Simple Cabbage Enchiladas Recipe
I LOVE enchiladas… they are so delicious and always seem to hit the spot. So of course, I had to find a way to incorporate them into my new way of eating. Since I’m not eating grains, I had to get creative as I needed something other than tortillas to wrap up my enchiladas with. I looked in my fridge and noticed a big head of cabbage… perfect! 🙂
Simple Cabbage Enchilada Recipe
yield: 4 SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 1 head of cabbage
- Shredded Chicken (I used leftovers from a rotisserie chicken we had)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 (4 ounce) cans of chopped green chiles
- Fresh cilantro
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 4 green onions, chopped
- Shredded cheese (optional)
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2
For the Sauce:
Add the chicken broth to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and mix in the sour cream and green chiles, heat thoroughly but do not boil and make sure to stir often. Let simmer for just a bit and the sauce should thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
3
For the Enchiladas:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel the cabbage leaves - make sure to peel them gently, as you don't want them to tear. I ran the cabbage under warm water as I was peeling. This helped a ton. Throw the cabbage leaves into the pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes. Remove and set on a paper towel to dry.
4
Mix the shredded chicken with chopped fresh cilantro and shredded cheese (optional). I also seasoned well with salt & pepper.
5
Spread the enchilada sauce in the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Then take your cabbage leaves and place the chicken mixture inside of them and roll up. Place each cabbage roll in the baking dish.
6
Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over them. I also topped with shredded cheese.
7
Bake at 350° for about 20 to 30 minutes.
* Please note that I have started incorporating dairy products back into my diet, so that’s why I decided to concoct a sour cream enchilada sauce. You can always substitute this sauce for more of a red sauce if you are trying to stay away from dairy products.
Do you drain the chiles first?
I was thinking of a way to make enchiladas the other day, never thought of using cabbage! Thanks because I’ve really missed most of the Mexican foods I grew up on before no grains.
This looks so delish! Do you have the nutritional information? I’m on a low cal-low sodium diet, but it still has to be family-friendly. I may have to do some substitutions…eee, I hope mine tastes as great as yours looks! Thanks for sharing.
How many do they make? How much chicken do you use?
Nope, the cabbage leaves ripped, even when I ran under warm water… Very frustrating! Will make shredded cabbage with enchilada mix. Thank you though for this delicious recipe!
try cooking the whole cabbage head a few minutes in boiling water before peeling…
I blanch the cabbage leaves individually for any sort of stuffing I do and it works great!
Try cutting cabbage leaf at the bottom of cabbage head where the leaf is attached to stem and detach from bottom up one leaf at a time. This works better for me.
I have made cabbage bundles for year but not enchiladas. Try running water behind the leaves from the bottom and/or dunking the cabbage in boiling water. It is a long, messy project but well worth it. I’m looking forward to trying this version of cabbage bundles.
I put my cabbage in the microwave for 12min. Let it cool while I was making the meat mixture. Make sure you core the cabbage first. Time depends on how big it is.
I recently started cooking my cabbage in the microwave and it is so much easier!!!!
I always tried to pick a lightweight cabbage for its size since the leave were looser. Remove the core of the cabbage then run water down into the hole at the stem end. That should loosen them enough to get them loose under the water. Blanch. Mash the heavy stem end with a meat tenderizer being careful not to tear the rest of the cabbage. You could also cut it out. I got this hint from an Egyptian man who was joining my husband’s birthday dinner. There will be some tearing but you can use toothpick to hold the roll together if you remember to remove them before serving. I made cabbage rolls for my husband’s birthday for nearly 50 years. I had never eaten one and had to develop my own methods.
Try blanching the cabbage leaves to soften them up – they will be pliable.
Put the head of cabbage in a big pot an put in water it does not have to cover the cabbage just roll it around the leaves will b easy to remove as the water gets hot
Does anyone have the carb count per serving?
I’ve Googled this recipie and can’t find the carb count on this specific one and it appears that it’s been copied a number of times, but I was able to find a similar on at https://foodimakemysoldier.com/paleo-enchilada-cabbage-rolls/ and the total carb count per roll is just shy of 9 carbs, so I’ll assume that this is pretty close to that or less.
The “similar recipe” is not really similar. It has tomato sauce and paste which is MUCH higher in carbs. In fact, it states that 80% of the carbs come from the sauce. Chicken broth and sour cream shouldn’t have that many carbs.
You can go to Sparkpeople.com, enter your recipe, then it will give you a count for everything.
Looks delicioso…Ummm umm will try.
Put the cabbage in a pot of simmering water until the outer leaves soften enough to peel off–same as for regular cabbage rolls
How much shredded chicken do you need?
Made this today and it was awesome!!!!! Thank you!
This was delicious. I’ll be making it again.
yeah just by the looks of this the cabbage is undercooked….def think blanching the leaves enough so that will be tender once cooked like a regular cabbage roll….i cant wait to try this method my way 😀 thanks for a lovely idea
This was amazing! Satisfied my Mexican craving but didn’t give me the bloated feeling after!
I freeze the whole head of cabbage and then thaw the cabbage when needed. I cut out as much of the core as I can. The leaves come apart easily and are soft enough to roll. Much easier than simmering in a pot.
I’m going to use hamburger to make mine the first time.
Can any one give me a carb count on a single Enchilada,tks
Thank you , Thank You, Thank You! I have been looking for a great and easy gluten free solution for tortillas! You have saved my life! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I am on a very strict diet ( no fat, no carb, no… nothing!) that becomes boring and this recipe was like a sunshine to me! Tryied today and just loved. Used less cheese (just some Philly light for the filling) but it tasted great as well. Thank you so much
Does this freeze well?
Coring and freezing the cabbage is far easier than blanching. When the cabbage thaws, you’ve got wilted cabbage leaves with no fuss. I do this when making holubchi as well. Of course it does take a day, so if you want to make it right away, blanching is the only way to go.
I look forward to trying this recipe, looks delicious!
I addd cream cheese, onions and cumin with the chicken and cooked it in my InstantPot.
Can the cabbage enchiladas be a freezer meal?
Hi Amy! That may work if covered well in an air tight container. Let us know how it works for you if you decide to try it!