May 4, 2020

Dairy Free Chicken Enchiladas

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Healthy and freezer friendly, these dairy free chicken enchiladas are outrageously good! Packed with veggies, chicken and black beans, they’re super flavorful, easy to make and sure to become your new go-to weeknight dinner. And there’s no fake cheese involved. Gluten free option included.

A white casserole dish filled with Dairy Free Chicken Enchiladas.

When I first went dairy free, I thought my days of enjoying dreamy enchiladas were long gone.

I mistakenly tried to make a few versions at home using LOTS of fake non dairy cheese and was left sorely disappointed. {Seriously – why do some of them have to taste / melt so weird??}

Which is why I am super excited to bring you today’s recipe.

These incredible dairy free chicken enchiladas! Which are so darn flavorful you won’t even realize that there’s no cheese involved.

I know, I know. Enchiladas without cheese? But just go with me on this one.

Because instead, we’re pumping them full of flavor with veggies, chicken, black beans, enchilada sauce and ALL THE TOPPINGS.

Which totally take them to the next level so that they’re just as delicious as the classic dish. 

No more feeling like you’re missing out. No ma’am.

Enchilada filling in a skillet and then unbaked enchiladas in a dish.

How To Make

So, let’s talk about how this easy dinner goes down.

Soften the veggies. First up, we’ll cook some onion, garlic and jalapeno in a skillet until nice and tender.

Mix up the filing. Next, we’ll stir in some cooked chicken, black beans and enchilada sauce, then season with salt / pepper to taste. 

Assemble enchiladas. We’ll roll up our filling in tortillas of choice, then place in a baking dish and cover with more enchilada sauce. 

Bake until hot. Finally, we’ll pop in the oven for about 20 minutes, until warmed through and the edges of the tortillas are slightly crispy. 

Serve with lots of toppings. After cooling for a few minutes, we’ll enjoy our enchiladas topped with plenty of dairy free sour cream, avocado and fresh cilantro. 

A white baking dish filled with Dairy Free Enchiladas.

Tips & Tricks

  1. About 1 pound of cooked chicken breast will give you the needed 2 ½ cups shredded. Alternatively, a rotisserie chicken makes this even easier. 
  2. While I usually just use store-bought enchilada sauce, this homemade enchilada sauce is absolutely delicious if you want to take things up a notch. 
  3. You can absolutely use different sized tortillas of choice – you just may have to adjust the amount slightly to accommodate all the filling. But any tortillas will do the trick. 
  4. I personally wouldn’t consider these enchiladas spicy as written (unless you use a spicy enchilada sauce). BUT if you are sensitive to spice, make sure that you remove all the seeds and membranes from the jalapeno.

Additional Topping Ideas

Now, I’m super partial to using the listed combo of dairy free cashew sour cream, diced avocado and fresh cilantro for topping. 

However, here are a few more ideas that would also be delicious:

  • sliced green onions
  • minced red onion
  • guacamole 
  • salsa
  • pico de gallo
  • red pepper flakes 

A baking dish with No Cheese Enchiladas and plates to the side.

How To Store

Fridge: Let the enchiladas cool to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container and place in the fridge. They’ll keep for about 4 days. 

Freezer: Let the enchiladas cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. 

When ready to enjoy, thaw in the fridge then reheat in the oven until warmed through (you could also reheat in the microwave, I just find they taste a bit better with the oven). 

I also like to have some extra enchilada sauce on hand to drizzle over the top, if needed. 

Two Cheeseless Enchiladas on a white plate with a fork.

Additional Dairy Free Chicken Recipes:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Dairy Free Chicken Enchiladas

Dairy Free Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: about 8 to 10 enchiladas
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Healthy and freezer friendly, these dairy free chicken enchiladas are outrageously good! Packed with veggies, chicken and black beans, they’re super flavorful, easy to make and there’s no fake cheese involved.

Ingredients

For the enchiladas:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 2 medium jalapenos, seeded and minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 ½ cups cooked shredded chicken breast
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 ½ cups your favorite red enchilada sauce, divided
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • about 8 to 10 (7 to 8 inch) tortillas of choice*

For serving:**

Instructions

For the enchiladas:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. 
  2. Add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. When hot, add in the onion and jalapenos and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. 
  3. Remove from the heat, then stir in the chicken, black beans and ½ cup of the enchilada sauce. Taste and season with salt / pepper, as desired (I usually add more salt to make the flavors pop but this will depend on your sauce).
  4. Heat the tortillas for about 30 seconds in the microwave so that they are pliable. 
  5. Pour another ½ cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Tilt the pan back and forth so that the sauce coats the bottom.
  6. Place the tortillas on a work surface. Scoop an equal amount of the filling onto each in a line down the center of the tortillas. Roll the tortillas up tightly and transfer to the prepared baking dish with the seam-side down. 
  7. Evenly pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas, leaving the edges of the tortillas slightly exposed.
  8. Bake for about 20 minutes, until warmed through and the edges of the tortillas are slightly crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.

For serving:

  1. To serve, drizzle / dollop some dairy free sour cream over the enchiladas, then top with some sliced avocado and cilantro. 

Notes

*To keep these gluten free - use gluten free tortillas of choice.

**Because there’s no cheese in these enchiladas, I would highly encourage you to use all of the suggested toppings for serving. They really help take these to the next level and make you not miss the actual cheese (I personally think the dairy free sour cream is essential here! Of course feel free to use your favorite store-bought kind instead of the linked recipe.). 

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 225Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 704mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 22g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice. Nutritional info for this recipe will vary depending on your tortillas and enchilada sauce. Additionally, info is ONLY for the enchiladas - no toppings included.

© Ashley / Cook Nourish Bliss
Cuisine: Mexican / Category: Main Dish
Dairy Free, Freezer-Friendly, Gluten Free, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes (ALL), Weeknight
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