Swap the tortillas for this low carb alternative to make killer chicken enchiladas with zucchini! They're stuffed with tender pulled chicken and coated in a Whole 30 compliant red enchilada sauce. Made gluten free and dairy free too!
Everyone needs a handful of quick and healthy recipes to whip up for an easy weeknight dinner - like my vegan butternut squash mac and cheese and my firecracker bang bang shrimp.
Welllll these chicken enchiladas with zucchini should be on your short list because it's delicious and so simple to make.
Each enchilada is wrapped up tight in a zucchini strip, coated in enchilada sauce, and topped with a dairy free cheese. It's keto friendly and can be made Whole 30 without the cheese!
Ingredients
- Zucchini - Look for long zucchini that are green in color with a yellow tint. Make sure there are no soft or brown spots.
- Chicken - An easy way to pull chicken is to boil a few breasts in water until cooked through and then put them in a stand mixer with the beater attachment while still warm. Within 30 seconds the beater will shred the chicken.
- Enchilada sauce - I used this Whole 30 compliant brand in this recipe. It can be found at most Whole Foods, Sprouts, Wegmans, etc. If you want to make your own, this is a great recipe to use.
- Dairy free cheese - Any type of cheese will work but if you want to make these dairy free, use a vegan cheese. Violife vegan cheese is my go-to and actually melts.
Step by step directions
To make these low carb chicken enchiladas you will need a vegetable peeler, skillet, and a 9 X 13 dish.
Step 1 : Sauté the onions and garlic
First, sauté the onions and chopped garlic in a skillet with the olive oil. Cook until the onions are translucent and the garlic is soft.
Then add the spices to the skillet and stir to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Step 2 : Add the pulled chicken and sauce
Add the pulled chicken to the skillet and toss with the onion mixture. The chicken will turn a light orange color.
Then pour in 1 ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce. Stir the sauce into the chicken until well coated. Set aside while you prepare the zucchini strips.
Step 3 : Slice the zucchini
Before slicing the zucchini, cut off the top and bottom of the vegetable. Then use a peeler to slice think strips of zucchini.
Hold the zucchini in the palm of one hand while you press down gently with the peeler to cut thinly. Place the strips on a paper towel and pat to remove any excess water.
Step 4 : Assemble
On a clean flat surface, lay down three over-lapping zucchini strips. Spoon about 3 tablespoon of the chicken mixture at the top of the strips. Be careful not to put too much chicken or it will be difficult to roll up.
Hold the chicken in place with your thumbs while using your four other fingers to roll the zucchini up into a tight roll.
Place each roll up in the baking dish with the edge of the zucchini roll up on the bottom. You want the roll ups to be fairly well packed into the dish.
Step 5 : Add sauce and cheese
Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over top of the roll ups and sprinkle with dairy free cheese. Make sure each roll up has a bit of sauce on it as this is what will cook the zucchini in the oven.
Bake in the oven until the cheese has melted and the zucchini is soft.
Serving
Top these enchiladas with cilantro leaves, avocado slices, and dairy free sour cream (optional). Serve warm with a side of rice or beans or gluten free chips...or all of the above.
If you really want to heat things up, try pairing with my habanero mango salsa!
Storing
If you plan on storing a few of these chicken enchiladas with zucchini for later, don't top with cilantro leaves, avocado slices, or dairy free sour cream until you're ready to enjoy. These toppings don't store well so you want to add them right before you are serving.
Store the zucchini roll ups in a separate container. When ready to serve, warm them up in the microwave for 20 - 30 seconds then top with desired toppings and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
These zucchini enchiladas need to be rolled tight to keep the chicken mixture in place. To roll, place three zucchini strips on a flat surface and slightly overlap them. Add the chicken mixture towards the top of the strips. Use your thumbs to hold the chicken in place while you pull the top of the zucchini strips over top to begin rolling it up.
If you plan to reheat these zucchini enchiladas, don't put the cilantro, avocado slices, and sour cream on top of all of them. Store the left overs in the fridge and reheat in the microwave for 20 - 30 seconds when ready to eat. Then top with the toppings and enjoy.
Most enchiladas are made with flour tortillas making them not gluten free. Some are made with corn tortillas which are might be gluten free but be sure to check the ingredients. These zucchini enchiladas are naturally made gluten free.
You will need a vegetable peeler to slice the zucchini into really thin strips. This one is great and easy to hold.
Yes, depending on how strict you are with your Whole 30 (some people will consider dairy free cheese compliant) you can easily adapt this recipe. If you aren't eating vegan cheese on your Whole 30 simply omit it from the recipe and top the enchiladas with extra guacamole.
For more gluten free savory recipe, check out my:
PS : If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star review and comment below! Also be sure to follow along with me on Instagram and Pinterest to stay up to date on all tasty recipes here at The Fit Peach!
Recipe
Deliciously Easy Chicken Enchiladas with Zucchini (gluten free, dairy free, and Whole30)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup diced white onion - about ¼ of an onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups pulled chicken - about 2 small breasts
- ½ lime - juice
- 2 cups enchilada sauce - (I used Siete)
- 3 zucchini
- ½ cup dairy free cheese
- cilantro leaves
- dairy free sour cream
- avocado slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Heat the olive oil in a skillet with the diced onion and garlic. Sauté until the onions become translucent. Then add the paprika, chili powder, cumin, and sea salt and stir to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Add the pulled chicken to the skillet and toss with the onion mixture until the chicken is somewhat coated in the spices. Squeeze the lime half over the chicken to stir in the juice.
- Pour 1 ½ cups of the enchilada sauce over the chicken and stir to coat. Set aside.
- Wash each zucchini and trim off the top and bottom. Use a vegetable peeler to cut thin slices of zucchini. Place each slice on a paper towel. When done peeling, place another paper towel over top and press down gently to remove any excess water from the zucchini strips.
- Lay three zucchini slices down on a clean flat surface and overlap slightly. Add three tablespoons of the chicken mixture at the top of the strips. Use your thump to hold the chicken in place while you pull the top of the zucchini strips over the chicken and continue to roll up. Place each zucchini roll up inside of a 9 X 13 baking dish. You should be able to fit two rows of 8 - 10 roll ups in the dish.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over top of the roll ups and sprinkle with dairy free cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes until the cheese has melted and the zucchini is soft.
- Top with cilantro leaves, avocado slices, and dairy free sour cream if desired and serve.
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