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Cozy Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

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A rich, creamy, and flavorful slow cooker chicken enchilada soup that’s perfect for cozy nights. Made with simple pantry ingredients, this set-it-and-forget-it recipe delivers deep, slow-cooked flavor with minimal effort.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 medium breasts)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1.5 cups)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained
  • 1 can (10 ounces) red enchilada sauce
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Shredded Mexican blend cheese (for topping)
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped (for topping)
  • Diced avocado (for topping)
  • Sour cream (for topping)
  • Tortilla chips or strips (for topping)
  • Lime wedges (for topping)

Instructions

  1. Season and Sear the Chicken: Pat chicken breasts dry. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and about half a teaspoon of cumin and chili powder. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
  2. Sauté the Aromatics: Reduce heat to medium. Add diced onion and cook for about 4 minutes until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with a splash of chicken broth if needed.
  3. Layer Everything in the Slow Cooker: Transfer sautéed onions and garlic to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes with green chiles, remaining cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Nestle seared chicken breasts into the liquid.
  4. Slow Cook to Perfection: Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
  5. Shred the Chicken: Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir.
  6. Add the Cream Cheese: Add cubed cream cheese to the slow cooker. Stir gently until completely melted and soup is creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Let It Rest: Turn slow cooker to warm and let soup sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
  8. Serve and Garnish: Ladle soup into bowls and top with shredded cheese, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips, and lime wedges as desired.

Notes

Don’t skip browning the chicken for best flavor. Let cream cheese come to room temperature before adding to avoid clumping. Taste and adjust seasoning at the end. If soup is too thin, remove lid for last 30 minutes of cooking. If too thick, add extra broth. Soup can be made ahead and tastes even better the next day. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker chicken enchilada soup, creamy enchilada soup, easy enchilada soup, chicken soup, slow cooker soup, comfort food, Mexican soup

Find it online: https://leilameals.com/cozy-slow-cooker-chicken-enchilada-soup-best-recipe/