Name: Easy Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8-10
Ingredients: 3.5 cups cooked and chopped chicken; 1 can black beans, drained; 28 oz mild green enchilada sauce, divided; 2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese, divided; 1/4 cup diced cilantro; 2 tbsp taco seasoning; 4 oz mild green chiles; 1 lime; 8-10 flour tortillas (soft taco size)

These easy chicken and black bean enchiladas are full of flavor from simple ingredients, high in protein, and have a boost of fiber from beans. Loaded with chicken, black beans, and topped with green sauce and melty cheese, this is the perfect family dinner recipe for busy school nights or when you want to get an easy healthy dinner recipe on the table in a flash!

Jump To Recipe

Cheesy enchiladas in green sauce, topped with lime wedges, sliced jalapeños, black beans, and cilantro; a colorful, appetizing dish.

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

As a busy mom, I’m all too familiar with the five o’clock panic of “what am I going to feed my family in the next hour.” When that time hits, I lean into my trusty arsenal of healthy family dinner recipes that I can get on the table in under 30 minutes and know everyone in my family will enjoy.

These easy chicken and black bean enchiladas have climbed their way to the top of that recipe list and have quickly become one of my go to family dinner recipes on busy weeknights. They are loaded with healthy ingredients, baked to perfection, and full of mild flavor that everyone in the family loves.

Chopped chicken, black beans, and other fresh ingredients are all rolled into a tortilla then topped with mild green enchilada sauce and shredded cheese then baked to perfection. Your entire family will love this easy dinner recipe idea and you’ll love that its ready in under 30 minutes.

Let’s get to the recipe!

Golden baked chicken and black bean enchiladas in green sauce, topped with lime, cilantro, jalapeño slices, melted cheese, and black beans in a white casserole dish.

Why you’ll love these easy chicken enchiladas:

You’ll love this chicken and black bean enchilada recipe because it is:

Made with simple, healthy ingredients: The chopped chicken, black beans, and fresh yet flavorful additions like chopped cilantro fill each bite with flavor.
Ready in under 30 minutes: Can you find me a better dinner description? I think not. This dinner recipe uses easy to use ingredients, making the hardest part of this recipe simply adding the mixed ingredients to your tortilla and getting it to stay together as a rolled enchilada.
Full of family friendly flavor: Gone are the days of trialing new recipes or out there flavors… I’m in the phase of needing old reliable recipes that everyone loves… this family dinner recipe is just it!
Meal-prep friendly: While these easy bean and chicken enchiladas are delicious the night of, they are even more delicious the next day! Perfect for a high protein meal prep or a bake once, eat twice dinner recipe.
Customizable: I kept the ingredients really simple for this recipe but you can certainly put your twist on this dinner. Add blended cottage cheese for an extra protein boost, swap your enchilada sauce, or even change your protein for a completely new spin on the enchiladas.

These chicken and black bean enchiladas are one of my favorite dinner recipes to make and I know you’ll love them too.

Two golden chicken-and-black-bean enchiladas topped with melted cheese, cilantro, lime, and black beans on a white plate.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Here’s what you’ll need for your easy chicken enchilada recipe:

Cooked and chopped chicken: I used chopped rotisserie chicken for these chicken enchiladas but you can cook and shred your own if preferred or even hit the easy button and opt for canned chicken.
Black beans: Black beans add a boost of plant based protein, fiber, and flavor to every bite.
Cilantro: Chopped fresh cilantro makes these enchiladas taste so fresh and flavorful, despite their very short ingredients list.
Lime: For a burst of fresh, acidic flavor.
Taco seasoning: To add flavor to every bite.
Green chiles: Optional but mild green chiles do add alot of flavor to your chicken and black bean mixture.
Green enchiladas sauce: I prefer chicken enchiladas with green enchilada sauce because I fond its flavor to be more family friendly. I used a store bought enchilada sauce but you can swap it for one that is homemade or change it to a red sauce if you prefer that flavor.
Shredded cheddar cheese: Every enchilada recipe calls for a hearty layer of melty cheese on top.
Tortillas: I used soft flour tortillas for this recipe because that is what my family prefers but you could swap it to whole wheat for a healthy twist or large corn tortillas (warmed up!) if you need gluten free chicken enchiladas.

Now let’s mix up your family dinner!

**Stuffed Peppers With Ground Beef and Rice**

Get the recipe

Overhead layout of chicken enchilada ingredients: chopped chicken, black beans, green chiles, enchilada sauce, cheese, tortillas, taco seasoning, lime, cilantro.

Step by Step Instructions:

Now let’s walk through how to make these chicken and black bean enchiladas:

Step 1:

Chop up your chicken, and cilantro. Open your beans and green chiles. Shred your cheddar cheese. Add your chicken, cilantro, taco seasoning, black beans, green chiles, a squeeze of lime and some of your enchilada sauce and shredded cheddar cheese to a large mixing bowl.

Overhead view of a glass bowl with shredded chicken, cheddar cheese, black beans, green chiles, herbs, and spices—a colorful, appetizing meal.

Step 2:

Stir everything until thoroughly combined. The taco seasoning should be well distributed across all of the chicken and black bean mixture and your mix should look moist without being overly wet.

Overhead view of a savory shredded chicken mixture with black beans, green chiles, and herbs in a glass bowl beside fresh cilantro.

Step 3:

Place a tortilla on a plate, add ½ cup to 1 cup of chicken mixture (based on the size of your tortillas) then roll it into a burrito shape. Place each enchilada into a greased 9×13 baking dish, seam side down. Repeat this process until you have used all of your chicken mixture and have 8-10 chicken enchiladas.

LTN Note: I recommend using 6 inch soft flour tortillas for this recipe to get a pan full of enchiladas. If you use the burrito sized tortillas, you will end up with fewer enchiladas.

Overhead view of eight golden-brown rolled chicken enchiladas in flour tortillas arranged in a white baking dish, with shredded cheese and fresh cilantro nearby.

Step 4:

Pour the remaining enchiladas sauce over your prepared enchiladas then top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese. bake uncovered at 375 for about 20 minutes, broiling on high for the remaining 2 minutes until your cheese is fully melted and turning golden brown.

Baked enchiladas covered in melted shredded cheese and green sauce fill a white casserole dish, with fresh cilantro and lime nearby.

Step 5:

Top with toppings of choice and serve your enchiladas warm. Enjoy!

Cheesy chicken and black bean enchiladas in green sauce, topped with black beans, jalapeño slices, cilantro, and lime wedges in a white baking dish.

Swaps, substitutions, and suggestions:

Here are a few changes you can make to these easy chicken enchiladas::

Change your sauce: You can fully change the flavors of this chicken and black bean enchilada recipe by using a homemade enchilada sauce or changing it from green sauce to red sauce. Choose the one that works best for your family!
Change your beans: Add an extra can of beans or swap to pinto beans for a change in flavor.
Use a different protein: Not a chicken enchilada fan? You can easily swap out the chicken for another cooked protein like shredded beef for a completely different spin on this recipe.
Swap your sides: For a balanced meal, I recommend pairing this family dinner recipe with a vegetable based side like healthy cowboy caviar, a simple taco flavored salad, grilled corn, or some roasted vegetables.

And more! Make this recipe your own and tag me on instagram with any fun ideas you come up with!

Golden baked chicken enchiladas in green chile sauce, topped with melted cheese, black beans, cilantro, jalapeño slices, and lime wedges.

Recipe FAQ:

What kinds of cooked chicken works best for chicken enchiladas?
1. I prefer to use rotisserie chicken that has been de-boned the chopped into bite sized pieces of chicken. You can also bake or slow cook chicken breast until cooked through, then shred or chop it. Additionally, canned chicken can also be used but will have a more moist texture.
Can I use a different enchilada sauce?
1. Absolutely! I prefer a mild green Chile sauce because I think its mild flavors make this recipe perfect for a family friendly dinner idea. You can swap the green enchilada sauce for red enchilada sauce or any homemade enchilada sauce that you prefer.
Are chicken and black bean enchiladas healthy?
1. Made with simple ingredients, these enchiladas are a perfectly healthy dinner to feed to your family. Full of protein and fiber from simple ingredients like chopped chicken and black beans, you can easily pair these enchiladas with a side of vegetables for a balanced meal.

Other healthy family dinner recipes you will love:

Looking for family friendly dinner recipes? I have a few on my blog that I think you will love:

Overhead view of ground beef and ricotta stuffed shells topped with melted mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. Wooden spoon to scoop and a white baking dish show a delicious baked dinner recipe. — **Ground beef and ricotta stuffed shells**

Get the recipe

Overhead view of creamy coconut chicken curry with white rice, cilantro, and lime wedges in a bowl, styled on rustic cloth; warm and appetizing. — **Creamy Coconut Lime Chicken**

Get the recipe

Overhead view of large skillet filled with deconstructed lasagna recipe and topped with melted parmesan cheese and fresh herbs. Side of baguette displayed on wooden backdrop. — **Deconstructed lasagna**

Get the recipe

Yield: 8-10

Author: Lauren Twigge