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!
Tried this recipe?
Tag @LillieEatsAndTells on Instagram with #LillieEatsandTells! We’d love to see your creations!
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!
This recipe is simple and delicious. I usually skip the lavash and add a can of black beans for some extra fiber and protein.
This was great! I didn’t buy enough chicken so I cooked up a pound of ground turkey I had on hand and added that, and I also used frozen roasted corn from Trader Joe’s since my son ate the cobb I bought (kids!). I divided the cream cheese mixture into two batches and did a bottom layer of the cubed chicken, layered the lavash on top, and added a second layer with the ground turkey and remaining cream cheese mixture. It was perfect!!! We love Lillie and her recipes 🙂
This is one of my most favorite recipes! I CRAVE Mexican & this dish totally hits the spot. I’ve made it 3 times this past month. Definitely a solid go-to for weekly meal prepping, too; it makes for a filling & satisfying lunch. I like to serve it with a salad of shredded lettuce tossed with fresh salsa, corn & diced avocado
I really liked this recipe! My kids actually ate it and loved it too! I used corn tortillas as the replacement!
So yummy & easy to make. It’s a great recipe for a busy night.
This is one of my favorite, EASY dinners to make. So easy to double and make a big batch for plenty of leftovers. I get so excited after making this knowing it’s on the menu for dinner for a few days.
Another winner, Lillie.
Thank you for your culinary genius!
This was really delicious! I only had a can of Italian cherry tomatoes and cut those up and used juice, but not juice of hatch chilis. Also used La Banderita Carb balance tortillas as they were what I had. We will definitely have it again! Thanks for the recipe.
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious!! Also, I didn’t even realize this before deciding to make the recipe but cleanup was so easy! We had some leftover baked sweet potato and it worked so well as a side and/or mixed in one big bowl together. thank you for sharing be this one!
My go to dinner every week!!
I’m really interested in trying this recipe! how much weight wise would 1 portion be? or do you just divide the one dish into 6 equal portions? Also i live in Northern Ontario i haven’t seen greek yogurt cream cheese here would I just use light cream cheese? would the macro count be the same?
Oh my gosh, SO good! Thank you, Lillie🙏🏼 You’re recipes are such a blessing to me. Truly.
How would you make this Whole30?
Everyone must try this one!!!!! This was AMAZING!! I love the recipe is already in my fitness pal. That is hugely helpful. We absolutely loved this recipe. It will be a staple in my house for sure! Thank you so much for posting!
Loves this. Seeved with jasmine rice a d shredsed cabbage. It was hit all around!
I absolutely love this recipe. Made it three times now! And currently have it baking in the oven. I’ve made it both with the Greek cream cheese and regular cream cheese and is equally as good with both options. I’ve also made it with the amount of cheese the recipe calls for and I’ve made it with more. Love love love!
This is my new favorite meal for a long day! It was so easy to prepare, honestly only took 5 minutes until it was oven ready! Annnnd IT TASTES SO GREAT! I had it over cauliflower rice and it was to die for! Thanks Lillie!
This is such a good recipe, thanks! My whole family loves it!
So glad! Thank you!
good!
This was amazing!! I added zucchini to it as well. I was a little confused about the dunking because there wasn’t much liquid so I just put a little water on top of the lavash and it came out great! There is definitely a lot of liquid after it cooks but it sets great after a couple hours.
You’re not the only one who’s said that.. so clearly I should edit! Don’t know why it seems wet enough for me… maybe sort of a flip to moisten both sides…
Does this freeze well since it has cream cheese in it?? Looking for some freezer meals for an upcoming trip.
I haven’t actually frozen this one, but I really think it would freeze great! I’d just bake it first since the chicken is raw. Sorry if that’s obvious to you! Ha.
I froze this and it reheated well!
Oh thanks for that review!!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I made it the other week & it was really easy and delicious. I ran into two issues with ingredients though and wondered if you could help me.
1) what size is the can of diced tomatoes?
2) where did you find Greek cream cheese? I actually grocery shop a few towns away in Palm Desert & checked several stores without any luck.
Thank you for the help & for sharing such inspiring and delicious recipes! Cheers.
Im’ so sorry for my delay! Just your basic 14.5 oz can of tomatoes (a detail I should include! So sorry!) And I find my Greek cream cheese at my Ralphs, and Stater Bros, maybe Walmart too???.. but I hear a lot of people struggle to find that one! And you’re local! Hi!
Wow I was surprisingly disappointed. I followed the recipe exactly. There wasn’t very much “sauce” to “dunk” the lavash in. And 14g of cheese for an entire casserole dish is a joke! Definitely would not recommend, waste of ingredients!
Oh no I’m so sorry you hated it!
Can you use cut da carb wraps instead?
Yes! They’re just thinner and I wanted a little more substance but absolutely Cut Da Carb… or corn tortillas… I do realize I’m a little late to this so sorry!
Is the 14g of cheese for the whole dish or one serving?
Whole dish.. so sorry that I’m so behind on these comments!
I had the same question. 14 g of cheese is NOTHING!
I know! Feel free to add more to yours! Sometimes I just feel like I need a little to do the trick on top since there’s plenty of creaminess inside the dish. It’s just sort of a finishing touch. I like to keep the fats low in the final macro count since it’s much easier for you to melt more on your own or on half for your family etc!
Made this last night. Delish!
Yay! Thank you for the review!
How much chicken is called for? It’s missing from the ingredient list
Oh no it’s one of those really annoying this where an ad splits the ingredient list so it’s easy to miss! It’s in there! 860 grams which is just shy of 2 lb. 2 lb would be great! But if you like things perfect for your macros, 860 g.
I thought so too but it’s being sneaky and hiding between the ads. I believe it says 860 grams.
It says right beneath tomatoes , 860 grams
How much chicken did you use to get the marco’s
860 grams, just shy of 2 lb. It should be in the ingredient list! I think an ad was splitting the list and making it hard to catch. so sorry!
Under nutrition info it says what the serving size is…240 grams
Can I use Costco Rotisserie Chicken for this?
I think that would turn out perfectly! I haven’t done it but I would just bake it long enough for the top to get melty and browned.
Probably if there is no seasoning on the chicken, it might have more macros then.
Omg it is so hard to print your recipes with the ads everywhere :(:(:(
Ugh I know so annoying I’m so sorry! Such a tricky balance.
If you are at the top of the blog post, it has a link that says “PRINT RECIPE”, click it & the page is just her recipe.
Or you could always write it down, or take a screen shot of it…
Get copymethat!