The Easiest (and Yummiest) Chicken Enchilada (or Taco or Burrito Bowl) Recipe of All Time
This is my favorite recipe of all time, simply because it’s ridiculously easy, so freakin’ delicious, can be modified to anyone’s nutritional needs, low maintenance and can feed so many people!
The main staple of the dish is the Crockpot Mexican Chicken. This Crockpot recipe is SO easy, makes the chicken so tender and flavorful…AND VERY LOW on calories. It’s a super clean recipe. If you’re on a Paleo, GF or Whole 30 plan…this recipe is perfect for you! Once you prepare the chicken, you can choose how you want to serve it - tacos, enchiladas, a burrito bowl, taco salad? The options are limitless.
Crockpot Mexican Chicken
INGREDIENTS
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 heaping tablespoons of Taco Seasoning
1 tub of fresh salsa. I prefer brands like Casa Sanchez or any of the ones from Trader Joe’s (You can grab mild, medium or hot. I prefer to go with medium to give enough flavor to the chicken, but give the option for each person to add the hot sauce of their choice to their serving). I love getting a fresh salsa here because they’re not only all natural with no additives, but very very very low in calories and paleo friendly.
1 (4.5 ounce) can diced green chiles, undrained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lime
INSTRUCTIONS
Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning evenly over the chicken. Top with salsa, salt and fresh lime squeeze over the top. Top with the undrained green chiles. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Remove lid from slow cooker and shred the chicken with two forks. Ta-da! The chicken is ready to serve!
Prepare Tortillas for Tacos:
For soft tacos: Heat flour tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side. Just long enough to get them slightly toasted and warm.
For crispy tacos: Heat a generous amount of vegetable oil in a small frying pan over medium high heat. When the oil is good and hot (but not smoking) carefully add a corn tortilla. Only allow to cook about 1 minute per side then remove to paper towels to drain. Blot top of tortilla with paper towel to remove excess oil. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
For Burrito Bowls or Taco Salad:
Think Chipotle, but, like, homemade! Add all the fixings you like! I love adding in some chopped lettuce, pico de gallo, mango salsa, corn, shredded cheese or cotija, heaping spoon of beans and top off with some guacamole and hot sauce. Some like adding some mexican red rice or brown rice. This is all really up to you! Get wild, use what you have at home and whip up something delicious!
For Enchiladas:
I’m not gonna lie, this is my favorite recipe. For some reason, it’s kinda like cold pizza…the left overs are almost better the next day! It’s such a handy recipe and is always a crowd pleaser.
First order of business: Tortillas. You can go with corn tortillas, especially if you’re gluten free. You can also go with wheat, sprouted grain or any type of wrap that fits your lifestyle. If I’m being totally honest, I think flour tortillas hold up better in this dish simply because they wrap easier with little to not breakage. I use carb conscious tortillas and love them. Go with what you like best.
INGREDIENTS:
8 tortillas (think of the dish you’ll be baking in, i go with fajita size)
2 cups approximately cooked, shredded crockpot chicken
1 15 ounce can or bottle of red enchilada sauce (I LOVE the red enchilada sauce bottle from Trader Joe’s. It’s super flavorful and still pretty clean and low on calories)
1 to 1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 to 1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
OPTIONAL FOR GARNISH:
cilantro
thinly sliced green onions
diced tomato
chopped avocado
sliced black olives
sour cream
guacamole
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 13" x 9" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
If using corn tortillas, place 8 tortillas in a stack between a double layer of wet paper towels on a microwave-safe dish. Cook in microwave for 1 minute, or until warmed and pliable. If using flour tortillas, warm a stack of 8 on a plate in the microwave just until softened, about 40 seconds.
Pour just enough enchilada sauce into prepared baking dish to cover the bottom with a thin layer.
Spoon a few tablespoons of shredded chicken towards one end of a tortilla. Sprinkle with a bit of Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar and roll tightly. Place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas, cover dish with foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove dish from oven and remove foil. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
Garnish cooked enchiladas as desired. I love serving them with green onions, sour cream, guacamole and a selection of hot sauce on the side.
