Saucy and cheesy, with chicken, enchilada sauce, black soy beans, and low-carb tortillas layered into individual oven-safe containers so each one is its own meal. This is what happens when enchiladas and lasagna meet in a meal prep container, and I built it this way because slicing one big casserole never worked for a week of lunches. Use the smallest tortillas you can find so they fit, and bake at 350 until the cheese browns. 7.5g net carbs and 44g protein per bowl.
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, another tortilla, black soy beans, diced green chiles, shredded chicken, more sauce, cheese, a third 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 9x13 pan and pretending they’re even. Each container is 44g 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.
What is Mexican lasagna?
It’s a Tex-Mex casserole that layers tortillas instead of pasta with seasoned meat, cheese, beans, and sauce, baked until bubbly and usually served with toppings like sour cream, avocado, or jalapeños. Most versions use a big baking dish for the whole family, but I make mine in individual 2-cup containers because the portioning is cleaner and they’re easier to store. Same flavors, just built for grabbing from the fridge on a busy day.
Why I make these in individual bowls
Keto-friendly swaps: Most versions of this dish are loaded with carbs from flour tortillas and canned beans. I use low-carb tortillas and black soy beans to keep each bowl at just 7.5g net carbs.
High protein: 44g of protein per bowl, which is what actually keeps me full through the afternoon. I use chicken here, but ground beef, steak, or extra black soy beans all work if you want to switch it up.
Built for meal prep: I assemble everything into individual oven-safe containers, so I can prep a full batch and toss them in the fridge or freezer. Then just reheat whenever I need something fast.
Minimal cleanup: No big chopping session, no extra pans. I layer ingredients straight into the container and bake. That’s it.
Ways I switch it up
Swap the protein: Ground beef, turkey, pork, or shredded steak all work in the layers. I’ve used leftover fajita chicken and the smoky seasoning pairs really well with the enchilada sauce.
Switch the beans: If you’re not watching carbs, canned black beans or pinto beans are fine. For keto, stick with black soy beans or skip them entirely and add more meat.
Change the tortillas: Any low-carb tortillas work (almond flour, egg white, cheese-based wraps). Siete grain-free 4-inch tortillas fit 2-cup containers without any trimming, which saves time on assembly.
Try green enchilada sauce: I usually go red, but green makes it taste like a completely different dish. Brighter, less heavy. You can also mix red and green between layers.
Add more sauce: If you like it saucy, drizzle extra enchilada sauce or salsa between layers. More moisture means the tortillas soften faster and the flavors meld together better.
Toss in extra veggies: Bell peppers, spinach, onions, or chopped jalapeños all work. Saute them first if they’re raw so they don’t release water into the layers.
Mix up the cheese: Cheddar is my default, but pepper jack adds heat and Monterey Jack gives you a creamier melt. Queso fresco crumbled on top after baking is good too.
Top it off: Sour cream, avocado, cilantro, green onions. Crushed pork rinds for crunch. I add these after reheating so everything stays fresh.
How I store and reheat these
Meal Prep Tips
I use these 2-cup glass containers from Amazon for all my bowls. They’re oven-safe, microwave-safe, and the lids seal tight enough for the freezer. I usually make 4 at a time and split them between the fridge and freezer.
Fridge Storage
Once assembled, they keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. Let them cool completely before putting the lid on. The tortillas actually get better after a night in the fridge because they absorb the sauce and soften into something almost pasta-like.
Freezer Storage
Cover tightly and freeze for up to 2-3 months. I always use oven-safe containers so I can go straight from freezer to oven without transferring anything.
Reheating
From the fridge: Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, or air fry at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. From frozen: Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, then uncover for another 10-15 minutes to melt the cheese. If the top starts getting too dark, keep the foil on a little longer. Or thaw the bowl overnight in the fridge and reheat it like a fridge bowl. In a rush: Microwave 3-5 minutes. Just make sure your container is microwave-safe.
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.
For this step
4 tortillas
2
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.
For this step
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
3
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
Per serving: 1 bowl
Calories
580
Fat
37g
Protein
44g
Total carbs
34.5g
Net carbs
7.5g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
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.
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.
Been making these almost every Sunday for the past month. One thing took a few batches to catch: the chicken goes in unseasoned and the enchilada sauce alone doesn’t quite carry it. I started tossing my shredded chicken with cumin and a pinch of salt before layering. Didn’t realize the gap until I made them side by side. Everything else holds as described, layers still intact by Friday, and the 44g protein keeps me coming back.
Kelly, the cumin catch is real. I’ve been making these with rotisserie chicken so the pre-seasoning was already built in, but a plain poached breast is going to read flat in there without it. Might add a note to the recipe.
Get the 4-inch tortillas if you can find them, they fit the containers without any trimming. First time doing layered meal prep like this and the whole assembly took maybe 10 minutes once the chicken was ready.
Individual containers are what finally make this format work. Every keto Mexican lasagna I’ve made in a casserole dish falls apart when you serve it and you lose the whole layered thing. These hold together through the whole week, and the black soy beans bring the protein to a number I haven’t hit with anything comparable. Four stars because I need at least double the green chiles.
I went individual from the very first batch for exactly that reason. And on the chiles, I just use the whole can now. The 1/4 cup is the floor, not the target.
Skipping the bake step is what changed this for me. I refrigerate straight from assembly and by Wednesday the layers hold together way better than right out of the oven, something about the tortillas firming up against the sauce as they sit. Around round five I started doubling the green chiles too, the recipe amount gets swallowed and it just tastes flat without more. Extra cheddar, about two ounces over, and the pull when you dig in is completely different. Only real note: don’t rush assembly. Go too fast and one container eats noticeably better than the others. Been on the Sunday rotation for months.
44g protein is what got me. Skipped baking, refrigerated Sunday night, layers were still solid Thursday. Apparently layered bowls are way easier than I expected.
Usually when I make anything layered in a container, the whole thing’s soggy by day two and I end up scraping half. Almost went with my usual chicken rice bowl instead. These are genuinely better on day three, the enchilada sauce soaks into the tortilla layers and it becomes something closer to braised than meal prep. 44g of protein and it only gets better over time. Replaced my old lunch rotation.
Used a rotisserie chicken and had these assembled in under 10 minutes flat. Doubled the green chiles because I like heat, and they held up great even after four days in the fridge (layers stayed totally intact, which I did not expect).
Rotisserie chicken is basically how I make these now. The black soy beans are what keep the layers together that long – regular black beans would be mush by day 2.
My son normally has opinions about anything that’s ‘not real Mexican food’, so I wasn’t expecting much. He watched me layer the tortillas and enchilada sauce, pulled up a chair, and didn’t say another word until his bowl was empty. Making double next time.
I made peace with the idea months ago that real Mexican food was just gone on keto. Then I made these last Sunday, layered in the enchilada sauce and chicken, took one bite and just stopped. That is the flavor. The one I have been missing since I started this whole thing. So grateful this recipe exists.
The red enchilada sauce is what does it. I went through probably six batches getting that ratio right, and the moment it clicked I knew it was the one.
Went in skeptical about the tortilla layers holding up by day three, but they stay intact SO much better than the grain-free wraps I’ve been using. Everything else on my Sunday prep rotation is suddenly on notice.
Tried green enchilada sauce instead of red and added sliced jalapeños between each tortilla layer. The tomatillo tang cuts through all that cheese differently than red does (less heavy, brighter), and the jalapeño heat stacks through the layers. You don’t really feel it until you’re a few bites in. One thing I figured out: let the bowls sit 10 minutes before they go in the oven. The tortillas soak up the sauce and the whole thing holds together when you cut in.
That pre-oven rest makes so much sense. Tortillas go in pretty dry without it. And jalapeños through every layer instead of just on top changes when the heat actually hits.
