• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Collaborate
  • Contact
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
BlogLovin'
RSS

Valerie's Kitchen

Simple, seasonal home cooking

  • Recipe Box
  • Videos
  • The Cookbook
  • Beyond the Kitchen
Home » Main Dish » Mexican » Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas

By Valerie · May 14, 2016 · Updated May 22, 2020 14 Comments

H Holidays MD Main Dish
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

A two image vertical collage of Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas with text overlay.

With some advance prep, these Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas are a snap to put together. An easy, delicious Mexican-inspired meal!

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas in a white casserole dish shot from over the top.

It is a good day when we get to talk about enchiladas. Wouldn’t you agree?

I finally got around to snapping some photos of the process for making this tasty recipe so I could share it with you all. These enchiladas were heavily requested by my boys through their high school years and thankfully with the help of my trusty slow cooker, they are quite easy to make. It’s kind of a drag when you’ve got one kid that decides that his most favorite meal in life is your not-exactly-fast-and-easy Beef Stroganoff. I’m not naming names (Boy #4). Ha! But seriously, he’s right. That stroganoff is very good and you should try it.

I’ve made a variety of different enchilada recipes over the years but this is the simplest of them all so it’s the one I’m sharing with you first. I guarantee it will not be the last. We love our Mexican food around these parts!

Enchiladas in a white casserole dish topped with cilantro and tomatoes.

I like to warm up some refried or pinto beans and cook up a batch of my Restaurant Style Mexican Rice to make it a complete meal. I honestly don’t think it gets much better than this.

Shredded chicken from the Crock Pot Chicken Tacos recipe in a slow cooker.

The fabulously tasty chicken filling is from my beloved Crock-Pot Chicken Taco recipe. This recipe makes a great big batch of delicious shredded chicken that is perfect for a ton of recipes, including this one. I love the fact that there are always plenty of leftovers after taco night to get another dinner out of it. Whether you cook the chicken the same day or a day or two in advance, you’ll only need a couple of cups of the shredded chicken for this recipe.

Let’s talk tortillas. I’m using corn tortillas here but if it were up to my boys these enchiladas would be made with flour tortillas every time. Most Mexican restaurants here in California have at least one enchilada dish on their menu with flour tortillas and we love them that way. Go with what you like best.

A stack of corn tortillas on a plate between wet paper towels.

While corn tortillas are super tasty they are typically lightly fried in oil to make them pliable before filling and baking. I don’t like the mess and trouble of that step and I definitely don’t need the added fat and calories SO instead I place the stack of corn tortillas between a double layer of very wet paper towels and pop them in the microwave for about a minute, or just until softened. It’s definitely more authentic to go with the fry method and I’ve included instructions for that and also for using flour tortillas on the recipe card below.

A corn tortilla on a cutting board with some of the shredded chicken and cheese.

Place some of the slow cooker shredded chicken on a warmed tortilla along with some shredded sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese. Roll the tortilla up.

A white casserole dish coated with enchilada sauce with one filled and rolled tortilla.

Pour a little enchilada sauce in the bottom of a baking dish and place the filled tortilla seam-side down in dish.

A can of Hatch Red Enchilada Sauce

Hatch makes a nice quality red sauce that I always keep on hand. They make a green sauce that’s also very good. I will not apologize for this shortcut. Nope. Not gonna. We’re busy people and this sauce is good stuff! One day soon I will share my homemade version for those days when you’ve got the time to put in the extra effort.

All the assembled enchiladas in the casserole dish.

Pretty little enchiladas all in a row.

Enchilada sauce is poured over the top of the enchiladas.

Pour the remaining sauce over the top of your filled enchiladas. Cover the dish with foil and pop it in a preheated 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the tops of the enchiladas with shredded cheese and place it back in the oven for an additional 5 or 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly around the edges. And, that is it my friends!

A close up image of the cooked enchiladas topped with cilantro and tomatoes.

You can serve them naked or garnish away! I like to add some thinly sliced green onion and sprigs of cilantro. Some chopped tomato adds pretty contrast.

An over the top image of Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas in a white casserole dish with a bowl of sour cream.


A baking dish full of enchiladas topped with cilantro and tomato.

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas

With some advance prep, these Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas are a snap to put together. An easy, delicious Mexican-inspired meal!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 602kcal
Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

For the enchiladas:

  • 8 corn or flour tortillas fajita size for flour
  • 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken from Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos recipe
  • 15 ounces red enchilada sauce (I love Hatch brand)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Optional for garnish:

  • cilantro
  • thinly sliced green onions
  • diced tomato
  • chopped avocado
  • sliced black olives
  • sour cream

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • If using corn tortillas, place 8 tortillas in a stack between a double layer of wet paper towels on a microwave-safe dish. Cook in microwave for 1 minute, or until warmed and pliable. If using flour tortillas, warm a stack of 8 on a plate in the microwave just until softened, about 40 seconds. See recipe note if you'd like to fry your corn tortillas.
  • Pour just enough enchilada sauce into prepared baking dish to cover the bottom with a thin layer.
  • Spoon a few tablespoons of shredded chicken towards one end of a tortilla. Sprinkle with a bit of Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar and roll tightly. Place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas, cover dish with foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove dish from oven and remove foil. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
  • Garnish cooked enchiladas as desired. Serve with sour cream!

Notes

Prep time does not include time to cook chicken. Chicken should be prepared in advance.
Fry method for corn tortillas:
Add a generous amount of vegetable oil to a skillet and place it over medium heat. When oil is hot (but not smoking) carefully slide in a tortilla. Allow to fry for only 10 to 15 seconds and then flip the tortilla and fry for just another few seconds. You don't want it crisp, just lightly fried and still pliable.
Transfer tortilla to a double layer of paper towels and blot off excess oil with a clean paper towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas and then proceed with recipe as directed.

Nutrition

Calories: 602kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 1488mg | Potassium: 333mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1488IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 672mg | Iron: 3mg
LOVE MY RECIPES? GET THE COOKBOOK!
The Foolproof Family Slow Cooker and Other One-Pot Solutions

Valerie’s Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 

A two image vertical collage of Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas with text overlay.

Categories: Cinco de Mayo, Holidays, Main Dish, Mexican, Poultry, Recipe

< Previous
Next >

You May Also Like...

Chicken Enchilada Casserole | From Valerie's Kitchen Chicken Enchilada Casserole
A spatula lifts a piece of casserole from a baking dish. Chicken Tamale Casserole
A chicken casserole with tomatoes in a white dish. Chicken Tortilla Casserole with Salsa Verde
Enchiladas in a baking dish next to a small bowl of sour cream. Turkey Black Bean Enchilada Bake

Reader Interactions

Latest Comments
Skip to Comment Form
  1. Kim says

    February 3, 2021 at 12:12 pm

    Hi Valerie,

    I absolutely love Mexican food, but since I have been going out a lot less, I’ve been in search of good recipes to make at home. This one looks awesome! I can’t decide whether to make this or your Chicken Tamale casserole first. Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      February 3, 2021 at 3:13 pm

      We are huge Mexican food fans here as well! Hope you enjoy the recipes 🙂

      Reply
  2. J ross says

    August 7, 2020 at 4:54 pm

    This is suppose to be slow cooker but you say oven

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      August 10, 2020 at 8:46 am

      The chicken used in the recipe is prepared in the slow cooker.

      Reply
  3. Stephanie W says

    April 29, 2020 at 7:54 pm

    5 stars
    I made the chicken taco recipe for Taco Tuesday which was a great success in itself. Froze the leftovers to have this dish within the next 2 weeks. Due to food shortages and not being able to find enchilada sauce we had to wait longer then planned but worth the wait. Probably the best chicken enchiladas I have ever made…maybe ever eaten. I usually don’t get chicken enchiladas in a Mexican restaurant because the chicken always seems bland, but these are full of flavor! This will be on regular rotation at our house!

    Reply
  4. Edward Marks says

    December 17, 2019 at 4:52 pm

    I made these and they stuck to the bottom of my Pyrex baking dish and are pretty ruined. I did put a healthy amount of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the dish before placing the rolled enchiladas in. I also covered the dish.

    Reply
  5. John says

    September 22, 2019 at 3:29 pm

    Appreciate any suggestions how much diced hatch chiles to a can of red enchilada sauce (not Hatch), to get that great taste? We don’t have the Hatch brand enchilada sauce.

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      September 24, 2019 at 10:41 am

      Hatch is definitely my favorite but you can sub any other brand and get a good result.

      Reply
  6. Pamela Odette says

    July 12, 2018 at 8:03 am

    5 stars
    Valerie I made this last night for my Family and were very happy with the results. They said it has now got to be a regular meal at least once a month. Thank you for sharing. My family is very picky, but I didn’t have one negative comment only Rave reviews.

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      July 12, 2018 at 8:24 pm

      That’s great to hear, Pamela! So glad it worked out so well for you. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Jane says

    July 10, 2017 at 1:18 pm

    Hi there. I made the crock pot chicken and the enchiladas yesterday and got rave reviews from my family. Husband said it was the best thing I ever made. So thanks, Valerie! I’ll definitely be trying some of your other recipes soon.

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      July 10, 2017 at 1:26 pm

      That’s fantastic, Jane! I’m so glad it worked out so well for you. That chicken has been made more times than I can count in my kitchen!

      Reply
  8. K Johnson says

    May 24, 2017 at 4:14 pm

    Made a batch of these tonight – really good! To mitigate the sodium I used Frontier Co-op Taco Seasoning and no-salt added petite diced tomatoes in the crockpot chicken taco recipe. There’s only two of us so I had enough of the taco mixture left to freeze three bags so more tacos, enchiladas and/or tostadas in our future. My husband came up with the idea of using it in stuffed pepper. I will add the cilantro as I use it. Thanks Valerie!!

    Reply
  9. SunnyDaysNora says

    May 16, 2016 at 8:51 am

    These look delicious Valerie! 🙂 Now I’m thinking I might need to make enchiladas for dinner…

    Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




Stay Connected with Valerie’s Kitchen

Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
BlogLovin'
RSS

Stay updated!

Subscribe by Email

Get the latest straight from my kitchen to your email inbox. You can choose to receive an email every time a new recipe is published or a weekly summary.

Click to Subscribe

Primary Sidebar

Browse the Recipes

by Category
CP Slow Cooker OP One Pot 30 30 Minute Meals SD Side Dish S Dessert H Holidays A Appetizers MD Main Dish
Valerie Brunmeier, founder and author of Valerie's Kitchen

MeetValerie Brunmeier

Hello and welcome to my online kitchen! My focus here is to provide simple, seasonal meal solutions for busy households. I hope you find some inspiration while you’re here and visit again soon!

...
More About Me

Looking for something?

Archives

Categories

Spring Favorites

A side view of the Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake with a slice missing revealing the center.
A Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich sliced in half and stacked on a plate with grapes.
A mug filled with ham and bean soup.
Cheesecake bars with blueberries stacked on a plate.
A glazed cookie stacked on top of another with a bite missing.
A skillet filled with a creamy sauce and slices of cooked chicken.
A skillet filled with orzo, chicken, grape tomatoes, and slices of lemon.
Slices of frosted Carrot Zucchini Bread on a white platter.

Mexican Favorites

A closeup of a carnitas taco.
A skillet filled with Mexican rice, cilantro and slices of lime.
A spatula lifts a piece of casserole from a baking dish.
A smothered burrito topped with sour cream on a plate with rice.
A small white bowl filled with tomatillo avocado salsa.
A white serving plate with two Chipotle Pork Street Tacos with halved avocados in the background.
A skillet filled with white rice, cilantro and lime slices.
Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos

Reader Favorites

A white serving dish filled with shredded beef, carrots, and potatoes.
A white bowl filed with crab dip with a spoon.
A spatula scoops up a zucchini boat from a casserole dish.
Blackened Mahi Mahi
A close up of a cheesesteak sandwich with peppers and onions.
Slow Cooker Beef Tips with Gravey
As Featured On
Back to Top
  • Home
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Collaborate
  • Contact
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
BlogLovin'
RSS
Valerie's Kitchen
Copyright © 2011–2021 · Valerie's Kitchen

Valerie's Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.