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Can I tell you one thing that makes me unreasonably happy on a day-to-day basis?
Strangers smiling at me.
Even better?
Strangers waving, or nodding, or offering a pleasant hello, or even (my favorite) the ol’ one-finger-raise-on-the-steering wheel.
For whatever reason, I always notice those little things and they make me so happy for a moment or two. Actually, I think the best way to say it is that my heart genuinely feels warmed. And I’m reminded how much I just really like people. And how cool it is that two complete and utter strangers can make an encouraging connection in this big world, however fleeting. And how a moment so brief can have the power to make your day just a little brighter…just like that!
Crazy. And very cool. And call me cheesy, but it makes me want to return the favor to the world and smile or wave or say hi to strangers more often. Yes. That is exactly what I want to do.
What does that have to do with this soup? Nada. But it’s wonderful and also makes me smile, and it will keep you feeling warm and happy all winter long. Here’s how to make it…
Actually when I had the craving to make a batch of chicken enchilada soup, I took to Facebook to ask all of you if you would prefer a slow cooker or a 20-minute version. Both are quick and easy, but I couldn’t decide…and apparently, neither could you! It looks like the responses were pretty much split down the middle.
So because I aim to please and make you smile, and because there’s no such thing as too much chicken enchilada soup in my world, I went ahead and developed both recipes! Thus, today you get the slow cooker version. And if you tune back in on Wednesday, it’ll be a stovetop 20-minute cheesy version that a slightly different flavor variation too. (Actually it’s a copycat take on my old-time favorite chicken enchilada soup from Chili’s — you’ll have to check it out!)
Today, though, it’s all about the slow cooker. And I think this may be a winner for one of the easiest slow cooker recipes I’ve ever published on this site. You basically just toss everything in the slow cooker. (Or if you love color as much as I do, you can line the ingredients all up to look extra pretty…which is also pretty much 100% useless but…pretty!)
Then add in the key ingredient — enchilada sauce.
Since it is the key ingredient and will basically serve as the seasoning for the soup, I can’t recommend enough that you use a really good enchilada sauce for this recipe. And — ahem — I happen to have a homemade red enchilada sauce recipe on here that is my all-time-forever-and-ever-favorite. So if you are so inclined, I highly suggest you make a batch of that. But any enchilada sauce will work.
Then just let it cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours — whatever fits your schedule.
And once it’s done, shred the chicken and you’re ready to go!
Seriously, just look at that! I can hardly believe it only took about 10 minutes of prep time.
SO good, so much flavor, and it’s actually pretty light and good for you too.
You can either serve it just plain…
…or garnish it up with whatever toppings sound good. (I’ve included a mega list of suggestions below if you like to go topping-crazy.)
However you serve it, I’m pretty sure that this one will make you and your friends and family smile. And then we can all go on with our days and pass on the smiles to some other people.
Add all ingredients to a large slow cooker, and stir to combine. Cook for 3-4 hours on high heat or 6-8 hours on low heat, until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily. Use two forks to shred the chicken.
Serve warm, with optional garnishes.
You can also refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Notes
*If you are making this soup gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free enchilada sauce.
**If you don’t like that much corn, just use half a can, drained
the soup is awesome – last week I made it for a small group of friends and the soup was gone within 20 mins. I put chicken with cilantro/lime juice in a ziploc bag, let it soak for 4 hours.
Had this in the slow cooker all day yesterday and just enjoyed my first bowl for lunch today. SO delicious, everyone around me in the staff room was asking for the recipe. So so easy and so so tasty. Thank you!
Made this tonight for dinner, easy to make and super tasty. Big hit in my household. Definitely putting it in the permanent soup file. Used your enchilada sauce also, excellent, and will use for enchiladas in the future.
I made this with a surgical dedication to the ingredients and time. It was absolutely amazing, and the thought of it waiting for me at the end of a long crummy day filled my heart (and belly) with joy. Thanks for sharing this blindingly easy recipe that will become a staple for me.
OMG this is gorgeous. Made it tonight and everyone loved it – now our favourite homemade soup. Made it with your homemade enchilada sauce – well worth the extra bit of effort. Thanks so much ;0)
I made this soup. It was delicious. Did freeze very well. Gave some to our neighbor and they loved it so much she asked for the recipe. Thank you for sharing. Next time I will take a picture.
This was delicious. I only reduced the chicken broth to 1 cup, used the whole can of corn and added a teaspoon of chili powder because I used canned enchilada sauce instead of your awesome recipe for Red Enchilada Sauce.
My boyfriend liked it too and he’s not a soup eater usually.
Thank you for the delicious soup! I made your enchilada sauce (so so tasty) and then used my pressure cooker instead of the slow cooker. I got all of the wonderful melding of flavors in a fraction of the time. I put all of the ingredients except the beans and corn under high pressure for twenty minutes, and the chicken shred beautifully. I then added the beans and corn and cover was ready! So delicious, simple and ready in minutes!
Disappointed! This was really bland and flavorless. Although I knew better I didn’t sear the chicken and brown the onions so it was slightly watery, flavorless, and just not good. At end of cooking I added extra cumin, garlic, salt, and chili powder to try to brighten it up after tasting the broth, and a cornstarch slurry to try to thicken it and it still fell super flat.
Hi. This recipe looks great, and it’s going on the menu either Thursday or Saturday of this week. Can you share which slow-cooker size will be most effective? I have a 3 quart, a 4 quart, a 5 quart and a 7 quart. Um, yes, I also have OCD. Hahaha!
I have made this soup several times and it has been a hit every time. It is delicious and very satisfying. One of these times I will make my own enchilada sauce that you so graciously provided above.
This was delicious! Made it for my roommate and our boyfriends for dinner. Instead of slow cooking it in a crock pot, I cooked it in a big pot on the stove. I rubbed the chicken in some spices (paprika, garlic powder, lemon and pepper, chili powder) and then seared it on a skillet. Finished baking the chicken for 20 min in the oven at 350 degrees F and shredded it before placing back in the soup pot. I pan fried the onions and fresh chili pepper in the chicken drippings too. Result was delicious. The homemade enchilada sauce was a home-run. I made it with Indian red chili pepper and cut the spice with some lime juice. The soup is delicious served with a side of sweet corn bread!
This soup is amazing! My husband (who is NOT a foodie like me) raved about it. I made rice on the side and he had his with rice in it. I wanted to keep mine light so I ate it as is with a quarter of an avocado on the side. So easy and SO good. Thank you!
This soup is sooo good. I have made it 3 times now, twice with the homemade enchilada sauce. This is my go-to soup recipe. And the sauce – I will never buy canned sauce again!
I have been trying so many chicken tortilla soup recipes to try to replicate my favorite Chicken Tortilla Soup from Newk’s. Turns out chicken enchilada soup is what I should have been searching for the whole time! This recipe was even more flavorful than what I was trying to recreate! I made it on the stove top, searing seasoned chicken thighs first, browning onions and garlic and simmering everything in the same pot for 20 minutes. Homemade enchilada sauce was great. I will definitely make this again!
I made this for a teacher appreciation Souper Bowl luncheon. My soup was the only soup that was completely gone at the end of lunch! Thank you for the fantastic recipe. The homemade enchilada sauce makes all the difference!
I’m a vegan and I made this soup without the chicken, just added more beans, vegetable stock, etc. It was awesome. A definite hit with the entire family, including my carnivorous children. Thanks for sharing.
I just made this enchilada soup and it is AMAZING!! I did 3 chicken breasts instead of 2 and only 1 can of beans ( I’m not the biggest fan of beans ) and it still came out wonderful! This is an easy recipe and a must try! Thanks Ali– oh and cool name lol!
Just made this today. It smelled wonderful walking in from work. However, I thought it was a little flat tasting so I added a can of tomato sauce and some salsa and extra spices. It helped. Next time I think I’ll lessen the amount of chicken stock and add an extra can of enchilada sauce and maybe rotel tomatoes vs. the fire roasted ones. I love the ease of this soup, just thought it needed more umph.
Not only is this soup gorgeous, it’s so good! I threw everything in the pot before heading out to work and I got back to the best smelling apartment ever.
The only things I changed were that I added extra garlic (because I’m a garlic fiend and add way too much) and a healthy splash of lime juice to cut through the dense, rich flavors going on here.
If anyone is looking to make this for a big crowd and stretch it further, it’s pretty excellent served over rice.
I stumbled onto your blog via Pinterest and have made this soup a few times now, I made it for my dad and never intended to eat it myself. I *HATE* enchilada sauce. Until I made yours. It doesn’t resemble anything canned and it is absolutely wonderful. I could drink it! I am making your chicken enchilada recipe today and just had to let you know how much I loved it! I will definitely be coming back for more recipes! Thank yoU!
I made this tonight and it was delicious!
I did omit a few things due to food preference/lack of ing. but it still turned out VERY good!
Omitted: chiles, garlic, onion
Toppings: Cheddar cheese, cilantro, sour cream, & crunched up corn chips
Here’s the photo! ^_^
https://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a330/Kris022/5.18.15EnchaladaSoup_zpsmihgwtlk.jpg
This was delicious! So much flavor! I forgot to put it in the crockpot at 2:30 and was only able to cook it about 3 hours. I was worried that the flavors wouldn’t have come through in such a short time but that was not the case. I served with warm tortillas and it was a hit with my family. Will definitely make again. So easy!
I just made the homemade enchilada sauce (YUM!!) and can’t wait until the soup is ready! Making a pan of cheese and chicken enchiladas for another night. Love this recipe!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Yay, we’re so glad you liked it – we hope you enjoy the enchiladas too!
This looks delicious. I have everything but the enchilada sauce. Do you know of a substitute for the enchilada sauce?
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks, we hope you like it! Unfortunately though there really isn’t a substitute for the enchilada sauce, considering it’s a pretty substantial part of the recipe. If you didn’t need so much, you could use a little bit of Mexican hot sauce, but for this recipe, we strongly recommend holding off until you can make/buy some enchilada sauce.
I am hoping to make this this week, will it be okay if it is cooking on low for closer to ten hours? With my commute and work day, I can’t be back much sooner.
I made it an oboy was it good I substituted black bean for pinto beans, I had home made enchilada sauce but I used box sock and added Caldo con sabor de Pollo its chicken bouillon my kids and picky hubbie loved it.
I had made another chic enchilada soup on Pinterest and it called for no seasonings!!! I added some and it was still bad. Found your recipe and it turned out very good. Thanks for saving the meal.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Awww thanks Jackie, we’re glad you enjoyed the recipe! :)
This is absolutely the best soup! It’s spicey but not overly so, filling, flavorful and just plain yummy. I am so glad you recommended your enchilada sauce. It really makes it! And it’s quicker than using dried red chile pods like l have done since I moved to NM eight years ago. I am serving it for guests tomorrow night, they will love it and will definitely use it often this winter!! Thanks for something SO easy and something SO delicious. ?
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks Jane, we’re so happy you love it! We hope your dinner party is so much fun, and that your guests enjoy it as well! :)
I made Chicken Enchilada Soup today came out great it took a little longer to cook starred at 9am finished at 2:39 . One helpful hint I learned from my husband is to heat the liquid ingredients to warm before putting in the Crock Pot. Takes less time for the Crock Pot to heat the ingredients.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
We’re glad to hear it turned out well, Paula! And that tip from your husband is a great one, we love it! :)
Oooh, good question. I usually find them near the salad dressings at the grocery store in little bags. If not, you can also just crush up tortilla chips. :)
This was great! I made it last night :)
Do you have the calorie count for a 1 cup serving?
Thank you!
the soup is awesome – last week I made it for a small group of friends and the soup was gone within 20 mins. I put chicken with cilantro/lime juice in a ziploc bag, let it soak for 4 hours.
Had this in the slow cooker all day yesterday and just enjoyed my first bowl for lunch today. SO delicious, everyone around me in the staff room was asking for the recipe. So so easy and so so tasty. Thank you!
Made this tonight for dinner, easy to make and super tasty. Big hit in my household. Definitely putting it in the permanent soup file. Used your enchilada sauce also, excellent, and will use for enchiladas in the future.
The BEST Enchilada Chicken Soup I have ever had! Raised in AZ and have Mexican Food all the time….This was one of the best! YUM!
I made this with a surgical dedication to the ingredients and time. It was absolutely amazing, and the thought of it waiting for me at the end of a long crummy day filled my heart (and belly) with joy. Thanks for sharing this blindingly easy recipe that will become a staple for me.
This chticken should be seasoned and then seared into a skillet to form a nice crust. Then deglaze the pan with the chicken stock.
OMG this is gorgeous. Made it tonight and everyone loved it – now our favourite homemade soup. Made it with your homemade enchilada sauce – well worth the extra bit of effort. Thanks so much ;0)
Prepared your chicken enchilada soup and it was delicious!!! Loved how easy it was! Thank you so much!
Enchilada soup recipe
I made this soup. It was delicious. Did freeze very well. Gave some to our neighbor and they loved it so much she asked for the recipe. Thank you for sharing. Next time I will take a picture.
Easey peasey and delicious! Thanks for sharing!
What would the cooking time be for frozen chicken? I know you’re not supposed to, but I haven’t had issues in the past. Thanks!
This was delicious. I only reduced the chicken broth to 1 cup, used the whole can of corn and added a teaspoon of chili powder because I used canned enchilada sauce instead of your awesome recipe for Red Enchilada Sauce.
My boyfriend liked it too and he’s not a soup eater usually.
Thank you for the delicious soup! I made your enchilada sauce (so so tasty) and then used my pressure cooker instead of the slow cooker. I got all of the wonderful melding of flavors in a fraction of the time. I put all of the ingredients except the beans and corn under high pressure for twenty minutes, and the chicken shred beautifully. I then added the beans and corn and cover was ready! So delicious, simple and ready in minutes!
Disappointed! This was really bland and flavorless. Although I knew better I didn’t sear the chicken and brown the onions so it was slightly watery, flavorless, and just not good. At end of cooking I added extra cumin, garlic, salt, and chili powder to try to brighten it up after tasting the broth, and a cornstarch slurry to try to thicken it and it still fell super flat.
Hi. This recipe looks great, and it’s going on the menu either Thursday or Saturday of this week. Can you share which slow-cooker size will be most effective? I have a 3 quart, a 4 quart, a 5 quart and a 7 quart. Um, yes, I also have OCD. Hahaha!
I have made this soup several times and it has been a hit every time. It is delicious and very satisfying. One of these times I will make my own enchilada sauce that you so graciously provided above.
Thanks for an awesome recipe!
This was delicious! Made it for my roommate and our boyfriends for dinner. Instead of slow cooking it in a crock pot, I cooked it in a big pot on the stove. I rubbed the chicken in some spices (paprika, garlic powder, lemon and pepper, chili powder) and then seared it on a skillet. Finished baking the chicken for 20 min in the oven at 350 degrees F and shredded it before placing back in the soup pot. I pan fried the onions and fresh chili pepper in the chicken drippings too. Result was delicious. The homemade enchilada sauce was a home-run. I made it with Indian red chili pepper and cut the spice with some lime juice. The soup is delicious served with a side of sweet corn bread!
This soup is amazing! My husband (who is NOT a foodie like me) raved about it. I made rice on the side and he had his with rice in it. I wanted to keep mine light so I ate it as is with a quarter of an avocado on the side. So easy and SO good. Thank you!
loved this! Made the enchilada sauce too. Loved!!
This soup is sooo good. I have made it 3 times now, twice with the homemade enchilada sauce. This is my go-to soup recipe. And the sauce – I will never buy canned sauce again!
I have been trying so many chicken tortilla soup recipes to try to replicate my favorite Chicken Tortilla Soup from Newk’s. Turns out chicken enchilada soup is what I should have been searching for the whole time! This recipe was even more flavorful than what I was trying to recreate! I made it on the stove top, searing seasoned chicken thighs first, browning onions and garlic and simmering everything in the same pot for 20 minutes. Homemade enchilada sauce was great. I will definitely make this again!
I made this for a teacher appreciation Souper Bowl luncheon. My soup was the only soup that was completely gone at the end of lunch! Thank you for the fantastic recipe. The homemade enchilada sauce makes all the difference!
I’m a vegan and I made this soup without the chicken, just added more beans, vegetable stock, etc. It was awesome. A definite hit with the entire family, including my carnivorous children. Thanks for sharing.
I just made this enchilada soup and it is AMAZING!! I did 3 chicken breasts instead of 2 and only 1 can of beans ( I’m not the biggest fan of beans ) and it still came out wonderful! This is an easy recipe and a must try! Thanks Ali– oh and cool name lol!
love all soups and other THX THX
This is similar my fave but substitute a store-bought rotissorie chicken. Just pull the meat off and shred and add to crockpot.
Another great recipe! This will be one that we will make often. It is easy to make and very flavorful.
I love the pictures on your blog. It makes me want to make all of the recipes because they are so colorful and appetizing!
Thanks so much, Pat! I love color!! :)
Making a vegan edition with soft tortilla strip “noodles” instead of chicken and extra veggies! This should last me a couple days :)
Cool Linda, let me know how it turns out! : )
Just made this today. It smelled wonderful walking in from work. However, I thought it was a little flat tasting so I added a can of tomato sauce and some salsa and extra spices. It helped. Next time I think I’ll lessen the amount of chicken stock and add an extra can of enchilada sauce and maybe rotel tomatoes vs. the fire roasted ones. I love the ease of this soup, just thought it needed more umph.
Thanks for sharing Sue, I hope you enjoy it more next time!
Thanks for this easy dish.
Not only is this soup gorgeous, it’s so good! I threw everything in the pot before heading out to work and I got back to the best smelling apartment ever.
The only things I changed were that I added extra garlic (because I’m a garlic fiend and add way too much) and a healthy splash of lime juice to cut through the dense, rich flavors going on here.
If anyone is looking to make this for a big crowd and stretch it further, it’s pretty excellent served over rice.
Thanks so much Kate!
I stumbled onto your blog via Pinterest and have made this soup a few times now, I made it for my dad and never intended to eat it myself. I *HATE* enchilada sauce. Until I made yours. It doesn’t resemble anything canned and it is absolutely wonderful. I could drink it! I am making your chicken enchilada recipe today and just had to let you know how much I loved it! I will definitely be coming back for more recipes! Thank yoU!
Thank you so much, Jessie! I’m so happy to hear you love both the sauce and the enchiladas! : )
I made this tonight and it was delicious!
I did omit a few things due to food preference/lack of ing. but it still turned out VERY good!
Omitted: chiles, garlic, onion
Toppings: Cheddar cheese, cilantro, sour cream, & crunched up corn chips
Here’s the photo! ^_^
https://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a330/Kris022/5.18.15EnchaladaSoup_zpsmihgwtlk.jpg
Thanks for sharing, Kris! I’m glad it worked out for you, it looks great! : )
This was delicious! So much flavor! I forgot to put it in the crockpot at 2:30 and was only able to cook it about 3 hours. I was worried that the flavors wouldn’t have come through in such a short time but that was not the case. I served with warm tortillas and it was a hit with my family. Will definitely make again. So easy!
Thanks, Joelle! And I’m glad it still worked out well over a shorter cooking duration!
Made this today and it was delicious. Made your enchilada sauce to use in it. I had so much I had lots of leftovers and put them in the freezer.
Thanks Angela, we’re so happy you enjoyed it!
forgot to ask if I could freeze this if I double or triple it.
Sure thing! This soup freezes beautifully.
I just made the homemade enchilada sauce (YUM!!) and can’t wait until the soup is ready! Making a pan of cheese and chicken enchiladas for another night. Love this recipe!
Yay, we’re so glad you liked it – we hope you enjoy the enchiladas too!
This looks delicious. I have everything but the enchilada sauce. Do you know of a substitute for the enchilada sauce?
Thanks, we hope you like it! Unfortunately though there really isn’t a substitute for the enchilada sauce, considering it’s a pretty substantial part of the recipe. If you didn’t need so much, you could use a little bit of Mexican hot sauce, but for this recipe, we strongly recommend holding off until you can make/buy some enchilada sauce.
Made this for a soup day at work. I was pleased to be the one who had an empty pot in a short span of time. Thank you!
That’s wonderful Carla, we’re happy to hear that! :)
Hi–
I am hoping to make this this week, will it be okay if it is cooking on low for closer to ten hours? With my commute and work day, I can’t be back much sooner.
Thanks!
Yep, it should be just fine if it cooks on low. Enjoy!
I made it an oboy was it good I substituted black bean for pinto beans, I had home made enchilada sauce but I used box sock and added Caldo con sabor de Pollo its chicken bouillon my kids and picky hubbie loved it.
Awesome Tina, we’re happy to hear that! :)
I had made another chic enchilada soup on Pinterest and it called for no seasonings!!! I added some and it was still bad. Found your recipe and it turned out very good. Thanks for saving the meal.
Awww thanks Jackie, we’re glad you enjoyed the recipe! :)
This is absolutely the best soup! It’s spicey but not overly so, filling, flavorful and just plain yummy. I am so glad you recommended your enchilada sauce. It really makes it! And it’s quicker than using dried red chile pods like l have done since I moved to NM eight years ago. I am serving it for guests tomorrow night, they will love it and will definitely use it often this winter!! Thanks for something SO easy and something SO delicious. ?
Thanks Jane, we’re so happy you love it! We hope your dinner party is so much fun, and that your guests enjoy it as well! :)
Made this soup tonight along with the homemade enchilada sauce. I topped it with sour cream and crushed nacho doritos and omg it’s fabulous
Awesome Nina, we’re so happy you liked it!
I made Chicken Enchilada Soup today came out great it took a little longer to cook starred at 9am finished at 2:39 . One helpful hint I learned from my husband is to heat the liquid ingredients to warm before putting in the Crock Pot. Takes less time for the Crock Pot to heat the ingredients.
We’re glad to hear it turned out well, Paula! And that tip from your husband is a great one, we love it! :)
Where do you get your skinny cut tortilla chips? I can’t find them anywhere except from a restaurant. Thank you so much for your help.
Oooh, good question. I usually find them near the salad dressings at the grocery store in little bags. If not, you can also just crush up tortilla chips. :)
Making this for dinner tonight,it smells sooo good
Wonderful Kathy, we hope you enjoy it! :)
Can you use frozen chicken breasts for this recipe?
Yep, it may just take the soup slightly longer to cook. Just keep an eye on it!