Gimme Some Oven

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

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Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup | gimmesomeoven.com #crockpot

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!)

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup | gimmesomeoven.com #crockpot

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!)

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup | gimmesomeoven.com #crockpot

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.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup | gimmesomeoven.com #crockpot

And once it’s done, shred the chicken and you’re ready to go!

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup | gimmesomeoven.com #crockpot

Seriously, just look at that! I can hardly believe it only took about 10 minutes of prep time.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup | gimmesomeoven.com #crockpot

SO good, so much flavor, and it’s actually pretty light and good for you too.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup | gimmesomeoven.com #crockpot

You can either serve it just plain…

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup | gimmesomeoven.com #crockpot

…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.)

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup | gimmesomeoven.com #crockpot

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.

Deal?

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Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 86 reviews
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 240 minutes
  • Total Time: 250 minutes
  • Yield: 4 -6 servings 1x

Description

This slow cooker chicken enchilada soup recipe only takes about 10 minutes of prep time, and it is oh-so-delicious and comforting.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
  • 2 cups good-quality chicken stock
  • 1 1/4 cup (or a 10-ounce can) red enchilada sauce*, homemade or store-bought
  • 2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 (15-ounce) can whole-kernel corn**, drained
  • 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 white onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or more/less to taste
  • optional garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado, diced red onion, shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips/chips

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. Serve warm, with optional garnishes.
  3. 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

This post contains affiliate links.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup | gimmesomeoven.com #crockpot

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444 comments on “Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup”

  1. I am always nervous trying recipes on random websites. This recipe was EXCELLENT and very easy to make.






  2. I’m nomming on this right now. Chicken thighs do work well, btw. I had some homemade enchilada sauce in my freezer, as well as some fire-roasted green chiles from last fall. So yummy!






  3. Hi. Ive made this several times and it’s so good!! Can I pre make this soup and reheat it? I’m prepping dinner for an multi day sailing trip, the boat has an oven. Was thinking this could be good or do you have any recommendations?






    • We’re so glad you enjoy it, Natalie! And yes, you can definitely reheat this. Just make sure you save your garnishes for just before serving. Have fun on your sailing trip!

  4. This has become one of my go-to recipes for lunches and dinners. Sometimes I throw rice in for the last hour or so and it’s turned out well!






  5. I make this all the time! We love it! I add kidney beans just ’cause.






  6. I make this at least twice a month. It’s great with crushed-up tortilla chips and Taco Bell mild sauce. I only use one can of beans however and a little more garlic






  7. My go-to soup! It’s so tasty and very hearty. We enjoy it like a chili with shredded cheese on top and by scooping it up with Tostito chips. I wish I could give it 10 stars! Thank you for this amazing recipe






  8. Just put all of the ingredients in the crockpot, can’t wait to have this for dinner…






  9. This is an awesome, easy recipe for weekend meal-prep for the next week. I didn’t add any additional salt (used store-bought enchilada sauce that is amply salty), and upped the seasonings with 1T cumin, 1/2T Chili Powder, 1/2T roasted garlic powder and 1t Cayenne. Served with sour cream, avocado, crushed tortilla chips, lime, and sliced fresh jalepeno. Big hit and plenty of food for 3 meals for 2 people (husband is a big eater, normal people could probably stretch it to 4 meals)






  10. This was great! Its not bad for you and it’s super filling, recipe makes A LOT and freezes well. Will definitely make again!! I made two minor changes though, the grocery store didn’t have the fire roasted tomatoes, or the diced chilies, so I substituted two 10 oz cans of “diced tomatoes with green chilies”. I also do not have cumin, and didn’t want to buy cumin just for this recipe, so I purchased the reduced sodium taco seasoning, and sprinkled about 3/4 of the packet into the crockpot. Then combined the remaining 1/4 with butter, spread it on corn tortillas, baked them then cut into strips to use as garnish!! It was also fun to set up a toppings station with sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, avocado, lime wedges and the tortilla strips so everyone could dish up their own.






  11. Great recipe!! Followed the directions exactly and it turned out great!! Cooked it on low overnight, so it would be ready to take to school for dinner. As a medical student, I am constantly looking for quick meal prep recipes as I often have to take my breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the school/hospital. This was PERFECT for it! It tastes so good that I don’t have any issues eating it for several days in a row.






  12. Made this for the first time last night. It was very tasty, even my 2 1/2 year old happily gobbled it up. I love that it’s healthy, with an all-homemade option rather than a bunch of processed food thrown together to appear as homemade. Thanks for a great recipe!






  13. I made this for a dinner party yesterday (also using your homemade enchilada sauce recipe), and it was absolutely fantastic! The guests raved about how good it was and went back for 2nds, 3rds, and even 4ths!

    I only changed a few things. I used regular tomatoes instead of the fire roasted; used frozen corn instead of canned; red onion instead of white; and added 1 red pepper, diced.

    For garnishes I provided green onions, cilantro, parsley, a few variety of cheeses, plain yogurt, freshly squeezed lime juice, and tortilla chips. I’d highly recommend fresh lime juice. It pushes this dish over the edge of amazing.

    Thank you, Ali, for this absolutely fabulous recipe.






  14. Love, love, love this soup!
    I’ve made it a few times and it’s a hit every time. In fact, we had a soup competition at work today and I won with this soup. Yum!






  15. Forgot to add 5 stars because this was awesome!






  16. I made this today and it is wonderful! I used a quarter of a large onion because I don’t like onion. I used 3/4’s of the can of green chiles. It was perfect! I garnished with a good helping of shredded cheese. Froze some individual servings and put the rest in the fridge for later.






  17. Made the 20 min chicken enchilada soup, it was awesome. Even better the next day






  18. My slow cooker was broke so I made it on the stove. Cooked & shredded my chicken, sauted the onion, garlic & added bell pepper and then added everything else and simmered for 15 minutes. Perfection! Great flavor and so easy, thanks for the great recipe!






  19. This is soooo good. Every time I make it for someone they ask for the recipe. We even made it for Christmas day.






  20. This soup is soooo good! Easy too and every time I make it for company they want the recipe. We even made it for Christmas dinner this year! And again had to give out the recipe.






  21. This was wonderful. A big hit with the whole family.






  22. I made this today and it was delicious! I added avocado and Chinese noodles instead of tortilla strips. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipe

  23. My first time making it and everyone loved it!!!! I will use this recipe again!!! Delicious and super easy!!!






  24. I have made this soup multiple times in the slow cooker and love it. Now, I am wondering how it can be adjusted for an Instant Pot. Will the chicken cook properly in the allotted time frame, or will I need to do some prep cooking ahead of time. Any ideas?






  25. Didn’t change a thing. This recipe is fantastic and awesome as is! Will be making it again!






  26. This was SO good and SO easy! Had it for so many lunches over the past year and a half that now I’m sick of it haha. Now browsing through the archives to find your other slow cooker recipes that can take its place in the rotation!!






  27. This is now one of my family’s favorite recipes! Everyone who’s had it asks for the recipe and always glad to share your site! Thank you!






  28. This recipe is fabulous! Easy and great flavor!






  29. Super easy and a hit with my husband and 12 year old. May try in my instant pot next time!






  30. I’ve made this recipe a few times! Love it!
    It’s a cold rainy Wednesday here, and I decided to make this again! Can’t wait for the 8th hour! Gonna be delicious again!

    Can I put this recipe on my blog, and add a link to your site?






  31. Absolutely delicious!! I used a different kind of cheese because the grocery store I shop at didn’t have the one listed in the recipe. I used Boars Head Butterkase instead and it worked great. Will definitely add this one to my favorites!

    https://boarshead.com/products/detail/961-pre-cut-butterkase-cheese






  32. I was running late this morning and didn’t have time to pack my usual lunch. I luckily unearthed a portion of this soup from the freezer that I had made and frozen several months ago….and it made my day! Eating it now topped with some sour cream and it is delicious, as always. :)

  33. One more thing I forgot to add is that I ran out of cumin, so instead I added about 1/2 tsp of Trader Joe’s Taco Seasoning from the little packet. And, I used TJ’s GOOD enchilada sauce. The ONLY one I ever use!






  34. Delicious! Even my 89 yo mom loved it. Thank you






  35. I’ve made this recipe a handful of times now, everyone loves it!!






  36. Hi Ali… I’ve tried a few of your recipes and have to say they are delicious. Tonight I made you chicken enchilada soup and loved it. I did add one diced up jalapeno to give it a bit of a kick. The other thing I did was make it in my instant pot. I used the manual setting for 10 minutes and it turned out perfect. Thanks so much for another great recipe!

    Nick






  37. Making again for the umpteenth time. This is my go-to soup. With the homemade red sauce and home mixed chili powder this comes out perfect every time. THANK YOU!






  38. Holy crap this was good! I’m not even a big enchilada fan but this had everyone coming back for thirds.






  39. So easy and soooo yummy! Only addition was red pepper flakes!






  40. I made this recipe yesterday. The 2 chicken breasts that I had turned out to be huge and they ended up being just under 2 pounds, so I added a large can of enchilada sauce and just a little bit more of the black beans. I knew that I was going to love it, but hubby can be picky sometimes. I didn’t tell him what I was making, I just served it to him. He absolutely loved it. Asked for just a little bit more and ate it like he was starving. ? Today he asked if there was enough leftover so he could have it for dinner again.
    I absolutely loved it, too, and I will be making it again soon. I can’t wait to try even more of your recipes. This was my first time visiting your website and my first of your recipes to try. Thank you so much for sharing this ❤️ ? ?
    Karyn






  41. I saw your recipe on Dr. Axe’s facebook page. I made it and we loved it! I also shared it on my website. This one is a keeper. Thank you.






  42. So easy to make, and SO MUCH YUM!!!






  43. Have made this exact recipe numerous times and whole family loves it! Our favorite wat to eat this is over cornbread topped with sour cream and green onion.






  44. Ali ~ This sounds delicious. Question ~ We need to serve 7 adults + 2 grandsons (10&12 y/o). Would your recipe double & fit well into my 6-Qt slow cooker? Thank you!

  45. Trying to decide if this can be keto friendly?

  46. I made this soup for my daughter and her college friends. It is delicious. I doubled the recipe and those 6 girls only left one small serving. They now request this soup above all the others that I have made for them.






  47. Just made this today. I wasn’t expecting anything great, considering how easy it was to make and that I used a sort of cheap can of enchilada sauce instead of homemade, but it tasted awesome! i will definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipe.






  48. Love this recipe! I did notice that you have 2 cans of black beans on this recipe and 1 can on the 20 minute version.






  49. I have made this multiple times over the past few years. Recently, I accidentally put 2 cans of the fire roasted tomatoes. It was very good, and now I always use the 2 cans. It gives it more of a soup taste, also, hot green chilies give it much more depth. Serve it with southern corn bread, no flour, and make the enchilada sauce with gluten free flour…..unbelievably delicious. One more thing, the enchilada sauce, break it up with chipotle and ancho added.

  50. my favorite easy crock pot chicken tortilla soup. so flavorful and so easy :)