Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas
At the time I’m writing this, I’m extremely pregnant with baby 2. I haven’t done a ton of freezer meal prep for this round, but here and there I have tried to intentionally freeze any leftovers of big meals that may have otherwise gone to waste, and I do always love to freeze breakfast items like oatmeal bakes, so I’ve done a little bit of that! I recently made these Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas, which are basically my Healthy Chicken Enchilada Bake in crockpot form, and knew I had to share them ASAP, especially with my fellow expecting mamas!
As much as I love my OG Chicken Enchilada Bake recipe, I have to admit that this version is WAY more appealing to me right now, because who doesn’t love just being able to dump everything in a crockpot and walk away!? Especially when you have your hands full with a little one.
I originally got the inspiration for this recipe from my food blogger IG friend Elizabeth of @hellospoonful — she has tons of delicious recipes, including her version of these Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas! I’ll link hers here if you want to check it out!
I intended to follow her recipe and then realized I didn’t have a few of the things that I needed (including uh, enchilada sauce – the main ingredient), plus I made a few other additions, and by the end of it I realized it was basically identical (ingredient-wise) to my Chicken Enchilada Bake.
Clearly I love this ingredient combo. ; ) You can never go wrong with Mexican if you ask me!
Crockpot Chicken Enchilada ingredients
Here’s what you need to bring this easy, delicious recipe to life!
- Chicken breasts
- Onion — white or yellow
- Bell peppers — whatever color you like, I did a combo!
- Rotel
- Canned black beans
- Frozen (or canned) corn
- Salsa of your choice
- Spices
- Corn tortillas
- Shredded cheese
- Optional toppings like avocado, plain Greek yogurt, chips, etc.
how to make Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas
These Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas literally could not be easier. There is minimal prep work to do beforehand and then you just dump it all in the crockpot and forget about it for a few hours!
- Place the raw chicken breasts in the bottom of a greased (or lined) slow cooker, then add all other ingredients except the corn tortillas and shredded cheese.
- Stir well to combine, cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 3 hours. Use a meat thermometer to check that chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F before removing from crockpot to shred.
- Add shredded chicken back to the crockpot, then add corn tortilla strips and shredded cheese, and stir well to combine. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Serve hot and enjoy with desired toppings — we love ours with avocado, salsa and plain Greek yogurt on top, and it’s so delicious to scoop it all up with some chips!
swaps & substitution options:
If you’re like me and plan to make a recipe just *assuming* you have everything you need, only to realize that in fact you do not, there are some easy swaps you can make here!
- Swap flour tortillas in place of corn tortillas if needed
- Use any salsa you like, or you could also use enchilada sauce if you do have some on hand!
- Feel free to use frozen or canned corn
- For the bell peppers, use whichever kind you like! For the first batch, I used a red pepper, and in my second batch, I did a combination of orange and yellow
how to store Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas
If you have leftovers (which is likely – this recipe makes a lot of food!), store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. This reheats SO well!
If you are prepping this ahead or just won’t get through the leftovers in time, throw it in the freezer in a freezer-safe container for 3-6 months. Pull out of the freezer and thaw overnight before reheating to serve again. You can reheat in the oven or individual portions in the microwave.
other recipe ideas:
Looking for some other freezer-friendly and/or crockpot recipe ideas? Check out these options below!
- Healthy Crockpot Lasagna with Chicken and Veggies
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili
- Healthy Crockpot Chicken Tacos Two Ways
- Healthy Freezer Meals You’ll Love
- Healthy Chicken Enchilada Bake
Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb chicken breast boneless, skinless
- 1 cup bell peppers chopped, color of choice
- 1 yellow or white onion chopped
- 15 oz black beans 1 can, drained and rinsed well
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 can Rotel
- 12 oz salsa
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 8 corn tortillas cut into strips
- 1.5 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- Avocado, plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, tortilla chips optional for topping
Instructions
- Spray the bottom of slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Wash and dry all fresh produce. Chop onions and bell peppers. Drain and rinse canned black beans. Cut 8 corn tortillas into strips & store in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator for later.
- To the slow cooker, add raw chicken breasts, chopped bell peppers and onion, corn, can of Rotel (don't drain), salsa, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir well to combine, cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 3 hours. (If you are using frozen chicken, you will likely want to cook on high for a longer period of time).
- Before you shred chicken, check internal temperature using a meat thermometer. Once chicken has reached 165 degrees F, transfer breasts from slow cooker to a large bowl to shred with two forks or a hand mixer. (If it seems too dry at this point, add 1/2 cup of water or so to the slow cooker and stir to mix.)
- Once chicken is shredded, add it back to the slow cooker, then add corn tortilla strips and shredded cheese. Stir well to combine. Let cook on low for another 30 minutes.
- Serve hot and enjoy! Add desired toppings, such as avocado, more cheese, salsa, plain Greek yogurt and/or some chips!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or transfer to the freezer in a freezer-safe dish for 3-6 months.
Nutrition
I hope you and your family love this recipe, too! Be sure to tag me @wellnessforthewin on Instagram if you try it so I can see your creations! 🙂 Also, if you love it, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating and review to help others find my easy, healthy recipes, too!
Enjoy,
Shanna
So so yummy and easy! Had to make some tweaks based on what I had in hand, but still turned out great. Top it with avocado, you won’t be disappointed!
Yay!! Such an easy one to make substitutions as needed! Thank you so much!! 🙂
SO good & easy! Mexican dishes are a weekly meal in our household & this one tops the list. 16 month old loved it too 🙂
YAY! I love to hear it! Thanks for sharing and leaving a rating and review!!!