This Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas recipe is made in the slow cooker for a quick and simple weeknight dinner. The chicken is juicy, tender and is loaded into flour tortillas and topped with cheese, then baked to perfection.
These are the greatest meal to throw together and go. Prep them while the kids are at school or before work. We had guitar lessons last night and I made these earlier in the day.
It takes minutes to get these slow cooker chicken enchiladas oven ready once you get home. The best kind of recipe!
Do you love easy Mexican recipes? Try these Chipotle Chicken Sandwiches, Blackened Charred Corn and Spicy Pineapple Margaritas.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It is filled with Mexican flavor
- The recipe is super simple and a dump and go meal
- The chicken is juicy and flavorful from cooking most of the day in the slow cooker
- This is a crockpot meal that the family will enjoy much more than the traditional can of chicken soup crockpot recipe
Crazy about tender, slow cooked meals? Try my popular Boneless Short Ribs too. They are baked in the oven low and slow. Also, make sure to check out my Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken Breast, Crockpot Birria Tacos, and Sirloin Tip Roast in Crock Pot.
The Ingredients:
Chicken breast: High in protein, low in fat and the perfect filling for these enchiladas. The chicken slow cooks into a nice, juicy texture that shreds really well.
Bell Pepper, Sweet Onion and Garlic: Used in combination with the chicken to add flavor & texture the enchilada filling.
Salsa Verde, Red Enchilada Sauce, Chicken Stock and Spices: Creates a banging sauce. The salsa verde, red enchilada sauce and chicken stock are all packaged ingredients that only require you opening up. For the spice, we have cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and salt for a Mexican/Tex Mex seasoning line up.
Flour Tortillas: Fajita size flour tortilla shells are used to hold in the filling and taste delish. Make sure to buy the fajita size, not taco or burrito size. I've been highly criticized on tiktok for using flour tortillas in enchiladas. They are so yummy that I don't even care. Sorry not sorry!
Cheddar Cheese: Used in the filling and for topping. Creates an ooey gooey filling and topping. Highly recommend!
Tomatoes, Cilantro, and Lime- The toppings! These add so much color and freshness to the recipe. I gotta have them.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations:
Don't want to slow cook in the crockpot? Into a dutch oven on medium heat, add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add in the bell peppers and onions and sauté about 6 to 7 minutes. Drop heat to medium low. Add in garlic, stir and cook for one minute. Pour in salsa verde, red enchilada sauce, chicken stock and spices. Add in the meat from one rotisserie chicken. Now, you can shred and follow the rest of the recipe.
Not a fan of cheddar cheese? You can substitute it with a mexican blend, monterey jack, or even feta cheese. If you can't have cheese, you can leave it out entirely.
Not a big veggie person? You can leave out the peppers and onions.
Want to add heat? Dice up a jalapeño to add into the chicken filling and slow cook. If you just want a little heat, remove the seeds, stems and membranes before slow cooking.
Corn tortillas can be used in place of the flour, but they do tear easier. Warm them before rolling.
If you prefer red salsa over salsa verde, you can use that instead.
How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas:
Step 1: Dump Ingredients into the Crockpot.
Place chicken breast into the slow cooker. Pour in bell pepper, onion, garlic, garlic salt, cumin, chili powder, salt, salsa verde, red enchilada sauce and chicken stock. Make sure the chicken is all covered by the ingredients.
Cover the crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours, then switch to low and cook 1 additional hour. You can also slow cook on the low setting for 6 to 7 hours. *Make sure the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees. It will probably be quite a bit higher.
Step 2: Prepare toppings.
Shred cheese and chop up the cilantro, tomato and limes for later to save on time. Place them in the fridge. This is optional, and you can certainly wait until the chicken is done.
Step 3: Shred the Chicken.
Once the chicken is finished, use two forks to shred it for the enchiladas. I like to transfer the breasts onto a cutting board and shred, then place them back into the crockpot.
Step 4: Assemble the Enchiladas
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 casserole dish with a few ladle fulls of the sauce.
Microwave the flour tortillas for 10 seconds or heat them up in the oven for a few minutes until pliable. Fill the center with chicken filling, then a handful of cheese. *Save some remaining cheese for topping the enchiladas.
Step 5: Bake the Enchiladas.
Roll them up and place fold side down into the casserole dish. A 9x13 casserole should hold about 8 enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 minutes.
Step 6: Serve and Enjoy!
Top with tomato, cilantro and serve with limes. Enjoy. I also love a dollop of sour cream or this sour cream sauce on mine too. So yummy.
Expert Tips:
- The chicken breast should be thawed completely prior to the start of this recipe. The USDA doesn't recommend using frozen chicken in the crockpot. The biggest issue is the cook time varies, so it throws the recipe off. Always make sure your chicken is at least 165 degrees internally before consuming.
- Use tongs when loading the chicken filling into the tortillas to avoid too much liquid in the filling.
- I highly recommend pouring sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish. This makes the bottoms of the tortillas nice and soft and they won't stick to the dish quite as much.
- Don't skip the warming the tortillas step. They are harder to work with when they are cold and will be much more likely to crack when you fold them up.
For more recipes loaded with Spanish flavors, try my Chicken Fajita Wraps, Chicken Corn Soup in the Crockpot and Baked Chicken Tacos.
Recipe FAQs:
The USDA says no. The biggest issue with it is that it throws off the cook time for many recipes and a lot more time may need to be added when cooking frozen chicken vs. thawed. Always make sure the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees before consuming chicken.
I like to make sure it's close to being covered. It tastes best when cooking in the sauce. If it isn't covered entirely, flip over half way through for the best flavor. To make sure it's completely cooked, check the chicken with an internal thermometer. It should read at least 165 degrees internally.
I'm not sure if there is a best cheese. So many cheeses taste delicious. However, I prefer a cheese like cheddar, a mexican blend or monterey jack that gets nice and gooey while baking. Seriously though, even a cheese like feta tastes so yummy. I will put feta on anything!
More Flavor Packed Recipes You'll Love:
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Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas
- Total Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
Description
This Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas recipe is made in the slow cooker for a quick and simple weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, trimmed *If they are frozen, they need to be completely thawed before you start the recipe
- 1 cup of bell pepper (any color) diced
- 1 cup of yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup of salsa verde (this is store-bought and you can use any kind of salsa)
- (2) 10 ounce cans of mild red enchilada sauce
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 8 flour tortillas- fajita size
- 1 roma tomato, seeds removed and diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced
- 8 ounce block of cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving
Instructions
- Place chicken breast into the slow cooker. Pour in bell pepper, onion, garlic, garlic salt, cumin, chili powder, salt, salsa verde, red enchilada sauce and chicken stock. Make sure the chicken is all covered by the ingredients.
- Cover the crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours, then switch to low and cook 1 additional hour. You can also slow cook on the low setting for 6 to 7 hours. Make sure the chicken reads an internal temp of at least 165 degrees. It will most likely be much higher.
- I like to shred cheese, and chop up the cilantro, tomato and limes for later to save on time. Place them in the fridge. This is optional, and you can certainly wait until the chicken is done.
- Once the chicken is finished, use two forks to shred it for the enchiladas. I like to transfer the breasts onto a cutting board and shred, then place them back into the crockpot.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 casserole dish with a few ladle fulls of the sauce.
- Microwave the flour tortillas for 10 seconds or heat them up in the oven for a few minutes until pliable. Fill the center with chicken filling, then a handful of cheese. *Save some remaining cheese for topping the enchiladas.
- Roll them up and place fold side down into the casserole dish. A 9x13 casserole dish should hold about 8 enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Top with tomato, cilantro and serve with limes. I also love a dollop of sour cream on mine! So yummy. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use tongs when loading the chicken filling into the tortillas to avoid too much liquid in the filling.
- I highly recommend pouring sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish. This makes the bottoms of the tortillas nice and soft and they won't stick to the dish quite as much.
- Don't skip the warming the tortillas step. They are harder to work with when they are cold and will be much more likely to crack when you fold them up.
- The chicken breast should be thawed completely prior to the start of this recipe. The USDA doesn't recommend using frozen chicken in the crockpot. The biggest issue is the cook time varies, so it throws the recipe off. Always make sure your chicken is at least 165 degrees internally before consuming.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: slow cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Sherry Terzian says
I did it, I made these and they were amazing. The chicken melted in my mouth and I loved the flour shells. They didn't fall apart and they were super soft. One more new recipe under my belt. Thank you Tara.
Tara Smithson says
Yay!!! You've been cooking so much and I love it! Hooray for chicken enchiladas. You're welcome and thanks for making my recipes. xoxo
Payton says
Delish!