Low-Carb Chicken Verde Enchilada Casserole: Using Tomatillos

Chicken Enchiladas are a very popular dish but are often made with corn tortillas, which are difficult to find as a low-carb version. This recipe rolls the shredded chicken into low-carb flour tortillas and smothers them with a creamy low-carb sauce made with tomatillos, jalapenos, onions, and sour cream. It comes together very quickly once the tomatillos are roasted.

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Ingredients for Low-Carb Chicken Enchiladas:

The following photo shows you all the ingredients you will need for this recipe. For details on measurements, see the recipe below.

Illustrated Step by Step

Here are the steps lined out with photos. For the details of the recipe itself, see the recipe card below.

Is Chicken Verde Low Carb?

Tortillas are the only thing that makes a chicken verde enchiladas heavy in carbs. This version makes the enchiladas as a casserole using low-carb flour tortillas rather than the classic corn tortillas.

If you want to lower the carb level even further and are willing to make your own, these homemade low-carb tortillas are really good.

My favorite store-bought low-carb tortillas is the La Tortilla Factory brand. I happened to pick some up at Costco, but you can also get them online from Amazon.

Tomatillos, onions, and peppers do include some natural sugars so this is not a carb-free recipe. I personally don’t mind the carbs when they are in the form of vegetables and some fruits, as the benefits of all the micronutrients are significant and the fiber in vegetables lowers the net carb amount.

For losing weight with a low-carb lifestyle (not keto), it is a matter of looking at the daily totals of carbs and sugar and not just a particular meal. Logging all the daily metrics is a pain, but if you want to lose weight with low-carb eating, it is a necessary pain for a while at least.

Low Carb Verde Store-Bought Sauce

There is a huge array of enchilada sauces, ranging from shelf-stable sauces at the grocery store to scrumptious, home-made sauces.

Homemade enchilada sauces are typically packed with flavor, but verde can be a little time-consuming to make from scratch if you are roasting the vegetables. It is not much hands-on time, but they do need to roast for 25 minutes before blending everything.

Fortunately, some of the store-bought verde sauces are low-carb, and they are pretty good.

If you’re in a pinch for time, using rotisserie chicken and store-bought Verde sauce can make a decent chicken verde casserole that you can get on the table in 20 minutes.

Typical Mexican Garnishes

Our family is always happy with pickled jalapenos and some extra cheese or sour cream. But, if that won’t satisfy your family, here are some other great ideas to top off your casserole:

• Olives
• Cilantro
• Sliced avocados
• Chopped green chiles
• Hot sauce or salsa, or more enchilada sauce
• Homemade pickled onions

Really, the possibilities are endless! Enjoy!

Popular Recipes Using Mexican Verde Sauce

Want more Verde sauce ideas?  Try these recipes:

Chicken Pipian Verde (pumpkin seed green mole)

Low-Carb Chile Verde Baked Egg Breakfast

Chile Verde Sauce for Low-Carb Mexican Dishes:

Mexican Recipes Using Red Enchilada Sauce:

• Low-Carb Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Enchilada Sauce
• Chile Colorado with Cactus and Pork
• Mexican-style braised short ribs

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Low Carb Chicken Verde Enchilada Casserole

A Mexican enchilada casserole with a roasted tomatillo sauce and chicken-filled low carb tortillas.

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 8

Calories 175

Author Dorothy Stainbrook

Equipment

• sheet pan
• 9 x 11 baking dish
• Blender
• box grater

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• 8 large Tomatillos
• 1 medium onion quartered
• 2 jalapenos cut lengthwise and deseed and devein
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 Lime juiced
• ¼ cup Cilantro
• ½ cup Sour cream
• 2-3 tablespoons Chicken broth
• 3 Cups Shredded chicken I used Costco rotisserie chicken
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 8 low carb tortillas
• 1 cup shredded cheese Jack cheese or white melting cheese (I used German Emmentaler cheese)

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

  Halve the tomatillos, quarter the onion and separate the garlic cloves and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and a little salt and roast for 25 minutes.

  Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. (Remove garlic skins if you left them on).
  8 large Tomatillos, 1 medium onion, 2 jalapenos, 2-3 cloves garlic
• While the vegetables are roasting, shred the chicken and grate the cheese and set aside.
  3 Cups Shredded chicken, 1 cup shredded cheese
• In a blender, combine the roasted vegetables, lime juice, cilantro, and sour cream. Thin with chicken stock if needed.
  1 Lime, 1/4 cup Cilantro, 1/2 cup Sour cream, 2-3 tablespoons Chicken broth
• Pour 1/4 cup of the tomatillo sauce in the bottom of a baking dish to prevent tortillas from sticking.

  Roll up 1/4 tp 1/3 cup shredded chicken in a tortilla and place in the baking dish, seam side down. Repeat for rest of tortillas and line them in baking dish side by side.

  Pour the rest of the tomatillo sauce over the tortillas, cover with foil and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.

  Remove foil and sprinkle cheese over the casserole and bake another 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
  1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 8 low carb tortillas

Video

Notes

I used low-carb tortillas from La Tortilla factory, as they are my favorites. There are other options, but just read the nutritional analysis and choose one with no sugar and the least carbs.

If you want to make this recipe in the easiest, quickest way possible, use rotisserie chicken and a commercial verde sauce. It will still be low-carb and still be delicious.

 

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Nutrition

Calories: 175kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 17gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 300mgPotassium: 260mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 319IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 1mg

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