These cheesy chicken enchiladas start in the crockpot and finish in the oven, creating ooey-gooey, meaty enchiladas packed with so much flavor and so little work!
I’m a Cali girl turned Texas transplant, so of course, I love enchiladas. I make everything from classic beef enchiladas to creative dishes like green chile chicken enchilada casserole and beef enchilada pasta.
These cheesy chicken enchiladas are loaded with tender chicken and all your favorite classic flavors. Pair them with homemade Spanish rice and cinnamon twists for a delicious south-of-the-border meal!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Everything you need for this recipe is in your kitchen or grocery store.
- So Easy: The chicken is cooked in the slow cooker, and after that, it only takes a few minutes of prep and a little time in the oven.
- Classic Flavor: Every bite of these enchiladas is loaded with zesty Mexican spices, tender chicken, and tons of cheese.
- Budget-Friendly: Swapping out chicken for beef cuts WAY down on the cost.
- Customizable: It’s easy to change up this recipe to suit your family’s tastes.
- Great for Meal Prep: This crockpot chicken is freezer-friendly, making it perfect for meal prep.
Key Ingredients
I’ve included a list of the major recipe ingredients here, but you can find the full list and exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Chicken Breasts: Chicken breasts are meaty and mild, replacing beef for a more affordable version that still maintains that classic Mexican food flavor.
- Enchilada and Chile Sauce: A blend of red enchilada and chile sauce creates a slightly sweet and spicy sauce for the enchiladas.
- Diced Green Chiles: These add a slightly smoky flavor and a bit of heat to the recipe.
- Cumin: Cumin gives the enchiladas that classic smoky profile.
- Black Olives: Black olives add a briny flavor that’s a bit milder than green olives.
- Cheese: A blend of Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheeses makes these enchiladas so ooey and gooey.
Variations
- Meat: Use leftover pulled pork to make pulled pork enchiladas. Other leftovers like brisket, beef roast, or even turkey will work, too!
- Mild: Use more red enchilada sauce in place of the chile sauce for a mild version.
- Extra Spicy: Add diced jalapenos to the chicken for an extra spicy version.
- Tortillas: You can use flour or corn tortillas. While corn tortillas are the classic version, some people prefer flour. They’re both delicious options.
How to Make Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
There’s not much to this recipe. I’ve included an overview of it here, but you can find the complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Add the onions, seasonings, diced green chiles, and red chile sauce to a large crock pot and cook until extremely tender.
- Shred the chicken as soon as you can safely handle it. Then, add it to the center of each tortilla along with lots of cheese. Roll up and place in a prepared baking dish with a bit of enchilada sauce on the bottom.
- Continue until all the tortillas are filled and rolled. Then, pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas and top with more cheese and sliced olives.
- Cover with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is melted. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Spray your crock pot with nonstick spray to prevent the chicken and onions from sticking or burning.
- Shred your chicken as soon as it’s cool enough to handle safely. Warm or hot meat shreds much more easily than cool meat.
- It’s important to put the onions on the bottom so they get nice and soft.
- Spray the underside of your foil with nonstick spray to prevent the cheese from sticking when you remove it.
- Avoid stinging eyes by refrigerating your onion for about 30 minutes before chopping it.
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas FAQs
Yes, they are. Authentic enchiladas can be made with beef, pork, or chicken. These enchiladas are loaded with classic Mexican flavors.
Traditional enchiladas are made with corn tortillas. However, many people use flour tortillas. It all comes down to personal preference. It’s worth noting that corn tortillas tend to hold their shape better than flour tortillas.
Chicken that will be shredded should be cooked for about 6 to 8 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high.
More Delicious Mexican Recipes
And, here is a delicious Easy Beef and Bean Enchilada recipe from Deliciously Seasoned you might enjoy too!
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And, here is a delicious Easy Beef and Bean Enchilada recipe from Deliciously Seasoned you might enjoy too!
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4 oz can diced green chilies
- 28 oz can red chile sauce
- 15 oz can red enchilada sauce
- 3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- 3 cups Pepper Jack, grated
- 8-12 flour tortillas, burrito size
- ½ cup black olives, sliced
- Optional: sliced green onions, cilantro
Instructions
- Spray a 5 quart crock pot with non stick spray and add chopped onions to bottom.
- Place chicken breasts on top of the onions, add cumin, salt, pepper, diced green chiles and then pour red chile sauce over chicken.
- Cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours. Once tender, shred with two forks.
- Preheat oven to 375° and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non stick spray. Open small can of enchilada sauce and pour a little sauce in the baking dish covering the bottom completely (save the remaining for covering the enchiladas).
- Add chicken mixture to center of tortilla then add lots of cheese, roll and then place in baking dish. Repeat until all chicken mixture has been used up.
- Once the baking dish is full, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, top with additional cheese and sliced olives.
- Spray foil with a non stick spray (so the cheese will not stick to the foil), cover and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour or until heated thoroughly and cheese is melted.
- Optional: Top with sliced onions, cilantro and sour cream.
Notes
- Spray your crock pot with nonstick spray to prevent the chicken and onions from sticking or burning.
- Shred your chicken as soon as it’s cool enough to handle safely. Warm or hot meat shreds much more easily than cool meat.
- It’s important to put the onions on the bottom so they get nice and soft.
- Spray the underside of your foil with nonstick spray to prevent the cheese from sticking when you remove it.
- Avoid stinging eyes by refrigerating your onion for about 30 minutes before chopping it.
Nutrition
Here are a few pics that are the perfect size for pinning to Pinterest.
Enjoy, Terri
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What is the temp setting for oven?
Thank you Cathy, it’s 375°. I hope you enjoy these. Merry Christmas!