Chicken enchiladas are a favorite in Kevin’s Healthy Kitchen. We came up with a skinny version by adjusting our cooking techniques (poaching the chicken instead of pan frying) and swapping out heavy cheeses for lower fat versions. The chart below shows the calories and fat of a traditional chicken enchilada compared to those made in Kevin’s Healthy Kitchen.

We saved 165 calories, 23 grams of fat and 12 grams of saturated fat!

With this recipe you can still have that family Mexican night everyone will love, minus all the fat and calories!

12 Chicken tenderloins, cooked and shredded

ó cup Onion, minced

1 cup of Chicken broth

1 can Enchilada sauce

1 can of Tomato sauce no salt added

1 teaspoon ground Coriander seeds

1 teaspoon ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Chili powder

1 packet of Taco seasoning 25% less sodium

7 oz low fat Mexican style cheese, divided

8 medium size whole wheat Tortillas

Kevin’s Tip: If you need plain old cooked chicken for a recipe such as this one, think about poaching it instead of pan frying. Place raw chicken in a stock pot filled with half water and half chicken broth. This will add flavor and keep the fat and calories down – no oil needed!

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place chicken, onion and the chicken broth in a fry pan over medium high heat.
3. Stir in taco seasoning and simmer until broth has evaporated about 4 or 5 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. In a medium sized bowl add enchilada sauce, tomato sauce,coriander, cumin and chili powder.
6. Using a pastry brush, paint a light layer of the enchilada sauce on the bottom and half way up the side of a 3 quart casserole dish.

Kevin’s Tip: When you’re ready to build the enchiladas, the best way to portion out the chicken is to divide it right in the fry pan. Begin by dividing the mixture in half, then divide it again into 4 and then one more time so you have 8 equal sizes of the filling.

9. Place one tortilla on a clean surface such as a cutting board.
10. Place 1/8 of the chicken mixture along the lower third of the tortilla (best for rolling).
11. Sprinkle one tablespoon of Mexican cheese on top of the chicken.
12. Drizzle a teaspoon of enchilada sauce on top of the chicken and cheese
13. Roll the tortilla into a cylinder and place into the prepared casserole dish, seam side down.
14. Repeat with the 7 remaining enchiladas.
15. Pour remaining sauce and sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over the top.
16. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the sauce starts to bubble.

Serves: 8

Calories 325 | Fat 4g | Saturated Fat 1g | Carbs 30g | Fiber 4g | Sugars 4g | Protein 39