This hearty chicken enchilada soup recipe is a favorite weeknight meal in my home. The soup is slightly spicy, bursting with Mexican flavors, and packed with nutrient-dense foods. Throw everything in the slow cooker and dinner is served.
When the weather turns cold, soup is on the menu in my house. I love making delicious, hearty soups that warm me up all while nourishing my body with healthy foods.
This hearty chicken enchilda soup is the perfect soup if you’re looking for:
- A hearty meal. The shredded chicken combined with the black beans, corn, sweet potato and other ingredients make it a filling, hearty soup.
- A warm meal. This soup warms you from the inside out.
- A fragrant meal. This soup will make your house smell incredible while it cooks all day long.
- An easy to make meal. Throw everything in the slow cooker and forget it. Soup is on when the slow cooker has worked its magic.
- A family-friendly meal. This soup is in heavy rotation in our house. It’s a frequent Sunday night dinner request from my teenage kids.
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Soup
Let’s talk about how to make this soup in four easy steps:
Step #1: Gather Your Ingredients
You’ll need a lot of ingredients. However, they are all pantry-staples and likely ingredients you already have in your pantry and spice cabinet. You’ll need:
- 1 tbsp avocado oil, or other vegetable oil
- 1 cup onion (about 1 medium large onion), cut into bit-sized pieces
- 4-6 garlic cloves (more if you like garlic like me!), minced
- 2 lbs chicken breasts
- 1 sweet potato, cubed
- 1 15-ounce can corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 15-ounce can diced or chopped tomatoes (with juices)
- 1 cup picante sauce, mild, medium or hot (your choice)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning blend
- 1 tsp red pepper chili flakes, optional, adjust amount to liking
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 4 cups chicken broth (1 quart)
Step #2: Cook Onions and Garlic
In a large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat, then add onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent and they begin to brown. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Turn off heat and set aside.
Step #3: Layer Ingredients in the Slow Cooker
Now you’ll layer your ingredients in the slow cooker. Start by adding your chicken breasts to the bottom of the slow cooker, then topping with onion-garlic mixture, and everything else on the list. Swirl all the ingredients around.
Set your slow cooker to cook on high for 4 hours and sit back and enjoy your day.
Step #4: Shred Chicken
When chicken enchilada soup is ready, use kitchen tongs to fish out the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and put it on a large plate to cool.
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, use two forks (or your hands) to shred the chicken.
Return shredded chicken to the broth to keep warm until you’re ready to serve it.
Serve soup with avocados, tortilla strips and shredded cheese (optional).
Soups Up!
There you have it, slow cooker chicken enchilada soup ready to be enjoyed in four easy steps and with little fuss in the kitchen.
Store leftover soup in your fridge. It’ll taste great all week long and is perfect as a meal prep meal (if you’re into that sort of thing).
Looking for More Meal Inspiration?
I’m all about quick, easy and tasty weeknight meals. If you’re looking for weeknight meal inspiration, I’ve got you covered!
Gluten-Free Meals Plans: If you’re looking for new recipes and inspiration, I encourage you to purchase one of my beautifully-designed gluten-free meal planning packs.
Fall Off the Bone Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs: This delicious recipe is slow cooked to perfection and oh-so-easy to make.
Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash: This is another family favorite weeknight meal I make all the time in my slow cooker.
6-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki: This wonderful meal also involves cooking chicken breasts in your slow cooker, but instead of making a soup, the chicken is cooked in a savory teriyaki sauce. Yum!
Also check out my article, Store-Bought Soups that are Gluten Free.
Hearty Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or other vegetable oil
- 1 cup onion about 1 medium large onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4-6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 lbs chicken breasts
- 1 sweet potato cubed
- 15 ounce can corn drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can of black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 15 ounce can diced or chopped tomatoes with juices
- 1 cup picante sauce mild, medium or hot (your choice)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning blend
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes optional, adjust amount to liking
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
- 4 cups chicken broth 1 quart
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pan, then add onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent and they begin to brown. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Turn off heat and set aside.
- Layer your ingredients in the slow cooker. Start by adding your chicken breasts to the bottom of the slow cooker, then topping with onion-garlic mixture, and everything else on the list until you finally add the chicken broth at the end. Swirl all the ingredients around.
- Set your slow cooker to cook on high for 4 hours.
- When soup is ready, use kitchen tongs to remove the chicken breasts from the broth and put it on a large plate to cool. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, use two forks (or your hands) to shred the chicken. Return shredded chicken to the broth and keep warm until ready to serve.
- Serve soup with avocados, tortilla strips and shredded cheese (optional).
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