Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole is a hearty and flavorful dish featuring tender chicken simmered in a rich enchilada sauce with black beans, corn tortillas, and melted cheese. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal, it is topped with fresh jalapeños and cilantro, and served with optional sides like avocado and crema for a complete comforting Mexican-inspired dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Sauce
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups homemade enchilada sauce or 16 ounce jarred enchilada sauce
- 1/4 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup water
Other Ingredients
- 4 corn tortillas, cut into strips
- 15 ounce can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 ounces shredded cheese (Mexican cheese blend, Monterey Jack, or mozzarella, about 1 cup)
- Sliced jalapeño peppers, for topping
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for topping
Optional Toppings and Serving Suggestions
- Sliced avocado
- Crema or sour cream
- Cilantro lime rice
Instructions
- Cook aromatics: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, ground cumin, and kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and browns, about 5 minutes.
- Combine in slow cooker: Transfer the cooked onion mixture to the slow cooker. Add the enchilada sauce, sour cream, and 1/4 cup water. Stir well to combine. Fold in the rinsed and drained black beans until everything is thoroughly coated.
- Add chicken: Nestle the boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast into the sauce mixture in the slow cooker, making sure they are submerged.
- Slow cook chicken: Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender enough to shred easily.
- Shred chicken: Using two forks, shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker, mixing it into the sauce and beans.
- Add tortillas and cheese: Stir in the corn tortilla strips to the mixture. Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the top. Cover the slow cooker and let cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until the cheese has fully melted.
- Garnish and serve: Once the cheese has melted, garnish the casserole with sliced jalapeños and chopped fresh cilantro. Serve warm, optionally over cilantro lime rice, topped with additional sour cream or crema and sliced avocado.
Notes
- Using chicken breast instead of thighs reduces WW Points from 7 to 5.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave.
- To make this in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, follow the cooking steps 1 to 4, then cook on high pressure for 20 minutes with natural release. Shred chicken, add tortilla strips, stir in, top with cheese, then cook on high pressure for an additional 5 to 10 minutes with quick release.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
