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Perfectly spiced, creamy chicken enchilada soup is an easy slow cooker favorite, perfect for busy days!
Chicken enchilada soup has all the best flavors we love about Chicken Enchiladas compiled into an easy soup made in the crockpot. It’s a little different from our Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup but just as creamy and satisfying!
The perfect crockpot soup
I LOVE SOUPS!!! Seriously, there is something about warm, delicious soup recipes and the holidays that make me so incredibly giddy!
This chicken enchilada soup in a slow cooker has to be a new favorite. It was SOO easy to make and turned out fabulous!! We’ve always been suckers for green chiles and Enchiladas, so making a soup version of these things sounded wonderful.
Chicken Tortilla Soup is a Mexican food classic. It has some flavors in common with this chicken enchilada soup such as chicken and chiles, but tortilla soup is generally spicier and thinner. Whereas, chicken enchilada soup is creamier and tends to be milder.
The combination of chicken, green chiles, spices, corn, and cream cheese makes this recipe irresistible. You really can’t beat throwing everything in the slow cooker and having a delicious meal within a few hours. Pretty amazing!
Mix and Heat!
This chicken enchilada soup recipe takes minutes to put together, then the crock pot does the work!
COMBINE + COOK. Place chicken broth, enchilada sauce, green chiles, water, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and shredded chicken in a crock pot on HIGH. Cook for 3½ hours.
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS. After cooking for 3½ hours add corn, rice, and cubed cream cheese. Stir and cook for ½ hour.
SEASON + SERVE! Add salt and pepper to taste and top with Monterrey Jack Cheese.
Stovetop Instructions
If you’re in a pinch for time, make this green enchilada soup on the stovetop instead of in the crockpot.
- Add broth, enchilada sauce, diced green chilies, water, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and chicken to a large pot.
- Bring to a boil, and add rice and cream cheese.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Mix well so all cream cheese chunks are gone.
- Add salt and pepper and cheese right before serving.
Recipe Tips
The flavors of this green enchilada chicken soup really are phenomenal. It has all the ingredients similar to Enchiladas but in a soup form.
Flavor variations. Add more flavor with bell peppers, black beans, and other types of cheese. Swap out the cream cheese. It will change the flavor and texture a bit, but you can substitute the cream cheese with pureed cottage cheese or plain yogurt.
Best toppings. After dishing the soup into bowls, top the soup with a dollop of sour cream, avocado slices, tortilla strips, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, or a pinch of fresh cilantro. Place a lime wedge on the side of the bowl to squeeze over the soup.
Chicken. Use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Cook Shredded Chicken, use precooked packaged chicken, or shred a rotisserie chicken. You can also follow our Slow Cooker Roast Chicken recipe. Once done, remove the bones and shred the chicken.
Thin out soup. If the crockpot chicken enchilada soup is too thick, add a little more chicken stock until you reach your desired texture.
Thicken soup. If the soup is too thin, add a little more cream cheese or rice. Add flour: In a separate bowl combine ¼ cup of soup and 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix until smooth then add back into the soup.
Storing Info + Side IDEAS
STORE. Place this creamy chicken enchilada soup recipe in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
FREEZE. Place the soup in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for 4-6 months. Let the soup thaw in the fridge. Slowly reheat in a pot over LOW heat. Stir constantly to keep the cream cheese combined with the soup.
Serving suggestions. Serve green chicken enchilada soup with some of our favorite bread and salads:
Recipe FAQ
Absolutely! Place the raw chicken (not frozen) in the pot along with the other ingredients in step 1. Cook the soup on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 5-7 hours. Remove the chicken and shred it with a fork. Add it back in and complete steps 2 and 3.
If you are not used to eating spicy food you might find this soup a little hot. To make it more mild you can reduce or omit the chili powder and cumin. Use a mild or medium enchilada sauce and green chiles instead of a hot one. Serve with toppings that provide a cooling effect, such as sour cream or avocado slices.
Absolutely! If you prefer a vegetarian or meat-free version of this soup, you can simply omit the chicken from the recipe and use a vegetable broth. You can add additional veggies like bell peppers, black beans, or even tofu for added texture and protein.
For More Slow Cooker Soups, Check Out:
- Crockpot Taco Soup
- Crockpot Hamburger Soup
- Crockpot Tortellini Soup
- Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup
- Crockpot Taco Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Green Chili Chicken Soup
Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth
- 2 (15-ounce) cans mild green enchilada sauce
- 2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles
- ⅔ cup water
- 1½ tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅔ cup corn, thawed if frozen
- ⅔ cup instant rice
- 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened and cubed
- salt and pepper to taste
- Toppings: Monterey Jack cheese fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Combine chicken, broth, enchilada sauce, green chiles, water, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3½ hours.
- Add corn, rice, and cream cheese. Stir and cook on high for 30 minutes more.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and top with Monterey Jack cheese and cilantro before serving.
Video
Notes
- In a large pot, combine chicken, broth, enchilada sauce, green chiles, water, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder, and bring to a boil.
- Add corn, rice, and cream cheese, reduce the heat, and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Mix well so all cream cheese chunks are gone, then add salt and pepper. Serve garnished with cheese and cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi, i love that you’ve included the macro breakdown, but could you please tell me what the serving size is?
Thanks so much!
You bet! A serving size is about 1 – 1 1/2 cups… give or take.
Absolutely the best soup ever! I made it exactly as you said and it came out perfect. Thank you for taking the time to post this recipe.
You’re welcome! Thank YOU for taking the time to give it a try. So happy to hear you enjoyed it.
I have made this several times now.. this recipe never disappoints!! You also HAVE to add chilli Fritos to your served bowls.. this is the best !!
Ooh I’m a sucker for Chili Fritos! That sounds deeelish! Thanks for sharing. Glad you enjoy the recipe!
Very good flavor, will make again. I was in a hurry so I cooked it on top of the stove. Added some pinto beans and used regular uncooked rice and 2 – 12.5 ounces cans of chicken breasts.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it. The pinto beans sound like a great addition!
The soup looks wonderful, and I want to try it as soon as I get all of the ingredients! I’m sure my family will lov
Let me know how it turns out! I would love to hear!
I made this today. My husband and kids-including my picky one-loved it. My husband made sure I saved the recioe!
Woohoo!! Happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know!
Amazing!! I added black beans and cooked rice separately to add in. I only had sour cream and substituted that for the cream cheese it calls for. My husband, picky 18 month old toddler and I loved this!
Definitely printing, saving for myself and sharing this recipe link to friends!!
Sounds good! I am so glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing what you did!
My family loved this soup. I was easy to make and tastes great. It was great dinner for a cold evening. Will make it again.
Happy to hear that! Glad you will make again! Thank you!
Loooove this soup!! I first made it for my family and they devoured it! I recently made it for a family that was sick, since it’s so easy and tasty to make. This is a great recipe to make if you ever want to drop off some food to another family. I found that I don’t ever need to add any salt to this soup so keep that in mind and make sure you taste the end product before adding salt.
Loved this recipe! We love soup and I love how easy and delicious it was