Chicken Enchilada Pasta is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish that combines the best of Mexican and Italian cuisines. This delicious dish is perfect for a quick and satisfying weeknight dinner or a fun family meal. This dish is also Weight Watcher friendly!
It’s no doubt that Mexican food is my favorite and I could eat it 5 times a week. This pasta is very versatile and you can use whatever type of protein you like. Ground Beef enchiladas are my favorite and so are chicken but I decided to make this with chicken this time. Next time I’m using ground beef.
Top the pasta with your favorite enchilada toppings like black olives, tomatoes, avocado, more cheese sour cream, etc. … Adults and kids of all ages will go crazy for this. If you are looking for a side dish to go with this some refried beans would be good and a margarita of course.Â
If you like pasta Quick and Easy Lasagna Pasta, Pizza Pasta Casserole, or Tortellini and Vegetable Soup.
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Ingredients Needed
- Chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded - They’re lean and quick-cooking and always come out juicy and tender. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure that the chicken is not over cooked. When reading labels for chicken breasts try to find ones that say Organic or Free Range.Â
- Olive oil - Look for olive oils that are labeled as extra virgin, cold-pressed, and unfiltered for the highest quality.
- Garlic cloves, finely minced - Chopped fresh garlic can take some time to chop so I often always use the freshly minced garlic that comes already made in a jar.Â
- Onion, diced - provide a sweet and savory flavor to the dish, while also helping to build the foundation of the dish with its aroma and ability to caramelize.
- Chili powder - Is a blend of mixed red chilis that have been dried up and pulverized until it resembles powder. Sometimes other spices like cumin and paprika.
- Cumin - is a member of the parsley family. It is a dried seed that is made from a plant called Cuminum cyminum.
- Salsa Verde or regular salsa
- Enchilada sauce - I like the Enchilada sauce from Trader Joes.
- Light sour cream - can sub Greek Yogurt
- Reduced fat shredded cheese (any kind)Â
- Pasta - any type or shape
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender; drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion.
Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, until onions are barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, spices, salsa verde, and enchilada sauce. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes.
Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.
Tips for Enchilada Pasta
Like I mentioned above, any type of protein can be used for this. Ground chicken, ground beef, and even shrimp would be good.
What is enchilada sauce made of? Authentic enchilada sauce is basically chili powder simmered in a broth with garlic, onion, tomato paste/sauce and thickened with flour. I never take the time to make authentic homemade enchilada sauce and normally use a can of Old El Paso.
What temperature does chicken have to be cooked to? For this recipe, I like to cut my chicken into really small chunks or thin strips so that the chicken cooks quickly. I like to test the chicken and cut into one of the strips to see if it is done, otherwise, the temperature should be 165 degrees.
What can I substitute for enchilada sauce? A 10 to 15 oz can of tomato sauce would be ok to use with this but the enchilada sauce is a must because it gives this dish all the flavor.
Other Recipes To Try
If you tried this Chicken Enchilada Pasta any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
Print
Weight Watcher's Chicken Enchilada Pasta
- Prep Time: 15min
- Cook Time: 25min
- Total Time: 40min
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
All the flavors of chicken enchiladas come together in this flavorful pasta dish and it is ready to eat in under 30 minutes.Â
Ingredients
- 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ cups salsa verde
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup light sour cream
- 8oz reduced fat shredded cheese (any kind)Â
- 16 oz. pasta
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender; drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion.Â
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, until onions are barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, spices, salsa verde, and enchilada sauce. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes.Â
- Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.
- Makes 8 servings, 1 cup serving size.
Notes
MyWW points: Blue: 8; Green: 8; Purple: 8
- Category: Medium
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 338
- Sugar: 8.2g
- Fat: 14.3g
- Saturated Fat: 6.6g
- Carbohydrates: 24.6g
- Fiber: 2.4g
- Protein: 29g
Keywords: chicken enchilada pasta
Kristen says
So yummy! Even my almost 13 y/o daughter got seconds.
★★★★★
jgisvold says
Yep!
Deb says
When you list sour cream or cheese in your recipes, are they full-fat items?
Thanks!