May 26

May 26 BBQ Chicken Enchiladas

Beans, Chicken, Dairy Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, Healthy Kids, Keto / Low Carb, Paleo, Party Food, Slow Cooker, Vegan, Whole30

Raise your hand if you love BBQ Chicken Pizza! I love it so much, I remember when California Pizza Kitchen came out with it and I was hooked as a kid, back when it really was only in California! With my Cali and Texas pedigree, enchiladas are like total comfort food and we have it regularly. So I thought, why not put those two flavors together?! It is amazing, let me tell you, it will be a new family favorite and it is super easy to make with mostly pantry staples, which is clutch right now. You can also freeze the filling or even the prepared enchiladas for another dinner. I love to prep another pan of enchiladas (just leave off the sauce on top) while I make dinner, that way, I have an easy dinner for another night.

For other dietary needs, I have the scoop for y’all, don’t you worry, below is a breakdown for different ways to enjoy this with your family.

Whole30 - omit the cheese, replace corn with bell peppers, use a Whole30 approved BBQ sauce, replace the tortillas with zucchini slices (refer to my Pumpkin and Turkey “Enchiladas” for technique)
Paleo - omit the cheese, use a naturally sweetened BBQ sauce, replace corn with bell peppers, and use a paleo tortillas (Siete for example)
Keto/Low Carb - increase the cheese, use a low sugar BBQ sauce, replace or omit the sweet potatoes with roasted cauliflower and zucchini. Replace corn with bell peppers Swap tortillas for low carb or zucchini slices
Vegan - use vegan cheese, swap the chicken for shredded jackfruit and/or black beans.
Dairy free - use vegan cheese
Gluten free - use gf flour tortillas

I hope that helps everyone have a chance to enjoy this amazing dinner! I like to make the chicken in the slow cooker and I will have to test it in the Instant Pot, and of course the oven will also work. Then shred it up and get mixing with everything else.

BBQ Chicken Enchiladas

1 -1 1/2 pound chicken breasts
1 Tablespoon BBQ Dry Rub (whatever is your favorite, mine is from I love Perry's Plate version in her Big Book of Paleo Slow Cooking)
3 cups diced sweet potatoes (swap for cauliflower/zucchini for low carb)
3/4 cup red onion, diced
1 1/2 cup corn (swap for diced bell peppers for low carb or Whole30)
1 can (7oz) diced green chiles
2 Tablespoons oil
1 cup BBQ Sauce, divided (Whole30 or low sugar for low carb)
8 flour tortillas (or sliced zucchini, Paleo, low carb, or gluten free)
1 cup shredded cheese (omit, use vegan cheese, or increase to 2 cups)

- Cook the chicken in the slow cooker by placing the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker and sprinkling the BBQ dry rub over the top and bottom. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours. Remove and shred. Baking in the oven, preheat the oven to 400, spray a baking dish with oil and sprinkle the chicken with the rub, bake for 30-35 minutes or until they reach 165 internally. Remove and shred. If using jackfruit, just shred.

- While the chicken cooks, heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add oil, sweet potatoes, red onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and stir occasionally until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and add in the corn and green chiles.

- Preheat the oven to 400 and spray a baking dish with oil.

- In a large bowl, combine the chicken (or jackfruit), sweet potato mixture, and 1/2 cup BBQ sauce. This is the point you would add more cheese if you are using it.

- Either microwave 4 tortillas at a time in a damp towel for 30 seconds or char them on a flame.

- Place about 1/4 cup of the mixture in the tortilla and roll, placing seam side down in the baking dish, continue until they are all rolled. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce over the top of the enchiladas and then sprinkle with cheese, if using.

- Bake for 20 minutes and remove from the oven, letting it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

I like cooking the chicken in the slow cooker because they stay very tender and juicy. Just sprinkle the dry rub and you don’t need any liquid because the chicken will release enough during the cooking. You can also bake the chicken, same prep, just in a baking dish. Either way, you will shred it when it is done.

I love the flavor that BBQ Dry Rub gives chicken, smokiness without the smoker!

Here is everything else you will need - here is where you will swap things if you need to - chicken for jackfruit or black beans with dry rub seasoning. Sweet potatoes for cauliflower (make them small florets and roast with salt and pepper), corn with bell peppers, BBQ sauce that meets your needs, and tortillas with a suitable substitute or thinly sliced zucchini to be rolled.

We have the shredded chicken, cooked sweet potato mixture, and the charred tortillas. Ready to roll.

Mix it all together with some BBQ sauce and you can start stuffing.

Spoon your mixture onto the tortilla and roll up. Place in the baking dish with the seam side down so it doesn’t open.

Grab your BBQ sauce and cheese (if using)

Spread that sauce, I like using the back of a spoon.

Make the cheese rain!

Ready for the oven. Just bake until hot and bubbly. I like to garnish with some cilantro, green onions, and extra corn and onions. Serve with sour cream or ranch and a beautiful salad.