This chicken and black bean enchilada recipe is a winner for any lunch or dinner. Whether you’re in the mood for a Mexican fiesta, or you just have some leftover chicken to use up, this recipe will not disappoint. It’s easy dinner is a great recipe for the whole family!
Why You’ll Love This Black Bean Enchilada Recipe
Not only is this recipe a delicious Mexican flavored dish, it’s low carb and easy on blood sugar levels. I think that’s the best part. But that’s not all! Here’s a few more reasons you’ll be making this recipe on repeat:
- With both chicken and beans, this enchilada recipe is packed with protein.
- This easy recipe makes 16 enchiladas, and they freeze well for later. Bonus meal!
- These cheesy enchiladas are filled and covered in melted cheese. Need I say more?!
There are three main steps to making this black bean enchilada recipe. So let’s get going!
1. Make the Black Bean Enchilada Recipe Filling
First things first — we need to preheat the oven. Then we will grease two 9×13 baking dishes or casserole dish. Personally, I prefer to line my pans with aluminum foil to make for super easy clean up. Just spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray and you’re good to go!
To make the filling, we heat some extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet on the stovetop on medium heat. Add the onions and bell pepper to cook for a few minutes until they’re softened a bit. Then add in the garlic to the sautéed onions and peppers, and cook for about 30 seconds.
Next, we will add in the chicken, black beans, corn, green chiles, and seasonings. Once that mixture is heated through, adding 1/4 cup of the red enchilada sauce. Stir to warm and remove from the heat. (And then I like to add a pinch of salt here, too.)
2. Fill the Tortilla Shells With Enchilada Filling
Now that the filling is made, it’s time to assemble the enchiladas. The first step is to pour 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of each prepared baking dish. Then spread it out evenly to coat the bottom of the pan.
Fill each individual tortilla shell with 1/3 cup of the chicken and bean mixture in the center of each tortilla. Then add 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese on top. Roll each of the shells tightly and place tortillas seam side down into the baking dish.
The tortilla shells I prefer to use are Mission brand Carb Balance tortillas. (Not paid to say that.) I like them because of their fiber content and ease on blood sugars. I find them in Walmart, and they are likely in most grocery stores as well.
Next, we will pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the shells, and then add the remaining shredded cheese on top of the enchiladas.
3. Bake the Black Bean Enchiladas
This black bean enchilada recipe will now bake in the oven uncovered for approximately 15 minutes. That will melt the cheese on top and warm the shells. Remember, the filling was already warm.
Remove the enchiladas from the oven and serve while still warm.
CARBS FOR This Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Recipe
There are carbs to consider in this chicken and black bean enchilada recipe. They come mainly from the beans, corn, and tortilla shells.
With the specific brand of ingredients I used for this recipe, the entire total was 474g of carbs. With this recipe making 16 servings, that’s 30g of carbs per serving. Taking into account the 20g fiber per serving, that leaves us with 10g net carbs per enchilada.
(Need help counting carbs for your recipes? Check out my blog post with step-by-step instructions!)
Be sure to work this into your diet how you best manage your diabetes. And be sure to count the total carbs (or net carbs when dealing with fiber) in the specific products you use. Different brands vary in ingredients, so be doubly sure of the nutritional information in what you’re eating.
What Makes this Black Bean Enchilada Recipe Diabetic Friendly?
The term “diabetic friendly” is considered differently by different people. We all have unique diets and preferences and ways to manage our diabetes. And although many people with type 2 diabetes may limit carbs and sugar intake for more of a low carb lifestyle, some people with type 1 diabetes will tell you they can eat literally whatever they want as long as they dose for it.
For me, after living with type 1 for 30+ years, I consider something to be diabetic friendly if it is either:
- a recipe that combines fiber, fat, and protein to help stabilize blood sugar levels to avoid a blood sugar spike
- a more diabetes friendly alternative to the ingredients you would normally find in a traditional version of that recipe
This recipe is BOTH!
What makes this enchilada recipe fit option 1 above is that it combines fiber, fat, and protein well. In this recipe, each serving contains 11g fat, 20g fiber, and 16g protein.
It’s also a more diabetes-friendly alternative to a traditional enchilada recipe because it uses a lean protein and the shells are literally packed with fiber to help balance blood sugars.
What to Serve with Black Bean Enchiladas
I feel like Mexican food offers some truly delicious side dish options for these chicken and black bean enchiladas. Here are a few ideas:
- black beans or refried beans
- chips and guacamole
- Mexican street corn
- Mexican rice or whole grain rice with lime juice
- corn salad with beans and peppers
- whatever else tickles your fancy
VARIATIONS ON Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
There are a few variations I can think of:
- If you prefer, you could substitute the shredded chicken for ground turkey — another lean source of protein more so than ground beef.
- Looking to lower carbs even more? Cut out the corn.
- Need a variety of beans in the filling? Try some pinto beans and black beans as a combination.
- Want more veggies? You could easily add more bell peppers, green pepper, chiles, or onion.
- You could certainly use traditional flour tortillas, gluten-free tortillas, or whole wheat tortillas if you wish. Just be sure to count the carbs and fiber accordingly. (I would avoid a corn tortilla, as they tend to crack when rolled from my experience.)
- And you could sub in red onion instead of white if you wish as well.
Black Bean Enchilada Recipe MAKE-AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS
The great thing about these enchiladas is that you can make them in advance. If you like, you can make them a day ahead and simply reheat them before serving. If you go this route, I would suggest stopping the recipe after you have the enchiladas assembled, and simply refrigerating it then until you’re ready to add the enchilada sauce and bake in the oven. (It will take longer to bake if you’re heating them from the fridge.)
Another option would be to make the full recipe, serve one pan of enchiladas for dinner, and then freeze the rest next time. To do this, I simply load the enchiladas into freezer bags, remove any of the air, and toss them into the freezer. They will easily last a few weeks until you want to thaw them out and reheat for another meal. Just add the enchilada sauce and start cooking!
OTHER PRO TIPS & IDEAS
Another idea I can think of is what to top the enchiladas with. I would suggest either a little bit of fresh cilantro, diced green onions, sour cream (or plain greek yogurt), or diced avocado. Also, I make it easy with using store-bought enchilada sauce, but you can certainly make your own homemade enchilada sauce if you wish.
STORING FOR LATER
You can easily store these leftover enchiladas in the refrigerator for a 3-4 days, either in an airtight container or in the pan covered in plastic wrap. Reheat leftovers to eat another day. And, as I said above, these chicken enchiladas freeze well. Just be sure to put them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag to avoid freezer burn before popping them into the freezer.
And now for your free recipe:
Easy Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 c. chicken breast cooked, shredded
- 1 T. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 14 oz. black beans drained, rinsed
- 15 oz. canned corn drained
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/4 t. oregano
- 1/4 t. paprika
- 2 ½ c. mexican shredded cheese
- 16 8-inch tortillas Carb Balance brand
- 28 oz. enchilada sauce divided
- 4 oz. green chiles
TOPPINGS:
- sour cream, cilantro, green onion, avocado
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9×13 pans lined with foil.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and peppers, and cook until softened. Add in garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add in chicken, black beans, corn, green chilies, salt, oregano, and paprika. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until the mixture is heated through. Add 1/4 c. enchilada sauce and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
- Pour 1/3 c of the enchilada sauce into each pan to coat the bottom. Assemble the enchiladas with 1/3 c. chicken mixture and 1 T. of shredded cheese. Roll tightly to close and place seam-side down in the pan.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, top with remaining cheese, and bake 15 minutes to melt the cheese.
Notes
DID YOU MAKE THIS Chicken Enchilada RECIPE?
If you’ve made this chicken and black bean enchiladas recipe, would you please let me know? I would love to hear from you!
If you want more diabetic friendly recipes, please join my VIP list and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for the latest updates.
NOTE: I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician. Nothing here should be taken as professional medical advice. Any nutritional information provided should be used as a general guideline and estimate only. For the most accurate information, please calculate based on the specific ingredients and brands you use, as well as any changes you make to the recipe.
PIN FOR LATER
MORE RECIPES TO ENJOY
COUNT CARBS and Nutrition Facts EASILY
Looking for a way to count your carbs, fat, fiber, and protein easily? Look no further…
I love how this template makes counting nutrition facts SO easy. You literally list the total grams from each ingredient, total it at the bottom, and divide by the number of servings. Voila!
This recipe template walks you through every step. And you can keep it for future reference. Just calculate it once and you’re done!
Check my Etsy store for an instant download that includes a cover page, section header pages for different kinds of recipes, section tabs, and this recipe template.
