This is the best SLOW COOKER CHICKEN ENCHILADA

This easy recipe for slow cooker chicken enchilada allows you to create a flavorful meal for your family in half the time it would take to make the oven-baked version!

Slow cooker chicken enchilada

Image of slow cooker enchilada in a serving plate

Enchiladas are a classic dinner option that is sure to be popular with everyone in the family. But creating the dish from scratch and baking it in the oven can be pretty time consuming. Luckily, there’s a simple way to cut down the prep time on this delicious Mexican dish – make this slow cooker chicken enchilada!

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Slow Cooker Enchilada Tips

While this recipe is quick and easy to prepare, there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind as you’re prepping your ingredients. Follow these suggestions to ensure your dinner tastes amazing:

  • Cook the chicken before adding the other enchilada ingredients. While it may be tempting to add all the ingredients for your dinner in the crockpot and crank up the heat, if you don’t allow the chicken to fully cook first, you’ll end up with soggy enchiladas. That’s because the chicken takes much longer to cook in the slow cooker than the other ingredients. Make sure you give your chicken time to fully cook before preparing the enchiladas for the best results.
  • Spray the crockpot to prevent sticking. Using a sauce in your slow cooker can often lead to a mess if you’re not prepared. To keep your enchiladas from sticking to the sides of the pot and burning, spray the bowl of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray before adding your ingredients. Using a slow cooker liner is another great way to make cleanup easier.
  • Try using frozen chicken if cooking for a long period of time. Do you want to start your meal in the morning before you head off to work? Add frozen chicken to your crockpot instead of raw chicken to help extend the cooking time. Raw chicken will cook fairly quickly in the slow cooker. But frozen chicken takes several hours to fully cook. Using frozen meat is a great option for prepping your dinner in the morning because you won’t end up with over-cooked chicken by the time you get home.
  • Use different meats. While chicken is a popular option for enchiladas, you can use a variety of different meats for this recipe. Ground meat, like beef or turkey, should be browned before adding to your slow cooker. You could also try using a chuck roast for beef enchiladas or pork tenderloin for pork enchiladas.
  • Heat the tortillas to keep them from cracking. When using corn tortillas to make enchiladas, it’s important that you take the time to heat the shells to prevent them from falling apart. Whether you’re rolling your enchiladas or simply tossing them into the slow cooker with the rest of your ingredients, preheating the shells is a must. Corn tortillas can be heated in the microwave by covering the tortillas in a damp paper towel. Or they can be warmed in a skillet over medium heat.
  • Try flour tortillas. If your family prefers the flavor of flour tortillas, you can easily swap the corn for the flour variety. It’s important to keep in mind the flour tortillas get soggy more quickly than corn ones, so they may fall apart more easily when cooked in the slow cooker.
  • Layer tortillas for easier prep work. While most enchilada dishes are made by rolling the meat filling inside the tortillas, there’s an easier way to prepare this dish! After your chicken is cooked, simply add the tortillas to the bowl of the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients. You’ll end up with all the flavors of traditional enchiladas without all the extra prep work.
  • Use paper towels to reduce steam in the slow cooker. Once you have all your ingredients added to the crockpot, you may be worried about the tortillas becoming soggy as they cook. To reduce the amount of steam build-up in your slow cooker while the enchiladas cook, try draping a paper towel over the top of the pot before placing the lid on top. This will help soak up some of the excess moisture in the pot. Just make sure the paper towel isn’t touching the ingredients in the pot.

Close up image of slow cooker chicken enchilada

Chicken Enchilada Toppings

Once you have your slow cooker enchiladas prepared, you can have some fun dressing up your dinner! There are a variety of unique ingredients you could use to top your enchilada recipe to add even more flavor to your meal. Why not try these topping ideas?

  • Sliced avocado
  • Chopped tomato
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Creamy cheese sauce
  • Sour cream
  • Sliced black olives
  • Chunky salsa
  • Guacamole
  • Fresh jalapeno
  • Diced green chilies
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Diced bell peppers

Slow cooker chicken enchilada recipe

Image of red chicken enchilada on a serving plate with sour cream on top

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Enchilada

Whether you’re cooking your enchiladas in the slow cooker or the oven, you’ll need similar ingredients. This classic Mexican dish is usually made with:

  • Chicken breast
  • Canned corn
  • Black beans
  • Red enchilada sauce
  • Shredded cheese
  • Corn tortillas

How to make chicken enchilada in the slow cooker

  1. Place the chicken breast in the slow cooker and top with enchilada sauce. Cook on high until chicken reaches 165 degrees
  2. Remove the chicken and shred the meat. Return to slow cooker
  3. Add the corn, beans, tortillas and 2 cups of cheese and stir to mix.
  4. Top with remaining cheese and cook for 45 minutes.

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5 from 7 votes

Slow cooker chicken enchilada

This easy recipe for slow cooker chicken enchilada allows you to create a flavorful meal for your family in half the time it would take to make the oven version!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken enchilada soup recipe, slow cooker chicken enchilada, slow cooker enchilada
Servings: 4 people
Author: Petro Neagu

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1 can whole kernel corn drained
  • 1 can black bean drained and rinsed
  • 16 oz red enchilada sauce
  • 3 cups shredded cheese
  • 5 corn tortillas cut into strips

Instructions

  • Place the chicken breast in the slow cooker and top with enchilada sauce. Cook on high until chicken reaches 165 degrees
  • Remove the chicken and shred the meat. Return to slow cooker
  • Add the corn, beans, tortillas and 2 cups of cheese and stir to mix.
  • Top with remaining cheese and cook for 45 minutes.
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about petro

ABOUT PETRO

Hi, I’m Petro, author and founder of Easy Peasy Creative Ideas. Sewist, crafter, avid DIY-er, foodie, photographer, homemaker and mommy to one. I’m an expert at coming up with quick, clever sewing tips, recycling crafts and simple, easy recipes! You can find my ideas featured in reputable publications such as Country Living, Good House Keeping, Yahoo News, WikiHow, Shutterfly, Parade, Brit & Co and more. Thanks for stopping by and hope you’ll stay for a while, get to know me better and come back another time. Stick around for real fun projects! Read more…

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6 Comments

  1. Jei Laine says:

    Oh, this looks so yummy! My kids will surely love this. I will definitely make this at our family reunion on the 4th of December. Thank you for sharing.

  2. Everything Enchanting says:

    This looks absolutely delicious! I’ll have to try this recipe for my fam. They’d love this surely 😍.

  3. Sounds like the perfect dinner for my family. It looks amazing!

  4. My slow cooker broke last year and I said I’d get a new one before it got cold again. It’s starting to cool down so I need to get shopping. I love to come home to hot meals ready in the cooker and this one sounds delish.

  5. Rose Ann Sales says:

    I would really love to try this really amazing recipe! It looks absolutely delicious!

  6. Richelle Milar says:

    Wow! That looks like a really amazing recipe! It looks so good, I would love to try this!