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Tex-Mex Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Enchilada filling made with slow cooker shredded chicken, salsa, black beans, and taco seasoning is rolled up inside whole wheat tortillas and covered in a white enchilada sauce made from condensed cream of mushroom soup. Just add a healthy layer of freshly grated cheese and bake until bubbly!
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword crock pot, shredded chicken, slow cooker, white enchilada sauce, whole wheat tortillas
Servings 8 enchiladas

Ingredients

  • 1 – 1.5 lb boneless,skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1.5 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup medium salsa
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 10.75-oz can 90% Fat Free Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (ex: Campbell's)
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 15.5-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, freshly grated
  • 4 oz Colby Jack cheese, freshly grated
  • 8 whole wheat tortillas
  • Additional fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
  • Additional chopped green onion for garnish (optional)

Instructions

PREP INSTRUCTIONS

  • Chop all your cilantro and set aside.
  • Chop all green onions and set aside.
  • Grate the Monterey Jack cheese and set aside, then grate the Colby Jack cheese and set aside (keep the two cheeses separate).
  • Make your homemade taco seasoning: mix together the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, paprika, dried oregano, salt, and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS, PART 1: THE SHREDDED CHICKEN

  • In the basin of a slow cooker, stir together the taco seasoning, lime juice, salsa, and ½ cup chopped cilantro until combined.
  • Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker and nestle them into the salsa mixture.
  • Cover the slow cooker and cook chicken on HIGH for 2 hours, then turn the slow cooker to LOW for 1 additional hour, until chicken shreds easily with two forks.
  • Turn off the slow cooker, shred the chicken, then return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and mix it into the reduced salsa mixture. Set aside.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS, PART 2: THE ENCHILADA FILLING

  • In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the ½ cup chopped green onions. Sauté onions, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-5minutes.
  • Lower the heat to medium-low, then add the cream of mushroom soup and the milk to the skillet. Stir until all ingredients completely combined in a thin sauce.
  • Carefully ladle out ¾ cup of the sauce and set it aside.
  • Add the shredded chicken, black beans, and shredded Monterey Jack cheese to the remaining sauce in the skillet. Stir to combine until cheese has melted. Remove skillet from heat.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS, PART 3: ASSEMBLING AND COOKING THE ENCHILADAS

  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Spoon about ½ cup of the chicken mixture into a tortilla**, then roll the enchilada up and lay it seam-side-down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat process with remaining chicken enchilada filling and tortillas.
  • Pour the reserved white enchiladas sauce over the enchiladas, using a spatula to cover the tops of the enchiladas in a thin layer of sauce. Sprinkle the grated Colby Jack cheese evenly over the enchiladas.
  • Bake chicken enchiladas at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly.
  • Remove chicken enchiladas from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

**I like to flatten all the chicken in the skillet into a single layer, then draw my spatula through the mixture as if I were slicing a pizza to get 8 roughly equal portions.