Healthy Chicken Enchiladas
After ten minutes the cheddar goes from shredded to golden and bubbly, the whole wheat tortilla has crisped at the edges, and the filling inside is still steaming with cumin and chili. Forty grams of protein from chicken breast and black beans, wrapped and baked, ready in 25 minutes.
Chicken cooked through with black beans, corn, diced bell pepper, and tomatoes until everything picks up the spice. Roll it tight, lay it seam-side down, blanket it in cheddar, and let ten minutes of oven heat do the rest.
After ten minutes the cheddar goes from shredded to golden and bubbly, the whole wheat tortilla has crisped at the edges, and the filling inside is still steaming with cumin and chili. Forty grams of protein from chicken breast and black beans, wrapped and baked, ready in 25 minutes.
Chicken cooked through with black beans, corn, diced bell pepper, and tomatoes until everything picks up the spice. Roll it tight, lay it seam-side down, blanket it in cheddar, and let ten minutes of oven heat do the rest.
Ingredients
- chicken breast 3 ounces
- olive oil 1 tablespoon
- black beans 2 ounces
- corn 2 ounces
- bell pepper 1
- diced tomatoes 2 ounces
- ground cumin 1 teaspoon
- chili powder 1 pinch
- tortilla wrap, whole wheat 1
- cheddar cheese, shredded 1.5 ounces
Method
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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
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Cut the chicken breast into small pieces.
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In a pan, heat the oil and cook the chicken over medium heat until fully cooked and no longer pink.
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Drain the beans and corn kernels and dice the bell pepper.
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Then add the bell pepper, black beans, corn kernels and tomatoes to the pan. Sprinkle ground cumin and chili powder over the meat and vegetables and cook for 5-7 minutes.
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Fill the tortilla with the mixture and roll it up tightly. Place the tortilla seam-side down in a baking dish.
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Sprinkle the cheese over the enchilada and bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Let the bell pepper cook alongside the black beans through all 5-7 minutes before rolling. One bell pepper delivers roughly 130 milligrams of vitamin C — more than double the approximately 50 milligrams per meal that research pinpointed as the dose where non-heme iron absorption from plant foods jumps measurably.
Behind this recipe
Is 40g of protein from one enchilada actually enough?
Forty grams clears the ceiling that most research identifies for stimulating muscle protein synthesis per meal. This serving provides it from two distinct sources — chicken breast and black beans — covering the full range of essential amino acids. For most people at most body weights, this qualifies as a complete protein serving.
Read the full evidence reviewDoes the cheese on top block nutrients from the tomatoes?
Possibly, partially. Research found that 500 milligrams of calcium reduced lycopene uptake from tomatoes by up to 83%. The 42 grams of cheddar here supply about 300 milligrams of calcium — roughly 60% of the dose used in that study. The interaction is real but scales with the calcium amount, and the tomato portion in this recipe is relatively small (56g). If maximizing lycopene uptake matters to you, eat the cheese separately.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I use flour tortillas instead of whole wheat?
Yes. Any tortilla that holds a filling and can handle ten minutes of oven heat will work. Flour tortillas run thinner and crispier at the edges. Corn tortillas tend to crack when rolled cold but cooperate after a quick warm-up. Fiber drops from 9g to roughly 5g with a standard flour tortilla, and the carb count shifts. Exact macros vary by brand and size.
