Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole
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This Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole is easy, delicious and full of vegetables. This kid approved recipe is perfect for dinner!
This Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole is all the yummy flavors of a pan of enchiladas, but made in a crockpot with nearly zero grams of fat. Plus I filled it up with veggies galore!
My only caution for this recipe is to not cook the daylights out of it. Overcooked rice is not delicious. So, start stirring and checking in after 2 hours. I know that seems like very little time in the crockpot, but I promise this one step will ensure an evenly cooked, tasty meal.
Here’s how to make it:
So, the biggest reason I can claim this recipe is so healthy is because I pack it full of veggies! Chop up some red onion, zucchini, carrots, red peppers and green peppers. This is the most prep work you do for this entire recipe.
Throw those veggies into your crockpot with some rice and chicken stock {which are hiding under all those veggies!}
Rinse and drain a can of black beans…
…and dump those bad boys in.
Pour in a little red enchilada sauce, salt and pepper and stir.
Then grab some chicken breasts and pop those up on top of the rice and veggie mixture. I use Simple Truth Organic {Kroger} brand that I order online from Fred Meyer. Clicklist is my saving grace, ya’ll.
Like I said, place those babies up on top.
Cover with more salt, more pepper and more red enchilada sauce. Cover and cook two hours. Stir and check to see if your rice is done cooking. Things should look fluffier than when you left…and your chicken should be just about done! You may need to cook another 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how efficient your crockpot is. Once your chicken is cooked and rice is done, remove the chicken and shred. Then stir it back in with some cheese, frozen corn and more enchilada sauce if you like things saucy. Heat it through to melt the cheese {only a few more minutes} and then serve!
It’s a comforting and hearty meal, which, for me seems odd considering its a super healthy dinner.
Either way, it’s delicious and a great way to sneak those veggies and lean proteins into your kiddos! Love love love it. Save this one for your new years resolutions!
Have a great day, friends! Printable recipe below:
More Enchilada Recipes to Try!
- Amazing Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe
- Green Chile Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
- Red and Green Enchiladas
- Enchilada Stuffed Mushrooms
- Zucchini Enchiladas
- Cheesy Beef Enchilada Dip
- 20-Minute Chicken Enchilada Bowls
- Cheesy Green Chile Pork Enchiladas
- My Chicken Enchiladas
Healthy Crockpot Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 small zucchini diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1/2 large red onion diced
- 1 cup carrot diced
- 1 15.25 oz can black beans rinsed and drained, I used Kroger
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 16 oz. mild Red Enchilada Sauce divided, 2 cups
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts I used Simple Truth Organic
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup frozen corn
toppings:
- tortilla chips
- shredded cheese
- sour cream
- avocado
- cilantro
- green onion
- lime wedges etc.
Instructions
- In a cold crockpot, stir together rice, chicken broth, zucchini, red peppers, green peppers, red onion, carrot, black beans, cumin, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce and salt and pepper. Top with chicken, more salt and pepper. Pour over another 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce, cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Stir after 2 hours and check rice doneness. After 2 hours, adjust cooking time until rice is just finished cooking.
- To finish, remove chicken and shred. Replace back into the crockpot. Stir in another cup of enchilada sauce {if desired}, shredded cheese and frozen corn. Switch crockpot to low, cover and cook another 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve and top with any desired toppings.
This sounds fabulous! I’m totally with you on the 12 pounds of Christmas, like… where did all this food come from?! I am loving the idea of crockpot enchiladas, and I totally appreciate all the veggies you snuck in there!
Lauren, I love enchiladas and I love slow cooker recipes so I REALLY love this recipe, thanks! 🙂
Yum! 2 hours on high?
Yum, and healthy. Sounds really good on a cold day like this.
My husband loved it…(even if the rice was overcooked & the carrots were chewy…he wants to put it on a flour tortillas with sour cream & salsa for lunch…I will make it again…Bonita
This looks so great! I love how it’s packed full of veggies. I can definitely use more veggies in my life right now! 🙂
I made this yesterday, and stirred it after 2 hours, but the rice was not cooked. I waited another hour/hour and a half and saw that the rice was cooked, so I stirred in the cheese and more enchilada sauce, but the rice had turned to mush. Have you ever made this on low? If so, how did it turn out? This had good flavor, but I think next time I might make the rice separately, and possibly just reduce or eliminate the chicken broth so that it’s not too soupy, and serve it over rice.
[…] Healthy Crockpot Enchilada Casserole […]
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Do you know how many calories the meal is per serving?
Crockpot Chicken Enchilada
Enjoy
I made this today for a potluck at my husband’s work…the rice just would not get soft 🙁
I followed the recipe exactly but the rice was still crunchy at the 3 hr mark. After almost another hour it was still not done. So disappointed.
This looks really good..
Such a great recipe
Do you have nutrition info on this? Looks yummy!
Looks quick and easy!
Looks delicious!!
[…] Healthy Crockpot Enchilada Casserole made by Lauren’s Latest – Here’s another one that really packs a veggie punch with zucchini, peppers, onion, carrots, and corn. Go ahead and throw a few more in there, too. […]
[…] Healthy Crockpot Enchilada Casserole – Lauren’s […]
How about the rice cooked separately? Maybe defeats the purpose of the crockpot I’m gonna guessing. Anyways, thank you!
There is always that option 🙂
Such an easy delicious recipe! Thanks for posting!
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I just pinned this. Going to try it next week. I even think all 3 kids might eat it. That’s magical.
I will be trying this tonight. I’m going to leave out the rice & broth to cook seperately, and crockpot on LOW for 4 hours because I won’t be home to watch the rice. My crockpot usually cooks defrosted chicken in this time frame & I don’t have to worry about them getting dried out from the HIGH setting. I’ve been really striking out on dinners lately, bad juju for some reason right now! So fingers crossed this works!
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Sounds delicious! Will have to try this when the weather cools down (even having the crockpot on makes me apartment warm). 😋
So, you put the rice in the crockpot uncooked? Can you use brown rice with the same timing and result?
Every crockpot seems to have different temps they cook at so the recipe is just a ballpark. If you’re going to use brown rice, the cooking time will increase, though I don’t know how much. I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure how it would work.
Looks like the perfect weeknight meal!!! Can’t wait to try it.
Looks delicious!
[…] Since there are so many veggies in this recipe, It does produce a lot of extra “juice.” I actually pulled out my colander and strained the entire casserole before adding in the frozen corn, the last cup of enchilada sauce, and cheese. It eliminated the runny portions and made it a much more solid dish. The original recipe was actually for chicken enchilada casserole, but I decided that I wanted to substitute lean, ground turkey. If you prefer chicken, follow the exact recipe from Lauren’s Latest. […]
Has anyone tried this in a pressure cooker? I am thinking cooker the chicken and rice for 6 mins, then add the veggies for another 6 – 8 mins. Thoughts?
[…] Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole […]
[…] Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole […]
[…] Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole […]
[…] Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole […]
Can you freeze this?
This seems like a very easy enchilada recipe! And anytime I can use the crockpot is a score!
This looks yummy. Will try this soon!!
This was a winner tonight! I know I will be making it again and again. Love the flavor! I did make the rice separately, and I did use brown rice instead of white. And I didn’t have a zucchini so I put in a little more red pepper. But those were the only changes. Great recipe! Thank you.
[…] seafood, sprinkle it on rice and beans, or toss it into your next stew. Or, try this recipe for Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole. It’s seasoned with cumin and can satisfy even the strongest cravings for rich Mexican […]
Is the rice necessary for the flavor and integrity of the dish, or is it just for substance?
Thank you…
Added to make the dinner more substantial.
The flavor is great. But the cooking time is way off. It actually took 6 hours for the rice and all the veggies to not be crunchy and cooked completely. I may use frozen carrots along with the frozen corn. And may even cook the rice separately and add it in at the end just to make sure it’s cooked all the way. Love the enchilada flavors. Overall a really great recipe. Thanks!