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.
Made this a few days ago and it was a big hit! This will probably go in the regular rotation as it was super easy (LOVE that there was no chopping involved…) and came out really well! My wife was a big fan 🙂
A couple notes: 1. the recipe is missing the step to add the chicken broth (I added 1 cup before setting the crock pot to cook; the soup was pretty “soupy” right after cooking, but after refrigerating it became quite thick. I might add 1 more cup next time, as the recipe suggests).
2. The cilantro is listed as optional in the cooking phase, but I think it really adds some depth and would definitely recommend it.
3.The recipe says sour cream is a highly recommended topping, but I think the cream cheese makes it super creamy as is. For me, lime was definitely the most necessary topping, followed by shredded cheese (we used the Mexican blend) and green Cholula hot sauce.
I will also say that this was good enough that both my mom and my mother in law wanted the recipe!
Thanks so much Lee! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
The BEST EVER!
Yay! So thrilled to hear that 🙂
Just made this dish, Literally eating as I type and wow this dish is amazing. It’s a bit spicy but my partner and I are loving every bite!! Thank you for this !!
I am so happy you guys loved this! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Just had to say this is just the top winning soup in our lives. We make it year around. The only thing we do different is add a green vegetable (bag of frozen green beans, or tonight, 3 zucchini!) Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
You seriously have no idea how happy I am to hear this! What a compliment! Thank you so much and thanks for the tip on the green vegetable! Sounds awesome! 🙂
My husband and I loved this recipe. So delicious.
I’m so happy you guys enjoyed this! Thanks for your comment. 🙂
I’ve made this several times for a group of ladies who come for lunch. One is staying away from diary so I will be tying coconut milk rather than the cream cheese. This is a trustworthy, easy, visually pleasing soup.
Thanks so much Teresa! 🙂
One of the best soups I have ever made. Family and friends love it and keep begging me to make it again..
So happy to hear that! Thanks Ellen 🙂
This is so delicious! I can’t tell you how many time’s I’ve made this. I spice it up a little more with, hot enchilada sauce, fire roasted tomatoes and smoked paprika. Yummy
Sounds delicious! Thanks for the comment and review Elaine 🙂
I do mine in the pressure cooker OMG so fast and deicious
I was happy to discover that I had all of the ingredients for this on hand except the white beans. I used 2 cans of black beans instead. We fried tortillas to have on the side. I have to say this is the best soup I’ve tasted in a long time! My husband said it was better than a restaurant. I’m looking forward to trying other recipes from your site!
So thrilled to hear that!! Thank you so much for the kind comment and review 🙂 And fried tortillas on the side sounds amazing!
I have a vegetarian in the house so I cook the chicken in green salsa for four hours on high while coming the rest of the soup on low. The first time I I made it it was a little too spicy for me so the second time I took out one can of green Chile’s and added rice and corn (same flavoring heavier meal). I tried to freeze it – and I didn’t think it froze well but you can half the batch and get the same good food. Thanks for the recipe!
MMM sounds amazing!! Thanks for the tips and for your comment! 🙂