This creamy green chili chicken bake is one dish, SO easy, and packed with 39.5 grams of protein per serving. Sometimes there’s nothing better than tucking everything into one rectangular baking dish, popping it in the oven, and calling it good. If you’re into green chili chicken enchiladas, you’ll definitely want to try this one.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Creamy Green Chili Chicken Bake
- Serves: 5 -6
- Calories: 263 cal
- Protein: 39.5g
- Fat: 4.6g
- Carbs: 13.9g
- Why You'll Love It: A simple one-dish meal to throw in the oven and enjoy with the whole family!
It leaves you with that perfect window of time to get the kitchen cleaned up, toss a quick side salad, or make (microwave in my house) some brown rice for the side. Then look like a champ when your husband gets home from work.
So sorry if that’s too old school. But I feel like a rock star if Ross comes home and the kitchen’s clean but it smells like dinner. He probably doesn’t care one way or another… but I feel like a ROCK STAR. It’s rare, it’s true. If you love an easy casserole like this, my chicken enchilada casserole and skinny creamy chicken enchiladas are right up your alley.
What Is a Green Chili Chicken Bake?
It’s a creamy, Southwestern-style casserole. Chopped chicken bakes in a sauce of cream cheese, salsa verde, green chilis, and spices with tomatoes and corn, then gets topped with a lavash and cheese. It tastes like green chili chicken enchiladas without rolling a single tortilla.
Is Green Chili Chicken Bake Healthy?
This one is a light and healthy casserole that still tastes like Southwestern comfort food. I use reduced fat cream cheese, lean chicken tenderloins, and just a little cheese on top. A serving has 263 calories, 39.5g protein, and 13.9g carbs.
Can You Make It Without the Lavash?
YES. Sub a layer of corn tortillas, or really any tortilla or wrap. Just adjust your macros if you track. With 5 Mission extra thin corn tortillas, a serving is around 19 carbs instead of 14 and just 2 fewer grams of protein. Skip the lavash altogether and a serving is just 13 carbs. Tiny difference!
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Reduced fat cream cheese: soften it first so it mixes smoothly with the salsa and spices.
- Salsa verde and canned diced green chilis: they make the creamy green chili sauce.
- Chicken tenderloins: I’m always stocked from Costco and prefer them EVERY TIME over breasts. They go in raw, so make sure they’re thawed and patted dry.
- Corn: fresh or frozen works! I slice one medium ear off the cob.
- Joseph’s lavash: a low carb wrap that bakes right on top. Corn tortillas work too.
- Cheese: Monterey Jack is my favorite, or use a shredded Mexican blend.
Before You Start Cooking
- Grab a 9×13 casserole dish. The sauce gets mixed right in the bottom of the pan, so it really is one dish.
- Soften the cream cheese. Pull it out early or give it a few seconds in the microwave so it mixes smoothly.
- Thaw and pat the chicken dry. It goes in raw, and patting it dry keeps the bake from getting too watery.
- Plan for about an hour and 5 minutes. That’s 20 minutes of prep and 45 minutes in the oven, so start your rice while it bakes.
- Weigh your empty dish if you track macros. One serving is 240g. Here’s how I add a recipe to MyFitnessPal, or search My Fitness Pal for Lillie Eats and Tells Creamy Green Chili Chicken Bake.
How to Make Green Chili Chicken Bake
- Make the sauce. Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the softened cream cheese, salsa verde, green chilis, and spices in the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
- Add the chicken and veggies. Add the chopped chicken tenderloins, drained diced tomatoes, and corn, and get it all mixed up.
- Top with lavash. Cover with one Joseph’s lavash and dunk it a little so it’s covered by the yummy sauce. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese.
- Bake. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Broil for the last 5 minutes if you want the top more brown and bubbly.
It might be a little soupy at first, but it sets up as it sits. Couldn’t be easier!
What to Serve with Green Chili Chicken Bake
Serve it over rice, cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, or a pile of tortilla chips! It’s also good thrown in tortillas. Top it with avocado, pico, red onion or pickled onion, shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro… whatever YOU WANT. A dollop of avocado cilantro cream is never a bad idea.
For a side, add a simple salad with jalapeño avocado dressing, my corn avocado salad, cowboy caviar salad, or spicy mango slaw.
How to Freeze Green Chili Chicken Bake
This is one of my macro-friendly freezer meals since it’s the kind of thing we like even more the next day.
- Bake it fully before freezing, since the chicken goes in raw.
- Let it cool, then portion into containers and label with the date and grams (one serving is 240g).
- Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat covered in the oven or microwave.
- It’s the kind of thing we like even more the next day, so it reheats great!
- Keeps up to 3 months.
Want more Mexican-inspired dinners for the freezer? Try my creamy Mexican chicken bake, cauliflower rice enchilada skillet, skinny white chicken chili, or Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup.
If you want more meal prep help, my macro-friendly meal plans include meal prep tips and a categorized grocery list, with a new plan every Thursday.
Green Chili Chicken Bake Calories and Macros
One serving (240g) of this green chili chicken bake has 263 calories, 39.5g protein, 4.6g fat, 13.9g carbs, and 2.4g fiber. The recipe makes 5 to 6 servings, and the full nutrition is in the recipe card below.
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Ok here’s the real recipe you can print and shove in my cookbook. xo
Creamy Green Chili Chicken Bake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup reduced fat cream cheese softened (88g)
- 1/4 cup salsa verde 60 g
- 1 4 oz can diced green chilis
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 15oz can diced tomatoes drained
- 860 g chicken tenderloins chopped
- 1 medium ear of corn sliced off the cob (180 g)
- 1 Joseph’s lavash bread affiliate link- or a single layer of corn tortillas would be delicious of course.
- 1/2 oz shredded mexican cheese 14 g
- Additional Toppings: Avocado additional corn, pico, red onion or pickled onion, shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro… YOU GET IT.
Instructions
- Combine softened cream cheese, salsa, green chilis, and spices in the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
- Add uncooked, thawed chopped chicken tenderloins (pat dry first), diced tomatoes, and corn. Combine.
- Cover with one Joseph’s Lavash. Dunking the lavash under the mixture so it’s covered. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Bake at 350′ for 45 minutes. Broil for the last five minutes if you want the top more brown and bubbly.
- Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, or a pile of tortilla chips! It would also be good thrown in tortillas. Add a simple side salad with the lightened up cilantro lime ranch and you’re set!
Notes
- This might be a little soupy at first but will set up as it sits. It’s the kind of thing that we like even more the next day!
- To log, search My Fitness Pal for “Lillie Eats and Tells Creamy Green Chili Chicken Bake.”
- If you don’t want to bother with the Joseph’s lavash, sub a layer of corn tortillas, or really any tortilla or wrap. You’ll just need to adjust your macros accordingly if you track.
- If you use 5 Mission extra thin corn tortillas, a serving is going to be around 19 carbs instead of 14. Just 2 fewer grams of protein. Not a huge deal!
- If you skip the lavash altogether, a serving is just 13 carbs. Tiny difference!
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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I just made this for the first time and I would love to know how to “dunk” the lavish into the mixture to get it covered? That feels like an impossibility. The mixture is not soupy whatsoever. I followed the recipe exactly what I ended up doing was scooping out half of the chicken mixture to put on top of the Lavish. I would love to under how everyone is getting the lavish dunked following these directions.
So tasty and was super easy to make for meal prep. Would definitely make this again.
So easy and yummy! I precooked the chicken on the skillet and added some black beans. It was a hit with the whole family which is rare!