These lightened up enchiladas with quinoa, chicken and peach salsa are an Asian inspired recipe that is perfect for lunch or dinner!
I can just see you all doing a double take right now. How can these possibly be enchiladas without sauce or cheese?
Well they are Asian inspired enchiladas. They are so dang good you really won't care that there is not sauce or cheese on these bad boys. You'll be too busy shoving as many as possible into your pie hole before everyone around you discovers how good they are.
You're not going to want to share these things. In fact, I can almost guarantee you shove someone out of the way for the last one. Not that anyone here did that or anything. I would never do such a thing!
I cannot take credit for the idea of these beauties. They were inspired by an episode of The Chew.
There was this cutie patootie lady on the show named Kim Kost. She made these in a battle against two other recipes. If I remember correctly, Kim kicked their butts with this one.
She was completely adorable on the show, and for some reason Kim Kost's Asian Enchiladas just kept sticking in my brain.
They had to be tweaked a bit for our household. The original recipe called for shrimp. We're allergic to seafood here at the B household so I opted for chicken.
I also decided to use my own Peach Salsa recipe. The salsa is best if it's fresh.
This dish gets a huge thumbs up from the B household. It's delicious, it's easy to make, and it's filling. Plus it's good for you!
Ingredient Notes:
- Tortillas - I used flour tortillas for this recipe but you can use corn tortillas if you prefer. You can use small, medium or large size tortillas. Obviously using larger or smaller tortillas will affect the filling ratio so you may need to adjust that.
- Oil - For this recipe, I used olive oil. You can substitute avocado oil or grapeseed oil if you prefer. Or any oil you prefer using.
- Chicken - Boneless, skinless chicken breast is great for this recipe. That said, you can also use chicken thighs and just remove the meat from the bone after cooking them. Chicken thighs have tons of flavour. Another great alternative is to use rotisserie chicken to save time. Just pull the meat off the bone and warm it up in a large skillet or microwave.
- Onion - Any kind of cooking onion can be used but personally I love sweet onions. Vidalia onions, or shallots would also work really in this enchilada recipe. You can use green onions for a garnish when serving.
- Quinoa - Adding quinoa to the filling helps bulk up the enchiladas and make them healthier. It also adds a lovely nutty flavour and the texture is outstanding with the chicken and salsa.
- Sauce - This fusion inspired enchilada recipe does not use enchilada sauce or hot sauce. It uses an Asian sauce instead. I used Katsu sauce but you can also use Hoisin sauce, Teriyaki sauce, Tamari sauce or any Asian sauce you love.
- Herbs - I used fresh cilantro for this recipe. It pairs really well the enchiladas.
- Salsa - For this recipe, I used my peach salsa recipe. You can buy store bought or make your own. Honestly, I highly recommend using homemade salsa if you have the time.
How to Make Lightened Up Enchiladas:
- Begin by cooking the quinoa ahead of time. Bring water to a boil, added rinsed quinoa to the pot, let it boil for about 2 to 3 minutes, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Next, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Then, add oil to a large pan or wok over medium heat. Once oil begins to glisten add the chicken and onions. Cook the chicken until juices run clear and it begins to brown . Add Katsu sauce or Hoisin sauce. Stir until evenly coated.
- Heat up the tortillas till they are just slightly warm.
- Next, lay a tortilla flat, add a scoop of cooked quinoa, and a scoop of chicken. You can also add a bit of peach salsa inside if you like. Now, fold the first side then roll them up like a burrito. Place seam side down on the cookie sheet. Repeat.
- Brush the tops with the sauce.
- Broil or bake in the oven until warmed through.
- Remove from the oven. Place them on a plate or platter. Top with salsa and cilantro.
- Serve.
How to Store Leftover Enchiladas:
Place them in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Wrap each enchilada in aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat Lightened Up Enchiladas:
You can reheat the enchiladas in foil or a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes.
Leftover enchiladas can be reheated in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop for 3 to 5 minutes.
Enchiladas can also be reheated in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds. Just be sure to aluminum foil if you used that to store them.
Variations:
- Tomatillos, tomatoes and jalapeno peppers can be added to this recipe. Jalapenos and red onion would be lovely added inside or on top of the enchiladas. Green chiles would be another lovely addition to spice this up.
- Pico de Gallo can be used instead of peach salsa if you like.
- Salsa verde would be a great swap for the peach salsa, or addition to this recipe. Just spoon it inside or over the tortillas.
- Any fruit salsa can substituted for the peach salsa too. Pineapple salsa, mango salsa, strawberry salsa or cherry salsa would be lovely.
- Cumin and chili powder could be added to the chicken mixture if you want to make these less Asian fusion and more Mexican.
- If you want to make these without the peach salsa, you could try adding cheddar cheese or a Mexican cheese blend but for this recipe I did not add cheese. It just doesn't vibe with the original recipe, in my humble opinion.
What to Serve with Enchiladas:
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Aerosmith Potatoes
- Spicy Chipotle Skillet Corn with Bacon
- Fried Smashed Potatoes
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Grilled Mexican Street Corn by Kiss My Smoke
More Healthy Recipes:
- Greek Chicken Orzo Power Bowls
- Mixed Berry Smoothie
- Roasted Red Pepper and Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Angel Hair Pasta
- Healthy Fish Recipes
- Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon
- Healthy Bowl Recipes
- Yogurt Parfaits
- Chicken, Garlic and Broccoli Kebabs by Kiss My Smoke
Places to stalk Cravings of a Lunatic
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest
Instagram ~ YouTube ~ Kiss My Smoke
Lightened Up Enchiladas with Quinoa, Chicken and Peach Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 package medium size tortillas
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, cooked in chicken broth
- 11.75 ounces Katsu sauce (hoisin can also be used)
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, fresh or dried
- 1 batch peach salsa, prepared in advance
Instructions
- Cook your quinoa while you do all the prep for this. It will make this all come together fairly quickly.
- I brought the water to a boil, added the rinsed quinoa, let it boil for about 2 to 3 minutes, then reduced it to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Before you start the enchiladas line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large pan or wok over medium heat add your olive oil. Let it start to glisten, takes a minute or two, then add your chicken and onions at the same time. Cook until browned and cooked through. If you've cut your pieces small enough this should only take 5 to 8 minutes tops. Keep tossing the chicken around to make it brown evenly. Once it's almost done add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the Katsu or Hoisin sauce. Stir until evenly coated and golden brown.
- In the microwave, or a frying pan with some non stick spray, heat up your tortillas till they are just slightly warm. Makes them easier to work with.
- Now lay a tortilla flat, add a scoop of cooked quinoa, and a scoop of chicken. I was daring and in half our enchiladas I also added some peach salsa Now fold the first side then roll them up like a burrito. Place on the cookie sheet folded side down. Repeat till all tortillas are full and laid out on the pan.
- Now brush the rest of the Katsu or Hoisin sauce over top of each enchilada.
- Broil for one to two minutes (mine were 2 minutes on low broil) and remove from oven.
- Top with Peach Salsa and cilantro if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks for visiting today!
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Toodles! xx
Joanne T Ferguson
G'day! Looks light and lovely, true!
No cheese? Drew my attention to your post and recipe too! Looks delish!
Cheers! Joanne
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks so much. I just had to try this one out. It's just so light and healthy for a weekday. So delicious.
Simone
I love the idea of using Asian flavors with something that is mostly Mexican.. They do look totally delicious to me!
Kim Beaulieu
I know right. I usually am not too keen on fusions but this was amazing. Such a cool twist.
john@kitchenriffs
Nice dish! And easiest enchilada ever! Love the Asian flavors in this - terrific idea. Really fun recipe - thanks.
Kim Beaulieu
I know right, I was so surprised how easy these were. It's such a cool recipe.
CCU
Mmmmm Asian-Mexican mix is such a brilliant idea 😀
Cheers
CCU
Kim Beaulieu
It's pretty fun, I had a blast with this one.
Sunithi
Yummm ! This looks fab Kim !!! Love the flavors !!
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks so much, I really love this recipe. It's a keeper.
Courtney @ Neighborfood
Pinning this one! What a great weeknight dish. Loving it!
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks Courtney, it's such a delicious recipe. I'll be making it again and again.
Ramona W
Clever way to lighten up those enchiladas... love the quinoa. 🙂
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks so much Ramona.
Abbe@This is How I Cook
Peach Salsa? Sounds fabulous, healthy and good!
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks so much Abbe. I just love summer fruit. I'm having so much fun playing with recipes.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
These look really good but I do have to say when I see or hear the word enchilada I don't instantly think of quinoa. queso? more likely LOL These do look good!
Kim Beaulieu
I know right. When I saw this on the chew I was seriously thinking the lady was nuts. But they chew crew ate the up and voted unanimously for it. I could not stop thinking about these things. Had to be done. Surprisingly good. Although I don't seem to deal well with quinoa. Bothered my tummy this week.
Nessa
That peach salsa looks SO good Lunie!
Debra
These do look delicious. I love the Chew. I wish I had time to watch all the back-logs of recordings I have. In fact, I think The Hubs has finally quit recording it until I get caught up. 🙂
Chris
That meal looks so totally gorgeously delicious. Although, I wouldn't dare fighting over food, but ... eh ... it's simply very luvly (eh ... not the fighting)!
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks Chris. And the fighting is half the fun. We're all about the silly in the B household. Dinner here isn't successful unless there's lots of laughs served with the food. xx
Chris
Well, if things are like that, I guess it's alright. It's good to have some clean fun.
Kim Beaulieu
Yup, no one's needed an ambulance for quite some time now. *giggles*
Ashley Bee (Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine)
I looove enchiladas! These are right up my alley 🙂
Christie - Food Done Light
Oh man, this recipe is so up my alley. I love the asian-tex-mex feel to it and that it is light. Perfect! Thanks for sharing on Thursdays Treasures. This will be a feature.
Nami | Just One Cookbook
I'm excited because of a few reasons - Asian flavors, quinoas in wraps (!!), and peach salsa (SUPER YUM!). Love this unique and delicious recipes, Kim!
Amy Tong
I love your lightened up enchiladas! I love your refreshing and healthful twist on the enchiladas. Can't wait to try this. That peach salad looks amazing with this.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
Chicken, quinoa and peach salsa? I love this. I don't do seafood well either. I wish I did!
Bam's Kitchen
Wow, I came on over to see what delicious cookies you made for CCU but then I have seemed to have gotten lost looking through all of your delicious new recipes. This Asian inspired enchilada sounds like a winner. Healthy and delicious.
Lilly Sue
These look awesome!! I am totally making these! Yum 😀
Family Foodie
These have my mouth watering! I love quinoa, but I never thought of putting it in an enchilada! And that peach salsa sounds incredible. This is definitely something I will have to try!