Keto Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
Published September 27, 2020 • Updated March 2, 2026
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I wrap creamy buffalo chicken in deli meat slices instead of tortillas for these keto buffalo chicken enchiladas. The cream cheese and blue cheese melt into the buffalo sauce and the whole thing bakes in about 30 minutes.
I came up with these buffalo chicken enchiladas because I wanted that spicy, creamy, cheesy casserole flavor without any tortillas dragging up the carb count. The trick is using deli chicken slices as the wrap. They hold the filling, crisp up in the oven, and add protein instead of carbs. It’s the easiest enchilada method I’ve ever used.
The filling is where this gets good. You simmer shredded chicken in buffalo sauce until it thickens, then stir in cream cheese and sour cream off the heat. That cream cheese melts into the buffalo sauce and turns everything ridiculously creamy. I’ve had readers tell me this part alone is worth making the recipe for. Lakshmi made these for the first time and said she was nervous she’d mess it up, but the filling came together easier than she expected.
I pour a thin layer of the buffalo enchilada sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish before arranging the rolls. This keeps the bottom from drying out and gives you that saucy bite all the way through. Then the rest of the sauce goes on top with shredded Mexican cheese and crumbled blue cheese. The blue cheese is not optional in my kitchen. It’s what separates this from every other buffalo recipe out there.
What I love about using deli chicken as the wrap is that it doesn’t get soggy like tortillas can in a casserole. The edges actually crisp up slightly where they touch the sauce, and the filling stays creamy inside. I’ve made enchiladas with low carb tortillas, cheese wraps, and cabbage leaves, but the deli chicken method is the one I keep coming back to. If you like this style of keto casserole, my homemade keto enchiladas use a more traditional beef filling, and the white chicken enchiladas go in a completely different direction with a creamy white sauce.
These bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. I pull them when the cheese is bubbling and just starting to brown on the edges. The green onions go on after they come out of the oven. The whole thing takes about 30 minutes from start to table, which is why this has become one of my go-to weeknight dinners. If you want something even more hands-off, the enchilada lasagna casserole skips the rolling entirely. And my chicken casserole is another keto chicken dinner I keep in regular rotation.
How to Make Buffalo Enchiladas
The key to rolling these is keeping the deli chicken slices cold until you’re ready to fill them. Warm slices tear. I lay one slice flat, add a generous spoonful of the filling down the center, and roll it snugly. Place each roll seam-side down so it stays closed while baking.
I watch the oven closely after the 10-minute mark. You want the cheese bubbling and just starting to spot brown on the edges. Mine are usually perfect at 12 minutes, but every oven runs a little different. If the cheese looks melted but hasn’t browned at all, give it another minute or two.
When these come out of the oven, let them sit for 3-4 minutes before serving. The filling is molten cream cheese and buffalo sauce, and it needs a moment to set up. If you cut in too early, it runs everywhere. I learned that the hard way. For another low carb dinner with a similar quick assembly, try my BBQ chicken tostada or salsa chicken.
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Ingredients
3 tablespoon butter, divided -
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
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1 cup buffalo sauce, divided
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1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
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1/4 cup sour cream
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4 ounces cream cheese, softened
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8 slices deli chicken meat
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3 tablespoons water
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1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
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1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
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2 green onions, sliced
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Sauce the chicken
In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter and melt over medium high heat. Add chicken and 1/2 cup buffalo sauce. Simmer until sauce has thickened.
Make it creamy
Remove skillet from heat, stir in lemon juice, sour cream and cream cheese. Combine until smooth.
Make buffalo enchilada sauce
In a separate bowl, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter using a microwave or a small saucepan. Add remaining buffalo sauce and water. Stir to combine.
Pour sauce on the bottom
Pour 1/3 of buffalo sauce mixture to the bottom of a 3-quart casserole dish.
Assemble enchiladas
Take one slice of chicken and scoop a large spoonful of buffalo chicken mixture to the center of the chicken slice. Roll and place seam side down along the edge of the casserole dish. Continue with remaining chicken slices.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of cooked shredded chicken?
I use rotisserie chicken for these all the time. It saves about 20 minutes of cooking and shredding, and I actually think the flavor is better because rotisserie chicken has more seasoning baked in. I pull the meat from a whole bird and usually have enough for two batches.
How do I make homemade buffalo sauce if I can't find it in stores?
I've been making my own buffalo sauce for years using Frank's Red Hot as the base. Melt 1/3 cup butter, stir in 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot, and add a splash of white vinegar. That's it. A reader named Julai wrote me from Spain because she couldn't find bottled buffalo sauce, and this homemade version worked perfectly for her.
Can I make these ahead and freeze them?
I freeze these all the time. I assemble the whole casserole but don't bake it, then cover tightly with foil and freeze for up to a month. When I'm ready, I bake straight from frozen at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes until the cheese is bubbling. The keto filling holds up well to freezing because the cream cheese base stays creamy when reheated.
What are the best keto tortilla alternatives for these enchiladas?
I landed on deli chicken slices because they're the lowest carb option and they add protein instead of empty carbs. But I've also tested this with Folio cheese wraps (they crisp up nicely) and steamed cabbage leaves (softer, more like a traditional enchilada texture). All three work. If you want a low carb option that feels more like a real tortilla, try the cheese wraps. For more dinners that skip the tortilla entirely, my taco casserole uses a similar layered approach.
How do I adjust the spice level if I don't like it too hot?
I make these medium-hot with regular buffalo sauce, but my reader Susan taught me a trick I now use when cooking for guests. She mixes half Frank's Hot Buffalo Sauce with half regular Frank's Red Hot. You get the tangy buffalo flavor without the burn. I tried her method and it works perfectly. For extra spice, I add a few dashes of cayenne to the sauce before baking.
How should I store and reheat leftovers?
I store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and they're good for 3 days. I reheat mine in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes rather than the microwave. The microwave makes the deli chicken a little rubbery, but the oven keeps everything crispy on top and creamy inside.
Can I make this recipe dairy-free?
I've tested this with cashew cream cheese in place of regular cream cheese and it works, but the sauce is a little thinner. You'll want to let it simmer an extra minute or two to thicken up. For the sour cream, coconut cream is my go-to swap. I'd skip the blue cheese entirely and just go heavier on whatever dairy-free shredded cheese you like.
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Trying to get ahead this week. Want to assemble Sunday night so I can just pop them in the oven Monday after work. My big worry is the deli chicken sitting in buffalo sauce overnight. Does it get soggy, or hold up okay refrigerated? Would you assemble everything and keep it in the fridge, or hold the filling and sauce separate until bake time?
Batch four now. Started mixing extra cream cheese into the buffalo sauce before pouring, and the filling got so much thicker and tangier. Can't stop eating it.
I've tried at least three different keto enchilada approaches and the deli meat wrap is the one that actually holds together. The cream cheese mixed into the buffalo chicken filling keeps everything from drying out, which was always the issue with the other versions.
The cream cheese is holding more together than people realize. I had early versions without it and the filling just pooled at the bottom of the dish instead of staying inside the wraps.
I've tried four versions of keto enchiladas before this. Zucchini strips fall apart in the sauce. Low-carb tortillas go gummy in a casserole dish. The deli chicken holds its shape for the full 30 minutes and actually soaks up the buffalo sauce. That alone puts this ahead of anything else I've tried. The cream cheese keeps the filling from running when you cut into it, which was my main problem with other buffalo chicken casseroles. This one holds together like enchiladas should.
The cut-through test is the one that gets me. I had versions where everything just ran the second you sliced in. Cream cheese is what changed that.
My husband took one bite, paused, and goes 'wait, there's no pasta?' because he was convinced it was a casserole. That cream cheese melts into everything so it just reads like comfort food. I'd probably add a little more blue cheese next time, but this is going on repeat.
Ha, the casserole confusion is the best reaction. And yes on more blue cheese - I'd go up to 1/3 cup, it can handle it.
Was fully prepared to write this off when I saw deli meat instead of tortillas. Held up better than any flour tortilla enchilada I've made, and the cream cheese and blue cheese together does something to the buffalo sauce that I haven't found in other versions.
Deli meat gets written off constantly. But it wraps tight, holds the sauce, and comes out of the oven with actual structure. Low-carb tortillas can't always say that.
Good recipe, but I'd cut the buffalo sauce by about a third. The deli meat soaks up a lot of liquid and mine came out pretty soupy. Great flavor, just a warning for anyone who likes it less saucy.
I was so nervous I'd mess this up but it came together way easier than I expected! The buffalo sauce with the cream cheese got SO creamy and the blue cheese on top was perfect. My kitchen smells incredible. Feeling pretty proud right now.
That cream cheese-buffalo combo gets crazy creamy. The blue cheese on top pulls it all together.
Hi Annie,
I soo love your site and happy to have stumbled into it. I am trying to transition my family into eating low-carb and looking for recipes that are delicious. Most of the recipes I tried before didn't pass the taste test for my picky husband and 2 toddler boys. The recipes I tried in your site passed the test and husband didn't think they were low carb. Is there a homemade substitute for Buffalo sauce? We live in Spain and I don't think we have this sauce here.
I'm so glad you are enjoying the recipe. Do you have Frank's red hot sauce? There are lots of recipes on the internet for homemade buffalo sauce using Frank's Red Hot Sauce as a base. Maybe that will work.
My son can not believe it was all Keto!
Ha. The deli chicken fools everyone. 2.3 net carbs and it comes out of the oven looking exactly like the real thing.
Must say, I was a little cautious of this being good. I was wrong, it was GREAT last night! I even said, "I think I like this better than any enchiladas I have had at a restaurant." Thank you for this recipe!
Ha, that's always how it goes. Restaurant enchiladas are mostly just tortilla anyway. The deli chicken flips that.
Made this last night. I loved the flavors snd the chicken was so moist snd tender. I doubled the recipe and used half Frank’s Hot Buffalo Sauce and have his regular Buffalo sauce. I thought the heat was just right, but my husband said it was burning his mouth. Next time I’ll use less of hot sauce for him. Great recipe!!
You're literally the Susan I mention in my FAQ for this recipe. That half-and-half trick is what I tell everyone now. For your husband, try 3/4 regular to 1/4 hot next time, same tang without the burn.