Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas are flour tortillas rolled around shredded chicken marinated in honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic, plus plenty of Monterey Jack or cheddar, then baked under a creamy green sauce of enchilada sauce, heavy cream and the leftover marinade. The tops turn golden and a little crisp. A 9×13 pan serves 8.
How to make it: Toss cooked, shredded chicken in a honey-lime marinade and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Spread a little green enchilada sauce in the pan, roll the chicken and cheese in tortillas and line them up seam side down. Stir the rest of the sauce with the cream and leftover marinade, pour it over, and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, adding the last cup of cheese for the final 5 minutes.
Why You’ll Love Them
- Sweet, tangy and a little spicy: honey and lime soak into the chicken, and chili powder warms it up.
- Creamy green sauce: enchilada sauce, cream and the saved marinade bake into a rich topping.
- Rotisserie chicken shortcut: no raw chicken to cook if you buy it cooked.
- Freezer friendly: assemble a pan now and bake it another night.
Ingredient Notes
Marinade: 1/3 cup of honey, 1/4 cup of lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes), 1 tablespoon of chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Chicken: 2 pounds of cooked, shredded chicken, about 3 to 4 cups. Rotisserie chicken works well. If you cook your own, bring it to 165°F before shredding.
Tortillas: 8 to 10 soft taco-size flour tortillas, 6 to 8 inches across so they fit the pan.
Cheese: 4 cups of shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar, or a mix. One cup is saved for the top.
Sauce: 2 cups of green enchilada sauce and 1 cup of heavy cream, plus cooking spray for the pan.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds chicken, cooked and shredded (about 3 to 4 cups)
- 8 to 10 soft taco-size flour tortillas
- 4 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 cups green enchilada sauce, divided
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Cooking spray, for the pan
How to Make Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
1. Marinate the chicken. Whisk the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together. Toss with the shredded chicken in a zip-top bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
2. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
3. Sauce the pan. Pour about 1/2 cup of the green enchilada sauce into the pan to make a thin layer on the bottom.
4. Fill and roll. Fill each tortilla with some of the chicken and a generous amount of cheese, saving 1 cup of the cheese for the top. Roll up the tortillas and set them seam side down in the pan. Keep any marinade left in the bag.
5. Make the creamy sauce. Stir the rest of the enchilada sauce together with the cream and any leftover marinade. Pour it over the enchiladas. You may not need all of it, depending on how saucy you like them.
6. Bake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are brown and crispy and the center reaches 165°F. Sprinkle the reserved 1 cup of cheese over the top for the last 5 minutes.
7. Serve. Serve with sour cream and pico de gallo.
The Marinade Does Two Jobs
The honey-lime mixture flavors the chicken first, then becomes part of the sauce. Here is how to get the most out of it:
- Give it time. 30 minutes is the minimum; a few hours is better, and 8 hours is the longest.
- Keep it cold. Marinate in a sealed bag or covered container in the refrigerator, and toss until every shred is coated.
- Save every drop. Whatever is left in the bag goes into the cream sauce, so the honey and lime end up on top of the enchiladas too.
- Don’t drown them. Pour on as much of the creamy sauce as you like; you may have some left over.
- Cheese at the end. Adding the last cup of cheese for only the final 5 minutes keeps it melted, not overbrowned.
Swaps and Variations
| Instead of | Use | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy cream | Sour cream or half-and-half | Or skip it: mix the sauce with the leftover marinade, spread it on and top with cheese |
| Green enchilada sauce | Green salsa | The flavor changes a little and salsa is thinner |
| Flour tortillas | Corn tortillas, 6 to 8 inches | Both work |
| Rotisserie chicken | Chicken breasts cooked in the Instant Pot with 1 cup broth, 8 to 12 minutes at high pressure | Shred, discard the liquid, and check for 165°F |
| Plain filling | Add a minced garlic clove and chopped cilantro | Sprinkle more cilantro on top |
For other sauce styles, see our chicken enchiladas with homemade red sauce, cream cheese chicken enchiladas and chicken enchiladas with sour cream white sauce.
Make Ahead, Freezing & Storage
Freeze before baking: Assemble the enchiladas in a freezer-safe pan, cover and freeze. Bake covered from frozen at 350°F for 1 hour, then uncovered for 30 minutes more, until brown and crispy on top and 165°F in the center. The tortillas may be a bit softer after freezing, and cream sauces can separate slightly.
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers and eat within 3 to 4 days, per USDA FSIS.
Reheat: Reheat covered in the oven or microwave to 165°F. Don’t reheat them in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With Them
Top with sour cream, pico de gallo, chopped tomatoes, avocado, extra lime wedges or cilantro. On the side, serve cilantro lime rice and black beans, a grilled corn salad, fresh fruit, or tortilla chips with salsa and white queso dip. For another Mexican-style bake, try easy chicken burrito casserole or Mexican tortilla casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should the chicken marinate?
At least 30 minutes, preferably a few hours, and up to 8 hours, in the refrigerator. Save the leftover marinade for the sauce.
Can I freeze these enchiladas?
Yes. Freeze them assembled but unbaked, then bake covered from frozen at 350°F for 1 hour and uncovered for 30 minutes more, until 165°F in the center.
Can I skip or swap the heavy cream?
Yes. Use sour cream or half-and-half, or leave the cream out and mix the enchilada sauce with the leftover marinade instead.
Can I use corn tortillas or green salsa?
Yes to both. Corn tortillas 6 to 8 inches across work, and green salsa can replace the enchilada sauce, though it’s thinner.
Final Notes
Start the chicken marinating in the morning or at least half an hour before dinner, save the marinade, and let the cheese go on at the very end. If you make them, tell me in the comments what you served on the side.
Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
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Ingredients
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds chicken cooked and shredded, about 3 to 4 cups; rotisserie chicken works well
- 8 to 10 soft taco-size flour tortillas
- 4 cups Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese shredded, divided; 1 cup saved for the top
- 2 cups green enchilada sauce divided; about 1/2 cup goes in the pan, the rest is mixed with the cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- cooking spray for the pan
Instructions
- Whisk the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together. Toss with the shredded chicken in a zip-top bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
- Heat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- Pour about 1/2 cup of the green enchilada sauce into the pan to make a thin layer on the bottom.
- Fill each tortilla with some of the chicken and a generous amount of cheese, saving 1 cup of the cheese for the top. Roll up the tortillas and set them seam side down in the pan. Keep any marinade left in the bag.
- Stir the rest of the enchilada sauce together with the cream and any leftover marinade. Pour it over the enchiladas. You may not need all of it, depending on how saucy you like them.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are brown and crispy and the center reaches 165°F. Sprinkle the reserved 1 cup of cheese over the top for the last 5 minutes.
- Serve with sour cream and pico de gallo.
Notes
Nutrition
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