This easy enchilada soup in slow cooker with rotisserie chicken or fresh breasts is a healthy one pot meal we often make as a cheap leftover chicken breast recipe too.
This meal is one I cook often, especially when I am going to be gone all day. I can throw everything in my slow cooker, and it is ready by dinner time with no prep. Here’s the easy enchilada soup recipe with chicken that’s one of our favorite easy Crockpot recipes! (post may contain affiliate links)
Slow Cooker Enchilada Soup without Cream Cheese
I will focus on how to make this as one of our simple crockpot chicken recipes. BUT if you wanted to use a pot instead on your stove that is just as simple. I just think slow cooking is so much easier as I don’t have to pay attention to it at all during the day. NO worrying about boiling over for this method.
You only need a few things, it is really quite healthy. Need a vegetarian version of this?? NO problem, just use vegetable broth instead and leave out the meat entirely. It is still so good that even my kids rave about it when it’s served with these air fryer garlic rolls.
Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….
- This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
- I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.
Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉
Enchilada Soup with Frozen Chicken
Here is how you make this easy chicken enchilada soup. What I usually do is just throw it together in about 5 minutes on busy mornings and it cooks all day by itself. If I find poultry on sale and stock up I’ll use that because Crockpot frozen chicken even works fabulously well!
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half or use pre cooked chicken
- Chicken broth is better than water
- 1 can red enchilada sauce red, 10 oz
- Canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- Corn that is canned and drained, or 1 bag of frozen kernels works too
- Can pf rotel for spicy or diced tomatoes
- About half of an onion diced
This whole pot will make about 6 bowls of soup if you are serving as a main dish. Stays for several hours on the stay warm function so it’s great for Super Bowl too. Grab a loaf of bread, or make my 3 ingredient beer bread right before it’s done and it is a delicious hearty. Pretty healthy too that all 5 of us love!
Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
Ok so this is the first place I had this, maybe you’re the same. It was incredible, for sure, BUT I looked at it time and time again and thought it would be so easy to make myself. Of course it took me years to stop buying it and just threw in what was in the pantry. Literally it was easier than ever.
What got me going was after I had a bunch of shredded chicken on the stove left over in the fridge. You know how I hate wasting food! Felt like I didn’t really need fresh to make this since everything else is canned and already tender. Totally worked like a charm.
Pantry Red Enchilada Soup
I have used all three types; with leftover rotisserie chicken, frozen breasts, and fresh meat as well. Believe it or not there isn’t a huge cook time at all. Seriously. I mean with precooked you could enjoy after 4 hours since you’re just warming it up but typically I will leave for 6 anyway. Which is how long you need for the others.
Let me speak for just a minute though about using frozen meat in any sort of recipe. You can use whole pieces but you really want to have them be boneless and skinless.
That is #1 tip. The #2 thing to remember is you need them to be separated. If you pull them out of the freezer and they’re in a huge chunk, defrost chicken in microwave to separate.
How to Make Enchilada Soup with Leftover Chicken in Slow Cooker
- Pour everything into your pot or slow cooker.
- You can use shredded precooked, fresh boneless skinless breasts sliced in half or even frozen chicken breasts too if that is all you have. Stir together.
- Turn your crock pot to low and cook 4-6 hours with precooked meat, or at least for 6 hours for fresh or frozen (until chicken is cooked thru). Cook on high for 4-5.
- On the stovetop set to medium with a lid on and cook until meat can be shredded with 2 forks easily, about 15-20 minutes.
- boiling frozen chicken would take 18 to 22 min.
- Shred chicken about 30 min. before eating so it soaks up juices and serve with tortilla chips and add spicy jack cheese on top, or search beer bread on my blog and make that!
To make our recipe creamy you can add room temperature 1/2 of a package of cream cheese 30 minutes prior to being done. Cut into smaller chunks so the heat melts it and creates a thicker texture to it. A dollop of sour cream is pretty yummy too.
If you like it spicier, then choose a hotter enchilada sauce, or if you don’t like it as spicy add mild sauce and add a bit more chicken broth to the mix. Adding red pepper flakes or diced jalapeno is another option too for heat.
What should you serve soup with?
Tortilla chips are of course optional but will transform this into a chicken tortilla soup. Larger versions are a fun thing to scoop up what’s inside and on the bottom. That is what we do with this and our spicy chicken noodle soup recipe. Then try our Instant Pot enchiladas and enjoy.
How to save leftovers
Have leftovers?? We have a great way to save leftover soup here. You can use this same method for any variety. Saves in blocks and then you can defrost and enjoy it again another day quite easily. To reheat once thawed you just use a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute, stir, and add another minute.
Other easy Crockpot recipes you’ll love
Wait, we have more though. Once you fall in love with how easy this one was to make check out a few of our other dishes that are dump and go like this one. If you’d rather make another dinner similar to this one using ground beef try our Crockpot enchilada casserole or our 5 ingredient crockpot chili recipe for a classic dish.
Slow Cooker Easy Enchilada Soup
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
- 2 boneless chicken breasts, skin removed, boneless, sliced in half or use precooked shredded meat
- 3-4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can enchilada sauce, red, 10 oz
- 1 can black beans, 15 oz, drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn, 14 oz drained, or 1 bag of frozen kernels
- 1 can rotel, or diced tomatoes
- 1/2 onion, diced
Instructions
- Add all items to the slow cooker. You can use shredded precooked, fresh breasts sliced in half or even frozen chicken breasts too if that is all you have. Stir together.
- Turn your crockpot to low and cook 4-6 hours with precooked meat, or at least for 6 hours for fresh or frozen (until chicken is cooked thru).
- Shred chicken about 30 min. before eating so it soaks up juices and serve with tortilla chips and add spicy jack cheese on top, or search beer bread on my blog and make that!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Also, this makes a great chip dip when cold
Oh yummy idea
I found this recipe before but it got removed and then I found it on your page. It is so easy and healthy. I also made a version with meatless crumbles instead of chicken for vegetarian friends of ours.
OH yay glad it was a hit
I still like to print recipes out…. how can I do that with your recipes!!? Great recipes, by the way!
I just added it for you so you can print it out for later!
I use a little cumin and chili powder for my chili, depending on who is eating dinner at home that nightI use almost the same recipe with only ground beef, no the beans and other ingredients, for sloppy joes.