An easy-to-make Chicken Enchilada Casserole comes together beautifully in your slow cooker. Tender shredded chicken is cooked with beans, corn, and tortillas in a delicious sauce. Top it off with melted cheese and your favorite toppings before serving.
Deconstructed Enchilada Perfection!
I’ve been using my slow cooker a lot this fall, working to come up with delicious, simple, and creative crock pot recipes to share with you.
This cozy Tex-Mex style slow cooker enchilada casserole fed my husband and me all weekend long, and he’s already asking me to make it again!
It’s got all the flavors of chicken enchiladas, but in a much simpler form. A creamy layer of shredded chicken, corn, and beans is topped with corn tortillas and smothered in melty cheese.
If you’re making this easy recipe for your family, I know you’ll love that it’s naturally gluten-free and packed with protein and fiber from plenty of chicken and black beans. It’s so filling and cheesy, and truly the perfect meal for any night of the week!
Be sure to check out all of my other new slow cooker recipes, too! Fill up your autumn or winter menu plan with Crockpot Marry Me Chicken, Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo with pasta, and the best Slow Cooker Beef Chili.
Ingredient Notes
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken: I’m using four large chicken breasts, about 1.5 pounds in total, so that the recipe can feed up to six hungry people! Chicken breasts will cook low and slow for 3 or 4 hours so that they shred apart easily. Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead if you’d like juicier meat in your casserole.
- Seasonings: This crockpot chicken enchilada casserole recipe is anything but bland! A blend of cumin, paprika, oregano, chili powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper turns plain chicken into the perfect thing for enchiladas. 3-4 teaspoons of my homemade taco seasoning will also work here. I don’t recommend using store-bought taco seasoning, though, as it contains starches that aren’t necessary in this recipe.
- Beans and Corn: Make things easy and use one can of black beans (drained and rinsed) and a handful of frozen corn. Fresh or canned corn will also work just fine.
- Red Enchilada Sauce: Your favorite canned enchilada sauce is perfect. These sauces usually come in different heat levels. Choose mild enchilada sauce to keep the spice level family-friendly. Feel free to use homemade enchilada sauce if you have some handy!
- Sour Cream: Added after the chicken has been fully cooked and shredded, sour cream gives the casserole a lovely creamy texture. Remember not to add this in the beginning, or it will cook too much and could curdle.
- Tortillas: Instead of rolling up individual enchiladas, we’ll lay corn tortillas over the chicken and veggie mixture. Slice the tortillas so that you don’t have to cut through them to serve the casserole. Yellow corn tortillas will soften up a bit, but shouldn’t completely fall apart. Flour tortillas aren’t recommended, as they will turn to mush.
- Cheese: To finish up this dish, plenty of shredded cheese is melted over the top. I like Colby Jack, but you could also try it with cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, or Mexican blend cheese.
- Garnishes: These are totally optional, but I like to add something fresh to my slow cooker meals. Optional toppings include pico de gallo salsa, black olives, sliced avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and sliced jalapenos.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
- Cutting board and knife
- Mixing Bowls
- Wooden Spoon or spatula
- Two forks for shredding
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ pounds (680 g) chicken breast
- 1 19 oz can (540 g) black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup (140 g) frozen corn
- 1 medium (150 g) yellow onion about 1 cup, diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 10 oz can (284 g) red enchilada sauce 10 oz/284 g red enchilada sauce
- ½ cup (120 g) sour cream
- 8 small (200 g) corn tortillas cut into strips
- 1½ cups (170 g) shredded Colby-Jack cheese
- Sliced jalapeno, diced avocado, pico de gallo, extra sour cream, lime wedges, chopped cilantro optional, for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chili powder, salt, paprika, cumin, onion powder, oregano, and black pepper.
- Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in the bottom of a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Sprinkle evenly with the seasoning.
- Add the black beans, corn, onion, and garlic in an even layer over the chicken.
- Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the chicken and vegetables.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, and return it to the slow cooker. Stir in the sour cream until well combined.
- Add the corn tortilla strips in an even layer, pressing down lightly with a spoon so they absorb some of the sauce.
- Sprinkle with the shredded cheese, cover again, and cook for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve hot with your choice of toppings such as jalapeno, pico de gallo, sour cream, lime wedges, and cilantro.
Notes:
- Chicken thighs may be used instead of chicken breasts for extra tenderness.
- For extra heat, add a diced jalapeno or a pinch of cayenne pepper with the seasoning.
- To stretch this meal further, serve it over rice or steamed veggies.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Slow Cooker Recipe Tips
- Watch your cooking time. In order to cook the chicken perfectly, without it overcooking or turning dry, large chicken breasts should cook on High in the crockpot for less than four hours. Once the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), it’s done! If your chicken breasts are smaller, you may need even less time.
- Add the ingredients in order. Follow along with the recipe and be sure to add the tortillas after the chicken enchilada mixture is ready. If you add them too early, they can get too soft. Once the tortillas and cheese are added, cook for just 30 minutes to warm them through and melt the cheese.
- Serve with a spoon. If you’re used to making an oven-baked version of this casserole, you might expect it to be cut and served in squares. That’s not the case here! Scoop servings into bowls and top them with your favorite enchilada toppings like fresh jalapeno slices, sour cream, and pico de gallo.
More Tasty Crock Pot Recipes
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Crockpot Salsa Chicken
Slow Cooker Beef And Broccoli
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
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