Looking for a street-smart way to use up leftover turkey or an exciting dish to spice up a weeknight? These healthy turkey enchiladas fit the bill just fine.

Looking for a street-smart way to use up leftover turkey or an exciting dish to spice up a weeknight? These healthy turkey enchiladas fit the bill just fine.

Enchiladas is one of those great one-pan dishes that you can throw together to feed a group. While there are many versions of this dish, one option I like is to use leftover meat for my enchiladas. Hence, these garlicky turkey enchiladas.

A Flavorful Leftover Turkey Enchilada Recipe for Various Occasions

This easy turkey enchilada recipe gives you a strong punch of garlic, which is balanced with savory seasonings of sage, cumin and chili powder. The dish offers an ethnic flavor that can add some excitement to a regular American diet.

Plus, healthy turkey enchiladas give the perfect balance between a light, nutrient-packed dish and a satisfying comfort food. This can be a great meal when you’re in the mood for something different or you have some leftover turkey to use up.

You can quickly throw this dish in the oven for a weeknight or dinner party. Once you have it made, it can provide a complete meal by itself. You can also pair it with avocado, salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole or a simple salad to make your meal even heartier.

Looking for a street-smart way to use up leftover turkey or an exciting dish to spice up a weeknight? These healthy turkey enchiladas fit the bill just fine.

An Easy-to-Bake Turkey Mexican Casserole Recipe

Some people consider enchiladas as Mexican casseroles. There are two important parts of this casserole. One is the enchilada filling and the other one is the enchilada sauce.

For the filling, leftover turkey enchiladas after cooking a whole bird, but you could easily substitute raw turkey, chicken or beef. If you use raw meat, make sure you cook the meat thoroughly in the saucepan before adding it to the baking dish. In this versatile recipe, you can even pick from ground, shredded or cubed meat.

For the sauce, I like to create it from scratch with organic chicken bone broth to elevate both the flavor and the nutrients of the meal. However, you could use your favorite pre-made sauce to simplify the recipe.

Looking for a street-smart way to use up leftover turkey or an exciting dish to spice up a weeknight? These healthy turkey enchiladas fit the bill just fine.

It’s easy to make many variations with the meat and sauce, such as beef enchiladas with white sauce, turkey enchiladas Verde or white sauce chicken enchiladas. Once you know the variations you want to go for, follow the recipe to put the ingredients together, assemble, and bake the dish.

Once you get a chance to make these turkey enchiladas, I’d love to hear about your experience and how you adapted the recipe to fit your tastes! Post your photo on Instagram and use hashtag #streetsmartkitchen or leave a comment below. Happy cooking!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Garlic Turkey Enchiladas

  • Author: Sharon Chen
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Stove & Bake
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Description

Looking for a street-smart way to use up leftover turkey or an exciting dish to spice up a weeknight? These healthy turkey enchiladas fit the bill just fine.


Ingredients

Scale

For the enchilada filling:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cups cooked turkey, diced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1 (14.5-oz) can stewed tomatoes

For the enchilada sauce:

  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups chicken bone broth
  • 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 dash garlic powder

To assemble:

  • 10 large tortillas
  • 2 cups Mexican blend cheese
  • fresh cilantro for garnishing

Instructions

  1. Make the enchilada filling first. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add turkey, followed by flour and all spices for the filling. Mix well.
  2. Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Use a pair of scissors to cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. While the filling is simmering, make the enchilada sauce. In a small saucepan, add garlic and butter. Cook over medium heat until butter is infused and melted. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth, stirring constantly.
  4. Bring the sauce to a boil. Stir in tomato sauce and all the seasonings. Cook until bubbly. Remove from heat.
  5. Now, heat the oven to 350°F.
  6. To assemble, pour 1 1/2 cups of the enchilada sauce in a 13×9-inch baking dish and spread to cover the bottom of the dish.
  7. Lay one tortilla on a flat surface, place about 1/4 cup turkey mixture in the center of the tortilla and top with 1-2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up tightly and place the seam side down over the sauce in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
  8. Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce. cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes.
  9. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for another 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until the cheese melt. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with avocados. Enjoy!


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 287
  • Sugar: 4.2g
  • Sodium: 865mg
  • Fat: 17g
  • Saturated Fat: 10.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 23g
  • Fiber: 3.3g
  • Protein: 12.7g
  • Cholesterol: 50mg

Keywords: turkey enchiladas

Looking for a street-smart way to use up leftover turkey or an exciting dish to spice up a weeknight? These healthy turkey enchiladas fit the bill just fine.

About the Author

Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, an author and a sous vide fanatic who believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she's on a mission to help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.