Some dinners just make life easier, and this Chicken Enchilada Bowl Freezer Meal is one of them. It’s packed with bold, smoky flavor, made with tender chicken thighs, and designed to be prepped ahead so dinner is basically done before the chaos even starts. When you’re ready to eat, just heat, serve over rice, and let everyone load up their bowls exactly how they like, simple for you, customizable for them.

Chicken Enchilada Bowl

Tender chicken thighs simmered in bold enchilada sauce with simple pantry spices, then served over rice and topped with your favorite fixings.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings

Calories 261 kcal

Ingredients

2.5 lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless
1 small onion diced
1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chiles
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
1 (28 oz) can enchilada sauce (or make your own following our recipe below)

Homemade Healthy Enchilada Sauce (optional):

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp onion powder
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

For Serving:

Cilantro-Lime Rice
your favorite taco toppings

Cilantro-Lime Rice:

2 cups rice uncooked
1 lime juiced
0.25 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 tsp salt to taste

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Instructions

Make it Fresh | Slow Cooker Directions:

Optional: If making homemade enchilada sauce, blend sauce ingredients together in a high-speed blender or food processor until smooth.
Add all ingredients, except for serving ingredients, to the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
Cook 2 cups of rice according to package instructions. Once rice is finished, mix in ¼ cup fresh, chopped cilantro, the juice of 1-2 limes, and 1 tsp salt to make Cilantro-Lime Rice.
Use two forks to shred the chicken, then stir. Remove chicken and serve over Cilantro-Lime Rice. Top with your favorite taco toppings.
Quick Tip: This chicken enchiladas mix also works great in burrito bowls, quesadillas, nachos, or burritos.

Freezer Meal Prep Directions:

Prepare a gallon freezer bag, labeling according to your preferred method.*
Optional: If making homemade enchilada sauce, blend sauce ingredients together in a high-speed blender or food processor until smooth.
Add all ingredients, except For Serving ingredients, to the freezer bag.
Seal bag, removing as much air as possible, and freeze for up to three months.

Slow Cooker | Cooking Directions:

Thaw freezer bag in fridge 12-24 hours before cooking.
Dump the contents of the freezer bag into slow cooker.
Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
Cook 2 cups of rice according to package instructions. Once rice is finished, mix in ¼ cup fresh, chopped cilantro, the juice of 1-2 limes, and 1 tsp salt to make Cilantro-Lime Rice.
Use two forks to shred the chicken, then stir. Remove chicken and serve over Cilantro-Lime Rice. Top with your favorite taco toppings.

Instant Pot | Cooking Directions:

Thaw in the fridge for 12-24 hours before cooking. (Meals can be cooked from frozen, but some Instant Pots may trigger a burn notice due to slow steam generation.)
Dump the contents of the freezer bag, plus 1 cup water, into the Instant Pot.
Set to high pressure for 20 minutes, then allow a 10-minute natural release followed by a quick release.
While chicken is cooking, cook 2 cups rice according to package. Once rice is cooked, mix in ¼ cup fresh, diced cilantro, the juice of 1-2 limes, and 1 tsp salt to make Cilantro-Lime Rice.
Use two forks to shred the chicken, then stir. Remove chicken and serve over Cilantro-Lime Rice. Top with your favorite taco toppings.

Notes

*Labeling Methods:

Handwrite recipe name and cooking directions on freezer bag with permanent marker.
Print off a blank freezer label, write in recipe name and cooking directions, and tape onto freezer bag.
Use a pre-filled sticker label, just peel and stick to your freezer bag.

Nutrition

Serving: 5ozCalories: 261kcalCarbohydrates: 16.8gProtein: 22.5gFat: 11.1g

Keyword Cilantro Lime Rice Chicken Bowls, Easy Make Ahead Chicken Dinner, Freezer Meal Enchilada Bowls, Healthy Chicken Enchilada Meal Prep, Instant Pot Enchilada Bowl, Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Bowl

Why You’ll Love this Chicken Enchilada Chicken Bowl Recipe

Kid-approved. Even the pickiest of eaters ask for seconds.
Customizable. Grab whatever toppings you fancy and voila – it’s all you.
Perfect for gatherings. It’s the highlight of the potluck, family dinner, or gatherings with friends.
Budget-friendly with pantry staples and affordable proteins.
Checks the “healthy” and “yummy” boxes – so everyone’s happy.

Real Mom Tips

Use kitchen shears to shred the chicken – make it easy!
Toss in frozen corn or frozen diced bell peppers during the last 10 minutes to boost veggies and eliminate more prep.
Crushed tortilla chips add a great crunch when tossed on top!
Put the kids in charge of making their own bowls – they’ll love the independence (and will likely eat more!)
Serve with tortilla chips instead of rice if you’re short on time or want to change it up.

Want more no-fuss recipes? Grab this FREE fall cookbook!

FAQs

Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?

Ah, the age-old question. The short answer is yes. The best answer is yes, you can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Chicken thighs are where it’s at – they’re tender, juicy, shred easily, and much more flavorful than chicken breasts. If you use chicken breasts, just beware that they might be drier and more difficult to shred.

What toppings are best with this?

Our favorite toppings are shredded lettuce, guac (or diced avocado), sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa (or hot sauce) and crushed tortilla chips. If you’re looking to add some heat, grab some pickled jalapeños (Trader Joe’s has delicious hot and sweet pickled jalapeños). Really, though, anything goes!

Do I need to use homemade enchilada sauce?

The homemade enchilada sauce is not necessary, we just like it a lot because it’s so tasty! You’re welcome to grab a jar or can of your favorite enchilada sauce from the store, especially if it will save you time. Or, if you have a homemade enchilada sauce you love, go ahead and make that!

I don’t have cilantro or lime on hand for the rice, what do I do?

The dish itself is pretty flavorful, so you could definitely serve this over plain white rice. If you have cloves of garlic, you could also mince them and sauté in oil with salt before adding the rice to cook.

Will the rice get mushy if I serve it with everything else?

Yes, because it will overcook. Rice is best fresh, which is why we recommend making it on the day of cooking. That said, if you have leftover rice, you can freeze it in a freezer Ziploc bag to have on hand in a pinch. It won’t have that freshly made texture, but it’ll still do.

How can I make this vegetarian?

If you don’t eat meat, swap the chicken out for extra beans or tofu – just adjust the cook time to 3-4 hours. If you choose beans, I recommend black beans. They hold their texture well, have great flavor, and are overall just delicious. You could use pinto beans, but they are slightly softer than black beans and might break down during the cooking process.

Other Chicken Recipes You’ll Love

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Comment below and let me know how your Chicken Enchilada Bowl turned out!

Sophia says:

6 years ago

So good!
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Jen says:

3 years ago

This might be a silly question :/… : Do you cook this then freeze for later or do you put all uncooked ingredients into the freezer bag and pull out to cook at another time? Thanks in advance:)
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