Green Chicken Enchilada Soup is as easy as it gets! Assemble it in minutes—no chopping needed—and let the crockpot handle the rest.
Green Chicken Enchilada Soup
Two meals that are always a hit in my house are chicken chili and green chicken enchiladas. And that’s where the inspiration for this Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup came from. I combined both recipes into one dish, and wow—SO good!
It’s hearty, loaded with protein, and super creamy. A dinner your family will love!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Green Chicken Enchilada Chili:
- Beans: Use white and black beans for the base. Drain and rinse well.
- Chicken thighs: Trim excess fat before adding to the slow cooker. I prefer the tenderness and flavor of thighs.
- Green chiles: No need to drain; the liquid adds flavor. Fire-roasted chiles bring a subtle smoky flavor.
- Tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes add more flavor, but regular works too.
- Enchilada sauce: Use your favorite store-bought or homemade sauce. I like Old El Paso or my homemade version best.
- Spices: Adjust chili powder for your heat preference.
- Chicken broth: Use less for a thicker chili or more for a soupier texture.
- Cream cheese: Soften in the microwave so it blends smoothly into the soup.
Quick Tip
You’ll use 10 ounces of green enchilada sauce for this soup. Use the leftovers in enchiladas, scrambled eggs, rice and beans, or a breakfast casserole.
Green Chicken Enchilada Soup Toppings
Toppings take this soup to the next level—don’t skip them! If I had to pick just three, they’d be cheese, sour cream, and lime juice. Here are some other options:
- Cheese: I like to grate Pepper-Jack, Monterey Jack, or sharp cheddar cheese over each bowl and let it melt then gently stir it in.
- Sour cream: Adds creaminess and balances the spice in the soup.
- Lime juice: A few squeezes brighten up the flavors.
- Chips: Crushed tortilla strips add some nice crunch.
- Cilantro: Adds freshness if you like it; parsley works as a substitute.
- Avocado: Sliced or diced avocado brings extra creaminess.
Green Chicken Enchilada Soup Notes
- Spice Levels: Use mild enchilada sauce and green chiles for a mild chili. For more heat, choose medium or hot.
- Cream Cheese: Soften the cream cheese thoroughly before adding it. Use a sturdy metal whisk and whisk briskly until smooth. If it’s still not fully melted, cover the crockpot and cook on high for 30 more minutes.
- Shredded Chicken: Add the chicken back in after whisking in the cream cheese to keep it from getting stringy.
- Thickening: Full-fat cream cheese makes the chili thick and hearty. Sour cream and cheese thicken it even more!
What To Serve With Green Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Cornbread: A classic side for any chili and especially good with this one!
- Tortilla Chips: Perfect for dipping or adding some crunch.
- Salad: A simple green garden salad for a light side.
- Quesadillas: A great side and perfect for dipping into the chili!
- Bread: Crusty bread or soft rolls for soaking up every last drop.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on low heat, stirring often, and avoid boiling to prevent separation. If the chili is too thick, add a splash of chicken broth to thin it out.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with spaghetti
- Potato Soup all the flavors of a baked potato in soup form!
- Sausage Tortellini Soup with Italian sausage
- Crockpot Chili winning recipe for dozens of chili cook-offs!
- Lentil Soup packed with veggies!
Green Chicken Enchilada Soup
This Green Chicken Enchilada Soup is quick, simple, and so tasty! Just toss the ingredients in the Crock-Pot—no veggie chopping—and you’re good to go!Spice Note: This soup is medium spicy as is, but adding cheese and sour cream helps tone down the heat—my kids love it that way!
Equipment
- Crock-Pot 6-quart
Ingredients
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can white kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or use small chicken breasts
- 2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles see note 1
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes optional, I like fire-roasted
- 1 (10-ounce) can green enchilada sauce see note 2
- 4 teaspoons ground chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth see note 3
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese see note 4
- 1 large lime optional
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro optional
- Toppings as desired see note 5
Instructions
- Add beans, chicken, green chiles (with liquid), tomatoes (with liquid), enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and chicken broth to the slow cooker. Stir well, then spread everything out evenly, ensuring the chicken pieces aren’t overlapping.
- Cover and cook on low for 5–7 hours or high for 3–5 hours, until the chicken is cooked through (165°F and easy to shred).
- Remove the chicken into a bowl and set aside. Add very soft cream cheese to the slow cooker. Briskly whisk, then cover and cook on high for 10–20 minutes or until the cream cheese is fully melted. Whisk again until smooth.
- While the cream cheese melts, shred the chicken with two forks or slice it thinly. Once the cream cheese is fully incorporated, stir the chicken back into the soup. Add 1–2 tablespoons of lime juice and cilantro, if desired. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with your favorite toppings for extra flavor (see note 5).
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Use mild green chiles for less heat. Fire-roasted for more flavor!
Note 2: A good brand makes all the difference. I like Old El Paso for store-bought.
Note 3: Add an extra cup of chicken broth for a thinner, more brothy chili.
Note 4: Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. Soften it in the microwave for 60–90 seconds, flipping every 20 seconds for even softening.
Note 5: Toppings make the chili! They also tame down the heat a lot. My favorites: cheese (Pepper Jack, sharp Cheddar, or Monterey Jack), sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, tortilla chips (for dipping or crushed on top), and avocado. Shred cheese over bowls, let it melt slightly, then stir.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on low heat, stirring often. Avoid boiling to prevent separation. If the chili is too thick, add a splash of chicken broth to thin it out.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 1413mg | Potassium: 1191mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1082IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 267mg | Iron: 7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I always get nervous to make things in the crockpot since I can’t adjust seasonings as I go, but decided to give this a try since it has great reviews. Wow! I am so glad I did. My whole family (husband, 4 yr old, 3 yr old, and 18 month old) all loved it. We ate it all in two days! Thank you for the recipe. It was delicious. In fact, I’ve already passed the recipe on!
That is so wonderful to hear!! I’m thrilled everyone in your family loved it 🙂 Thanks so much Jennifer!
Would this work with ground chicken?
I would cook it in a skillet first and then add it to the crockpot 🙂
This sounds amazing! But my favorite part of enchiladas are the corn tortillas, so I think I would have to incorporate them in somehow. They’re not enchiladas without them.
Thank you Cindee! I’m sure you could tear them up and toss them on top of the finished soup and that would be delicious 🙂
Made this today and it was a HUGE hit with my family. Even my picky eater had several bites. Going to work this into the rotation for sure!
I am SO thrilled to hear this was a huge hit! Thanks so much for the comment and review Margaret!
We loved this!! I did change a few things…I wanted more of a soup than chili so I doubled the enchilada sauce and added one more cup of stock…also I love hominy so I added that as well, made it with 1.5 LB of chicken thighs….garnished with pepper jack cheese, cilantro, and lime as suggested. Also added some crushed tortilla chips… AMAZING!! I want to eat more, but I am so full!! This is definitely on my list of go-to’s! A big hit with the whole family!!!
Hi Stacie! Thanks so much for your comment and for sharing what you changed 🙂 I’m so thrilled this was a big hit and am so glad you took the time to tell me!
just out of curiosity, how much is a serving size?
If you evenly divide the soup into 8 equal parts, each individual part would be one serving size. Hope that helps!
This soup is awesome!!! My husband and I loved it!
So happy to hear that! Thank you Diedra! 🙂
I’m attempting this recipe as stovetop version of this as I type this. I only rinsed the white beans and didn’t drain all the others as I figured I would need more available liquid, also I’m using a Copper Chef 6qt pan. So far all is well! Thanks for the recipe!
OH EMM GEE! This was fabulous! 4 people = no soup left! The stove top method works excellently and only about an hour total. Thanks again this is definitely moving into the rotation!
Wow! This was a serious home run. I am a soup fanatic, it’s what I do, and I rarely follow a single recipe. I find a few and mash them, or one and make a lot of changes. Soup is forgiving (unlike baking). I made this exactly as written, not a single change, and it was crazy good! Although the temps here are still high the wicked allergy season left me craving comfort and warm soup. Thanks for an absolutely perfect recipe. This is in our regular rotation now!
Wow what a compliment!! Thank you so much Michelle 🙂 I’m so thrilled this was such a hit especially coming from a soup fanatic 🙂
I made this for dinner last night and it was so delicious and so easy. I have a 2.5 month old so easy is key! I only added one can of black beans and no white beans as I’m not a bean fan. I also used 1/3 less fat cream cheese. Other than that followed the recipe exactly and even added the tomatoes. Thank you thank you thank you!
I’m so thrilled to hear this was a hit in your home! Thank you so much for the comment Ashley 🙂