Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup features a rich, flavorful enchilada sauce simmered with tender chicken thighs, black beans, and corn. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal, this soup offers a creamy, mildly spicy taste with customizable toppings such as cheddar cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro for a satisfying Mexican-inspired comfort dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Enchilada Sauce
- 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil (canola or safflower)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 large jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder (preferably Mexican-style)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more for thinning as needed
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Soup
- 1 (15-ounce) can yellow corn, drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 to 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Heavy cream, optional splash
- Cayenne pepper, optional pinch for heat
Serving Options
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Tortilla chips
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the enchilada sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of neutral cooking oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the diced onion and chopped jalapeño, cooking until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, and granulated sugar, and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Transfer sauce to slow cooker: Pour the enchilada sauce into a 5-quart (or larger) slow cooker.
- Add soup ingredients: Into the slow cooker, add the drained yellow corn, rinsed black beans, and boneless skinless chicken thighs. Stir everything together to combine well with the enchilada sauce base.
- Slow cook the soup: Cover the slow cooker and cook on the LOW setting for 6 to 7 hours or on the HIGH setting for about 4 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Shred the chicken: Using two forks, shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker into bite-sized pieces, stirring to mix evenly throughout the soup.
- Finish and season: Stir in a splash of heavy cream if desired for richness. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper as preferred for added heat.
- Serve with toppings: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, crispy tortilla chips, and fresh cilantro to enjoy a hearty and flavorful meal.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken breasts for thighs, but thighs offer more flavor and stay tender during slow cooking.
- For a spicier soup, keep the jalapeño seeds or increase the cayenne pepper amount.
- If the soup is too thick after cooking, add a bit more chicken broth to reach desired consistency.
- This soup freezes well for up to 3 months — cool completely before storing in airtight containers.
- Heavy cream is optional but adds richness; for a dairy-free version, omit or use coconut cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
