Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Pasta
38 CommentsUpdated Jan 31, 2026
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If you love chicken enchiladas, you’re going to be hooked on this chicken enchilada pasta! It’s loaded with tender chicken, green chiles, pasta, and a creamy, cheesy sauce that brings all the bold flavors together.
Other pasta recipes we love to make are Olive Garden Chicken Pasta or Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta.
This Chicken Enchilada Pasta recipe will give you all of the best flavors without having to slave away at a hot stove!
The recipe is so easy to make and tastes delicious. The sauce is made with a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge or pantry!
Key Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this creamy, flavor-packed chicken enchilada pasta in the slow cooker:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – boneless thighs are fine too!
- Seasonings – chili powder, ground cumin, oregano, salt and pepper
- Red enchilada sauce – this has so much flavor and will be the flavor of the entire dish
- Diced green onions, divided
- Fire roasted green chiles – find these in a can on the Mexican food aisle.
- Dried rotini pasta – cooked according to package directions
- Sharp cheddar cheese – grated, for a melty topping.
- Sour cream – turns the enchilada sauce into a creamy sauce.
How to make Chicken Enchilada Pasta
- Add the chicken, spices, sauce, green chiles, and part of the green onions to the slow cooker and let it cook until tender.
- While that simmers, cook the pasta so it’s ready when the chicken is done.
- Stir everything together with sour cream and cheese, then let it finish cooking until warm and melty.
Cook’s Notes & Variations
You can use green enchilada sauce instead of red if desired. However, be aware that the sauce will be a little runny compared to the red sauce.
Another cheese option is Monterey Jack. It’s a milder cheese but goes great with red sauce.
Boneless skinless chicken breasts are fine to use instead of breasts.
You can use your favorite pasta, but I like to use rotini for this dish. Other options I suggest are penne or bow tie pasta.
This pasta freezes well! Add the cooked pasta to freezer ziplock bags or to containers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
My Serving Suggestions:
Though this pasta can be served all by itself in bowls and makes a great meal. Here is what else that goes well with this.
- Green salad with dressing.
- You can serve it with garlic bread, tortillas, or our favorite jalapeno corn biscuits.
- This pasta is great with added toppings! Here is what we love: cilantro, sour cream, green onions, salsa and avocado.
Featured Comment
“This is always delicious. Very easy and makes a lot! Have made a few times and everyone always comments about how good it is.This is always delicious. Very easy and makes a lot! Have made a few times and everyone always comments about how good it is.”
– Terri
Chicken Enchilada Pasta Recipe
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. oregano
- 28 oz. can red enchilada sauce
- 4 oz. fire-roasted green chiles
- 1 cup diced green onions, divided
Wait to add until the end:
- 16 oz. dried rotini noodles, cooked according to package directions, do not over cook.
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated (this is about 2 cups)
- 1 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Add the chicken to the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle over the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and oregano.
- Add the green chiles and half of the green onions on top of the chicken. Save the remaining green onions for serving.
- Pour over the enchilda sauce.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
- When the cooking time is near done, cook your rotini noodles on the stovetop according to package directions. Do not overcook.
- When the cooking time is done, shred the chicken with two forks. Stir the sour cream into the sauce.
- Drain the noodles and add them to the pasta. Stir. Sprinkle over the cheese, place the lid back on the slow cooker and let the cheese melt. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Serve each serving with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of green onions.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Enchilada Style recipes:
We love putting a twist on enchiladas, starting with our one pot chicken enchilada casserole.
The sour cream chicken enchilada casserole is another family favorite—rich, cheesy, and full of flavor.
Crockpot enchilada soup is a cozy option when you’re craving something warm and hearty.
And if you haven’t tried enchilada chili or enchilada meatballs yet, they’re a must!
Can you leave out the sour cream?
Yes, but it does help with the spice.
I did, my husband doesn’t like it. Tasted great!
This was amazing! I just love a crock pot full of pasta! The cheese on top was a little much, I would stir half of it in next time. What a great dinner!
Family loved it and it was easy and delicious. Getting ready to make it again! I use taco seasoning packet as it is easier for me than individual spices.
Could I sub ground beef for the chicken? If so, how much (1 lb? 2? etc) and also can i put it in the slow cooker raw or should i brown it first? I am excited to try this recipe!
I would do one pound, I personally would brown it first.
Made this tonight. I loved it, my picky eater family not so much.
This was absolutely delicious! Will be making this a lot!
Great flavor and super easy.
We have made this several times, always delicious!
Highly
This recipe was so delicious! I love it hot. I used the hot red enchilada sauce and hot green chillies. I craved it so much that I made it twice going on a 3rd time in the past month. I’m having my sister over and going to make it for her. It was hard to keep any left overs.
What is the serving size?
Hi! I don’t have that information, I apologize.
I made this recipe tonight and it was overpowering in chili powder. I followed the directions as called for. When the called for 1 tablespoon of chili powder and one 28oz can of red enchilada sauce, I thought it was a lot. What did I do wrong?
I’d like that answer, too, Laura. Mine tasted good, but had tons of visible chili powder in it, which I did not think looked attractive.