. If nothing is served with it, it will serve 4.
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 abodo 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
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 1138mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 712IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 369mg | Iron: 2mg