Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole is the easiest one-pot recipe you will find for enchiladas. Made with tender chicken and plenty of cheese.
Forget take out and make enchiladas at home, we love to make a big pot of Slow Cooker Refried Beans too!
This recipe for slow cooker chicken enchilada casserole is a one-pot meal (yay!). To make this recipe, I cook the chicken with a big can of red enchilada sauce, all day in my slow cooker.
Then when I get home, I shred the chicken, stir in corn tortillas strips, add some cheese and olives, stir, add a little more cheese and olives on top, cook for one more hour, and wow! Easy enchiladas and I don’t have the huge mess all over my kitchen from frying tortillas and rolling the enchiladas.
This recipe has become a viral success on the blog and that is for good reason. So many people have tried this recipe and had great results. I don’t think there is an easier meal for the slow cooker.
How to make Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole:
- Enchilada sauce
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Corn tortillas cut into strips
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Black olives
- Add chicken breasts to the slow cooker.
- Pour over a large can of red enchilada sauce. (DO NOT ADD THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS YET. The first step is only the chicken and sauce).
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
- Shred the meat with 2 forks.
What kind of tortillas do I use?
- Use corn tortillas for this recipe cut into strips (see photo above). These are not chips, these are tortillas that are soft.
- Flour tortillas will make this dish doughy.
- Though, if you accidently buy tortilla chips, I’ve had many reviews that they work fine. They soften up in the casserole.
How to assemble the casserole:
- Add the corn tortillas (that have been cut into strips), half of the cheese, and half of the olives, stir and flatten out into a casserole.
- Add more cheese on top and olives. Cook on low for 40-60 minutes or until the center is hot.
- Serve and enjoy!
Can I use a different kind of meat?
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – These work great if you love dark meat.
- Ground beef – One of the most popular questions I get asked is if ground beef can be used. The time can be cut in half if cooked ground beef is used.
- Cubed beef stew meat – The is great if you love beef enchiladas and the beef flavors the enchilada sauce very well.
- Pre-cooked chicken or turkey – If you only have cooked chicken or turkey you still can make this recipe. Cut the initial cooking time in half. Rotisserie chicken works great in this recipe.
Can I use green sauce?
- Green enchilada sauce can be substituted.
- Though the consistency of the sauce will be more liquidly and make the enchiladas soggy.
What to serve with Chicken Enchilada Casserole:
- This meal I OFTEN make with NO SIDES! Yes, it’s that good on it’s own. If you are making this for a party or crowd make a side or two.
- Spanish Rice – This is my go to recipe from Lil’ Luna.
- Refried Pinto Beans – You can make these in another slow cooker or in the instant pot.
- Sour cream – A small dollop on top goes a long way.
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes on the site. Easy to throw in the crockpot and has great results.
More of my favorite slow cooker chicken recipes:
- Slow Cooker Chicken with Bacon Gravy
- Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
- Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
- Slow Cooker Seasoned Chicken, Potatoes and Green Beans
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Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole
A true one pot meal. The chicken and enchilada sauce is cooked all day in the slow cooker then the casserole fixings are stirred in.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 398kcal
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless raw chicken breasts (don't use any more than 1.5 pounds, the casserole will seem dry if you do).
- 28 oz. can Red Enchilada Sauce I use El Pato Brand or Los Palmas
Add these items at the end:
- 10 corn tortillas I use a 10-12 oz. package of soft corn tortillas.
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese divided
- 3.8 oz. can black olives divided
Instructions:
- Put the chicken breasts and the enchilada sauce in your slow cooker.
- Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.
- Shred the chicken with 2 forks right in the slow cooker.
- Cut the tortillas in to strips, add to chicken and sauce. Stir.
- Add 1/2 cup of cheese and half the olives into the sauce and chicken mixture. Stir again.
- Flatten the mixture.
- Add the rest of the cheese and the olives on top.
- Cook on low for about 40 – 60 minutes longer.
- Top with sour cream (optional)
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
Can I use a different kind of meat?
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – These work great if you love dark meat.
- Ground beef – One of the most popular questions I get asked is if ground beef can be used. The time can be cut in half if cooked ground beef is used.
- Cubed beef stew meat – The is great if you love beef enchiladas and the beef flavors the enchilada sauce very well.
- Pre-cooked chicken or turkey – If you only have cooked chicken or turkey you still can make this recipe. Cut the initial cooking time in half. Rotisserie chicken works great in this recipe.
- This meal I OFTEN make with NO SIDES! Yes, it’s that good on it’s own. If you are making this for a party or crowd make a side or two.
- Spanish Rice
- Refried Pinto Beans
- Sour cream – A small dollop on top goes a long way.
Nutrition:
Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 1446mg | Potassium: 422mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1165IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 343mg | Iron: 2mg
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Hi! What about frozen chicken?
Apparently my husband put my chicken in the freezer and I’m at a loss because I already opened the enchilada sauce. ):
Looked good I making it tomorrow can’t wait to see how it comes out..
This was the best recipe. I made it tonight and it was a big hit.
Has anyone added cream of celery or such to make is a creamier sauce ? Looking for ideas .
I use cream of chicken soup and add cilantro and onion. No olives.
I diced up and cooked some onion and garlic and added that along with mild green chilies. I also left the olives out. Almost as good as the ones I make in the oven!
I had already begun to lose my tolerance for “spicy” but the Covid finished me off – I cannot tolerate anything more than extremely mild. Is there an alternative for the sauce?
See if you can find a mild enchilada sauce. And serving with sour cream helps with the spiciness.
I add tomato puree or tomato sauce to mine because I can’t handle much heat anymore. I’d say substitute half the enchilada sauce with one of them. I also start with a mild enchilada sauce.
Maybe use a smaller can and add ketchup to make it milder???
Have you ever used either Impossible or Beyond meat products? If so, how long would you cook it?
Their burger instructions say to cook 4-5 minutes per side, if that helps.
Hi! I have not. But I’d follow the instructions. If you are using the patties, I’d try to crumble them while cooking or give them a good chop after you cook them.
They make “beef” crumbles as well. I use it in recipes that call for ground beef when my vegetarian kids are home from college. It is really good.
What is the serving size for this? I see how many calories it is, but what is the serving size please.
Hi, I do not have that info.
I sometimes add a can of black beans and corn. We skip the olives, because no one likes them. Very nice dish, especially on cold days.
Do you add the black beans when the directions call for the Olives to be added? Do you put them in at a different time?
Followed the directions exactly but the corn tortillas completely fell apart and now I’m eating the equivalent of spicy baby food.
Mine always fall apart as well. Not sure what I am doing wrong. The family likes it though, the guys sometimes use dortios or tortilla chips for some crunch.
Tortillas fall apart in enchilada casserole. If you want them to stay intact, you’ll need to fry each one, roll them and bake in a single layer.
I make the chicken in the slow cooker, but then I put the casserole in the oven to cook. I layer the chicken mixture and the corn tortilla strips. 350 degrees for maybe 20-30 minutes. I don’t recall exactly because I eyeball stuff, and estimate. Mine doesn’t get soggy doing it this way.
Will adding the Tortillas separately @ a later time stop the baby food effect?
If you follow the recipe, the corn tortilla strips are added the last hour. If you do this, they do not fall apart.
Made this last weekend. It was delicious! I didn’t use black olives but did use jalepeno’s. It was delicious.
IT WAS VERY GOOD NEVER THOUGHT TO DO THIS WAY..ALWAYS ROLL AND PUT IN OVEN NEXT TIME IM GONNA DO BEEF…THNK U PINTEREST ALL MY NEW MEALS I LOOK ON DIFFERENT PAGESMY KIDS LUVED IT..☺️
I love your recipes . My question is to put ground beef in the enchiladas. Cook the beef first? Cook half time to just thicken the sauce.?.
Yes, cook the beef first and cook half the time to heat the sauce and let the beef flavors meld into the sauce.
We love this enchilada casserole. So easy and really delicious. I have made this a number of times. I use the green sauce because that’s what my husband and my neighbor prefer. We always share with our neighbor. His wife passed away and he loves this recipe. I’m making this tonight.
You are a very kind neighbor. We need more like you
Followed the directions precisely, but it came out mushy.
Can I add cream cheese?
I don’t see why not!
What would you recommend for dairy free?
Dairy free cheese would work? What do you normally use.
What’s the recipe for baking it in the oven?
Hi! I don’t test the recipes in the oven. I apologize.
If I don’t use olives will it still taste good?
Yes! It will be great.
I have made this so many times and it is always great. I also add a couple cans of ortega chilis
Mine didn’t taste much like an enchilada. It seems like it needed something more. I think I will add the Ortega diced chilies next time for added spice. It was easy but I think I will tweak it a bit next time so it tastes more like an enchilada.