Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas Recipe - Oh Sweet Basil (2024)

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4.36 from 42 votes

This Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas recipe has changed our view of enchiladas forever. The marinated chicken and cheese are so good!

The chicken has a hint of lime that just barely peeks through and the sweet honey with that dirty bite from the chili powder makes the chicken so flavorful. I was extremely weary of the sauce because I have had white sauces on burritos that were disgusting, but this was not the case.

Now, we did not used to be enchilada fans. Burritos enchilada style were good and enchiladas always looked good to me, but we had never had a recipe we liked. That is until we first tried honey lime chicken enchiladas. This recipe was seriously so good and we originally found it on PheMoMenon, who is as amazing as her recipes. We have added our own touches and we adore these enchiladas!

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The ingredients for this recipe are simple, accessible and inexpensive which are things that I’m looking for these days…hello, post Coved and insane inflation! Here is what you will need:

  • Honey – adds the perfect natural sweetness to the chicken marinade
  • Lime Juice – gives the chicken a little tang
  • Chili Powder – for that smoky heat
  • Garlic – flavor
  • Chicken Breasts – you can cook your own chicken or buy a rotisserie
  • Corn Tortillas – warm them up to keep them from breaking. You could also use flour tortillas if you prefer.
  • Mexican Cheese Blend – using this blend makes it easy, but you could use Monterrey jack or pepper jack for more heat
  • Green Enchilada Sauce – I tend to buy Hatch brand a lot, but you can buy whatever brand is your favorite.
  • Heavy Cream – adds so much depth and richness to the sauce
  • Cooking Spray – used for warming up the tortillas
  • Cilantro – the pop of freshness that every Mexican dish needs imho

You can scroll down to the end of this post to get all the detailed instructions and measurements for all the ingredients. You can also save or print the recipe there.

Are Enchiladas Mexican or Spanish?

Enchiladas originated in Mexico, where the practice of rolling tortillas around other food dates back at least toMayatimes.

How Do I Keep Tortillas from Breaking?

In order to avoid having the tortillas break when you’re rolling the enchiladas you will want to heat them up. You can use flour, yellow or white corn tortillas, but we generally like the extra flavor of the corn tortillas.

We either heat them up in a really hot skillet or as the video shows, place in a towel or plastic wrap and microwave until warm. Now quickly work through the meat and cheese placing the enchiladas seam side down in the dish. That’s it!

What Do You Serve With Enchiladas?

Rice and beans are the classic Mexican side dish duo, and they’re ideal for pairing with thick sauces and meaty mains.

My favorite sides with enchiladas are beans, rice & a simple garden salad which has just enough crunch to balance out the whole meal.

We love to fill these enchiladas with the juicy chicken, cheese and this cilantro lime rice or at least serve it on the side. They go perfectly together.

Can Enchiladas be Made Ahead of Time?

Youcanassemble theenchiladasup to two daysahead, cover, refrigerate, and bake thembeforeserving.

How Long Will Chicken Enchiladas Keep in the Fridge?

I would store for up to three days.

If you’re concerned about too many leftovers, throw them in the freezer.

They will last for 1-2 months and you can have yummy enchiladas any time!

If an easy, flavorful and family friendly dinner recipe is what you are looking for, then this honey lime chicken enchiladas recipe checks all the boxes! We are making enchilada fans out of everyone with these babies!

More EASY MEXICAN RECIPES

Looking for more outrageously good Mexican recipes? Here are a few of our faves:

  • Restaurant Style Salsa
  • Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Pineapple Mexican Shredded Chicken
  • Smothered Honey Lime Chicken Burritos
  • Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Smothered BBQ Beef Burritos
  • Crock Pot Cafe Rio Chicken Copycat
  • Our Favorite Steak Fajitas Marinade
  • Authentic Carne Asada Tacos
  • Crisp Black Bean Vegetarian Tacos
  • One-Skillet Enchilada Ground Beef Casserole
  • Instant Pot Ground Beef Burrito Bowls
  • ALL OF OUR MEXICAN RECIPES!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

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4.36 from 42 votes

Servings: 6 -8

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Description

These Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas have changed our view of Enchiladas forever. The marinated chicken and cheese are so good!

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup lime juice, about 2 large limes
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder, up to 1 Tablespoon
  • 2 large cloves of garlic , finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2 large breasts, cooked and shredded
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 2 cups of Mexican cheese blend, shredded (1 small bag usually is 2 cups)
  • 1 can green enchilada sauce, 14oz, mild or medium, to your taste
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 Tablespoon of chopped cilantro, to garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  • Place the cooked and shredded chicken in a medium sized bowl.

  • Set aside.

  • In a small bowl, place the honey, lime juice, chili powder and minced garlic or garlic powder.

  • Whisk together thoroughly to combine.

  • Pour this mixture over the chicken and cover with plastic wrap.

  • Allow to marinate while you prepare the tortillas, 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, in the refrigerator.

  • Heat a large griddle till a drop of water skitters across (about 350 degrees F).

  • Spray the surface with non-stick cooking spray or a oil it with a little bit of canola oil in between each round of tortillas.

  • Heat tortillas about 20 seconds on each side till warm and flexible and some golden brown spots have appeared.

  • Remove the tortillas from the griddle and keep them between a couple of paper towels until ready to use.

  • Spray the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish lightly with cooking spray.

  • In a medium bowl combine the enchilada sauce and the heavy cream.

  • Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the bottom of the oiled baking dish.

  • Add a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla in a line.

  • Cover the chicken with a large tablespoon (or big pinch) of cheese, then roll the tortilla up from one side to make a rolled enchilada - it will be more of an over lap on the seam side that rolled tightly.

  • Place the enchilada seam side down in the baking dish starting at one end with the long edge parallel to the longest side of the pan so that you end up with two columns of six enchiladas each.

  • Repeat with the remaining chicken, cheese and tortillas.

  • You will use about 1 1/2 cups of the cheese for the filling and set the remainder aside for topping the enchiladas in the pan.

  • Add the remaining marinade mixture to the enchilada sauce and cream mixture, if desired.

  • Pour this mixture over the top of all the enchiladas.

  • Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

  • Bake the enchiladas for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top.

Notes

Enchiladas will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 465kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 28gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 392mgPotassium: 462mgFiber: 4gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 770IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 311mgIron: 1mg

Author: Sweet Basil

Course: Mom's Best 100 Easy Chicken Recipes

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FAQs

What is the secret to good enchiladas? ›

Fry each of your tortillas in hot oil before adding in your enchilada filling. This will help keep the tortillas from soaking up too much of your sauce too quickly, which can also cause them to break apart.

How do you cook real good chicken enchiladas? ›

Grande Chicken Enchiladas
  1. Microwave - Poke holes in the film and cook for 3:30 - 4:30 minutes, let sit for 1 minute before removing. ...
  2. Oven - Remove the film and cook at 400° for 28-32 minutes.
  3. Air Fryer - Remove the film and cook at 375° for 10-12 minutes.

Are enchiladas better with corn or flour? ›

While some recipes use flour tortillas, corn tortillas are traditional — and for good reason — are the better option for enchiladas. Corn tortillas have a distinct flavor that plays a key part of the enchilada experience, compared to flour tortillas, which are more like a blank slate.

What makes enchiladas taste better? ›

Toppings: When it comes to enchiladas, I vote the more toppings the merrier! Any combination of chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, diced red onion (or quick pickled red onions), sliced radishes, fresh or pickled jalapeños, sour cream or Mexican crema, and/or extra cheese would be delicious!

Which sauce is better for enchiladas? ›

If you prefer a creamy enchilada sauce, La Victoria Creamy Chili premade enchilada sauce is the best enchilada sauce at the grocery store. This premade enchilada sauce, which comes in a jar rather than a can, isn't spicy at all, even though it has the word “chili” in its name.

Should you cover enchiladas when you bake them? ›

It isn't necessary to cover enchiladas while baking. All of an enchiladas components are cooked and you are just heating them through when you bake them. Ideally your ingredients will be room temperature, not ice cold, when you assemble the enchiladas.

What is enchilada sauce made of? ›

What is Enchilada Sauce? Red enchilada sauce may also be called salsa roja, salsa roja para enchiladas or mole rojo. It is a sauce made out of ancho/ pasilla/New Mexico and/or Cascabel chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, broth, cumin, oregano, etc. all blended together then simmered until thickened.

Should I put foil over my enchiladas? ›

Most enchiladas are baked and covered with foil until heated through. Oven temperatures and baking times vary per recipe, but on average they cook in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the enchiladas after they are heated through.

What cheese is best for enchiladas? ›

Pepper jack is great too. Queso fresco is soft, not greasy when it melts, cotija adds a dry saltiness to green enchiladas, combine with Jack which is like asadero, mozzarella, or queso quesadilla. If you don't have options, buy a blend and add pepper jack. Use a fresh cheese, like panela or canasta.

Do you put enchilada sauce before or after cooking? ›

After you fry the tortillas, dip both sides in your delicious sauce and cover the entire surface. Then stuff and roll.

Should flour tortillas be fried before making enchiladas? ›

It's important to pre-cook the tortillas because not only does cooking them help soften them for rolling, cooking them in a little fat helps develop the flavor of the tortillas. As the tortillas brown a little, remove them to a plate.

Should I fry tortillas before making enchiladas? ›

The most important tip for avoiding soggy enchiladas is to briefly fry your tortillas in hot oil before you fill and roll. This creates a little bit of a barrier so that the tortillas don't soak up too much of the sauce and therefore start to break down.

What are the best tortillas for enchiladas? ›

Crispy corn tortillas dipped in sauce are best for enchiladas. Enchiladas are laden with sauce and fillings, and you need a tortilla that will hold up to all the moisture, so you should always opt for corn over flour.

Do enchiladas taste better with corn or flour tortillas? ›

Corn tortillas go well with Mexican dishes like tacos, enchiladas, and tamales. They are also perfect for use in tostadas, sopes, and quesadillas. Flour tortillas are often used in burritos, fajitas, and chimichangas. They are also great for making quesadillas, sweet dishes like dessert tacos, and breakfast burritos.

Is it better to cook enchiladas covered or uncovered? ›

It isn't necessary to cover enchiladas while baking. All of an enchiladas components are cooked and you are just heating them through when you bake them. Ideally your ingredients will be room temperature, not ice cold, when you assemble the enchiladas.

Should you bake enchiladas covered or uncovered? ›

Most enchiladas are baked and covered with foil until heated through. Oven temperatures and baking times vary per recipe, but on average they cook in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the enchiladas after they are heated through.

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