Spicy shredded chicken enchiladas are an easy meal loaded with flavor and minimal effort. Zesty, shredded chicken, rice, beans, creamy guacamole salsa and cheese are wrapped up in flour tortillas, coated in enchilada sauce and more cheese, and baked until bubbly. It’s an easy Mexican-inspired meal that can feed an army.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love These Spicy Chicken Enchiladas
- Ingredients
- Flavor Variations
- How to Make Spicy Shredded Chicken Enchiladas
- Hint
- Storage
- What to Serve with Crockpot Shredded Chicken Enchiladas
- Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Try These Spicy Shredded Chicken Enchiladas Today
- More Delicious Enchilada Recipes You’ll Enjoy
- Spicy Shredded Chicken Enchiladas
Enchiladas are one of my favorite Mexican dishes to make. There’s just so much you can do with them! You can, of course, go the classic route, but I have more fun creating enchilada variations that add an unexpected twist.
Take these spicy shredded chicken enchiladas, for example. They’re really more like an enchilada burrito. I cook chicken, zesty seasonings, guacamole salsa, and rice in the slow cooker. Then, I shred the chicken and pair the filling with beans and cheese, top it all with red enchilada sauce and MORE cheese, and then bake it until it’s melty and gooey. Oh, it’s so good, and it’s so easy – my favorite combination!
Why You’ll Love These Spicy Chicken Enchiladas
- Simple Ingredients: Everything you need to make this recipe is at your local grocery store. Even the guacamole salsa is easy to find.
- Easy: The filling is made with a slow cooker, and it only takes a few minutes to create the rest of the dish.
- Filling: With chicken, rice, beans, and cheese, this recipe fills up even the biggest eaters.
- Customizable: You can adjust the heat level, protein, cheese, and even the beans to suit your individual taste.
Ingredients
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: Chicken breasts have a mild flavor perfect for the other ingredients in these enchiladas, and it shreds easily.
- Yellow Onion: Yellow onions adds a slight bite and an aromatic flavor.
- Jalapenos: Jalapenos add that green, spicy flavor we love in Mexican food.
- White Rice and Beans: White rice and beans add body, texture, and flavor.
- Zesty Spices: A blend of bold spices, including red pepper flakes and paprika add a big kick of flavor.
- Guacamole Salsa: Exactly what the name sounds like, this salsa adds the flavors of both guac and salsa to the recipe.
- Red Enchilada Sauce: You can’t have enchiladas without it!
- Flour Tortillas: Flour tortillas are more pliable than corn, making them perfect for enchiladas.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Other Meats: Try beef or pork in place of chicken.
- Mild: Omit the jalapenos and red pepper flakes for a mild version of this recipe.
- Super Hot: Leave the jalapeno seeds intact for a super hot version.
- Cheese: Try cheddar, Cojita, Mexican blend, or taco blend cheeses in this recipe.
- Salsa: If you prefer a more traditional flavor, use regular salsa.
How to Make Spicy Shredded Chicken Enchiladas
For the Filling
1: Add the onions and jalapenos, then the chicken to a prepared 6 or 8-quart slow cooker.
2: Top with seasonings and guacamole salsa and cook until the chicken is tender.
3: Add the white rice about 30 minutes before the chicken is finished.
4: Remove the chicken, shred it, and return it to the slow cooker.
For the Enchiladas
1: Mix the chicken, ranch beans, and ½ can of red enchilada sauce. Cook until heated through.
2: Add the other ½ can of enchilada sauce to a shallow dish and set aside.
3: Heat the tortillas on both sides in a large pan, then dip them in the sauce.
4: Add the chicken mixture to the center of the tortillas and then top with cheese.
5: Pour ¼ of another can of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a prepared 13×9 baking dish, roll the tortillas up, and place them in the dish.
6: Pour the remaining ¾ can of enchilada sauce over the tortillas, top with cheese, and bake until bubbly. Enjoy!
Hint
Wash your hands thoroughly after handling hot peppers and NEVER touch your face!
Storage
Refrigerate the enchiladas for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. Be aware that the longer they sit, the softer the tortillas will become.
To reheat the enchiladas, place them in a baking dish, cover them, and bake at 350 until heated through.
What to Serve with Crockpot Shredded Chicken Enchiladas
Serve these enchiladas with your favorite Mexican sides like bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers, Spanish rice, or chipotle corn salsa. Don’t forget the cinnamon twists for dessert!
Tips
- Check the rice after about 25 minutes in the slow cooker. All slow cooker temperatures vary somewhat. Checking early helps prevent mushy rice.
- Flour tortillas are your best bet for enchiladas. Corn tortillas are less pliable and more apt to break when rolled.
- Shred your chicken while it’s warm. Proteins shred more easily when they’re warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
First and foremost, you want to shred your chicken while it’s still hot. That makes it much easier. After that, shredding claws or a hand mixer are two of the easiest ways to shred it.
To prevent soggy enchilada tortillas, you can lightly fry them in oil on both sides. This creates a physical barrier against the sauce, keeping the tortillas firmer longer.
Although slow cookers are supposedly nonstick, foods can and do still stick to them. A thin coating of nonstick spray prevents that.
Try These Spicy Shredded Chicken Enchiladas Today
With tons of shredded chicken, rice, beans, cheese, and a zesty sauce, these spicy shredded chicken enchiladas are hearty, filling, and overflowing with all your favorite Mexican flavors. They’re also incredibly easy to make, which is a huge bonus. Give them a try, and I know you’ll fall in love with them.
More Delicious Enchilada Recipes You’ll Enjoy
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Spicy Shredded Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 jalapenos, stem and seeds removed, diced
- 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 15.7 ounce bottle Herdez Guacamole Salsa
- ½ cup white rice
- 2-15 ounce cans Ranch Style Beans
- 2-15 ounce cans red enchilada sauce
- 4+ cups Colby Jack cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8-10 flour Tortillas, burrito size
Instructions
- Spray a 6 or 8 quart crock pot with non-stick spray.
- Add diced onions and jalapenos first, followed by the chicken breasts.
- Sprinkle the seasonings over the chicken.
- Pour the guacamole salsa over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
- Add the rice in the last half hour of cooking.
- Shred chicken and make enchiladas.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour ¼ can of red enchilada sauce into the bottom of the dish. Set aside.
- Heat flour tortillas in a large frying pan over medium heat or over an open flame. Flip over so both sides are heated up.
- In a large pan, combine together chicken mixture, ranch beans, and ½ can of red enchilada sauce.
- Cook over medium heat until completely heated through.
- Pour remaining sauce from the first can into a shallow dish and coat tortillas on both sides before adding filling. Add more sauce as needed.
- Add chicken mixture and shredded cheese to the center of the tortillas.
- Roll up and place in the prepared baking dish.
- Top rolled enchiladas with remaining red sauce and cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, green onions, salsa, if desired.
- Serve with your favorite sides.
Notes
- Check the rice after about 25 minutes in the slow cooker. All slow cooker temperatures vary somewhat. Checking early helps prevent mushy rice.
- Flour tortillas are your best bet for enchiladas. Corn tortillas are less pliable and more apt to break when rolled.
- Shred your chicken while it’s warm. Proteins shred more easily when they’re warm.
Nutrition
