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.
This is my favorite crockpot chicken enchilada soup! My recipe is a little different but not much. I use only black beans, 3 cups of chicken broth, & I use a good medium enchilada sauce. I also use garlic powder & serve with tortilla chips. Sometimes I add a can of tomato sauce. Yum!
Loved this recipe so much! I wasn’t alone either…my three little ones went crazy over it. I added a little extra cayenne to give it just a little more kick. 🙂 Thanks for a great recipe, I’ll definitely be making this again soon!
I’m so happy this was a big hit and especially with the little ones 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
I screwed up and thought I had black beans before I went to the store for the rest of the ingredients…. Turns out I had kidney beans, oops. I had 2 cans of white beans and 1 can of pinto beans so I said screw it, and just made it like that. Turned out pretty good! I substituted sour cream for greek yogurt (fage 0%) and added pepper jack, cilantro, and my guilty pleasure… crunched up fritos 😉 Turned out pretty good!
Also added a can of corn, too!! 🙂 The fritos though… life changer!!!
So happy you liked this soup and the crunched up fritos sound AMAZING!
This soup is excellent with Fritos or tortilla chips (my favorite)! Love this soup.
THIS SOUP WAS PERFECT. I added in 3 jalapenos because I love things extra spicy and had with Santa Fe style tortilla strips on top. SO GOOD. seriously one of the best crock pot meals iv tried yet. Thank you!
I’m so happy this was a hit!! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment Liv 🙂
I made this recipe last night. I didn’t plan ahead, so I was unable to use the crockpot. I used a cast iron dutch oven at 350 for 1.5 hours. Turned out perfect. Another 15 minutes or so to melt the cream cheese.
Only thing I was confused about is that in both steps 4 and 5, you have the chicken removed and placed in a separate bowl. I think I may be misunderstanding the directions. I took out the chicken in step 4, added the cheese, and put it back in the oven without the chicken. I added the now shredded chicken back after the cheese was melted and whisked to incorporate.
So happy to hear it was perfect in the dutch over! The chicken is removed to be shredded and to allow easier mixing of the cream cheese 🙂
Thanks for responding Chelsea.
I understand ‘why’ it’s removed, just not when, since you have it in two different steps.
Was the chicken added to the crockpot frozen or thawed? Thanks!
Thawed chicken 🙂
Can you make this with frozen chicken thighs? If so, what would I need to change in the recipie ?
You can use thawed chicken thighs — same amount as breasts 🙂
I have this in the crockpot right now. I added 2 jalapeños one with the seeds and one without. I also added a can of rotel and a bag of frozen Fiesta corn. Can’t wait to try it.
Hope you love it! 🙂
Love this recipe big hit with my husband! Can you use pork stew pork instead of chicken and if so how?
I’m so happy to hear that Stephanie! Thank you 🙂 I’ve never tried pork in this soup, so I’m not really sure without further testing. I would probably cut the pork into 1 inch cubes and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Let me know if you give it a try. 🙂
I have this in the Instant Pot now, and I doubled it for some sweet friends who just had a baby. It just barely fit in the 6qt pot with a doubled recipe (I left out the tomatoes). Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You’re welcome! I hope you and your friends love it 🙂 Congrats to your friends!
30 minute version! Made 12/12/16 Used leftover cooked chicken, 1 can of black beans, 1 cup chicken broth, red enchilada sauce, no extra salt, no canned tomatoes. I added enchilada sauce & softened cream cheese to a sauce pan heated over med heat then added chicken until cream cheese was combined well. Added rest of ingredients and mixed until heated through. Add more seasoning to taste. Toppings we used were sour cream, fresh lime wedges for squeezing over the soup, monterey jack cheese, & tortilla strips. AWESOME! DELICIOUS! 2 thumbs up from all 4 girls in my house (7-15 years old). Enjoy flavor my husband didn’t even reach for the hot sauce! Thanks!!
Thank you so much for sharing Anne! This will be so helpful for other readers 🙂