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Meet your new weeknight favorite! This Creamy Chicken Enchilada Skillet brings all the bold, cheesy enchilada flavor you love—without the fuss of rolling tortillas or turning on the oven for an hour. It’s everything you crave in classic enchiladas, all made in one pan and lightened up with a creamy, protein-packed twist.
Why You’ll Love This Enchilada Dinner!
This dish checks all the boxes: flavorful, satisfying, and balanced. It starts with juicy shredded chicken, hearty black beans, and sweet corn, all simmered together in a combination of red and green enchilada sauce for the ultimate flavor mash-up. Then comes the……. whipped cottage cheese! It blends right into the sauce, creating a creamy texture that feels indulgent but adds extra protein instead of heavy cream or sour cream. As a nutritionist, I love using protein-packed cottage cheese as a lightened up ingredient to decadent recipes.
If you’ve been following Wholesomelicious recipes for a while, you know I love using cottage cheese in place of heavier ingredients like cream or sour cream. When whipped, it becomes silky smooth and blends perfectly into sauces, adding that creamy texture we all love… without extra fat or calories.
To finish, we layer in tortilla pieces and sprinkle with cheese before popping the skillet under the broiler. The cheese gets perfectly melty and bubbly, and the tortilla squares crisp up just enough to give that irresistible enchilada bake vibe—all in under 30 minutes. This recipe is one I make often for my family, as I love the one-pan skillet recipes! I often rotate through this enchilada recipe, my buffalo chicken rice skillet recipe, and skillet lasagna.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken: Shredded or diced, great use for leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Black beans & corn: For fiber, color, and texture. I use canned beans and frozen corn for this recipe
- Enchilada sauce: A mix of red and green enchilada sauce gives the perfect balance of smoky and tangy. My favorite enchilada sauce is from Trader Joe’s.
- Whipped cottage cheese: Makes the sauce creamy and boosts protein.
- Tortillas: Cut into small squares to mix in and top with cheese. I prefer flour tortillas here, but you can also use corn or any GF version.
- Cheese: I love Monterey Jack or a Mexican blend that melts beautifully.
How to Make This Enchilada Skillet
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet to medium high heat. Add a little olive oil or avocado oil and sauté the tortilla squares until lightly golden (this step is optional, but I think it adds great texture to the recipe!)
- Now add the onion, chicken, black beans, and corn. Pour in both enchilada sauces and stir to coat. Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in whipped cottage cheese until the sauce turns slightly creamy and orange. Gently mix in half of the tortilla squares.
- Sprinkle the remaining tortillas and cheese on top. Pop under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro, diced avocado, or a squeeze of lime for the perfect finishing touch.
Serving and Tips to Make Your Own!
Serve this skillet with a simple side salad, rice, or cauliflower rice if you’d like to stretch it further. Leftovers reheat beautifully and make a quick, high-protein lunch the next day.
Here are some adaptation tips:
- This recipe is ideal for using slow cooker shredded chicken, especially if you’re planning ahead for easy weeknight dinners
- Use your favorite store bought enchilada sauce. You can also use only red or green, but the combo creates a great flavor!
- Swap the chicken for ground turkey or shredded beef.
- Add sautéed bell peppers or zucchini for extra veggies.
- Use gluten-free tortillas and enchilada sauce if needed.
- Prefer it extra spicy? Stir in diced jalapeños or hot sauce.
If you love bold, creamy chicken dinners, my Creamy Chicken Poblano Soup with Corn and Black Beans is another must-try made with similar flavors in cozy soup form.
Creamy Chicken Enchilada Skillet (with Cottage Cheese!)
Ingredients
- 6 large flour tortillas, (cut into 1 inch squares)
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil, (divided)
- 1 lb chicken breast*, (cooked and chopped or shredded)
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, (diced)
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 14 oz can of black beans, (drained and rinsed)
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup green enchilada sauce
- 3/4 cup whipped cottage cheese**
- 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the skillet to medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil then toss in cut up tortillas. Sauté until golden brown, flipping a few times every few minutes. This step is optional! Remove to the side and keep the pan hot.
- Add the other tbsp of oil, then toss in the onion, corn, black beans, and shredded chicken. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, then pour in the enchilada sauces. Stir until well combined, let simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until hot. Turn on the oven to broil.
- Stir in cottage cheese until smooth and creamy. Then fold in half of the tortillas.
- Top with the remaining tortillas, then Monterey Jack cheese. Transfer to the broiler for 2-4 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I looooved this recipe! I used 12 corn tortillas (what I had) and layered in a baking dish. I also used my own homemade taco seasoning in the meat mixture. My family gobbled it up and it made 6 perfect portions. Thanks for another healthy high protein recipe!
hi:) just wondering if you use whole milk cottage cheese or lowfat? Thanks in advance!
I use low-fat, but either will work!
Ok thank you:)
What is the protein count on the chicken enchilada skillet when using the cottage cheese.
Hi there, divided by 6, the recipe has 31 grams of protein. The nutrition facts are in the notes section of the recipe.