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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.
Love how easy this was to throw together and the flavor is amazing!!
I am so glad you think so 🙂 Thank you so much!
I just made this soup and it was delicious!! I used a fresh garlic clove an a medium shallot. I also used uncooked quinoa and Greek yogurt. I also added a can of black beans. It was a perfect Sunday dinner.
I’m planning to make this, had a quick question.. can I omit rice in this soup?
Will it still come out good?
Thanks!!
You sure could. I haven’t left it out, but I am sure it will still taste good 🙂
So…I’ve made this recipe so many times bc it’s delicious however THIS time I didn’t review the recipe and added TWO 32oz cans of green enchilada sauce! ???? Should I still add the water? And can this be saved?
Uh, oh! How did it turn out? I’m sorry I didn’t respond sooner. I don’t think the water would have been needed. I am glad you like it!
It stil came out delicious! This soup is practically fool-proof! Lol I ended up doubling it and had more to share with friends. Thank you for this gem!
Oh, good!! 🙂
I know this seems silly but could you use red sauce? Thanks!
I haven’t tried, but love experimenting!
Do you have the nutrition information somewhere? We make this all the time.
I am sorry, I do not 🙁 I know there are sites where you can put in the ingredients/amounts & it will tell you.
Okay thank you!!!
This is my family’s favorite recipe! We’ve started making it in the instant pot, cooking the chicken in broth using the pressure cooker function and then making the soup following the directions using the slow cooker functionality. I also add a can of cannelini beans at the same time as the corn. So good!
Sounds perfect!! Thanks for sharing!
DELICIOUS!!!! I ended up not cooking it in the crock pot and cooked my chicken and put it in the soup and followed the recipe except the rice. I cooked the rice separately and added to the soup when I put it in the bowls. I will definitely make his again and can’t wait to share this for a party!!
Thanks so much for sharing your changes! Glad you liked it! Thank you & have fun!
This is very good. I would suggest you bring the cream cheese to room temperature and then cut to small pieces as it took awhile to melt and mix with the soup.
I’m so glad you liked it! Yes, that would help, too! Thank you!
I made this today and my family really enjoyed it. I used ground chicken and since I had to brown it anyway, I added 1/2 an onion that I had on hand.
I used riced cauliflower instead of rice with good results and making the soup lower carb. The cauliflower doesn’t absorb liquid like rice would, so adding the extra water wouldn’t be necessary.
I whisked the soup right before serving to mix in the cream cheese as much as possible.
Will make again; thanks for the great and easy recipe!
You are so welcome! Thank you for sharing your changes!