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Close up view of bite taken out of one honey lime chicken enchilada on white and blue plate.

Honey Lime Chicken {or Pork} Enchiladas

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons honey
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons lime juice, 2 to 3 large limes
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
  • ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon black pepper, I use coarsely ground
  • 2 pounds chicken, cooked and shredded - about 4 cups total (see note)
  • 8 to 10 (6 to 8-inch) flour or corn tortillas
  • 4 cups about 1 pound shredded Monterey jack cheese, (or a combo of cheddar and Monterey Jack)
  • 16 ounces green enchilada sauce (see note)
  • 1 cup heavy cream, sour cream, or half-and-half
  • Additional Toppings, optional: sour cream, chopped tomatoes, extra lime wedges, avocado, chopped cilantro

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place the shredded chicken in a resealable bag or other covered container. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss until the chicken is evenly coated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
  • Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and pour about 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan.
  • Fill flour tortillas with chicken (save the leftover marinade!) and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the leftover marinade and the the cream (or sour cream/half-and-half).
  • Spread sauce evenly on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until brown and crispy on top. Serve with chopped tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, extra lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and/or avocado.

Notes

Nutrition Facts: the nutrition facts for this recipe were calculated based on the enchiladas (but do not include the optional toppings as those are added based on personal preference). 
Chicken: a rotisserie chicken works great in this recipe. Or, this is my go-to quick stovetop method for making cooked, shredded chicken at home. Otherwise, I often throw chicken breasts in the Instant Pot with 1 cup broth and some salt and pepper and cook for 8-12 minutes at high pressure and then shred (discarding liquid).
Sauce: here is an easy, delicious recipe for homemade green enchilada sauce. Green salsa also works for this dish (slightly different flavor profile and the consistency is a bit thinner than enchilada sauce). Also, if you want to skip the cream in the topping all together, you can mix the remaining green enchilada sauce or salsa with the leftover marinade and spread that over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.
Freezable Meal: freeze prior to baking. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake enchiladas, covered (without thawing first) for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer, until brown and crispy on top. The tortillas may be a bit softer after freezing and baking.