Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole skips the usual rolling and baking, with the chicken cooking right in the enchilada sauce while the slow cooker handles most of the work. Black beans and corn are built right in, so thereās no separate side to deal with. Itās enchiladas with less assembly and more scoop-and-serve.
What Works About This Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- No tortilla rolling: The tortillas are cut into pieces and stirred in, so thereās no filling and rolling individual enchiladas.
- All of dinner is already there: Chicken, black beans, corn, tortillas, and cheese are all part of the casserole, so thereās no need to add a separate side.
- Less hands-on cooking: Thereās no browning or stovetop cooking before the chicken goes into the crockpot. Once itās cooking, it can be left alone until itās time to shred the chicken and add the finishing ingredients.
Mexican and Tex-Mex food is some of what we cook most often at home because I love the flavors and how comforting it is. My Mexican Chicken and Rice is one of my favorite recipes.
On busy evenings, though, I sometimes need something that can cook in the slow cooker and be nearly finished when I come back to it. Chicken is one of my favorite things to cook that way, and Crockpot White Chicken Chili is another hearty slow cooker dinner I turn to when I want minimal hands-on time.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Red enchilada sauce – No substitutions.
- Whole corn kernels – 1 1/2 cups frozen corn can be used instead.
- Black beans – Pinto beans can be used in their place.
- Yellow onion – White onion can be used instead.
- Chili powder – No substitutions.
- Ground cumin – No substitutions.
- Garlic powder – No substitutions.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used instead.
- Corn tortillas – No substitutions. Do not use flour tortillas.
- Monterey Jack – Cheddar or pepper Jack can be used instead. Fresh shredded cheese works best as it melts more smoothly than bagged shredded cheese.
- Black olives – No substitutions. Omit them if you donāt like them.
Mandy’s Top Tip
Slow cookers can vary quite a bit in how quickly they cook, so knowing how yours handles chicken helps keep the breasts from drying out. If your slow cooker tends to run hot, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a good option here.
Tips for Success
Drain the canned ingredients well – Excess liquid from the corn or black beans can thin the enchilada sauce, so drain them thoroughly before adding them to the slow cooker.
Cut the tortillas evenly – Cutting the corn tortillas into similar-sized pieces helps them soften at the same rate once theyāre stirred into the casserole.
Shred the chicken before adding the tortillas – Remove the chicken, shred it, and return it to the slow cooker before stirring in the tortillas so everything combines more evenly.
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Casserole in a Slow Cooker
The chicken cooks in the slow cooker with the enchilada sauce, corn, black beans, onion, and seasonings until tender enough to shred. It goes back into the slow cooker with the tortilla pieces, cheese, and olives, then cooks a little longer until everything is heated through and the cheese is melted.
Season the chicken.
Cover and cook.
Add shredded chicken and tortillas.
Add the veggies and sauce.
Shred the chicken.
Add cheese and olives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rotisserie chicken can be used, but it changes the cooking method since the chicken is already cooked. Add the shredded chicken near the end with the tortillas, cheese, and olives rather than cooking it for the full slow cooker time.
The corn tortillas only need the final 30 minutes to 1 hour in the slow cooker. Adding them after the chicken is cooked and shredded lets them soften into the casserole without sitting in the sauce for the entire cooking time and breaking down too much.
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More Slow Cooker Dinners
Here are a few more slow cooker dinners for days when the crockpot needs to handle dinner.
- Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
- Slow Cooker Chicken Barley Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
Did you try this chicken enchilada crockpot casserole? Let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment and ā rating below!
Chicken Enchilada Slow Cooker Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 (10-ounce) cans red enchilada sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) can whole corn kernels drained
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 large yellow onion diced
- 8 corn tortillas cut into 8ths
- 2 cups Monterey Jack shredded
- 1 (3.8-ounce) can black olives drained
Instructions
- Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker. Season with the chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder.
- Add the enchilada sauce, corn, black beans, and onion. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it.
- Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Add the cut tortillas, 1 cup of the Monterey Jack, and half of the black olives. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of Monterey Jack and the remaining black olives over the top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until heated through and the cheese is melted.
Notes
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. The tortillas will soften more after freezing and thawing, so expect a slightly different texture.
- Reheat: Reheat individual portions in the microwave or larger portions covered in the oven until heated through. Keeping the casserole covered while reheating helps prevent it from drying out.
Nutriton
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is estimated based on automated calculations and should be considered as an approximation. These estimates are provided as a courtesy. Please use your own brandās nutritional values to verify accuracy.