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Absolutely delicious and easy to make crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup is loaded with hearty, bold flavors, simple ingredients, and lots of comfort. Put it together in the morning, and come home to a bowl of warm and filling soup.
This Chicken Enchilada Soup, prepared in a slow cooker, captures all the fantastic flavors of enchiladas in a comforting soup form. It’s packed with tender chicken, juicy tomatoes, hearty black beans, tasty enchilada sauce, and sweet corn, making it an ideal, easy, and delicious meal for any occasion. What I appreciate most about this recipe is its simplicity—just toss all the ingredients into your slow cooker in the morning, and by evening, you’ll be greeted with a delicious soup.
Why I Love This Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
- Easy: You can just add the ingredients to your slow cooker and let it do the work, freeing up your day for other activities.
- Flavorful: The chicken enchilada soup packs the rich, familiar flavors of enchiladas into a hearty, comforting bowl of soup.
- Perfect for Busy Days: Chicken soup made in the crockpot is a stress-free option that delivers a warm, homemade meal at the end of the day.
- Versatile and Customizable: Easily adjust the spice level or add your favorite ingredients, like bell peppers or fresh tomatoes, to make the enchilada soup uniquely yours.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Gather these pantry ingredients to bring the robust flavors of this creamy chicken enchilada soup recipe to life! Topped with cheese, cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream, this is a very tasty and filling meal the whole family will love.
- Olive Oil: Used for sautéing – it also provides a flavorful base and helps to release the aromatics.
- Yellow Onion: Adds a sweet, caramelized flavor plus texture.
- Garlic: You could also use garlic powder. 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder is equivalent to one clove of garlic.
- Seasoning Mix: A blend of salt, fresh ground pepper, chili powder, sweet paprika, ground cumin, and garlic powder. This mix infuses the soup with its distinctive, warm, and Mexican-inspired flavors.
- Red Enchilada Sauce: Provides the rich, chili-based sauce that is characteristic of enchiladas.
- Vegetable Mix: A hearty combination of corn, black beans (or red kidney beans), and diced tomatoes.
- Low Sodium Chicken Broth: You can also use vegetable broth. I opt for low sodium variations because I like to have more control over the salt.
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: Chicken thighs are a great alternative that’s often juicier and more flavorful. You could also use a turkey breast, leftover shredded chicken, or make my air fryer rotisserie chicken.
- Bay Leaf: Adds a subtle layer of flavor. If you don’t have any, use about a teaspoon of dried thyme or dried oregano to replace it.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Provides a creamy, melty texture and rich flavor.
- Heavy Cream: Adds creaminess to the soup, making it slightly thicker.
- Toppings: Garnish your soup with sour cream, fresh cilantro, green chiles, and slices of lime. Optional additions include sliced avocados for creaminess and crushed tortilla chips for a crunchy texture. This mix of toppings allows each bowl to be customized to taste.
How To Make Chicken Enchilada Soup In The Crockpot
This soup requires very little prep work. I usually give the onions and garlic a quick sauté in a skillet before tossing them into the crockpot. But, if you’re short on time or just not feeling it, you can totally skip that step and throw the onions in there raw.
- Prep. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions until soft, then add garlic and seasonings, cooking for an additional minute.
- Stir. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Add the enchilada sauce, corn, beans, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf, and chicken in the crock pot.
- Cook. Set the slow cooker on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours.
- Shred. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it, shred it, and return it to the pot.
- Finish. Stir in cheese and heavy cream just before serving. Ladle the chicken enchilada soup into bowls and top with garnishes or your favorite toppings, such as tortilla strips, cheese, fresh herbs, etc.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Rotisserie Chicken Shortcut: For an even quicker prep, use shredded rotisserie chicken. Just stir it into the soup towards the end of cooking to warm through. This saves time and adds a depth of flavor. You could also use leftover chicken.
- Thickening the Soup: If you prefer a thicker texture, lightly blend the enchilada soup with a hand blender for a few seconds. This incorporates some of the solids into the broth, thickening it without diminishing the soup’s hearty feel.
- Stovetop Method: To make chicken enchilada soup on the stovetop, first sauté the onions and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the seasonings, then the rest of the ingredients (except for the cheese and cream). Bring to a boil, then simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken, return it to the pot, and finish with cheese and cream.
- Spice Adjustments: Tailor the soup to your taste by adjusting the amount of chili powder or adding diced jalapeños for an extra kick.
- Vegetarian Version: Swap the chicken for a mix of additional beans, lentils, or cubed tofu to make a vegetarian version of the soup. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Serving Suggestions
Take inspiration from my taco bowls and serve this comforting chicken soup with a variety of garnishes to allow everyone to customize their bowl to their liking. Offer a side of warm tamale pie or crusty focaccia bread and a basket of tortilla chips or wonton chips for dipping and added crunch. This soup also pairs nicely with a simple green goddess salad – it’s light, fresh, and delicious.
How To Store Leftovers
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days, or transfer it to freezer bags and freeze it for 2 to 3 months.
- To thaw, remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator overnight. When you’re ready to serve, reheat the soup in a pot over medium heat until it’s thoroughly warmed through.
Delicious Soup Recipes
- Crock Pot Lemon Rice Soup
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup
- Ham and Sweet Potato Soup
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Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 19 ounces can of red enchilada sauce
- 15 ounces can of corn, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounces can of black beans or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 bay leaf
- ⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup heavy cream, or to taste
- sour cream, for serving
- fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, for serving
- sliced lime, for serving
- other toppings may include sliced avocados and crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet; add onions and cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and season with salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder.
- Pour in 1/3 cup of the enchilada sauce; scrape up all the bits at the bottom of the skillet and pour it all into the bowl of your slow cooker.
- Combine the remaining enchilada sauce, corn, beans, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and bay leaf in the crock pot; stir.
- Arrange the chicken breasts on top.
- Cover with a lid and set on LOW for 6 hours or until the chicken is cooked through. You can also set it on HIGH for 3 hours or until the chicken is done.
- Remove the chicken from the crock pot and shred it. Stir it back into the slow cooker.
- Stir in the cheese and heavy cream.
- Ladle the chicken enchilada soup into bowls and top with sour cream, cilantro, limes, and cheese before serving.
Notes
- Use leftover shredded chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- If you want a thicker consistency, slightly blend the soup with an immersion blender.
- For stovetop cooking, sauté the onions and garlic in a soup pot. Add the seasonings, then the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken, return it to the pot, and finish with cheese and heavy cream.
- Refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers for up to 4 days or freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat it over medium heat.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
My family LOVES this soup, but I found i had to tweak the measurements in order to have an even broth to filling ratio and to also elevate the flavor. I basically doubled everything except the amount of chicken (bc i use 4 large chicken breasts bc the recipe did not specify how much chicken to use which is weird.. i assume the recipe is only for about a pound of chicken while i use about 2.5-3lbs) and i use 1 +1/2 more the amount corn, and i use 3 cans of tomatoes instead of 2. I also found that if you season/marinate the chicken in the same spices used for the broth…it really elevates the flavor profile of the dish instead of just getting a plain jane chicken taste… i also use half medium half hot enchilada sauce because i believe its not spicy enough for a mexican style dish.
It says to use four boneless skinless chicken breasts but what is that in weight? Just want to make sure I’m using the right amount of chicken
That’s about 1 to 1.5 pounds.
This was amazing. My whole family loved it. It’s been added to my cook book to make in the future. (Also, you can easily omit the cream if your looking for a gluten free, dairy free meal)
That’s great to hear! I’m very happy you and your family loved it! Thank you so much! 🙂
Making this tomorrow during Richmond vas ice storm. Got regular chicken broth not low sodium. Hope that works out ok!
Yes, that will work just fine! I just use low sodium chicken broth because I like to have more control over the amount of sodium I use in my food. 😊
Hope you’ll enjoy the soup!
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can you use frozen chicken breasts?
Yes, that will work.
Fabulous and easy! My family put it on the Top 5 Best ever meals. I did cook chicken breast in Air Fryer for 10 minutes while mixing other ingredients and cooked for 3 hours.
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Well… this was annoyingly delicious. ;’D Every week when it’s my turn to cook, I do meticulous research, spend hours going through recipes and videos, put together a list, spend hours in the kitchen, and without fail half the family complains. It’s a sore subject.
THIS week the person who shopped said they couldn’t find my ingredients. And it was the day-of. So I searched for ingredients I knew we had on-hand, and this is the first recipe that popped up. I made it in one hour, with little-to-no thought.
And my family all said, “This is the best thing you’ve EVER made!!!” And I was like, “No, but, I didn’t research or read all the comments or make things from scratch!” and they all said over and over it was the best thing I’d ever made.
Which… is great. And annoying. ;’D And thank you. And… GAAA!!!#$#@&
That’s wonderful! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I wish more than anything, that when a soup is posted or any meal, that the AMOUNT of the serving was listed. It sure would help, dieting, or not. This is the first time making this soup. I hope mine turns out to be as delicious as everyone states it is. Very simple to make, in the crock pot know. Will update my comment when it’s finished. Thanks.