Easy Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas {VIDEO}
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Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas are a family favorite Mexican dinner. The sweet and tangy marinated chicken wrapped in tortillas with cheese and covered in a creamy sauce get rave reviews every time! Equally as delicious with pork and easy to make ahead of time or freeze for another day!
These enchiladas are the perfect Mexican dish the whole family will love. Make it a complete meal by serving with chips and avocado cream sauce or pineapple mango salsa, Mexican rice, shrimp tacos, and a Perfect Paloma cocktail.
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Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken enchiladas are my absolute favorite to order at Mexican restaurants, but since I can’t justify ordering out every single week, I knew I had to find a recipe I could make at home. One that was easy enough to throw together any night of the week, but still packed with enough flavor to make me never miss going out to my favorite restaurant.
All of those dreams came true, years back the first time I discovered these honey lime chicken enchiladas. This simple recipe is busting with all of the best fresh ingredients, rolled into a warm tortilla, topped with the most amazing creamy sauce that comes with a kick.
If you like traditional chicken enchiladas, then you will want to try this fun and fresh twist on the old classic. Trust me, after just one bite you’ll be hooked!
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How To Make The Best Honey Lime Enchiladas
(full printable recipe at the end of this post)
Making enchiladas at home doesn’t have to be a complicated, all-day process. This recipe for easy honey lime chicken enchiladas requires less than 30 minutes of hands-on cooking time, making it a perfect weeknight dinner recipe.
To make the recipe yourself, simply prepare and marinate the chicken. Once the honey lime chicken is ready, begin prepping the baking dish, and pour enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the dish.
NOTE: The Chipotle Chili Pepper is what brings the smoky heat to this Mexican dish, you may need to adjust the amount for a milder flavor or substitute with Ancho Chile Pepper.
Now set the baking dish aside and fill the tortillas with chicken, shredded cheese, and just a little enchilada sauce. After the tortillas are filled, roll them up and place each one in the dish on top of sauce. To top the enchiladas, mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour the sauce mixture over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Lastly, bake until lightly brown on top then let it broil until the cheese is slightly brown and crispy. Serve hot with your favorite toppings.
Tips for Cooking and Shredding Chicken
Cooking chicken for enchiladas: I usually have shredded chicken breast on hand from Costco or I will toss a whole package of chicken breast in my slow cooker cover with water or chicken broth and cook low 4 to 6 hours. You could also throw chicken breasts in the Instant Pot with 1 cup broth and cook on high pressure for 8-12 minutes.
How To Shred Chicken: The easiest way to shred chicken is to use the paddle attachment on your mixer. It perfectly shreds the chicken in a flash. If you don’t want to dirty more kitchen tools, then simply use two forks and pull the chicken apart until shredded.
What Should I Put in My Enchiladas?
- Protein: I love this recipe with chicken, but it’s also just as good when made with this amazing pulled pork or carne Asada.
- Extras: black beans, olives, diced onions, sliced jalapenos, salsa, chili peppers, or corn make great additions to add extra flavor to any enchiladas.
- Tortillas: Corn tortillas if you want to go the traditional route, or try flour tortillas for much easier rolling.
- Cheese: The Mexican-blend shredded cheese is my favorite for these easy chicken enchiladas but any cheese will work. Try it with cheddar, Monterrey Jack, Pepper Jack, or whatever your favorite cheese is.
- Toppings: The more toppings the better! Chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, red onion, sour cream, crumbled cotija, extra lime wedges: throw it all on there or simply leave it plain, it’s all up to you.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips For Chile Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Make ahead: To make the recipe for easy chicken enchiladas in advance, just make the recipe as instructed and cover it with foil or plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. If you’re worried about the tortillas getting soggy, wait to add the final layer of sauce and cheese until just before serving.
Refrigerate: If you want to store any leftovers for just a few days, place the remaining enchiladas in a large airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Enchiladas are great to freeze for later. Simply prep and bake the recipe as instructed, and once completely cooled transfer to a large airtight container. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight prior to reheating. Warning: if you plan to freeze, it’s best to use corn tortillas as flour tortillas will get soggy after freezing and thawing.
Find Even More Easy Dinner Recipes Here!
Baked Spaghetti – A family favorite recipe that every household should have in their dinner rotation A flavorful meat sauce and spaghetti topped with plenty of cheese baked in the oven until hot and bubbly.
Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders – Made extra crispy with panko breadcrumbs and garlic butter. Crazy delicious, juicy, and easy chicken dinner that’s baked not fried.
Zesty Lime Grilled Shrimp Bowl – Quick, easy, and totally flavorful, this Zesty Shrimp Bowl with Roasted Corn with a creamy lime vinaigrette is going to become your new summer staple. Serve this main dish with a mixed green salad for a quick-and-healthy weekday meal.
Apple Cheddar Pork Burgers – A simple dinner solution the whole family will devour!! Made with just five ingredients and packed with flavor, tart apples and sharp cheddar (inside and out) are going to elevate your burgers to a whole new dimension
Garlic and Dill Flank Steak Slider – Tender flank steak seasoned with garlic, grilled to perfection then topped with dill butter and melted cheese on a toasted bun – trust me it doesn’t get any better!
Like this Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas Recipe? Pin It!
Tools Used To Make These Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
I love the functionality and the cute color of this baker. It’s perfect for impressing friends and family with a dish that not only tastes amazing but looks amazing too.
Making fresh lemon and lime juice has never been easier with my favorite citrus squeezed. The interchangeable sizes make it perfect for both lemons and limes, no matter the size!
originally posted April 2010
UPDATED APRIL 2020. We spiffed up this post with more info and better pictures! No changes to the original recipe.
Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas are a family favorite Mexican dinner. The sweet and tangy marinated chicken wrapped in tortillas with cheese and covered in a creamy sauce get rave reviews every time! Equally as delicious with pork and easy to make ahead of time or freeze for another day!
Ingredients
Marinade
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- *1 tablespoon chipotle chili pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds chicken, cooked and shredded
Enchiladas
- 2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce (mild)
- 2 cups shredded Mexican Cheese blend or Monterey Jack cheese (divided)
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 6 flour tortillas
Instructions
- Whisk together marinade ingredients. Using a large zip-top bag or airtight container, combine shredded chicken and marinade. Allow the chicken mixture to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or a few hours if you can.
- Preheat oven to 350° and lightly spray a 9×13 dish with no-stick spray. Pour enough enchilada sauce (about 1/2 cup) to cover the bottom of the dish.
- Fill tortillas with chicken (saving marinade if any left) and shredded cheese and just a little enchilada sauce (*be sure to save about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas).
- Roll tortillas and place filled enchiladas in the dish on top of sauce.
- Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade, if you have any. Pour the sauce mixture over the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until lightly brown on top. Turn oven to broil and place enchiladas nearer the top of the oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy.
- Serve hot with your favorite toppings.
Notes
*The chipotle chili pepper is what brings the smoky heat to this Mexican dish, you may need to adjust the amount for a milder flavor or substitute with Ancho Chile Pepper.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 752Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 204mgSodium: 571mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 51g
Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used.
Hi there, I'm Cheryl!
As a wife, mom, and caffeine enthusiast, my journey has taken me from bustling mornings with my family to sharing delicious recipes, home care tips, and heartfelt decorating insights with wonderful readers like you. My love for baking, photography, and tidiness shines through every post I craft. Dive into my world and discover the art of homemaking, one tidy moment at a time. Read more...
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Please respect my work, recipes and photographs. If you do use a recipe in your own writing, please give proper credit and link back to the original post.
unless you're referring to some invisible thing that belongs TO the enchiladas, it's enchiladAS, not enchiladA'S. plural, not possessive.
Once is a typo. 3 + times is just bad editing.
Those look yummy Cheryl!! Who is mister grammar up there??? Rude!
Whoa….those look GREAT!!!
Anonymous…..
"Once is a typo. 3 + times is just bad editing."
-if you only KNEW how much time I spend editing, reading and Re-reading my posts, almost to the extent of obsession…….this was simply a silly mistake I missed.
This recipe sounds GREAT!!!! I love your blog and ANONYMOUS sounds like an ___!
Keep up the great work!!!!
Ohhh, I really wish I wasn't counting calories! This looks so YUM!
Drooling!!!!
This is SO going on my "must-make" list!!!
PS…I'm sure Anonymous has *never* made a grammatical error or typo. 😉 Geez…I've noticed a lot of not-so-nice comments around the internet today.
I have made these a few times and they are delicious. My kids love them, my husband loves them, I love them. When I made them, the recipe filled a 9×13 pan and a smaller square one. I froze the smaller one and it thawed and baked up perfectly well. Works well with pulled pork too.
Can I come over and eat with your family? This looks delicious!
these sound YUM! can't wait to make them!
this sounds wonderful, i can not wait to try them
Seriously, Anonymous? Wow. Please don't ever read my blog because my editing probably would send you into a fit of rage.
Signed,
The grammatically incorrect and proudly not anonymous KM
These enchilada''''''s look great! I will most definitely be trying them. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Wow. It's just a recipe Anonymous !
Anyway, I love this recipe idea, who would've thought honey ? I do a similar version with plenty of sour cream, but I'm loving this ! Will give it a try – perhaps Cinco de Mayo !
Ole!
Kate
This is my first recipe of yours to make since following your blog a few months ago. I modified this just slightly and added some cumin and Tabasco chipotle to the sauce. This is a new favorite dish of mine!! The honey, lime and chipotle flavor combination is delicious. Thanks for the great recipe post!
WOWZA!!! I am LOVING this recipe. I cannot wait to get to the store and buy everything I need for this dish. I believe we will be having enchilada night this week. Cheryl, they look and sound wonderful. Hubby is already salivating as I am reading him this recipe. Thanks for sharing it and linking to TMTT.
Sounds really tasty! I'm gearing up for cinco de mayo too!
I've never seen this recipe before but these look amazing!
I have been craving some good homemade mexican food. These sounds like a fun twist to enchiladas. Yum!
Oh, my! These sound and look fabulous! 😀
Thanks for sharing!
Have a great day!
Sherry
I love mexican food and make enchiladas often…i'll have to try this version. Thanks for sharing!
Ooh honey lime sounds like a delicious flavor combination! Too bad I don't have an oven in this silly rental flat… no enchiladas for me, for the time being 🙁
This sounds like a really good version of chicken enchiladas with the cream, honey, and lime. I am bookmarking it! Thanks! Joni
I love making enchiladas…I bet the honey lime makes an excellent sauce! I've never heard of anything like it!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for stopping by The Sisters Cafe!! 🙂
~Erin
(one of the sisters) 🙂
The Sisters Cafe has a honey lime enchilada recipe that is similar to this one, except they recommend using shredded pork. I made their recipe and filled the enchiladas with pork and other enchiladas with rotiss. chicken. The chicken ones were definitely good, but the pork was AMAZING. If you eat pork, I'd try it. One night I made a pork roast, and then the leftovers were used for the honey lime enchiladas the next night, and WOW. 🙂
These look divine! I would love you to link to Tuesday Tastes!Happy Day,
Jasey @ Crazy Daisy
Oh my these look so yummy! Definitely something I'm going to try 🙂
I will be printing this out and trying it soon!
Looks so good, thanks for all the recipes. PS Who is mr. or mrs. rude comment at the top? That is so lame. The rude comments are always anon's
This looks tasty, what a fun blend of flavors!
~Aubree Cherie
This recipe looks fantastic!
This looks like a perfect fun weekend dinner!!! YUM
Ooooh, this sounds delicious… the lime and honey sound like fabulous additions to the traditional enchilada recipe!
We have a friday fun finds party… we'd love it if you'd link to this! 🙂
Looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Best wishes,
Natasha.
These are SO delicious! My husband's first reaction to them was "These are awesome!"- that's rare!! Will share and make again for sure!
What a great sounding combination! Love enchiladas but have never marinated the chicken before. I'm definitely going to try it.
Delete Anonymous! These look fabulous. I am going to use 1/2 of a rotisserie chicken today and make this for tonight. Thanks for all the time, effort, and love you put into this post.
Hey! Check out the anonymous post. She forgot to start her sentence with a capital letter "U".
Her second sentence is an incomplete sentence, and it doesn't start with a capital "P". Like she says, "once is an accident but two times is simply bad editing."!
LOL Karen you're hilarious!!!
Thanks everyone!! 😉 ???
I love enchiladas, and the honey lime sauce looks like an amazing twist on how I usually make them! Thank you!
Would anyone who has made this be willing to tell me where this falls on the "spicy" scale? On a scale of 1 to 5, where would these fall? TIA!
Kristen they're pretty spicy I'd say close to a 4. you could make it a little less spicy by not using Chipotle Chili Powder(you could even decrease the quantity as well) – just use regular chili powder, and make sure you get the mild enchilada sauce.
Thank you for responding Cheryl. I'm a huge wuss when it comes to spicy food, but these sound really really good. I think I'm going to adapt your adapted recipe. lol 🙂
I would've rated them "not very spicy at all" – but then, we like spicy!
I made this recipe when I found it over at Sister's Cafe – and my family LOVED it and GOBBLED it up – ALL of it! It did fill a 9×13 and a 9×9 pan (we took the small pan to a neighbor who had just had surgery). The version at SC didn't have the cream added to the top sauce, though – and I think that sounds YUMMY – definitely going to try that the next time I make them – thanks for the addition!
(also – just a few "hints" from when I made it – I was running behind and didn't have time to cook my chicken so I just grabbed two cans of shredded chicken – worked out perfect! Also, a Major Time Saver whenever I make enchiladas – I NEVER roll them up individually, I always just layer them (think lasagna style) – hey, it's not like they serve up in pretty individual rolls anyway usually, right? I just cut them into squares and everyone is perfectly happy!)
Love your blog – thanks!
These look very yummy. Can you share what you served them with? Rice, beans, a salad? Thx!
Gardengal we usually just buy the Lipton Knorr sides, they have a spanish rice that we like! Salad works too
Just found your blog by accident… Loving the recipes so far! Already emailed myself two recipes 🙂 thanks for sharing your talents! I will be bookmarking you for sure….
I love these and I am not a fan of chicken…. my family always asks when I will make them again 🙂