Mexican Lasagna Bowls
Published June 18, 2025 • Updated March 10, 2026
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This is what happens when enchiladas and lasagna bowls meet in a meal prep container. Instead of building one big casserole that I have to slice and hope holds together, I layer everything into individual oven-safe containers so each one is its own ready-to-go meal. You get all the saucy, cheesy comfort of a Tex-Mex casserole, just portioned out and stackable in your fridge or freezer. Grab one, heat it, done.
Each bowl starts with a low-carb tortilla pressed into the bottom of a 2-cup container. Then I go: enchilada sauce, black soy beans, diced green chiles, shredded chicken, more sauce, cheese, another tortilla, and more cheese on top. I use black soy beans instead of regular because they hold their texture through day four in the sauce. Regular black beans get soft and mushy by day two, but these stay firm, and that matters when you’re eating the bowls days after assembly. The whole stack compresses as it bakes, and the tortillas absorb just enough sauce to soften without falling apart.
I tested this with less enchilada sauce once, just to see what would happen. The whole thing tasted flat. The full cup of sauce is non-negotiable. It’s what makes the layers meld together and gives you that rich, saucy bite in every spoonful. If anything, I’d add more rather than less.
What I like about the bowl format over a traditional casserole is the built-in portion control. I’m not eyeballing slices from a 9×13 pan and pretending they’re even. Each container is 45g of protein and 7.5g net carbs, and I know that before I open the lid. I press the layers down with the back of a spoon after assembly to get more surface contact with the container walls. That’s how you get the crispy tortilla edges after baking.
These hold up in the fridge for 4-5 days without getting soggy. The tortillas actually do better than pasta here because they don’t waterlog the way noodles do. Day three is still solid. I freeze a batch every time I make these, and they reheat from frozen without any texture issues. For weekly keto meal prep, these rotate in with my taco casserole and chicken casserole as the three I never skip.
Top them however you want when serving. I usually go with sour cream and sliced avocado, sometimes jalapeños for heat. You can also swap in salsa chicken as the protein if you want a different flavor profile from plain shredded chicken. These bowls handle extras well.
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Ingredients
12 low-carb tortillas, 4-inch -
1 cup red enchilada sauce, divided
-
1 cup black soy beans, drained & divided
-
1/4 cup diced green chiles, divided
-
12 oz cooked, shredded or diced chicken
-
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
-
2 cup meal prep containers
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Cut tortillas if necessary
If you’re using 4-inch tortillas, they should fit inside the 2 cup meal prep containers. If you have larger tortillas, you’ll need to cut them to fit your containers. Lay down one tortilla inside each bowl.
- 4 tortillas
Layer the taco lasagna
To each bowl, add the following layers in this order: 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce, 1 tortilla, 1/4 cup black soy beans, 1 tablespoon diced green chiles, 4 oz chicken, 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce, 1 oz shredded cheddar cheese (about 1/4 cup), 1 tortilla, and 1 oz shredded cheddar cheese.
- 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce
- 1 tortilla
- 1/4 cup black soy beans
- 1 tablespoon diced green chiles
- 4 oz cooked chicken
- 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce
- 1 oz shredded cheddar cheese (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 tortilla
- 1 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Bake or store
If enjoying now, place the bowls on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and starts to turn golden. Or place in the air fryer, and bake at 350°F for 10–15 minutes. Or microwave for 3-5 minutes. To store in the refrigerator or freezer, cover with lid and place in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freezer for 2-3 months.
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 make this in a regular casserole dish instead of individual bowls?
I've done it both ways. A 9x13 baking dish works if you're feeding a group. Just layer the same way you would the individual containers and bake at 350 degrees F for about 35-40 minutes. The reason I prefer the bowls is portion control and storage. With a casserole, I'm cutting uneven slices and trying to fit them into containers after the fact. With bowls, I know exactly what I'm grabbing from the fridge each time.
Can I use green enchilada sauce instead of red?
I usually stick with red, but I've tried green and it genuinely tastes like a different dish. Brighter, lighter, less smoky. One of my readers switched to green on his second batch and said the same thing. You can also mix red and green between layers if you want the best of both.
Can I freeze these bowls?
I freeze them every single time I make a batch. Assemble, cover tightly, and they'll keep for 2-3 months. When I'm ready to eat one, I either thaw it overnight in the fridge or bake it straight from frozen. Just add 15-20 minutes to the cook time and keep it covered with foil for the first half so the cheese doesn't get too dark before the center heats through.
Which low-carb tortilla brand works best in these containers?
I've used a few different brands, but Siete grain-free 4-inch tortillas are the easiest. They drop straight into 2-cup containers without any trimming. If you're using larger tortillas, just cut them down to fit. Almond flour and egg white tortillas both hold up well in the layers after a few days in the fridge.
How do I prevent the top cheese from over-browning?
Mine usually start browning around the 20-minute mark. I pull them when the cheese is bubbly and just starting to turn golden, not dark. If yours are getting too brown before the inside is hot, cover with a piece of foil for the first 20 minutes and uncover for the last 10. That keeps the cheese from going past golden while everything heats through.
Can I use ground beef instead of chicken?
I've made these with ground beef and they're good. Brown the beef with some taco seasoning first, drain the fat, then layer it the same way. The bowls come out a little heavier, but the flavor is great if you want a more classic Tex-Mex feel. My keto hamburger helper is another solid ground beef option if you're looking for more meal ideas.
What are black soy beans and where can I find them?
They look like regular black beans but have way fewer carbs and more protein. I use them in these bowls because they hold up in sauce for days without getting mushy, which regular black beans can't do. By day four in the fridge, these still have actual texture. You can find them canned online or in the health food aisle of some grocery stores. Eden Foods is the brand I buy most often.
Made these Sunday for meal prep and my husband, who gives every keto recipe a full smell test before committing, grabbed one straight from the fridge cold and ate it standing over the sink. Didn't even ask to heat it up. That's how I knew. The enchilada sauce soaks into the tortillas overnight and somehow makes them better than fresh out of the oven. Doubling the batch next Sunday.
Forgot meals like this were still on the table. Enchilada sauce doesn't disappoint, though next time I'd push the spice more.
Most keto Mexican casseroles I've made turn into a pile when you try to portion them out. Layering in individual containers was the fix I didn't know I needed. Better protein ratio than anything else in my lunch rotation right now.
Switched to green enchilada sauce on my second batch and it genuinely tastes like a different dish. Brighter, less heavy. Didn't expect that from something baked in a container. Also noticed the tortillas on the bottom layer get almost pasta-like after a night in the fridge (absorbs the sauce, softens just right), and honestly I liked it more than the fresh version. If you're using Siete grain-free 4-inch tortillas, they drop straight into the 2-cup containers without any trimming. Running these through my Sunday meal prep now, and the 44g protein per serving is what keeps them there, but they also reheat cleaner than anything else I've put in these containers.
Made a batch last week and let them go the full time, but the top cheese got darker than I wanted. Were yours bubbling at 20 minutes? Do you pull them then or just watch the timer?
Mine are usually bubbling right around the 18-20 minute mark and I pull them when the cheese is just turning golden, not full brown. If yours are darkening before they're hot through, loosely tent a piece of foil over them around the 15-minute mark.
Brought these to a Sunday dinner at my sister's and set the bowls out still warm. Someone finished one before asking if there was actual tortilla in there, then looked surprised when I said yes, low-carb. The single-serve containers made the whole thing easy to carry and serve.
The tortilla reveal never gets old. People eat first, ask questions later.
Brought these to a Super Bowl watch party still in the 2-cup containers, and two people were genuinely convinced I had ordered them from somewhere, kept asking which restaurant. Something about the enchilada sauce layered between everything, it just looks more polished than the prep actually is. This is going to be my standard move for any gathering where I need to feed people without spending the whole day cooking.
The 2-cup containers look more intentional than they have any right to. I've started making a double batch when I bring these anywhere so there are actually some left when I get home.
My husband grabbed three of these for his work lunches before I could stop him. Not keto, had regular pasta in the fridge, didn't matter. The layers held up great after two days, which is probably why.
Ha. Three at once. The tortillas hold up better than pasta would actually, they don't get waterlogged the way noodles do. Day three is still fine.
Brought these to a snow day hangout and people kept picking up the containers to read the labels, like they were convinced there had to be more to it than tortillas and chicken. The enchilada sauce is freaking doing the heavy lifting here. Doubled the batch for the freezer after that.
Ha, the sauce really is doing the heavy lifting. I tested with less once and it was just flat. Full cup, every time.
Do black soy beans break down in the sauce the same way regular black beans do, or do they stay firmer after baking? I cook a lot of Mexican food so I know what the texture should be with regular beans in something like this, but I've never used the soy version and can't tell just from looking at them. Planning to make all four portions for meal prep this week, so I really don't want to find out on day one that the texture's off. By day three or four in the fridge, do they hold up or start getting mushy in the enchilada sauce? I prepped something similar with chickpeas once and they turned weirdly soft by day three, which is why I'm nervous about making the swap.
They hold up way better than regular beans, which is part of why I use them here. Regular black beans start going soft in sauce after a couple days, these don't. Day four you're still getting actual texture, nothing like the chickpea situation.
Made this 3 times now. The tortilla layers get crispy on the edges and I'm obsessed.
The crispy edges are the best part. I press mine down a little with the back of a spoon after layering to get even more surface contact.