Enchiladas are one of my favorite Tex-Mex meals but we don’t make them very often because those calories can add up in a hurry! Well, the other day my friend sent me a recipe for zucchini chicken rollups on Facebook to try. At first glance I thought it was a great idea but absolutely had to put my own spin on it and make it more of an enchilada vibe.
Initially, I had some concerns regarding the prep time on this dish and was a little doubtful as to how good it would actually be. Those doubts were squashed (ba-dum-cha) in a hurry once we ate. No joke, this was delicious, and yes, it took some time, but the steps were all quite easy. You could also prep ahead of time and throw in the oven later.
The real time suck is the chicken. I made mine on a Sunday so I just tossed the chicken breasts in the crock pot in the morning, but you could grab a rotisserie chicken or some leftover chicken and chop or shred it. Then mix with your enchilada sauce and seasonings.
The critical step in the prep is par cooking the zucchini strips. Having just posted my recipe for Turkey Zucchini Lasagna, this seemed like a great candidate for a similar treatment.
By seasoning and par-cooking the zucchini you remove most of the moisture which could make this dish a soupy disaster. Yes it takes some time, but it is absolutely worth it. As the zucchini strips slow cook in the oven, the seasonings will go to work and add more depth to the final product as well.
Enjoy!!
Chicken Zucchini Enchiladas
Equipment
- Mandolin
Ingredients
- 4 Zucchini
- 3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 Can Rotel
- 2 Jalapeños
- 1 Large can of red enchilada sauce
- 2 Cups Shredded cheese
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Chipotle powder
- Ancho chile powder
- Dried oregano
- Garlic powder
- Cumin
Instructions
Chicken Prep:
- Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray
- Add the 3 chicken breasts, Rotel, 1 chopped jalapeño, and the sliced onion
- Cook in the slow cooker for 3 hours on high
- Transfer everything solid to a bowl and shred the chicken
- Add 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce and mix well
Zucchini Prep:
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees
- Using a mandolin, CAREFULLY slice the zucchini into 1/8” thick strips
- Lay on a cooling rack on a sheet pan.
- Lightly season with salt, pepper, oregano, chipotle powder, cumin, garlic powder
- Bake for 30 minutes
Enchilada Prep:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Put a piece of foil dull side down on a sheet pan. Lightly spray with cooking spray and lightly coat with enchilada sauce
- On a work surface, lay down 3 zucchini strips seasoned side down. Slightly overlap the strips by about 1/4 inch.
- Grab a small handful of the chicken mixture and give it a squeeze to tighten it up a bit.
- Lay the chicken clump about 1/3 of the way up the 3 zucchini strips.
- Roll it up and lay it seam side down on the sheet pan. Repeat until you’ve used all the zucchini strips or chicken.
- Drizzle the sauce over your enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are heated through.
- Top with a little sour cream and maybe some cilantro and onions. Get creative!
