Lazy girl hack for a weight watchers friendly chicken and cheese enchiladas made with red sauce and corn tortillas. These WW friendly chicken enchiladas are extremely easy to make. You get three per serving @ 5 points total, which is the perfect amount! Plus, they are smothered with a rich, red enchilada sauce. Perfect to hit all of your cravings. Top them off with your favorite taco additions and pair it with some Mexican rice!
Ingredients to Make Weight Watchers Friendly Chicken Enchiladas
There are no fancy ingredients required for these chicken and cheese enchiladas. Basically, all you need is an oven; however, you can also make these in the microwave as well.
- Chicken
- Taco seasoning
- Enchilada sauce
- Street corn tortillas
- Shredded cheese
However, we can go over some suggestions and substitutions.
Chicken
I typically will just cook my chicken; however, a pre-cooked chicken or a rotisserie chicken works very well. Usually, I will just pop the chicken in the oven because it is easy and low maintenance; however, you can cook the chicken with whichever cooking method you prefer. The grill or stovetop works wonders as well.
I use chicken cutlets as they are thin and will cook quickly. However, these enchiladas are delicious with ground chicken, or any other similar meat, as well.
Enchilada Sauce
For my chicken enchiladas, I use red enchilada sauce. I have used tons and tons of different brands from generic, to Old El Paso, to La Victoria and I am sure many others. If you have a specific preference, use that one. In addition, you can substitute a green enchilada sauce if you prefer that.
Street Corn Tortillas
I use street corn tortillas for the chicken enchiladas as they are very weight watchers (WW) friendly. They are smaller tortillas and the perfect size to eat three enchiladas. However, you can use my recipe and substitute and tortilla that you like.
Shredded Cheese
I use Trader Joe's lite shredded Mexican cheese. I will stock up on a bunch of these and keep it in the freezer. However, you can use any type of cheese that you like. If you want to use fat-free to keep the WW points down, spray the cheese with some cooking spray to help it melt.
I think this is a good amount of cheese for these enchiladas, whether you are on weight watchers or not, they were very cheesy.
Taco Seasoning
I always have my homemade taco seasonings on hand, I make them exactly how I like them and I think they are better than anything you can buy. Plus, when you buy a seasonings mix, you never really know what is in it.
This is the taco seasonings recipe that I live and breathe for, hey, I love tacos, and is perfect to season the pork for this recipe. However, you can also buy a packet, just use 2/2.5 tablespoons of it!
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon oregano
Adjust any of these seasonings to your liking. This mix is not spicy; however, you can make it spicier with the addition of ground red pepper. If you are watching your salt, you can reduce that as well; but I do not think there is too much salt in this.
How good do these weight watchers enchiladas look!? So cheesy and delicious.
How to Make Weight Watchers Friendly Chicken Enchiladas
Grab your margarita and let's make some weight watchers enchiladas! You can cook the chicken however you want; however, I cook it in the oven, I find it to be the easiest, these are lazy enchiladas after all.
Prepping
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle the taco seasonings evenly over both sides of the chicken pieces. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway, until the chicken is fully cooked. Grab a meat thermometer to know exactly when it is done.
I shred the chicken; however, you can also cut into thin strips. Additionally, you can substitute ground meat, my crock pot shredded taco chicken or my instant pot shredded taco chicken. I let the chicken cool down for about 3 minutes then I shred it with a hand mixer.
Making WW Enchiladas
Grease a casserole dish with cooking spray. I use a 12x9 white dish; however it was slightly too big; but it was the only one I have. Then, spread ½ cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. I use red enchilada sauce for these lazy chicken enchiladas.
Mix the remaining 1 cup of enchilada sauce with the shredded chicken, set aside. Then, we will assemble the weight watchers enchiladas.
Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel, I do this in groups of three. Microwave for about 30 seconds to heat them up. This will allow them to become pliable and able to be rolled. Do this three at a time and roll the enchilada before moving onto warming more tortillas.
Divide the chicken mixture evenly onto each tortilla, about 2-3 tablespoons. Roll them up and place them in the casserole dish, seam side down to keep them together. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over all of the enchiladas. I think this is a good amount of cheese for these enchiladas, whether you are on weight watchers or not, they were very cheesy.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, to allow the cheese to melt and the enchilada sauce to heat up.
Sprinkle the chicken and cheese enchiladas with cilantro or top with your favorite taco additions such as sour cream, greek yogurt, crema, shredded lettuce, salsa or jalapeño.
Microwave Method
There is also an easier way to make these weight watchers enchiladas. Alternatively, use a microwave safe casserole dish and instead of baking the enchiladas, microwave for 5-7 minutes. This is a great method to use with pre-cooked chicken, such as rotisserie chicken, as it can be finished in under 15 minutes. This is truly a lazy enchiladas hack.
More Recipes
Need some more enchilada recipes to go with your leftover enchilada sauce? Try my enchilada stuffed peppers or my air fryer enchiladas.
Additionally, try out my famous queso smothered chicken casserole or one pot chicken con queso.
Don't forget the Mexican rice!
Video Tutorial
Need to visual this recipe? Watch me make them then come back here for more detailed instructions.
Weight Watchers Enchiladas
Lazy girl hack for a weight watchers friendly chicken and cheese enchiladas made with red sauce and corn tortillas.
Weight Watchers Enchiladas
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken cutlets
- 1.5 cups enchilada sauce red
- 12 street corn tortillas
- ½ cup shredded lite Mexican cheese
Taco Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle the taco seasonings evenly over both sides of the chicken pieces. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway, until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Let the chicken cool down for about 3 minutes then shred it with a hand mixer.
- Grease a casserole dish with cooking spray. Then, spread ½ cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. Mix the remaining 1 cup of enchilada sauce with the shredded chicken, set aside.
- Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel, I do this in groups of three. Microwave for about 30 seconds to heat them up.
- Scoop a bit of the chicken mixture into each of the three tortillas. Roll them up and place them in the casserole dish, seam side down to keep them together. Repeat for each of the tortillas, in groups of three.
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly over all of the enchiladas. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, to allow the cheese to melt and the enchilada sauce to heat up.
Nutrition
Looking for the WW points for these weight watchers enchiladas? Click this link and your points will automatically calculate for you. For me, it is 5 points for 3 enchiladas! Really good!!
Patricia says
Would you happened to have a homemade red enchilada sauce recipe? Greatly appreciated! Pat
alliecarte says
I do not. I use the canned.