Okay, so listen—Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup is basically my go-to move when life gets busy and my brain feels like scrambled eggs. I started making this a few years back after a wild cold snap; I was “snowed in” (or as snowed in as you can get in my neck of Kansas), and my pantry was dangerously close to bare bones. I tossed what I had into the slow cooker, muttered a little prayer, and lo and behold—magic happened. Now it’s a tradition every winter! My cousin once called it “hug in a bowl,” which either means I did something right or she was just really cold that day.
Why You’ll Totally Love This Soup
I make this when my family starts dropping hints about tacos but nobody wants to lift a finger. It’s one-pot, barely any actual hands-on work, and loads of flavor. My kids go wild for it (unless I get a bit too excited with the chili powder—lesson learned, sorry kids!). Also works wonders for potlucks; something about walking in with a crockpot full of cheesy, spicy goodness just gets folks crowding around before you even put your bag down. And honestly? The leftovers are so much better the next day—though, if there are leftovers is a toss up.
What You’ll Need (Here’s Where I Get Casual)
- 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can totally use thighs; or even rotisserie if you’re in a pinch and forgot to defrost—been there)
- 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth (but I’ve used vegetable broth in a moment of desperation and lived to tell the tale)
- 1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed (pinto beans work too—my grandma would say any bean is a bean worth using)
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn (or canned, just drain it; honestly, I’ve scraped corn off leftover cobs in the summer)
- 1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce (I just use whatever’s in the back of my cupboard—red or green both fly here)
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (regular works fine, might want to throw in a fresh chopped jalapeño if you like some zip)
- 1 small onion, diced (or a couple of big ol’ spoonfuls of frozen chopped onion—no shame)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or, you know, a very generous scoop of garlic from the jar—I won’t tell)
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika will do the trick if that’s all you have on hand)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (I sometimes do half that if the kids are giving me the hairy eyeball)
- 1 teaspoon salt (taste at the end, always—sometimes the broth + beans are salty enough)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese (I mean, is there ever too much cheese?)
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened (I’ve swapped in Greek yogurt, but it’s... well, not quite cream cheese!)
- Optional toppings: sour cream, chopped cilantro, extra cheese, sliced avocado, tortilla strips, lime wedges
How To Get This Crockpot Party Started
- Toss the chicken breasts (yep, just throw ‘em in raw) into your crockpot—no pre-browning required, but if you wanna get fancy, I won’t stop you.
- Pour in the chicken broth, black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes with green chiles, onion, and garlic. Sprinkle on cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Give it a quick little stir. If it looks a little odd, that’s normal, promise.
- Set the slow cooker to low for 7-8 hours, or high for about 4 hours. I like the low-and-slow route because the flavors party together better.
- Once the chicken’s all cooked (it’ll shred easily with a fork—sometimes I do this right in the crockpot, you don’t even have to fish it out!), shred it up and stir it back in.
- Add the cream cheese and cheddar. This is when I find myself hovering with a spoon for “testing purposes.” Stir everything together till the cheeses melt in and everything looks velvety. You might need to pop the lid back on for 10 minutes so it all comes together.
- Taste and add more salt or a squeeze of lime if you want. Ladle into bowls and load up with your favorite toppings. In my house, it’s a mad dash for the tortilla strips.
A Few Notes I’ve Learned the Hard Way
- Don’t put the cream cheese in at the beginning—it’ll get weird and lumpy. (Trust me, I made that mistake more than once.)
- If it seems too thick at the end, just stir in another splash of broth or, if you’re feeling wild, a little milk.
- Frozen chicken works, but I’d bump the cook time up by at least an hour and double-check the inside is all done before shredding.
Ways I’ve Messed With It (Variations, Both Good and Not-So-Great)
- I’ve thrown in chopped zucchini or peppers—surprisingly tasty and a sneaky way to use up produce on its last legs.
- I tried swapping in cauliflower for the beans once... not my proudest moment (it was just odd and sort of bland, honestly).
- If you want it spicier, sneak in a dash of hot sauce or chopped chipotles in adobo (I go easy here—one misstep and you’re breathing fire till Tuesday).
Gear You’ll Need (or Not)
A 5 or 6-quart slow cooker is ideal, but I’ve squeezed this into my little 3-quart one in a pinch, just halve the recipe. Don’t have a slow cooker? I mean, you could do it stovetop super low and slow with the lid on, stirring a couple times—it works, just baby it so it doesn’t stick.
Stashing the Leftovers (If There Are Any)
Let it cool, then pop leftovers into a lidded container in the fridge—they’ll keep for three days, maybe four if you’re feeling brave. It supposedly freezes great, too, but in my house, it never lasts long enough to find out. (I did eat some cold once, not recommended.)
Serving: Here’s How We Roll
Ladle it up big and hot, pile on a mountain of cheese, avocado, and whatever’s on hand. My family’s weirdly obsessed with squeezing lime over theirs—says it “wakes up the flavors.” I’m a double-chip dipper myself; sometimes I even crumble crunchy tortilla chips right in. Makes for dangerously addictive spoonfuls.
Stuff I Learned The Hard Way (a.k.a. “Pro” Tips)
- Wait to add the cheese until the very end, otherwise you get odd stringy bits clinging everywhere. Not a good look.
- I once tried rushing the cook time by cranking it to high. Chicken turned out kind of tough and sad. Low and slow is better, promise.
- Taste as you go—I once read a recipe that said “season at the end,” but honestly, catching it before it’s too salty can save your soup.
FAQ: Asked By Real, Hungry People
- Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of raw?
Absolutely! Just toss in shredded rotisserie at the end with the cheese. You’ll want to cut the cook time down, for sure, or just warm everything together on low till nice and hot. - How spicy is this?
Not super spicy as written; but if you’re worried, halve the chili powder. If you want to really turn up the heat, bulk up with extra jalapeno or hot sauce—your call! - Does it really freeze well?
So they say. In all honesty, I’ve never had enough left to freeze because, well, my crew’s got bottomless stomachs, apparently. - Can you make this dairy-free?
You could! Skip the cream cheese and cheddar, or toss in a little coconut milk for creaminess (that’s what my vegan pal does). It won’t taste quite the same, but still hearty.
And a total non sequitur: one time I dropped a tortilla chip in at the start of cooking as an experiment. It vanished. Just—poof—gone. So don’t try that, unless you like fishing soggy chip ghosts out of your soup. Anyway, happy slow cooking and stay cozy!
Ingredients
- 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can totally use thighs; or even rotisserie if you’re in a pinch and forgot to defrost—been there)
- 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth (but I’ve used vegetable broth in a moment of desperation and lived to tell the tale)
- 1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed (pinto beans work too—my grandma would say any bean is a bean worth using)
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn (or canned, just drain it; honestly, I’ve scraped corn off leftover cobs in the summer)
- 1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce (I just use whatever’s in the back of my cupboard—red or green both fly here)
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (regular works fine, might want to throw in a fresh chopped jalapeño if you like some zip)
- 1 small onion, diced (or a couple of big ol’ spoonfuls of frozen chopped onion—no shame)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or, you know, a very generous scoop of garlic from the jar—I won’t tell)
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika will do the trick if that’s all you have on hand)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (I sometimes do half that if the kids are giving me the hairy eyeball)
- 1 teaspoon salt (taste at the end, always—sometimes the broth + beans are salty enough)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese (I mean, is there ever too much cheese?)
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened (I’ve swapped in Greek yogurt, but it’s... well, not quite cream cheese!)
- Optional toppings: sour cream, chopped cilantro, extra cheese, sliced avocado, tortilla strips, lime wedges
Instructions
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1Toss the chicken breasts (yep, just throw ‘em in raw) into your crockpot—no pre-browning required, but if you wanna get fancy, I won’t stop you.
-
2Pour in the chicken broth, black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes with green chiles, onion, and garlic. Sprinkle on cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Give it a quick little stir. If it looks a little odd, that’s normal, promise.
-
3Set the slow cooker to low for 7-8 hours, or high for about 4 hours. I like the low-and-slow route because the flavors party together better.
-
4Once the chicken’s all cooked (it’ll shred easily with a fork—sometimes I do this right in the crockpot, you don’t even have to fish it out!), shred it up and stir it back in.
-
5Add the cream cheese and cheddar. This is when I find myself hovering with a spoon for “testing purposes.” Stir everything together till the cheeses melt in and everything looks velvety. You might need to pop the lid back on for 10 minutes so it all comes together.
-
6Taste and add more salt or a squeeze of lime if you want. Ladle into bowls and load up with your favorite toppings. In my house, it’s a mad dash for the tortilla strips.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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