These chicken enchiladas with a creamy sour cream and green chile sauce are made from scratch and bursting with flavor. They’re ideal for feeding a crowd or serving a large family, though the recipe can easily be halved for smaller portions. The filling starts in the slow cooker with chicken, salsa, and chili beans, producing tender, shred-ready meat. The homemade green chile sauce—adapted from a New Mexico family recipe—finishes the dish, creating classic Southwestern, crockpot-to-oven enchiladas. The sauce also pairs well with rotisserie chicken enchiladas or even as a topping for fries.
See the recipe, photos, and notes below.
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Chicken enchiladas with creamy green chile sauce (crockpot-baked)
marilynpeight
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
Slow cooker chicken filling:
- 4 chicken breasts roughly three pounds total
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons cumin
- 1-2 dashes paprika
- salt to taste
- 2 15.5 oz. cans mild chili beans drained
- 1 cup salsa mild or hot
For the green chile sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4.5 oz. canned green chiles mild or hot
- garlic salt to taste optional
Additional ingredients;
- 8-10 regular sized flour tortillas
- shredded cheddar, taco or Mexican style cheese
Instructions
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Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6–7 quart crockpot. Season each breast with garlic powder, cumin and a few dashes of paprika. Salt to taste. Pour drained chili beans and salsa over the chicken, cover, and cook on high for 4–5 hours or on low for 5–6 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.
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When the chicken is tender, shred it with two forks (or a hand mixer) and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of the filling into each tortilla, roll tightly, and arrange the enchiladas seam-side down in a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
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To make the green chile sauce: melt butter in a medium saucepan, sauté the diced onion and minced garlic until soft and fragrant. Stir in 1/4 cup flour and cook briefly, then whisk in chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil, stirring until the sauce thickens slightly.
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Remove the pan from heat and stir in the sour cream and canned green chiles. Season with garlic salt or regular salt to taste, then pour the creamy green chile sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top if desired.
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Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and everything is heated through. Let rest a few minutes before serving.
Serve these enchiladas with sides like crockpot creamed corn or fresh guacamole for a complete meal. The green chile sauce is also excellent spooned over homemade French fries for a fun twist.
Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot and season as directed.
Can I adjust the seasonings to taste?
Absolutely. If you prefer to season incrementally, wait to add salt until after the chicken is cooked so you can taste and adjust.
Pour the drained chili beans and salsa over the chicken so it cooks evenly and absorbs those flavors.
How can I make these enchiladas spicier?
To increase heat, use spicy salsa and hot green chiles, or add hot sauce, extra paprika, or chile powder to the filling and sauce. For family meals with young children, consider keeping the main dish milder and adding hot salsa at the table for adults.
Shred the cooked chicken once it’s tender. I like to cook the breasts on high for about five hours, which makes shredding easy and yields juicy meat.
Some cooks use a hand mixer to shred chicken quickly; two forks work just as well.
Fill each tortilla with the chicken mixture, roll, and place seam-side down in a greased 9×13-inch pan. Note: you may have a little extra filling—enough to make one or two more enchiladas if desired.
Make the green chile sauce like a simple roux-based gravy. After melting butter and sautéing onion and garlic, whisk in flour and then broth until smooth. Remove from heat before stirring in sour cream to avoid curdling.
Can I add more green chiles to increase the flavor or spice?
Yes. One 4.5 oz. can of green chiles equals about 2 tablespoons. Add an extra tablespoon or two for stronger chile flavor or more heat if using hot chiles.
Top with shredded cheese if you like, then bake until bubbly and heated through. Garnish with diced fresh chives or cilantro after baking for brightness.
Enjoy! Share your photos by tagging the author on Instagram at thismom.cooks. Thank you for your support!
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