One of my favorite kinds of recipes to share with you is the ones that are kid approved. I make my kids eat everything. But! Not everything I love gets a winning endorsement gold star seal of approval from my three. These Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas do! What is even more rare is when ALL THREE love a dinner recipe. This slow cooker dinner recipe gets that box checked! If you are struggling with what to make for your family this week, make this! I have everything you need in this post to make this recipe turn out perfectly, including different ideas for making shredded chicken.
Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Ingredients
This recipe requires only a few ingredients, making it a great weeknight dinner. Please refer to the recipe card for the full amounts and instructions at the bottom of the post.
Enchilada Sauce (more on that below)Diced tomatoesShredded Chicken (more on that below)Diced Green ChilesTaco Seasoning TortillasCheese
If you keep shredded chicken in the freezer, you can keep almost everything to make this in your pantry. That way you only need to add tortillas and cheese to your grocery list.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas
Homemade Enchilada Sauce vs. Store Bought
The other day a neighbor asked me if she could borrow a can of enchilada sauce but said: “But is it as good as yours? I am really picky about enchilada sauce and I only like your recipe.” I’m biased of course, but I don’t think that store-bought or canned enchilada sauce is as good as my enchilada sauce recipe. It’s missing a depth of flavor that my 20 minute sauce brings. That said, don’t skip out on this recipe because you didn’t have time to make homemade sauce! Your family will love it with store-bought.
Shredded Chicken
This recipe calls for cooked shredded chicken. There are a few ways to make it. Pro Tip: Cook more chicken than you need and freeze the left over shredded chicken. See how below.
Boil Chicken Breasts
Place the chicken in enough water to cover it and simmer it for 4 to 10 minutes. Make sure it registers 165 degrees with an instant read thermometer.
Baking Chicken
Place chicken in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
Use the Instant Pot
You can also make shredded chicken in the instant pot. Learn how to make shredded chicken in the instant pot.
Use a Rotisserie Chicken
Shredding a rotisserie chicken is a great easy way to get shredded chicken for a recipe like this. I like to buy more than one at a time and freeze a lot.
Freezing Shredded Chicken
As mentioned above a way to make this recipe faster is having frozen shredded chicken on hand. To Freeze Shredded Chicken:
Thawing Frozen Shredded Chicken
When you are ready to use it, place in the refrigerator overnight. Or, put in a sealed container inside of a cold bowl of water, changing the water every 30 minutes until the chicken is thawed. It will take less than two hours.
Other Enchilada Recipes
If your family can’t get enough enchiladas, make sure you also make:
Beef EnchiladasSour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
If you make these Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
Recommended Tools
Slow Cooker: This is the crockpot I have. I like it so much I have two!Mixing Bowl: I’ve had this mixing bowl for years. It’s the perfect size.Measuring Spoons: I’m obsessed with these measuring spoons.Cheese Grater: We love this one with the container that fits perfectly on the bottom.
