Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas is one of the easiest recipes you will ever make with delicious homemade sauce, tender chicken, tortillas, and loaded with cheese.
You will be the dinner hero with this simple recipe. The crock pot does all the work—cooking the chicken while simmering the homemade sauce for wonderful flavors.
🐓Ingredients
Chicken breasts
Shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese
Corn tortillas
Toppings—of choice
Homemade enchilada sauce—tomato sauce, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper (optional)
Optional ingredients—green chilis, black olive, black beans, corn
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Featured Comment from Anne:
"Thanks for another great recipe… followed your basic recipe and couldn't have been happier with the result. This one's a keeper!"
This delicious crock pot dinner fits a healthy diet like a low-calorie or low-fat diet or even a gluten-free diet.
Made the best homemade enchilada sauce you will ever taste. All of the ingredients are flexible to your preferences. Serve with Easy Mexican Rice and Guacamole.
This is a crock pot variation of my Healthier Chicken Enchilada Casserole in 60 Minutes — a stovetop-to-oven layered recipe that uses fresh chicken and wonderful homemade enchilada sauce to braise the chicken before shredding.
👨🍳How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas
- Trim skinless boneless chicken breasts and cut them into three pieces each.
- Add tomato sauce and spices in a smaller crock pot—mix well and add the chicken.
- Cook on low for 2 ½ to 3 hours to an internal temperature of about 165° to shred well.
- Remove the chicken and mix in chopped corn tortillas.
- Shred the chicken and add it back to the crock pot with shredded cheese.
- Top with more cheese, cover, and cook for 1 more hour on low.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
✔️Tips to make it right every time
- Raw skinless boneless chicken breasts are used, but skinless chicken thighs would be fine. They need 15-30 minutes more cooking time since they should be at about 180° to shred well.
- To use leftover rotisserie chicken, you need about 3 cups, approximately 1 ½ pounds. The sauce needs to cook for about 1 hour before adding the precooked chicken and other ingredients. So total cooking time is decreased.
- The easy homemade enchilada sauce is the highlight of this recipe. But you can use canned enchilada sauce or green enchilada sauce if you wish—both are more watery and will make for a more liquid result.
- A shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese is preferred, but you may use what you want.
- Corn tortillas will hold up better to the cooking. You may use flour tortillas, but they tend to get mussy, especially with leftovers.
- Add beans or corn for different flavors, or heat it with some cayenne pepper.
Related recipes
Check out some other easy Tex-Mex casserole recipes, like Easy Taco Casserole, Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, Rolled Chicken Enchilada Casserole, and Crock Pot Southwest Chicken Casserole
↕️Crock Pot Size and adjusting the recipe.
This recipe is already "for two" friendly, making only 6 cups (4 servings), and works in a 2-quart mini crock pot or larger with no additional ingredients.
A crock pot should be no more than 75% full to cook well. I suggest a 2 ½ quart or larger slow cooker, which would be better if adding anything.
A double recipe makes 12 cups, which is 3 quarts. The absolute minimum size is 4 quarts but without additions or errors. I prefer a 5 quart or larger.
To adjust the recipe size:
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings to your desired amount.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
- Cook for the same amount of time.
How to serve chicken enchilada casserole
Top with your favorite toppings like fresh cilantro, black beans, sliced green onion, refried beans, sour cream, salsa, or pico de Gallo. A splash of lime juice adds some extra flavor.
For side dishes, refried beans, Mexican rice, and tortilla chips with salsa or guacamole.
How to store leftovers
Seal it airtight and refrigerate for 4 days for a freeze for 3 months.
Reheat after thawing if frozen. Use a covered dish in the oven or use an air fryer. A microwave may be used, but it may affect the texture.
❓FAQs
Yes, it should be, but like all things gluten, check all ingredient labels. Some canned enchilada sauce has gluten. Shredded cheese, especially the taco-seasoned ones, may have gluten. Packaged seasonings usually have some gluten, and some corn tortillas can have some or be cross-contaminated.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Use skinless boneless chicken breast, but you may use thighs or precooked chicken—instructions in the post.
Trim two skinless boneless chicken breasts and cut them into 2 or 3 pieces each. Aim for about 1 ½ pounds, but anywhere from 1 to 2 pounds total should be fine.
In a 2 ½ to 4-quart crock pot, add one 15 oz. can of tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder (or ½ chopped small onion), ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves crushed garlic), ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix well.
Add the chicken into the sauce, covering it. Cook on low for 2 ½ to 3 hours to an Internal temperature of about 165° to shred well.
Chop 6 corn tortillas (6 inches) into bite-size pieces. Stir into the crock pot when you remove the chicken for shredding. Mix well to coat all sides and break apart any pieces that stick together.
Remove the chicken to the cutting board and shred it with forks.
Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot, add ½ cup shredded cheese—mix well and the smooth top.
Top with 1 ½ cups of the same cheese.
Cook for one additional hour, then serve with toppings of choice.
📖 Recipe
Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts - 2 breasts
- 2 cup shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese - lower-fat suggested
- 6 corn tortillas - 6-inch
- Toppings of choice.
Homemade enchilada sauce. May use 2 cups of canned enchilada sauce instead.
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder - or ½ chopped small onion
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder - or 2 cloves crushed garlic
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional
Optional ingredients-add with raw chicken
- small can of green chilis
- small can of sliced black olives
- 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup canned corn drained
Instructions
- Use skinless boneless chicken breast, but you may use thighs or pre-cooked chicken—instructions in the post.
- Trim two skinless boneless chicken breasts and cut them into 2 or 3 pieces each. Aim for about 1 ½ pounds, but anywhere from 1 to 2 pounds total should be fine.
- In a 2 ½ to 4-quart crock pot, add one 15 oz. can of tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder (or ½ chopped small onion), ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves crushed garlic), ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix well.
- Add the chicken into the sauce covering it. Cook on low for 2 ½ to 3 hours to an Internal temperature of about 165° to shred well.
- Chop 6 corn tortillas (6 inches) into bite-size pieces. Stir into the crock pot when you remove the chicken for shredding. Mix well to coat all sides and break apart any that stick together.
- Remove the chicken to the cutting board and shred with forks.
- Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot, add ½ cup shredded cheese—mix well and the smooth top.
- Top with 1 ½ cups of the same cheese.
- Cook for one additional hour, then serve with toppings of choice.
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Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This is for a crock pot of 2 ½ to 4 quarts. A double recipe works well in a 5 to 6-quart crock pot or bigger.
- You can use precooked chicken. If you do, cook the sauce on low for about 1 hour, then add the tortilla and chicken.
- You can use canned sauce, but really you don't want to do that. Mine is much better.
- This is not spicy, and you could add a touch of cayenne pepper.
- Toppings of your choice, but we use sour cream and some chopped green onions.
- If you use thighs, you will want to get them to about 175° or more to shred well.
- Nutrition is calculated on lower-fat cheese and chicken breasts.
- Skipping the added salt will decrease the sodium by about 300mg per serving.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally Published April 22, 2018. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Cherish says
HELP I DONT have enough tomato sauce any recommendations
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
HI Cherish,
Some tomato product is needed. You can use tomato paste diluted with an equal amount of water. Diced or crushed tomatoes could also be used.
I hope that helps.
Dan
Holly says
Can I use flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Holly,
Welcome to the blog.
Yes, but the texture will not be as nice.
Dan
Cathy says
If I use precooked chicken in the crockpot chicken enchiladas
recipe, what is the total cooking time? Is this what you would do: Cook 1 hour on low for sauce, then add chicken, tortillas, 1/2c cheese and cheese topping. Then cook another hour on low? Thanks so much!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Cathy,
Welcome to the blog.
Cook the sauce on low for 1 hour to help the flavors come to gather. Than add the chicken, tortilla and cheese. Mix. Top with cheese then 1 more hour.
Dan
Dennis McMullan says
Dr Dan,
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your site. It has helped me so many many times. I'm retired and have been cooking for my wife and myself. I also cook for a program at my Church called Thursday Meals This is for the sick and shut-in's, most cases I prepare food for 60 to 65 individuals. Before I retired I also fixed meals for my Team at work 25 to 30 individuals Including Managers and Directors, on Thursday. Well to make a long story short They nick named me Chef Bubba. so again Thank you and thank all who make this site so great Thank you, Dennis McMullan (Alias Chef Bubba)
S. Eckels says
Dr.Dan, what temperature do we cook the sauce on in the crock pot before inserting the chicken, high or low for one hour?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
The sauce will cook with the chicken. So, no need to precook the sauce.
Dan
Miranda says
Have you tried using a hand mixer directly in the crock pot to shred chicken? It’s super fast but does produce a finer shred.
DrDan says
Great handy hint. I have not tried it but if it is finer shred, my wife would not be happy. When you look at any of the pictures of shredded meat on the site, it is more of a "chunky" shred which is as far as she will go.
Thanks for the note
Dan
Anne says
Thanks for another great recipe, Dr. Dan! I made this the day after you posted it, using my 2.5-quart Casserole Crock Pot. We loved it. For the two of us, it yielded two dinners and one lunch. I did make a couple of minor changes based on what was in my kitchen (as cooks do), but I followed your basic recipe and couldn't have been happier with the result. This one's a keeper!
DrDan says
Hi Anne,
Sorry for the delayed reply.
This one is just supper easy. I use my 3.5 qt. most of the time anymore but a 2.5 should work most of the time.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
MartinSlult says
Hi All im rookie here. Good art! Thx! Love your stories!
Dutch67 says
Dear Doc,
First, I enjoy your site and weekly emails. Second, I'm with you on the length of time the chicken breast needs to cook. Dried out breasts are awful! Less time, better results.
Third, this recipe is similar to one my wife makes starting on the stove top and finishing in the oven. She calls it "Deconstructed" Cabbage Rolls. All the flavors of the Balkans and Central Europe are there, but it's much less laborious/fussy to execute yet tastes just as good as the official version. I expect your similar style enchiladas will be easier to make yet just as enjoyable.
Finally, keep up the good work, Dr Dan! It's a labor of love--that's obvious.
DrDan says
Sorry for the delayed response.
The overcooked chicken is just careless and 9 in 10 seem to do it. I think they all just copy. Now that cabbage roll thing sounds interesting I may look into it.
Thanks for the compliment and thanks for the note.
Dan