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Paleo Enchiladas
Paleo Enchiladas are delicious grain-free and dairy-free dinner. We start with an easy delicious homemade enchilada sauce and topped off with optional Siete Food Paleo Queso. This recipe is also Whole 30 Friendly if you leave off the optional dairy-free cheese sauce at the end. I love a good cozy meal, and these enchiladas do not disappoint. This dish is perfect for meal prep, you can make your chicken and sauce ahead of time, and the dish will come together in just 30 minutes. You can also prep the entire meal ahead of time and then just toss in the oven and bake when you’re ready to eat.
A Healthy Upgrade on a Classic Dish
When you think Enchiladas, you don’t think grain and dairy-free. But I knew I needed to make an option so I could continue to enjoy one of my favorite dishes. We start by making homemade sauce, a lot of enchilada sauces are made with a flour-based roux. We skip that step entirely. Next for the tortillas, we swap out a flour or corn-based tortilla for a grain-free almond tortilla. I topped with Dairy Free Paleo Queso to give this dish the cheesy flavor that I love. If you want to make it Whole 30 compliant, just leave that off the entire dish will be compliant.
Need more paleo and Whole 30 inspiration. Try Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli, Cauliflower Hummus, and Chicken Zoodle Soup, and Steak Tacos.
What Makes This Dish Paleo and Whole 30 Friendly?
I usually take a minute to explain what makes each recipe on this site fall into the dietary categories so my readers a better idea of what each diet is about.Both Whole 30 and Paleo diets focus on eating whole foods that are minimally processed, avoiding any inflammatory ingredients, like gluten, grains, dairy, and legumes. So we swapped out a traditional flour or corn tortilla for a grain-free almond flour tortilla. Next, we make an easy homemade enchilada sauce from scratch with minimally processed Paleo compliant ingredients like vegetables, spices, and bone broth. We leave off the dairy and instead use just the shredded chicken with extra sauce, and chiles for the filling. If you want that cheesy goodness that enchiladas often have, you can add Paleo Friendly Cashew Queso.
What Ingredients Do You Need?
- Olive Oil – Keeps chicken from sticking to the pan
- Chicken breast cubed into small bite size pieces
- Garlic – Can’t have Garlic Chicken without garlic
- Pesto – To marinate the chicken
- Summer Squash
- Asparagus
- Tomatoes
- Cauliflower rice (can use fresh or frozen)
How To Make It
- Make the sauce, and cook and shred the chicken.
- Add chilies and Sauce to the shredded chicken.
- Place in the center of the tortilla, and roll into enchiladas.
- Top with more sauce, and optional Paleo Cashew Queso
- Bake for 30 minutes.
That Simple!!! (Full Recipe Below)
Helpful Equipment and Ingredients (Directly From Amazon)
What Are Some Good Sides?
I always include a couple of sides to serve with my main dishes.
- Dave and I almost always do a very simple salad of just mixed greens with apple cider vinegar and olive oil, or lemon juice and olive oil. Salt and Pepper is crucial. It helps keep you full, and add an extra serving of greens.
- Cauliflower Rice (Fresh or frozen)
- If not Paleo/Whole 30 Pasta and just gluten free, you could do a side of regular rice or try my Cilantro Lime Rice.
- Sesame Roasted Asparagus is always one of my go-to veggie sides.
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Tips, Recs, Subs
- To save time, you can use store-bought enchilada sauce, just make sure it is paleo and gluten-free. They often sneak flour in.
- If you need bone broth, try my super simple Instant Pot Bone Broth Recipe.
- The cinnamon sounds bizarre, but it works in this recipe, so don’t skip it if you have it.
- Watch my video above for one of my favorite ways to prepare shredded chicken. Or try my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Recipe.
- Make sure you use Grain Free Tortillas, Corn tortillas will be gluten-free but are not Paleo and Whole 30 Compliant. I love Siete Almond Flour Tortillas.
- The Cashew Queso is optional, but will really help give these enchiladas the cheesy flavor. So I highly recommend it. However, you will need to omit for Whole 30.
- Make sure you add sauce to the bottom of the pan to keep the enchiladas from burning.
- You can meal prep the sauce and chicken a few days ahead of time, then prepare the dish when you’re ready to eat.
- Optional toppings include green onion, cilantro, dairy-free sour cream.
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Other Whole 30/ Paleo Chicken Recipes You'll Enjoy
Paleo Enchalidas
Equipment
- Casserole Dish
- Small Sauce Pan
- Immersion blender or regular high speed blender
Ingredients
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
- 1/2 Diced Onion
- 1 Clove Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Teaspoons Cumin
- 2 Teaspoons Chili Powder (less if you don't like spicy)
- 2 Teaspoons Oregano
- 2 Teaspoons Paprikia
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 Cup Bone Broth
- 1 Cup Tomato Sauce (plain sauce nothing added)
Enchiladas
- 8 Grain Free Tortillas
- 1 Lb Shredded Chicken
- 4 Oz Diced Green Chiles
- Optional Toppings - Paleo/DF Queso Sauce, Green Onion
Instructions
Enchilada Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a small saucepan on the medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and stir in all the spices. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions become translucent.
- Add bone broth and tomato sauce. Cook on med-high until sauce boils, reduce to low-med and let simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender or put into a high speed blender (be careful with hot liquid) until smooth. Set Sauce to the side.
Enchiladas
- Preheat oven to 350, and coat the bottom of the pan with a small amount of enchilada sauce.
- Prepare and shred the chicken (See video above or tips and recs). Add 3/4 of the diced green chiles, and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Mix well.
- Lay the grain-free tortilla flat on the countertop, add a spoonful of the chicken mixture to the middle of the tortilla. Fold the sides in, and then fold the top down and the bottom up, place in the baking tray with the opening on the bottom. (See the video for a visual). Repeat for all the enchiladas.
- Add the remaining enchilada sauce and green chiles on top. Spoon the paleo queso on top of each enchilada. (Omit for Whole 30).
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Top with optional green onion or cilantro. Serve hot. Enjoy.
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