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Zucchini Enchiladas are filled with chicken, drenched with enchilada sauce, and covered with tons of cheese! It’s a low-carb dinner that doesn’t taste low-carb! Or if you are interested in all the carbs, see my Red and Green Enchiladas.
Zucchini Enchiladas Recipe originally from October 2014! An oldie but a goodie!! Enjoy, friends! xo
Zucchini Enchiladas | Low Carb!
So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and make some fabulous Zucchini Enchiladas based loosely on my Enchilada Stuffed Mushrooms, Skinnytaste’s Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats and Gimme Some Oven’s homemade Enchilada Sauce. And by ‘based loosely’ I mean those recipes were rolling around in my head for days and I finally got the zucchinis I needed to make the magic happen.
Anyways, this recipe overall is pretty simple to make and omg, it’ll make you WANT to eat zucchini. Maybe even two. I think it may have something to do with all that melty cheese. Just a thought.
If ever there was a recipe to make you swoon with delight, it probably would be this one. Give this recipe a try, friends. You won’t be sorry.
Main Ingredients Needed
You don’t need much to make these Zucchini Enchiladas. Zucchini (of course), the filling and some seasonings all come together to create a great dinner! Here’s what you need:
- Zucchini – the main star of the show! If you grow zucchini in your garden this is a perfect recipe to use some of those zucchinis up.
- Salt + Pepper – don’t forget to season as you go!
- Cheddar Cheese – this starts out the filling and eventually tops the whole thing off.
- Cream Cheese – tangy creaminess that is also part of the filling.
- Chicken – if you want to keep this recipe vegetarian, leave out the chicken. Or if you wanted to make this dish even easier, use rotisserie or canned chicken.
- Cumin – the perfect seasoning to bring all of that savory flavor.
- Chicken Stock – for a vegetarian meal use vegetable stock.
For the Enchilada Sauce
You have three options here, use store-bought enchilada sauce, use the enchilada sauce in the recipe card, or use my homemade enchilada sauce recipe. All are great options that yield super yummy results.
- Vegetable Oil – or canola oil!
- Flour – this helps stabilize and thicken the sauce. If you are looking for a gluten-free option, use cornstarch.
- Chicken Stock – more chicken stock to add flavor and volume to the sauce.
- Chili Powder, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Salt + Oregano – all of the seasonings that make this enchilada sauce so good!
Toppings
Feel free to top this dish with whatever you would top regular enchiladas with (sour cream, cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, etc.).
How to Make Zucchini Enchiladas
For full details on how to make Zucchini Enchiladas, see the recipe card down below 🙂
Preheat Oven + Prep
Preheat oven. Lightly spray 9×13 glass dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Prepare Zucchinis
Slice all zucchinis lengthwise and scoop out seeds to create a valley in each half zucchinis. Place into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake.
Make Enchilada Sauce
Meanwhile, make the enchilada sauce. Pour oil into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk. Cook down before whisking in chicken stock. Pour in liquid and whisk to remove lumps. Stir in seasonings and simmer. Reduce heat to low.
Make Filling
For the filling, stir 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese together with cream cheese, chicken, cumin, salt and pepper, and chicken stock until moist and all ingredients are equally distributed.
Assemble Zucchini Enchiladas + Bake
Once zucchini boats are done baking and are tender, divide filling into each zucchini. Top with as much hot enchilada sauce as you’d like and then top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake until warmed through and broil the last 2 minutes to brown the tops. Remove from the oven, cool, and serve.
Side Dishes
I like to serve Zucchini Enchiladas with a side of black beans and Cilantro Lime Rice, but you could also serve these alongside:
More Enchilada Recipes to Try!
- Beef Enchiladas
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Pork Enchiladas
- Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
- Classic Chicken Enchiladas
- Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Beef Enchilada Dip
- Chicken Enchilada Bowl
The printable recipe card is below, enjoy!
Zucchini Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- salt & pepper to taste
for the enchilada sauce-
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 heaping tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
for the filling-
- 3 cups cheddar cheese grated and divided
- 4 oz. low fat cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups chicken cooked and cubed
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
top with:
- cilantro if desired
- sour cream if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray 9×13 glass dish with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Slice all zucchinis lengthwise and scoop out seeds to create a valley in each half zucchinis. Place into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the enchilada sauce. Pour oil into small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk. Cook down 1 minute before whisking in chicken stock. Pour in liquid and whisk to remove lumps. Stir in seasonings and simmer 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
- For the filling, stir 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese together with cream cheese, chicken, cumin, salt and pepper and chicken stock until moist and all ingredients are equally distributed.
- Once zucchini boats are done baking and are tender, divide filling into each zucchini. Top with as much hot enchilada sauce as you’d like and then top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake another 10 minutes until warmed through and broil the last 2 minutes to brown the tops. Remove from the oven, cool 5 minutes and serve.
Can I substitute olive oil in place of the canola oil?
I LOVE this recipe and keep coming back to it, even now. I do typically add in a sautéed onion to my enchilada sauce and (to a doubled recipe) also like a can of drained black beans and diced tomatoes in the filling just to get added nutrients.
Looks amazing but 19 carbs is a lot.
This is hands down one of my favorite recipes!! So good!
[…] Zucchini Enchiladas […]
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[…] Cheesy Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini […]
This is soooo yummy! I make these at least once a month. I have made them for friends for dinner and they have raved about them to others. Such a great heathy twist on enchiladas (but they still have plenty of gooey cheese!)
Oooohhh……these look delicious! Can’t wait to try and make them!
These look amazing! Can’t wait to try them with my home grown zucchini’s!!
I wonder if this would translate well with eggplant? My boyfriend LOVES hat show, but I can’t stand it. I’m more of an NCIS gal.
Is it possible for you to put a nutritional statement with your recipes? They are great recipes and I have tried many, just would like to keep my arteries healthy. These are great tasting.
Love love this recipe! I make it all the time. 🙂
I made these and they were incredible! Loved the homemade enchilada sauce — you could do so much with it!
Made these tonight and the hubby loved them! They are on the ‘please make again list’. I love this is a grain-free approach to enchiladas.
Made these tonight, and the family loved them! We’re trying to eat less meat, so I left out the chicken, and added black beans. Next time I may add some brown rice to the mix. Really good!
Delicious!!!!
We just made these tonight and they were AWESOME. Thanks for all the great recipes, you have yet to disappoint. I even have your cookbook and wish you’d come out with another. 🙂
is there a nutritional infO on your recipes
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I/we tried it out last night. I have a dear friend (Charlotte) visiting from out of town, (former neighbor) we used to love to cook together and when we are able to visit, we still love to cook together. So, we shared in the experience of making your recipe last night. What a hit!
We made one minor adjustment by adding a cup of fire roasted tomatoes to sauce. EVERYONE loved it
I am very excited to have your enchilada sauce recipe, I’ll be using thing from here on out, no more can sauce!
Thanks again and Happy Halloween!
p.s.-the websites I am sharing belong to my beautiful and amazingly talented friend Charlotte. All this and she can cook too! 🙂 Enjoy perusing her beautiful work and please, feel free to share her with your followers.
I’m over the top excited for two things – these enchiliadas and Gilmore Girls!! I smell a weekend binge on both!
I did not find GG until I was 26, and even then I thought it was the best show on TV, I LOVE it!!! I can not believe you have your husband on board, mine can not stand it.
These enchiladas are such a great idea! I love any excuse to use zucchini!
Love, love, love Gilmore Girls!!
GG was the best show on TV, hands down!! I still like to watch reruns and now it’s on Netflix??!!! Yay!!
Also? LOVE these enchiladas, with zucchini? Genius.
Mmm zucchini enchilda, sounds good to me! And I was so excited when I saw gilmore girls on Netflix, I totes binge watched and have already finished rewatching all 7 seasons. Love those girls!
This zucchini looks freaking amazing. Love!
I absolutely loved Gilmore Girls when it was on…I cannot wait to rewatch them on Netflix. And these stuffed zucchini look amazing. The cheesy goodness is calling my name!
I love love love zucchini! And making them into enchiladas sounds like the best idea ever! These look amazing!
Can’t wait to try this recipe Lauren! Also, I LOVE Gilmore Girls as well! It’s the best. Have a great weekend!
These look absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to try!