Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Soft tortillas filled with zesty honey lime chicken and loads of melty cheese, all blanketed in creamy green enchilada sauce. Just 20 minutes of prep makes these Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas a weeknight win that’s still company-worthy.

My mom had enchiladas in our regular weekly meal rotation when I was growing up so we ate them a lot! They are one of the foods that everybody loved, even the picky eaters in my family.

This version keeps the cozy, cheesy spirit of classic enchiladas going with a sweet and tangy honey lime twist and plenty of juicy shredded chicken.

Lime juice and honey bring a sweet-tart zing, while chili powder and cumin add a warm, smoky backbone. Rolled up with two kinds of cheese and smothered in a sauce that’s mellowed with sour cream and heavy cream, every bite is tangy, creamy, and downright cozy.

This recipe is wonderfully flexible, too. Rotisserie chicken makes it a weeknight shortcut, and you can mix the filling a day ahead so the flavors deepen in the fridge. And it serves eight, so there’s plenty for seconds or leftovers the next day.

For more cheesy enchilada recipes, check out my Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas, New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas, White Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce, and Best Ground Beef Enchiladas!

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

• Shredded Cooked Chicken: Makes up the filling and soaks up all that honey lime goodness. Rotisserie chicken is the easy route, but leftover roasted or poached chicken works too.
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Adds sharp, tangy flavor. Shred it fresh from a block if you can, since it melts much better than the bagged stuff.
• Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese: Adds mild, buttery flavor and a gooey cheese pull. Colby Jack works in place of both cheeses, using the same total amount.
• Soft-Taco Size Flour Tortillas: Wraps everything up and stays tender under the sauce. Corn tortillas work too, but they’re 6-inch, so you’ll need at least 10, and they soften faster, so your enchiladas may not hold up as long or as nicely.
• Green Enchilada Sauce: Gives the sauce its tangy, slightly smoky base. Any store-bought brand works, so pick mild or medium depending on your crowd.
• Heavy Cream: Makes the sauce rich and silky. Half-and-half works in a pinch, but the sauce will be a little thinner.
• Sour Cream: Adds tang and creaminess. I used full-fat here. Low-fat should work too, but it may separate when baked.
• Lime Juice: Brings the tangy citrus flavor that’s a staple of Mexican cooking. Bottled works in a pinch, but fresh tastes brighter.
• Honey: Adds natural sweetness. Maple syrup swaps in 1:1.
• Chili Powder: Gives the filling a warm, cozy flavor without much heat.
• Garlic Powder: Adds savory garlic flavor without any chopping.
• Ground Cumin: Adds the earthy, smoky flavor that makes these taste like authentic enchiladas.
• Kosher Salt: Seasons the filling. If you’re using regular table or sea salt, use half as much. Rotisserie chicken is often salty already, so taste the filling first and skip the salt if it’s good to go. Chicken breasts you cook yourself usually need it.
• Coarse Ground Pepper: Adds a little bite. Regular ground pepper works fine.
• Diced Tomatoes: Adds juicy freshness that balances the rich, cheesy pan.
• Sliced Avocados: Adds cool, creamy contrast to every bite.
• Chopped Cilantro: Adds a fresh, herby finish. Sliced green onions work if cilantro isn’t your thing.
• Lime Wedges: Adds one last squeeze of brightness right before you dig in.

How to Make Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

1. Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Season chicken. Whisk the lime juice, honey, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl. Stir in the shredded chicken until it’s coated. The longer it sits, the more flavor it soaks up, so you can even refrigerate it overnight.

3. Fill tortillas. Spoon about ⅛ of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla and sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of each cheese.

4. Mix sauce. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the enchilada sauce, heavy cream, and sour cream until smooth. Spread ½ to ⅔ cup of it over the bottom of your baking dish.
5. Roll enchiladas. Roll up the filled tortillas and nestle them seam side down in the dish, repeating until all the tortillas are filled.

6. Top enchiladas. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
7. Bake enchiladas. Bake uncovered for 28 to 33 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the tortilla edges are golden brown.

8. Garnish and serve. Top with diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Recipe FAQ’s

Tips for Success

• Shred the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces so more of it gets coated in the honey lime mixture and the filling rolls up neatly.
• Use about ⅛ of the chicken mixture per tortilla, because overstuffed enchiladas are harder to roll and tend to burst open in the pan.
• Whisk the enchilada sauce, cream, and sour cream until completely smooth before pouring, so there are no streaks or pockets of sour cream on top.
• Let the pan rest for about 5 minutes after baking, so the sauce settles and the enchiladas hold together when you lift them out.
• Add the tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro right before serving so they stay fresh and the avocado doesn’t brown.

Substitutions and Variations

• Shredded pork or leftover turkey works in place of the chicken and takes to the honey lime seasoning just the same.
• Pepper jack can replace the Monterey Jack for a spicy kick.
• Stir minced jalapeño or a pinch of cayenne into the chicken mixture for extra heat, or use chipotle chili powder in place of the regular for a smoky note.
• Fold black beans and corn into the chicken mixture for a heartier filling.

More Tex-Mex Dinners You’ll Love

• Taco Pizza
• Green Chili Chicken Chimichangas
• Chicken Flautas
• Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas
• Easy Skillet Tamale Pie
• Taco Soup
• Grilled Chicken and Steak Fajitas
• Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos