Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas are loaded with juicy marinated chicken, smothered in creamy enchilada sauce and topped with lots of melted cheese. Mouthwatering and gorgeous, this dish is always a crowd pleaser!
Honey Lime Enchiladas
This Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas recipe is one of the most requested meals at my house. The kids love that the chicken is slightly sweet and not too spicy, and my husband loves the creamy enchilada sauce. Personally, I’m all about the cheese! Grab a block of Monterrey Jack and get shredding, because the more cheese, the better. Plus, it is easy to make ahead of time, so it’s one of my favorite meals to share with new friends or neighbors. There’s something in this enchilada dish for everyone!
Suggestions for this Recipe
- Which tortillas are best for enchiladas? A big part of it comes down to personal preference. Traditional enchiladas are made with corn tortillas, either white or yellow. They have more flavor with a more firm and chewy texture. Flour tortillas are softer, more pliable, with a slightly sweet flavor. We love the flour tortillas for this chicken enchilada recipe because they’re larger and can hold more of the delicious filling.
- To make this recipe for your gluten-free friends and family, opt for corn tortillas and look for a GF enchilada sauce. Several brands make them, so just check labels at the grocery store.
- There’s nothing I love more than honey lime enchiladas for lunch the next day. They reheat beautifully and taste delicious! They’ll stay nice and fresh in the fridge for up to three days.
- This enchilada casserole makes a perfect freezer meal. There are a couple of ways to do this. Freeze the marinated meat, then use that to create your fresh enchiladas the day of. Or you can assemble whole casserole then freeze, making sure it’s covered well. If you go this route, use corn tortillas rather than flour, as flour could get soggy during the freezing and reheating process. These enchiladas will keep for up to a month in the freezer. A perfect dish to take to neighbors and friends!
What to Serve with Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Pair this sweet and savory dish with a simple green salad and a few of these delicious sides and you’ve got a real feast!
- Grilled Cilantro Lime Corn on the Cob
- Easy Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
- Mexican Street Corn Cups (Disney Copycat)
- Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice and Beans
- Cheater Restaurant Style Refried Beans
More Enchilada Recipes
We love our enchiladas around here! Try a few of our favorites:
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Spinach Enchiladas
- Easy Cheesy Enchiladas
- Kate’s Enchiladas From Scratch
- Thai Chicken Enchiladas
How to Make Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas are loaded with juicy marinated chicken, smothered in creamy enchilada sauce and topped with lots of melted cheese. Mouthwatering and gorgeous, this dish is always a crowd pleaser!
Serves: 10
Ingredients
- 1 small onion peeled and diced (use a sweet onion if you can find it)
- 3 chicken breast halves
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced (2-3 cloves)
- salt & pepper to taste
- 6 tablespoon honey
- 5 tablespoon lime juice (1 large lime)
- 10 corn tortillas or flour if you prefer
- 1 pound Monterey jack cheese shredded
- 16 ounces green enchilada sauce (we like Las Palmas brand, but any brand is great)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Saute onion in a little butter until it becomes transparent and soft.
- In a crock pot* add chicken, chicken broth, sauteed onion, chili powder, garlic, and salt & pepper. Cook on low for about 8 hours (or high for 3-4) adding more broth if needed (you don't want it to cook out completely).
- Drain out some of the juices (but not all of it... keep about 1/4 c.) and add honey and lime. Place seasoned, shredded chicken in a Ziploc bag and seal tightly, pressing out as much air as you can.
- Marinate at least 30-40 minutes or up to an hour.
- While chicken is marinating spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray, then pour about 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce over the bottom. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.
- Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with heavy cream. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top. Serve hot and top with your favorite enchilada toppings.
- *If you don't have a crock-pot, just boil chicken in the same ingredients in a large pot with a little extra chicken broth until cooked through and can shred.
Notes
Variation for Creamy Honey Lime Enchiladas:
While chicken is marinating, mix enchilada sauce, 1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 1/2 cups sour cream, and 2 additional tablespoons of lime juice and honey in a bowl. Pour 1/2 cup of creamy enchilada sauce mixture in the bottom of the 9x13 pan. Spread 2 tablespoons of creamy enchilada sauce mixture evenly over each tortilla before filling with chicken and cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 749mg | Potassium: 276mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1074IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 375mg | Iron: 1mg
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Brook Howe says
These are on the “yes please, repeat and eat again” menu!!
Page says
Any thoughts on freezing this unbaked? I know some recipes say not to freeze milk but since the cream is combined with enchilada sauce I’m thinking it may stabilize the cream a little better.
Favorite Family Recipes says
You would be fine to freeze it.
Cory Elvidge says
SO YUMMY! 🙂 Made these a couple nights ago and they are just delicious. Family said they had to go into our regular enchiladas rotation. Thanks for the GREAT recipe! It will be made often 🙂
Trimble says
Sorry to bug you again but do you see any issue with me marinating it in the fridge for a day? That should only intensify the flavor, am I right?
Trimble says
Thank you!
Erica says
@Trimble- TECHNICALLY you aren't ever supposed to put chicken in the crockpot unless it is thawed.. but I have put it in frozen before and it turns out fine. I usually like to just rinse it with water before putting it in to get rid of the ice chunks.
Trimble says
Sorry if this is a dumb question but does the chicken need to be thawed before putting it in the crockpot?
Josh&Sharsti says
I'm currently making these, and they smell delicious. I just put them in the fridge to marinade. Can't wait to eat them for dinner tonight. Love you blog!
Josh&Sharsti says
I'm currently making these, and they smell delicious. I just put them in the fridge to marinade. Can't wait to eat them for dinner tonight. Love you blog!
Alison says
Made these tonight for dinner. They were very yummy. I think when I make them next time I am cutting back a little on the honey and bumping up the spices. Thanks for another yummy recipe.
Ashlee says
Holy cow! I made these tonight for dinner and they were great! At first I was a little scared, honey and lime with the green enchilada sauce worried me, I'll be honest. But I tried them anyway because I'm pretty much a fan of anything enchilada. They were so great! I'll definitely be making them again!
She Loves The Color Pink says
I made these last night and they were fantastic! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Erica says
@ Em–
Thank you so much! I am so happy to hear you like them (and your husband too)! The chicken is so good just by itself, try it on salad (like Bajio's honey-lime chicken salad) or with tacos. It is so versatile!
Em says
Amazing!!! Made these today, not only does the house smell amazing while the chicken is in the crockpot, but they smell even better after you have fully finished and pull them out of the oven. My husband took one bite and said this is going on the you must make more often list. I usually like to play around with recipes, not follow it exactly, but these are perfect just the way they are with no changes needed.
Reader Family says
Made these and LOVED them (like everything I've ever made from your blog)! A nice change from cream of chicken or red sauce enchiladas. Thanks, you rock!
Josh and Shaleese says
Making these for dinner tonight! Im so excited to try them!!!
Erica says
Yep, the winner has been picked! If you scroll down to the original post you can see who won!
Robert and Stacey Hall Family says
These look so good. I am going to try them very soon. Have you picked a winner yet for your books, and if not do you know when you are picking? Thanks for all the hard work you put into your blog!