Slow cooker enchilada chili is a super simple dish that is absolutely packed with all the flavors we love about enchiladas. Chicken, beans, corn, enchilada sauce, and even more yummy ingredients combine to create an incredibly easy dish that always has everyone coming back for more. Fire up your slow cooker and get ready to dive into delicious, cheesy flavor!
I love enchiladas. I make them almost as much as I make tacos. In fact, I make them so much that they can become stale at times. Metaphorically, I mean. I would never serve stale food! You know what I mean.
After you’ve served something so many times, it just starts to feel boring, no matter how good it is. So I started brainstorming. How could I take enchiladas and turn them into something new and interesting.
I knew it needed to be delicious and it needed to be easy. I CAN cook involved dishes, I just don’t LOVE to cook them.
So easy and delicious. Hmm. That’s when it came to me. I would deconstruct enchiladas, kick them up a bit, and cook them in the slow cooker. And thus, my slow cooker enchilada chili was born.
This enchilada chili combines the best of both enchiladas and chili into one dish that is super easy to make and tastes absolutely fantastic. Just set it, forget it, and devour it later! That’s all there is to it.
It doesn’t get much better than that, and after you make it, I’m sure you’ll agree!
The History of This Delicious Mashup
Without both chili and enchiladas, I would never have had the inspiration to make this delicious slow cooker enchilada chili. Food is delicious, but it’s also quite interesting to learn about where it came from.
Because I love to learn about food as much as I love to eat it, I want to take a minute to look at the history of both enchiladas and chili.
History of Chili
Like so many dishes, the history of chili is shrouded in mystery. No one really knows where this spicy dish first came from or how it was invented.
Many historians posit that ancient man probably figured out how to combine meat and peppers into stew thousand of years ago, but it’s pure conjecture, like almost every story about chili.
In addition to being mysterious, chili is also a source of myths and legends. One popular myth is that a Spanish nun, Sister Mary of Agreda, supernaturally appeared to Native Americans in the early 1600s bearing the first recipe for chilis. It consisted fo chili peppers, venison, onions, and tomatoes.
What we know as chili today appears to have roots in the American West, particularly Texas. One old story that continues to persist is that immigrants from the Canary Islands brought a recipe for chili with them when they settled in what is now San Antonio in the early 1700s.
The only thing food historians know for sure is something that we all already know – chili was popular among cowboys and pioneers out on the Western frontier.
History of Enchiladas
We all know what enchiladas are. These delicious rolled tortillas are filled with meats and other ingredients and then bathed in a sauce and baked. They can be found all over North America in every Mexican restaurant you enter.
At least, what we call enchiladas can be found in them. You see, what we call enchiladas today are not what the original enchiladas were.
As you might guess, enchiladas come from Mexico. As far back as the early Mayans, people of the region rolled ingredients into tortillas. It’s been a centuries-old way of eating in that area of South America.
The first enchiladas were not the saucy, baked dishes that we think of today. Rather, they were corn tortillas wrapped around fish. Spanish conquistadors were first introduced to this type of food as they made their way across Mexico.
The popularity spread among explorers and crept into North America over time, as well. Settlers along what is now the Texas/Mexico border were used to the flavors found in this dish, and they enjoyed it immensely.
In fact, enchiladas were featured in one of the first Mexican cookbooks every printed in the early 1800s.
Over time, enchiladas were altered by North American cooks, eventually becoming what we now think of today when we think of them.
Although today’s enchiladas might not be entirely authentic, they are entirely good, which is exactly what this slow cooker enchilada chili is all about. It has all the sensibilities of both chili and enchiladas wrapped up, as it were, into one delicious dish that’s easily made in the slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Enchilada Chili
This slow cooker enchilada chili combines the flavors of chili and enchiladas into one delicious dish that everyone always loves. If you think about the flavors found in both chili and enchiladas, it really becomes a no-brainer to put them together.
After all, they both have southwestern and Mexican spices, peppers, and other Tex-Mex staples such as beans and olives. Combining them results in a dish that’s the perfect marriage of chili and enchilada flavors and, of course, cheese! It’s a bit like cheesy chili spiked with a taco, and it’s legit.
This dish is hearty and satisfying, and the best part is that it’s so easy to make! You simply dump everything in the slow cooker and let your handy dandy countertop cooking device do all the heavy lifting. It doesn’t get any easier or more delicious!
Ingredients
It only takes a few ingredients to make this easy, delicious dish. You’ll find many of them in your pantry already, and the ones that aren’t are really available at your local grocery store.
Added to the ease is that all of the vegetable ingredients come from a can! It’s a snap to gather up everything you need in no time. Here’s what you’ll need for the recipe.
- 3lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1oz package of Taco seasoning mix
- (1) 14.5oz can of whole kernel corn
- (1) 14.5oz can of black beans
- (1) 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes, do not drain
- (1) 10oz can of enchilada sauce
- (1) 2.25oz can of black olives
- 2 cups Mexican blend cheese
- Scallions for topping, optional
- Sour cream for topping, optional
See? There’s nothing to this list. A few cans, some taco seasoning, and chicken is basically all you need.
Making Slow Cooker Enchilada Chili
Making this enchilada chili is just as easy, if not easier, than shopping for it. You’ll simply put everything in the slow cooker and let it do its thing. That’s literally all there is to it. It’s one of the simplest recipes you’ll ever make.
- Grease the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place diced chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with taco seasoning and toss to cover the chicken completely.
- Add in corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and black olives. Toss until all ingredients are well combined.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-⅓ hours.
- Add cheese and gently toss. Return to the slow cooker and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- When cooking time is done, remove chili from the slow cooker and top with scallions and sour cream if desired.
And that’s all there is to it. The only way you’ll make chili any easier is if you buy it in a can.
Tips
This is an incredibly easy recipe to make. I don’t know of a way I could have made it any easier, in fact. There really aren’t many tips at all for it. I mean, how can I give you tips for putting ingredients into a slow cooker and turning it on, after all?
There is one little tip that I have to change it up just slightly.
Put whole chicken breasts into the crockpot and then shred them with a fork before adding the cheese. It will give a different texture than cubed chicken. That’s it! No tips are needed with a recipe this easy!
Serving Slow Cooker Enchilada Chili
My favorite way to serve this chili is to spoon it out into a bowl and top it with a little sour cream. That’s the only thing I do to it. Of course, feel free to try adding other toppers like slices of avocado or tortilla chips. It’s all good.
Whatever flavors you like with your Tex-Mex food, they’ll fit in perfectly with this delicious chili. The sky and your imagination are the only limits with this recipe!
Some great topping ideas include:
- Avocado
- Sour cream
- Cheese
- Chives
- Tortilla chips
- Corn chips
- Cilantro
Storing Slow Cooker Enchilada Chili
This chili will keep well in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. For longer storage, you can freeze the chili for up to three months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
To serve, simply plop the chili out of the container and heat it on the stovetop on low heat until it defrosts and heats through. It’s as easy as the rest of the recipe!
Slow Cooker Enchilada Chili is a Winner
If you love chili and enchiladas, you’re going to love this recipe. It’s a great twist on both of those classic dishes, and it’s one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever concocted. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner, at gameday bashes, and at special events and potlucks.
Basically, there’s never a time when this chili won’t be welcomed with open arms, open mouths, and spoons in hand. Give it a try, and I know you’ll love it as much as we do. It’s so simple, I’m certain you’ll find yourself making it again and again.
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Chili
Equipment
- large slow cooker
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast diced into 1 inch cubes
- 1 oz package of Taco seasoning mix
- 1 can (14.5 oz) whole kernel corn drained
- 1 can (14.5 oz) black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes DO NOT DRAIN
- 1 can (10 oz) Enchilada sauce
- 1 can (2.25 oz) black olives sliced
- 2 cups Mexican blend cheese
- scallions for topping optional
- sour cream for topping optional
Instructions
- Pull out and measure all of the ingredients.
- Grease the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place diced chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Top with Taco seasoning and toss to cover the chicken completely.
- Add corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, Enchilada sauce and black olives.
- Toss all ingredients until well-combined.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-⅓ hours.
- Add cheese and gently toss.
- Return to the slow cooker and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Serve.
- Top with scallions and sour cream if desired. Enjoy every bite!
Notes
This is an easy option for dinner that has a ton of flavor!
An alternative way of cooking the chicken is placing the whole chicken breast(s) inside the slow cooker and shredding with a fork before adding in cheese.
Keep the left-overs inside the refrigerator for up to 4 days after cooking.
Nutrition
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