These Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas have such a nice mix of sweet, and tangy flavors with a creamy, slightly sweet, green enchilada sauce, these are perfect for dinner any day of the year.
These honey lime enchiladas are such a delicious twist on traditional enchiladas with the sweet flavor of honey, and zesty flavor of lime, coating flavorful shredded chicken all wrapped in tortillas and topped with lots of cheese of course! Serve them with some cilantro rice, a green side salad and some chips for a meal everyone will love!
Chicken enchiladas are one of my favorite foods, and these honey lime enchiladas are a delicious flavor to add to the mix. Along with our Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, and our Shredded Beef Enchilada Recipe, these are such a fun twist on the classic, with their slightly sweet, slightly tangy, creamy sauce.
Why make this recipe
- Easy to Make – By using pre-cooked chicken these enchiladas are made in less than 1 hour, for a quick and easy dinner you can have any day of the week!
- Freezer Friendly – These are a great make-ahead meal to store in the fridge for a couple days, or freezer for up to 2 months. The sauce will soften the tortillas some, so they may bake up a little softer. Bake covered with foil for about 20-30 minutes, then follow baking directions below.
- Flavorful – The blend of the honey, lime, and green enchilada sauce is such a unique twist, and delicious flavor combo that I know you’ll love!
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Honey Lime Chicken Enchilada Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- honey
- fresh lime juice
- chili powder
- minced garlic
- shredded chicken – Use rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken to save time
- green enchilada sauce – Grab any brand from the store.
- heavy cream – makes the enchilada sauce creamy.
- shredded cheese – I like using shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Mozzarella Cheese because its creamy, but any cheese will work.
- flour tortillas – traditional enchiladas have corn tortillas, but I prefer these with flour tortillas. You can use either.
How to make Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Step 1: Make the marinade. Add the honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic, and some enchilada sauce to a small bowl and whisk them together. Pour the mixture over the shredded chicken and cover it. Place it in the fridge to marinate for 1 hour.
Step 2: Make the enchilada sauce. Add the remaining enchilada sauce, cream, and drain off the sauce from the marinate to a large bowl. Pour some of it into the bottom of a baking pan.
Step 3: Roll the enchiladas. Scoop a heaping portion of the chicken into the middle of a tortilla. Top with cheese. Roll up the tortilla and place it with the seam side down in the pan. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas, and chicken.
Step 4: Bake the enchiladas. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and bake until crispy. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and bake until the cheese is melted. Top with your choice of toppings.
Tips and Tricks:
- Other Add Ins – Add in 1 cup of black beans, or corn to the chicken mixture if desired.
- Topping Ideas – Add your favorite toppings to the enchiladas. I like diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, guacamole, or avocado, and sour cream. Other ideas are cilantro, jalapenos, salsa or pico de gallo.
What to serve with enchiladas
Create a delicious meal by pairing your enchiladas with some tasty side dishes. Here are some of my favorites:
- Rice – Pair your enchiladas with some Mexican Rice, or Cilantro Lime Rice
- Beans – A side of refried beans, or black beans compliment the enchilada flavors nicely.
- Chips and Salsa – Crunchy chips are a perfect compliment to any Mexican inspired dish. Pair with your favorite salsa or some creamy guacamole.
- Green Salad – A fresh, light salad topped with a vinaigrette adds a nice crisp element paired with the rich enchiladas.
- Roasted Vegetables – These offer a nice healthy side dish
Storage Instructions
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in the microwave until warm, or bake the pan up in the oven again if you want them crispy.
You can also freeze the enchiladas before baking. Put them in a disposable aluminum pan and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen covered for about 30 minutes, then remove the top and bake for another 30 minutes, or until hot throughout. The frozen tortillas will be a bit softer than if you made them fresh.
These honey enchiladas are different than any other enchiladas in such a delicious way! They’re such a tasty twist and y our family will love them on repeat!
More Chicken Recipes
If you make these Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas please leave a comment and 🌟 rating letting me know what you think! If you post the photo on Instagram, please tag me – I’d love to see what you’re making!
Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 cups green enchilada sauce (divided)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 TBS chili powder
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken breasts
- 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cups shredded cheese (separated)
- 10 tortillas
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with non stick spray.
- Combine 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, honey, lime juice, chili powder, and garlic in a small bowl. 1/2 cups green enchilada sauce, 1/3 cup honey, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1 TBS chili powder, 1 tsp minced garlic
- Pour the sauce over shredded chicken in a large bowl. Cover it with a lid to let it marinate for 1 hour in the fridge, if desired. 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken breasts
- Drain the extra sauce off the chicken, and into a bowl. Add in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of enchilada sauce and the heavy cream. 1 1/2 cups green enchilada sauce, 1/2 cups heavy cream
- Pour 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce mixture onto the bottom of the baking pan.
- Scoop about 3 TBS of chicken mixture, and a heaping portion of cheese into each tortilla to fill them generously. (Save 1 cup cheese for later) 3 cups shredded cheese
- Roll up the tortillas and place the chicken enchilada into your pan with the seam underneath. 10 tortillas
- Repeat with additional tortillas and remaining chicken.
- Pour extra sauce over the top of the enchiladas.
- Bake for 30 minutes until crispy on top.
- Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over the top of your enchiladas. 3 cups shredded cheese
- Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Top with your choice of toppings, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, etc.
Notes
- Other Add Ins – Add in 1 cup of black beans, or corn to the chicken mixture if desired.
- Topping Ideas – Add your favorite toppings to the enchiladas. I like diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, guacamole, or avocado, and sour cream. Other ideas are cilantro, jalapenos, salsa or pico de gallo.
Nutrition
These Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas were first posted on December 6, 2013. The photos and blog text were updated for clarity on June 10, 2024.
Rich says
Do you bake or boil the chicken before shredding?
Aimee Berrett says
I think I cooked it in these crock pot for this recipe, but otherwise I always boil it to shred. I dont think it would be tender enough when baked to shred well