Slow cooker chicken enchiladas are a quick and easy dinner option you can throw in the crock pot on your way out the door in the morning. They require virtually zero prep time, and this recipe calls for just 4 main ingredients!
If you're looking for set-it-and-forget-it convenience, this slow cooker chicken enchilada recipe is it! All you have to do to get it going is throw the chicken breast, canned sauce, and spices in your crock pot and let them cook for 4-5 hours.
Then, once the chicken breast is fork-tender and shredable, simply scoop portions into corn tortillas, sprinkle with cheese, and top with more sauce. After that, you'll pop them in the oven and let them bake for about 15 minutes. Easy peasy!

And better yet, enchiladas are great for meal prep! Just like this sheet pan ground turkey quesadilla or these sheet pan chicken thigh fajitas, you can make a big batch for easy leftovers throughout the week.
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Fast Facts
- Skill level: Easy, but it does require some patience when stuffing and rolling the enchiladas.
- Cook time: Getting the chicken into the crock pot only takes a minute or so. After that, the majority of the 2-5 hour cooking time is spent waiting for the chicken to slow cook. You'll need about 30 minutes to assemble the enchiladas and do a final bake to melt the cheese.
- Texture: Compared to using a rotisserie chicken or baked Dutch oven shredded chicken, slow-cooking chicken breast with enchilada sauce allows it to really absorb the moisture from the sauce, resulting in seriously juicy and tender chicken!
- Ways to make it your own: Feel free to add any of your favorite toppings, from green onions and diced avocado to salsa and sour cream. And, you can easily adjust the heat level by choosing mild, medium, or hot enchilada sauce.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken breast - Use boneless, skinless chicken breast, and make sure you trim off any fatty or undesirable-looking sections.
- Enchilada sauce - I used Pace and Old El Paso enchilada sauce when testing this recipe. Both tasted great, but you can choose whatever you prefer, or even make your own using tomato sauce, tomato paste, and chipotle chilis.
- Spices - Even though the enchilada sauce provides a tremendous amount of flavor, I found the recipe was much tastier after the addition of kosher salt, ground black pepper, chili powder, ground cumin, and garlic powder.
- Corn tortillas - You can substitute with flour tortillas if you'd like; however, I much preferred the texture of the small, taco shell-sized corn tortillas.
- Cheddar cheese - You can use cheddar, Colby-jack cheese, or a pre-shredded taco cheese blend.
*See the recipe card below for a detailed list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
- Optional mix-ins include canned corn, black beans, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, or diced bell peppers.
- Use this recipe as a base and try it out with a different protein, such as pork or beef. Refer to this slow cooker pulled pork recipe for step-by-step instructions on cooking pork shoulder in the crock pot.
Recipe Instructions with Photos
Quick Rundown
- Slow-cook the chicken breast.
- Scoop shredded enchilada chicken into corn tortillas.
- Roll tightly and repeat.
- Top with cheese and enchilada sauce.
- Bake, garnish, and enjoy!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Place the chicken breast in the bottom of your slow cooker and season with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder.
Step 2: Pour 1, 10-ounce can of enchilada sauce over the chicken, cover, and cook for 4-5 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high, or until cooked through and the chicken easily shreds with a fork.
Step 3: Once cooked, shred the chicken using two forks and mix it back into the enchilada sauce.
Step 4: Wrap the corn tortillas in damp paper towels and warm them in the microwave for 45 seconds. This will make them more pliable and prevent cracking.
Step 5: Preheat your oven to 350°F and pour half of your second can of enchilada sauce into the bottom of an extra-large casserole dish.
Step 6: Scoop about ¼ cup of shredded chicken into the middle of a corn tortilla. Sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese and then roll tightly.
Enchilada baking tip!
It might be challenging to find a baking dish large enough to fit all 14-16 assembled enchiladas. In order to bake all of the chicken enchiladas at the same time, you'll need an extra-large roasting pan or two medium-sized casserole dishes. You can divide the can of sauce and 1 cup of cheese between the two dishes.
Step 7: Place your assembled chicken enchiladas in your casserole dish, seam side down. Repeat until you've used up all of your chicken and tortillas. This recipe makes about 14-16 enchiladas using small corn tortilla shells.
Step 8: When finished, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over top of the prepared chicken enchiladas, sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese, and bake for 15 minutes, or until melty and bubbly.
Step 9: Top the baked enchiladas with any of your preferred garnishes, serve immediately, and enjoy!
Side Dish Ideas
I never serve these crock pot chicken enchiladas without a vegetable side dish. I love a fresh garden salad, but any of the options listed below also work.
Tips for Success
- To prevent the tortilla shells from cracking, wrap them in damp paper towels and warm them in the microwave for about 45 seconds.
- The enchilada sauce will thin out as the chicken breasts cook. If you like a thicker sauce, you can thicken it back up by mixing in a cornstarch slurry at the end of cooking time. Just remove the chicken breasts before you mix it in.
- Don't wrap the chicken enchiladas in advance. The corn tortillas start to crack several minutes after they're exposed to air. It's best to move quickly during this step.
Other Recipes to Consider
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Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas (4 Main Ingredients!)
Slow cooker chicken enchiladas are a quick and easy dinner option you can throw in the crock pot on your way out the door in the morning. Made with chicken breasts and red enchilada sauce, they're slow-cooked until fall-apart tender and require virtually zero prep time!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2-5 hours
- Total Time: 2-5 hours
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2, 10-ounce cans enchilada sauce
- 14-16 small corn tortillas ( approx. 5-inch diameter)
- 2 cups shredded taco blend cheese
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker and season with kosher salt, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin.
- Pour one, 10-ounce can of enchilada sauce over the top of the seasoned chicken.
- Cover and cook the chicken on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, or until it's fully cooked and shreds easily with a fork.
- Once fully cooked, shred the chicken and mix it into the enchilada sauce in the slow cooker.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Wrap the corn tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute. This helps prevent them from cracking.
- Pour half of the second can of enchilada sauce into the bottom of an extra-large casserole dish and spread it out into an even layer. Note: It might be challenging to find a baking dish large enough to fit all 14-16 assembled enchiladas. If you don't have an extra large dish and would like to bake all of the chicken enchiladas at the same time, you'll need to use two medium-sized casserole dishes. The half can of enchilada sauce can be divided between the two medium-sized dishes.
- Assemble your enchiladas. Scoop ¼-cup of shredded chicken into the center of a tortilla and top it with 1-tablespoon of shredded cheese. Roll it tightly and place it in your prepared casserole dish, seam side down. Repeat this step until you've used up all of your chicken and tortillas.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the assembled enchiladas, then sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese on top.
- Transfer the chicken enchiladas into your preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the enchilada sauce is bubbling.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- The enchilada sauce will thin out as the chicken breasts cook. If you like a thicker sauce, you can thicken it back up by mixing in a cornstarch slurry at the end of cooking time. Just remove the chicken breasts before you mix it in.
- You won't be pouring much enchilada sauce over the assembled enchiladas. If you like an extra-saucy dish, grab an additional can of sauce to pour on top. The same tip applies to the sprinkled cheese!
- Don't wrap the chicken enchiladas in advance. The corn tortillas start to crack several minutes after they're exposed to air. It's best to move quickly during this step.
- The nutrition information shown below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 459
- Sugar: 7.1 g
- Sodium: 1424.2 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.6 g
- Fiber: 5.6 g
- Protein: 48.4 g
- Cholesterol: 133.5 mg
Katie says
Slow cooker chicken enchiladas such a great option for nights when you don't feel like cooking!