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Slow cooker chicken enchilada soup
I’m staring at the photos of this slow cooker chicken enchilada soup as I write this post and it’s a whopping 97 degrees outside on the 3rd day of October.
Yes, OCTOBER.
Pretty sure this is a really bad joke from Mother Nature.
Regardless of the temperature outside, it is always a good day to make soup.
Especially soup in the slow cooker.
More specifically this slow cooker chicken enchilada soup.
Tips for making this slow cooker chicken enchilada soup
- Make sure you read the recipe as there is a prep step that is a little extra than just dumping all the ingredients into the slow cooker.
- Plan ahead. This soup, on low heat, takes 6-8 hours.
Can I make this in the Instant Pot?
Yes!
You can make the sauce right in the insert of the Instant Pot then add all the ingredients, mix, and put it on manual pressure for 20 minutes.
Do I have to make the stovetop sauce?
Yes. It takes a little bit of extra time but well worth it.
Can I make this with another protein?
You can use chicken thighs if you don’t want to use chicken breasts.
You could also use shrimp but if you were to use shrimp, I wouldn’t add it into the soup to cook the entire time. I’d add the shrimp in when the soup is done cooking and the residual heat can cook the shrimp through.
Can I freeze this?
Yes, just make sure you let it cool completely in a freezer-safe container before putting it into the freezer.
Also, don’t fill the container all the way to the top. Liquids expand when frozen so you don’t want it to burst.
Can I add other ingredients into the soup?
Absolutely! Whatever you think would go well with the flavors of chicken enchilada.
What toppings would be good to serve the slow cooker chicken enchilada soup with?
As you can see in the photos, it was topped with avocados and sour cream.
You can add a squeeze of lime and some chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.
Other slow cooker recipes that you would love:
- Slow cooker pumpkin coconut curry
- Mississippi roast
- Slow cooker Korean tacos
- Slow cooker chicken pot pie soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ½ cup (118 ml) chicken broth
- 2 cups (473 ml) milk
- 10 ounce (284 ml) can of enchilada sauce
- 15 ounce (425 g) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 14.5 ounce (411 g) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 10 ounce (284 g) package frozen corn
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 large chicken breasts
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat and whisk in the flour until smooth and bubbly.3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons flour
- Remove from heat and add in the chicken broth and 1/2 cup of milk, whisking to make sure there are no lumps.1/2 cup (118 ml) chicken broth, 2 cups (473 ml) milk
- Return to heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring until it thickens. Then whisk in the enchilada sauce. Continue to whisk the mixture as you add the rest of the milk.10 ounce (284 ml) can of enchilada sauce
- In the insert of the slow cooker, add beans, tomatoes, frozen corn, onions, and green bell pepper.15 ounce (425 g) can black beans, 14.5 ounce (411 g) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, 10 ounce (284 g) package frozen corn, 1 medium onion, 1 green bell pepper
- Place the chicken on top of this mixture.2 large chicken breasts
- Pour the sauce you just made over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Right before serving, take out the chicken and shred it. Then add it back into the pot and mix to combine well.
- You can top this with whatever cheese you like and whatever toppings!
Nutrition
Photography by Jesse Reilly
Hi! Can the sauce base be made the night before and refrigerated?
Thank you!
Yes! Definitely.
I love how this enchilada soup is all warm and comforting and can cook in the crockpot but it also has fresh garnish to make it pop. Yum!
I made this last night in my Instant Pot and it was DELISH!
I loved getting the sauce started in the Instant Pot vs on the stove because – only one pot! I also used 2 cups of frozen diced onions/peppers mix to save myself from pulling out a cutting board, and I had to sub in a can of light coconut milk for regular because I didn’t have any regular. I was pretttty skeptical of that last substitute, but it came out amazing, creamy and wasn’t sweet/coconutty at all. All my prep was done in a little under 15 min. As Julie recommended, I did 20 min high pressure and then I used a natural release, shredded the chicken and added it back. Topped with cheese, cilantro and chips.
My husband loved it, went back for seconds…and then thirds. I love a good tortilla soup, and I used to work at Chili’s in college and loved their Enchilada Soup (which comes from a bag – gross). This was the perfect homemade option. I can see this easily being made on the regular in our house. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Thanks so much, Beth!!!!! :)
Love the recipe
I made this yesterday, and it was delicious!!! Just enough kick!
Are used to split breasts on the bone of chicken, because I found these stay more tender through the cooking process. Also my crockpot is one where I can make the sauce right in it and then add the other ingredients. So that saves me a pot to clean! Highly recommend this recipe.
What size crockpot are you using for this recipe? I tried using a 3 quart one, and there was too much liquid sauce that I had to leave some of it out.
I have a 6 quart slow cooker at home
I’m going to try your recipe on Thursday, bu I’m going to cook it on Wednesday or when we do eat the soup the flavors will have that extra zest. Thank you so much for your recipe. I know it’s going to be muy bien.
Great idea! Enjoy!!
Is this soup freezable?
I can’t imagine it not being freezable. I would say, yes, you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container.
I made this soup the other night to break in my new crock pot, and it was absolutely delicious and easy! I used a red enchilada sauce, and it was the perfect amount of spice, but nothing too serious. Mmmm, yummm-o.
In the photo of the soup, did you use green or red sauce?
Green.