These easy, 4-ingredient Crockpot Enchiladas are packed with flavor and make for easy prep. Let the slow cooker do all the work so you can enjoy a fantastic dinner of corn tortillas, cheese, enchilada sauce, and tender chicken.
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If you’re looking for an easy meal that you can just mix up and walk away while it cooks itself, then you’ve found it. Crockpot enchiladas are the perfect thing when you want to make dinner ahead of time without a lot of fuss.
These stacked chicken and cheese enchiladas come together in minutes with just four ingredients!
Why Make This Easy Crockpot Enchiladas Recipe
It’s great for sharing. This recipe for Crockpot Enchiladas is a great one to take to plug in before work or church or the school play or other group event and within 2-4 hours, it’s ready. And it’s so good!
Crockpot Enchiladas are easy. These slow cooker enchiladas aren’t as fancy or as pretty as the rolled kind, but these stacked enchiladas are major comfort food at our house with minor effort. Get all the flavor of traditional enchiladas with less work.
Did I say four ingredients? Yes! The fewer the ingredients, it seems the better the food tastes. If you tried our 5-Ingredient Meal Plan, you know what I’m talking about. Recipes with a handful of ingredients seem to really pack a punch — without being fussy.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make enchiladas in the slow cooker:
enchilada sauce – You can use your favorite canned enchilada sauce (we love Las Palmas enchilada sauce) or try our Easy Red Enchilada Sauce for a homemade alternative.
corn tortillas – Corn tortillas are best for this recipe as flour tortillas tend to get gummy.
cooked, shredded or cubed chicken – You can use a rotisserie chicken or cook chicken meat to use in recipes.
shredded cheese – Use whatever type of shredded, melting cheese you like to use in Mexican food, such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican-style blend.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make this easy enchiladas recipe in the slow cooker:
- Spray the crock of the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce in bottom of crock. Place a tortilla on top of the sauce. Spread a handful of chicken and a handful of cheese over tortilla.
- Repeat with sauce, tortilla, chicken, and cheese until ingredients are used up, ending with sauce and cheese on top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 2 to 4 hours.
To Make a Freezer Kit for Slow Cooker Enchiladas
While you can’t freeze this casserole assembled, you can prep a freezer kit to make it even easier to assemble on the day of serving.
Prepare the shredded chicken beforehand and store it freezer-safe packaging in the freezer alongside a container of Homemade Enchilada Sauce, a package of corn tortillas, and a bag of shredded cheese. Then on the day before serving, yank those items from the freezer and you’re good to go.
FAQs
Nope. Unlike traditional recipes, like this Cheese Enchiladas Recipe, you just stack the enchilada ingredients in the crockpot. That’s what makes this a great weeknight meal. It comes together super fast!
Commercial corn tortillas work the best in enchiladas. Flour tortillas tend to get gummy if they are sauced before being baked or fried so we don’t recommend using flour tortillas in enchiladas.
Since you don’t want to freeze your slow cooker crock, this recipe is not ideal for a freezer meal. While you can certainly freeze the leftovers, we don’t recommend doing so as they will get rather mushy. Instead, prepare a kit of the ingredients that you can assemble in the slow cooker on the day of cooking. It’s fine to assemble this dish with frozen ingredients.
Tips for Success
Serving Suggestions: Serve this like a casserole and don’t forget the toppings, such as black olives, avocado, cilantro, fresh tomatoes, or sliced jalapeños. You might also include sour cream, Pico de Gallo, or Easy Homemade Guacamole on the side.
Shop Your Kitchen: This is a very versatile recipe, allowing you to make substitutions for the cheese, meat, and sauce. Use what you have so that you can save money.
To Make a Meal Prep: Divide the casserole into meal prep dishes with your favorite sides, such as rice and beans.
Freeze Extra for Later: Prepare a kit as mentioned above while you’re making this meal. You’ll get two meals for the effort of one.
Make a Plan for Leftovers: Promptly store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave. If you store your leftovers in clear containers, they’re more likely to get eaten.
Tell us what you think!
We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.
Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 24 oz red enchilada sauce
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 cup chicken (cooked and shredded)
- 8 oz cheddar cheese (shredded) (2 cups)
Instructions
- Spray the crock of the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce in bottom of crock. Place a tortilla on top of the sauce. Spread a handful of chicken and a handful of cheese over tortilla.24 oz red enchilada sauce, 12 corn tortillas, 2 cup chicken (cooked and shredded), 8 oz cheddar cheese (shredded)
- Repeat with sauce, tortilla, chicken, and cheese until ingredients are used up, ending with sauce and cheese on top.
- Cover and cook on low for 2 to 4 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on May 9, 2018. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Debi Z
How would this change if you wanted to double or triple it? I have 10 kids still at home 😉
Jessica Fisher
I’ve never tried that big a batch, but I think you should be fine just doing so. The wider base crockpot would be best. Either the casserole style, or a really wide oval. Hope that helps!
Alisha
Since you have 5 crockpots I’m guessing you use them often? I love the idea of the crockpot and use mine for soups or beans but that’s about it. Everything else ends up with a weird texture or the meat gets really dry. Most of the time I’m pretty disappointed in any crockpot meals I make. This recipe looks similar to an enchilada lasagna I make and the texture is fine. I’ll add this to my summer rotation. Hoping to see some more GOOD crockpot recipes in time for summer! 🙂 I just ordered another one of your cookbooks, it’s your first I think. I use your last one so often I wanted the other one too!
Jessica Fisher
I think “good” crockpot recipes are tricky because texture suffers. The tortillas in this do become very soft. One of my kids doesn’t like them. So, keep that in mind. Have you checked GCE? https://goodcheapeats.com/category/slow-cooker/
sarah taylor
Is this recipe also gluten free?
Jessica Fisher
You’ll have to make sure that the enchilada sauce you use as well as the corn tortillas are gluten-free. Some manufacturers use gluten in those products.
[email protected]
oops… just realized it says “see appendix” for cream of mushroom soup… I copied this from my e-book since the recipe itself wasn’t on my blog… you can use a can of soup or google homemade cream of mushroom- it’s pretty easy.
[email protected]
I keep saying that I need to use my crockpot more, but I just haven’t…. I have a layered green enchilada pie that I make in the oven… I’m thinking it may work in the crockpot!
Ingredients:
8 oz. fresh baby Spinach
1 4 oz. can green chilies
1 can or @ 1 ½ cups homemade cream of mushroom soup (See Appendix)
¾ cup sour cream of plain Greek yogurt
@ 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 t. cumin
1 package corn tortillas
Combine all ingredients (except cheddar cheese and tortillas) in a food processer and blend until smooth.
Spoon approximately 1/3 of spinach mixture into the bottom of a cast iron skillet (or crock pot!!). Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheddar cheese over the top of the mixture. Place a layer of corn tortillas over the top of the cheese (you will need to break some of the tortillas to completely cover the mixture). Repeat this procedure 2 more times, however, for the third layer do not add the tortillas (there will only be two tortilla layers).
Bake for 20-30 minutes @ 350° until the “pie” is hot and bubbly! (or try crock pot directions for recipe above?)
Allow to cool and “firm-up” for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Sherri
Hi
I loved your page, there is so much good stuff here. Love the recipes
Sherri
Becky
I love the idea of these. I made them yesterday, but the middle layers were almost inedible. I used flour because my husband doesn’t like the taste of corn. I could eat the outside, top and bottom layers, but not the insides. My husband ate it all, and loved it though.
suggestions? My grocery store doesn’t carry soft corn…just crunchy ones. I’ve never bought them becuase they looked like giant round tortilla chips. Maybe this is what I need? Thanks in advance for any advice. This was a snap to make, I just wish I could make it work.
Jessica Fisher
So you used flour tortillas? Does that mean that the inside got all gummy?
Personally, I think flour tortillas have no business in casseroles or enchiladas. So, I think that is the problem. Not sure what to tell you. Your husband loved them with corn and you would probably like it with corn. You could use tortilla chips if you can’t find corn tortillas. I’m not sure how it would work with tostada shells (what you’re describing that your store carries.) Good luck, though!
[email protected]
Since the corn ones are a little tough to work with when rolling, I’ve used Chi Chi’s Cafe Style Corn (which are actually mostly wheat) I love them for enchiladas… though, I guess, I don’t mind a little “gumminess” 🙂
Jacky Hackett
Glad to find your site, great stuff, look forward to staying tuned!
Nina T.
What an awesome idea!!!! I never even thought to do that in the crockpot! Thank you so much! I will definitely give this a try!
Donna
Your enchiladas will probably take the place of taco salad at our house this weekend. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
In the Bag
I’ve been making enchiladas in the traditional way for years, but never thought about stacking them and putting them in a crock pot. I can imagine that the thin corn tortillas that roll so nicely would turn to mush in a slow cooker, but I bet thicker ones would have more substance. I’ll have to try this. Thanks for sharing!
Stephanie Polen
I did the link wrong above. 🙁 I have a recipe for Chicken Carbonara on my blog….So easy and So yummy!!!!
http://twylyth.blogspot.com/2010/02/chicken-carbonara.html
Susie's Homemade
My favorite things to bring to pot luck dinners are my dinner rolls!! They are fantastic!
Melissa
This looks delicious and easy! I don’t know if Las Palmas enchilada sauce is available here on the East coast, but I’ll look for it.
Allison
I do not like the taste of canned enchilada sauce so I googled homemade enchilada sauce and made my own. Oh my goodness, it taste so much better! Give it a try, don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
http://www.food.com/recipe/enchilada-sauce-31811
Jessica Fisher
Thanks for the link. I’ll have to check it out. The canned kind I use is chile-only, no tomato sauce, so I’m on a hunt for one to make myself.
Liz@HoosierHomemade
Looks yummy! Thanks so much for hosting!
~Liz
Mary Ann
This looks really yummy. In fact, I concocted something very similar the other day using flour tortillas.
Several years ago, I made a crockpot recipe almost identical to this. The tortillas turned to mush so the finished product was like nachos instead of layers. Come to think of it, every time I’ve used corn tortillas for enchiladas or burritos (crockpot and oven), they’ve pretty much disintegrated. I’ve tried frying them a little before baking and so on as advised by friends, but still the same results. Have you or anyone else experienced this with corn tortillas? Any ideas?
Jessica Fisher
I actually like that about stacked enchiladas. But, if you’re rolling them, tradition says to fry them in oil and then in the sauce (or vice versa, depending on how traditional you want to be). The frying helps the tortilla hold up better. Drain on paper towels.
Mary Ann
@Jessica Fisher, Thanks! I’ll have to give corn tortillas another try. Maybe I just didn’t fry them right before. 🙂
The taste of the stacked enchiladas was great; the texture was not what we were expecting. We ate it like nachos with chips for dipping.
Joyful
Thank you so much for this recipe swap.
There are so many wonderful recipes to try.
Wendy (The Local Cook)
My recipe is for homemade hummus – great to bring to a party to serve with pita chips or veggies. Homemade is so inexpensive, tasty, and healthy!
Alea
I love how easy your recipe is! Even better, I think I have all of the ingredients in the pantry or freezer. This will be on next week’s menu.
Melissa
Your recipe is so simple!! I’m definitely going to give it a try. Thanks!