Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Photo courtesy of Phemomenon

First of all, thanks Holly for introducing me to this recipe in the first place!  It has been a family favorite ever since!  There is so much flavor in these little enchilada rolls that you will be UH-mazed!!  A little bit sweet from the honey, a little bit of citrus from the lime, and creamy dreamy from the enchilada sauce.  These will definitely turn into your family's next FAVORITE MEAL!!  You determine the heat level...depending on how much chili powder you put in the chicken AND by what kind of green enchilada sauce you use.  As I'm sure you know, if you've followed me for some time now, I'm a BIG freezer meal FREAK!  This recipe qualifies with a few minor tweaks, that is.  Don't let the recipe and directions overwhelm you.  It's seriously the EASIEST!  Made even easier if you use the method my friend Kira of Kira Cooks uses to pre-cook and shred your chicken so it's ready in a snap!  You'll always want to have those chicken shreds on hand once you start! Always!


{honey lime chicken enchiladas}
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 large limes)
2 teaspoons to 1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts), cooked and shredded
12 corn tortillas (use flour tortillas if freezing)
2 cups of Mexican cheese blend, shredded (1 small bag usually is 2 cups)
1 14-oz can of green enchilada sauce (mild or medium, to your taste)
1/2 to 3/4 cup of heavy cream (milk or Chicken Broth if you want to go lighter)
nonstick cooking spray
1 Tablespoon of chopped cilantro, to garnish (add fresh after baking if freezing)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cooked and shredded chicken in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, place the honey, lime juice, chili powder and minced garlic or garlic powder. Whisk together thoroughly to combine. Pour this mixture over the chicken and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to marinate while you prepare the tortillas, 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, in the refrigerator.

Heat a large griddle till a drop of water skitters across (about 350 degrees F). Spray the surface with non-stick cooking spray or a oil it with a little bit of canola oil in between each round of tortillas. Heat tortillas about 20 seconds on each side till warm and flexible and some golden brown spots have appeared. Remove the tortillas from the griddle and keep them between a couple of paper towels until ready to use.

Spray the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish lightly with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl combine the enchilada sauce and the heavy cream. Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the bottom of the oiled baking dish. 

Add a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla in a line. Cover the chicken with a large tablespoon (or big pinch) of cheese, then roll the tortilla up from one side to make a rolled enchilada - it will be more of an over lap on the seam side that rolled tightly. Place the enchilada seam side down in the baking dish starting at one end with the long edge parallel to the longest side of the pan so that you end up with two columns of six enchiladas each.

Repeat with the remaining chicken, cheese and tortillas. You will use about 1 1/2 cups of the cheese for the filling and set the remainder aside for topping the enchiladas in the pan. Add the remaining marinade mixture to the enchilada sauce and cream mixture, if desired. Pour this mixture over the top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake the enchiladas for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top. Serve with sour cream, black beans, and rice or a green salad for a great meal.

Serves 4 to 6