These crock pot spicy chicken enchiladas are loaded with bold flavor with a big kick of heat. Tender white meat chicken, cheese, and onions are wrapped in tortillas, smothered in a spicy sauce made with green enchilada sauce, jalapeno sauce, and spices, and baked until ooey and gooey. It’s the perfect meal for family dinners or potlucks.
Our mom made a lot of Mexican food when we were growing up, and one of her specialties was enchiladas. She made them mild when we were little, but as we got older, she introduced us to the wonderful world of spicy food, and there was no going back for us.
Today, we make a ton of enchiladas, too, from classic beef and bean enchiladas to creative variations like Mississippi chicken enchiladas. Now, we have a new entry into our rotation with our spicy chicken enchiladas. They pack a big punch of flavor and heat, and so far, they’ve been a huge hit.
Why You’ll Love These Spicy Chicken Enchiladas
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store.
- Easy: The chicken is made in a slow cooker, and the rest of the recipe only takes a few minutes of prep and 35 minutes in the oven.
- Big Flavor: The combination of chicken, cheese, and spicy sauce creates a huge blast of flavor in every bite.
- Versatile: You can easily tweak the recipe to suit your tastes.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: These enchiladas are perfect for weeknight dinners, potlucks, or parties.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts are meaty and have a neutral flavor that marries well with the other ingredients in these enchiladas.
- Yellow Onion: Yellow onion adds a mildly sweet flavor with a little bite.
- Green Enchilada Sauce and Jalapeno Sauce: This combination creates a tangy, bright sauce with a herbaceous quality and a big kick of heat from the jalapeno sauce.
- Seasonings: A blend of garlic powder, paprika, and Slap Ya Mama seasoning adds bold flavor to go along with the heat.
- Cheese: Boar’s Head 3 pepper cheese and Monterey Jack cheese create classic ooey gooeyness with a spicy kick.
- Green Chiles: Canned diced green chiles add a sweet, green flavor with just a tiny hint of heat.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact measurements.
Flavor Variations
- Meat: You can make these enchiladas with chicken, ground beef, ground turkey, chorizo, beef, or pork.
- Cheese: Use your favorite bold, melty cheese. Varieties like cheddar, Colby Jack, Mexican, and taco blend work well.
- Rotisserie Chicken: Skip the slow cooker and use a rotisserie chicken.
- Tortillas: Corn tortillas work well in place of flour tortillas and create a gluten-free version.
How to Make This Chicken Enchilada Recipe
1: Add the chicken, seasonings, diced green chiles, enchilada sauce, and jalapeno sauce to a 6 to 8-quart slow cooker that’s been lined or sprayed with nonstick spray.
2: Cover and cook on high or low until the chicken is super tender. Then, remove the chicken and shred it.
3: Pour ¼ cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a prepared 13×9 baking dish and set aside.
4: Dip a tortilla into a shallow bowl filled with enchilada sauce and fill it with cheese, chicken, and more cheese. Then, wrap it up tightly and place it in the baking dish. Repeat until all the tortillas and filling are used and pour the remaining sauce over the top.
5: Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350. Then, remove the foil and bake until the top is bubbly. Enjoy!
Storage
Refrigerate these crock pot spicy chicken enchiladas for up to 3 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, wrap the enchiladas in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
To reheat, defrost the enchiladas if frozen. Then, microwave them at 1-minute intervals until heated through.
What to Serve with Chicken Enchiladas
Serve these enchiladas alongside other Mexican-inspired dishes like 7 layer bean dip, habanero salsa with chips, or Spanish rice. Of course, these cream cheese churro pastry bites make an excellent dessert.
Tips
- You can cook the chicken on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 9 hours. But I recommend the low setting for the best flavor.
- Shred the chicken as soon as you can safely handle it. Warm or hot meat is much easier to shred than cool meat.
- Be sure to wash your hands and never touch your face when working with the jalapeno sauce.
FAQ
Jalapeno sauce is a spicy sauce made with jalapenos, garlic, onion, white vinegar and other ingredients depending on the recipe or brand.
Green enchilada sauce is made mostly from green tomatillos and green chiles, while red sauce is made from red chili peppers and usually tomatoes. The green sauce is brighter, tangier, and fresher, while the red sauce is richer and more earthy. Both varieties can range from mild to extremely spicy.
Although crock pots are supposed to be nonstick, food can and does often stick to them, especially if the food has any kind of sugar – either added or natural. Lining or spraying a crock pot makes it easier to clean up after cooking and prevents burning.
Try These Crock Pot Spicy Chicken Enchiladas
With slow-cooked chicken, easy prep, and just 35 minutes in the oven, these spicy chicken enchiladas are as easy to make as they are bold and delicious. With so much big, spicy flavor in every bite and such an easy recipe, this is a dish you need in your life. Give it a try just once, and we guarantee you’ll be hooked.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes You’ll Enjoy
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Crock Pot Spicy Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 15 ounce green enchilada sauce
- 10 ounce bottle jalapeno sauce, Trader Joe’s
- 4 ounce diced green chiles
- 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 10 flour tortillas, burrito size
- 2 cups Boar Head 3 Pepper cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- (2) 15 ounce green enchilada sauce
Instructions
- Line a 6-8 quart crock pot with a crockpot liner or spray with a non-stick cooking spray.
- Add chicken, seasonings, onions, diced green chiles, enchilada sauce, and jalapeno sauce.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8-9 hours.
- Remove chicken from the crock pot and shred.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour ¼ cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and set aside.
- In a shallow bowl or dish, pour enchilada sauce.
- Take tortilla and lightly coat in enchilada sauce by dipping tortilla into a shallow dish on both sides.
- Fill the tortilla with shredded cheese, shredded chicken, and a little more shredded cheese on top.
- Tightly roll the tortilla up and place in the baking dish.
- Repeat until the dish is full. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and more shredded cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, remove foil, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes uncovered.
- Remove from over and serve.
Notes
- You can cook the chicken on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 9 hours. But I recommend the low setting for the best flavor.
- Shred the chicken as soon as you can safely handle it. Warm or hot meat is much easier to shred than cool meat.
- Be sure to wash your hands and never touch your face when working with the jalapeno sauce.
