Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas are flavorful and from-scratch...a stacked chicken enchilada casserole that's quick to assemble and easy to make in the slow cooker!

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas with text overlay.

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?

Enter your email below and we'll send it to your inbox. Plus get our best recipes every week!

'Tis the season that I'm not home to make dinner four out of five nights per week (AKA, baseball season with two boys).😉 So that means that it's also the time of year that I rely on my slow cooker more than ever. Enter these easy, cheesy Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas!

Borrowed from a recipe I originally developed for my Real Food Slow Cooker Suppers cookbook, these aren't your traditional rolled chicken enchiladas. Instead, they're stacked for ease of assembly and then cooked in the crock pot for enough hands-off time to get other things done.

Close-up of Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas in slow cooker.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas is not your standard slow cooker recipe that needs to cook all day. Rather, it's one that requires just a few hours of cooking time to heat through and turn all saucy-cheesy-melty-delicious. So keep in mind that this is a recipe to enjoy on a day that you'll be home mid-day to get it going. If that doesn't happen to be a weekday for you, no problem...Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas make a pretty good darn dinner on a lazy weekend!

Ingredients

Simple ingredients are all you need to throw together from-scratch crock pot enchiladas!

Diced cooked chicken. If you already have leftover chicken on hand, great! If not, the meat from a rotisserie chicken will provide just about the right amount for this recipe. Or you can poach or bake 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and use that.
Garlic cloves.
Diced tomatoes. Drained. I recommend using fire-roasted for extra flavor.
Tomato paste. Lends depth of flavor.
Chicken broth. Low-sodium preferred.
Flour. All-purpose. To thicken the sauce.
Spices + seasonings. Specifically, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, Mexican oregano, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Chipotle chile pepper powder. This spicy addition is optional but recommended if you like a little heat in your enchilada sauce. Feel free to tweak the amount to your liking, but keep in mind that it's very potent and a little bit goes a long way!
Honey. Just a little bit will cut the acidity of the tomatoes without making the sauce sweet.
Monterey jack cheese. Shredded. Or you can substitute a Mexican blend, cheddar, or pepper jack (for extra kick!) if you prefer.
Tortillas. Mixed corn + wheat blend tortillas hold up best in these Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas, since corn tortillas can disintegrate and flour tortillas can turn gummy. That being said, if you can't find corn + wheat blend tortillas, use corn tortillas instead and cook this recipe for a the shorter amount of time...just long enough to heat everything through but not too long that the integrity of the tortillas is compromised.

Chicken Enchiladas crock pot recipe with bite on fork.

How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

In a blender or food processor, pulse the garlic to mince.
Add the drained diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, honey, flour, and spices.

Purée until smooth.

Sauce for Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas prepared in blender.

Place diced chicken in a bowl and pour the enchilada sauce over the top. Mix to combine.

Chicken in sauce for slow cooker chicken enchiladas.

Generously spray a large, oval slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange three tortillas in the bottom of the slow cooker. Try to cover most of the blank spaces, which will probably mean tearing a tortilla into pieces.

Layer one-third of the chicken/sauce mixture on top.

Adding chicken and sauce on top for stacked enchiladas.

Sprinkle with ⅔ cup of shredded cheese.

Adding cheese to slow cooker chicken enchilada casserole.

Repeat the layers of tortillas, chicken, and then cheese two more times.
Cover and cook on LOW for 2 ½ to 4 hours or until heated through with fully melted cheese, depending on how hot your school cooker runs (more on that below!).

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas in slow cooker.

Turn off the slow cooker and allow to set for 30 minutes before cutting into slices and serving. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas recipe on plate with fork.

Varying Crock Pot Cooking Times

When making these Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas, keep in mind that some slow cookers run hotter than others. If your slow cooker runs hot and cooks fast (as newer models often do), you'll want to check on your enchiladas sooner than later.

It's also normal for the edges to darken a bit, particularly if your slow cooker runs hot. The first time you make this recipe, you might want to occasionally peek at the edges of the tortillas to make sure they aren't starting to burn or overcook.

Fork cutting into Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas.

Serving Suggestion

Since these Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas are stacked, feel free to give them a Santa Fe spin by topping each slice with a fried egg for serving!

Close-up of Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas with cilantro sprinkled on top.

Side Dish Ideas and More

What to serve with your yummy Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas? A few ideas... 🙂

A side of Easy Spanish Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice.
Flavorful Slow Cooker Charro Beans or silky Instant Pot Refried Beans.
A salad dressed with zippy Cilantro Lime Dressing or creamy Avocado Dressing.
And homemade Tres Leches Cake or no-bake Frozen Margarita Pie for dessert!

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas bite on fork.

And there you have it, friends...a tasty Tex-Mex dinner of Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas, simplified by your trusty slow cooker! What could be easier than that? 🙂

I hope y'all enjoy this one.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas served with cilantro and lime.

More Enchilada Inspo