Quinoa Enchilada Crockpot: seasoned ground turkey, quinoa, fire-roasted tomatoes, salsa, beans, corn, enchilada sauce, and plenty of cheese. Top with cilantro, lime, guacamole, or your favorite enchilada toppings.

Pair this healthy meal with a simple salad like this Italian Salad or this Mandarin Orange Salad.

Crockpot quinoa enchilada freshly made, served with a spoon and garnished with cilantro, tomatoes, avocado slices, and lime wedges.

Quinoa Enchilada Crock-Pot

This meal is one of our favorites! It’s so easy to assemble and the slow cooker does all the heavy lifting!  It’s such a great all-purpose meal — it can be eaten as is, layered in tortillas or lettuce wraps, cooked into actual enchiladas, or eaten as a dip with chips!

How To Make Enchilada Quinoa In The Crock-Pot

  1. Sauté onion and bell pepper in olive oil in a large skillet, then add ground turkey.
  2. Mix in spices and garlic, sauté briefly, and transfer to a slow cooker.
  3. Add uncooked quinoa, black beans, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, salsa, enchilada sauce, and chicken broth (or water and bouillon).
  4. Stir everything together until evenly combined.
  5. Cook on high for 2.5 to 5 hours, stirring once midway if possible, until quinoa is cooked and liquid absorbed.
  6. Stir in freshly grated cheese until melted, then serve with your favorite enchilada toppings.

Ingredients including onion, bell pepper, and turkey being added to the slow cooker, mixed, and undergoing the cooking process.

Quinoa Enchilada Crock-Pot Tips

  • Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-grated cheese has a cellulose coating that keeps it from melting as nicely. While it can be used in this recipe, it will get a little greasy and won’t melt as smoothly.
  • Cook on high. Unfortunately, this recipe doesn’t cook well at low temperatures; the quinoa absorbs liquid too slowly and cooks unevenly.
  • Use fire-roasted diced tomatoes for more flavor.
  • Don’t forget the toppings. They add so much flavor and texture to this dish. Use whatever you like on top of enchiladas; our favorite toppings for this dish are ripe sliced avocados, fresh cilantro, fresh lime, and fresh cherry tomatoes. Other options include sour cream, additional cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, thinly sliced radishes, and green onions.
  • Crock-Pot® is a trademarked brand of slow cooker that is often used generically. You can use any type of slow cooker you prefer.

Variations

  • Add heat: A tablespoon or two of diced jalapeños, hot sauce, and/or fire-roasted diced green chilies are all additions that add in some heat. A spicier salsa and/or enchilada sauce can also be used.
  • Reduce heat: By using mild salsa and mild enchilada sauce, I’d say this is a very mild dish. To further reduce heat, use only 1-2 teaspoons chili powder. (Use a non spicy chili powder like McCormick® (not sponsored)).
  • Make a homemade enchilada sauce: If you prefer, make your own!
  • Replace ground turkey with lean ground beef.
  • Make it vegetarian: Leave out the ground turkey; no other changes are needed.

Alternate Cooking Methods

  • Oven: Try this Quinoa Enchilada Bake; it’s very similar to this recipe but baked instead of slow cooked.
  • Stove top: Follow steps 1-4 using a large pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the quinoa has “popped.” Stir mixture every 5-7 minutes and reduce heat if the quinoa is sticking or increase if the liquid isn’t being absorbed.
  • Pressure cooker: I haven’t personally tested this recipe in the pressure cooker, but a reader commented that it worked well: “Made this yesterday in my electric pressure cooker: 9 minutes on high setting (added about 1/2 cup more water).” (Thanks Lisa!)

Finished enchilada quinoa dish in a crockpot, rich and flavorful, with a spoon nestled inside, ready for serving.

More Healthy Quinoa Recipes

4.96 from 41 votes

Quinoa Enchilada Crockpot

This Quinoa Enchilada Crockpot meal is loaded with seasoned ground turkey, quinoa, fire-roasted tomatoes, beans, corn, enchilada sauce, and lots of cheese. Top with cilantro, lime, guac, or your favorite toppings!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

  • Large pan
  • Crock-Pot 6-quart

Ingredients 
 

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup diced sweet bell pepper I use red
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1-1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes undrained
  • 1 cup chicken stock or chicken broth or water
  • 1 (19-ounce) can red enchilada sauce see note 1
  • 2 cups Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese; I use 1 cup extra sharp cheese and 1 cup Monterrey jack cheese
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
  • Toppings as desired see note 2

Instructions 

  • Line a slow cooker or generously spray with cooking spray. In a large pan, add olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat and add diced onion and diced red pepper. Sautรฉ 3โ€“4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ground turkey. Cook and crumble until browned through. (Drain any grease if needed.) Add minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper (or to taste). Cook until fragrant, another 1โ€“2 minutes.
  • Transfer ground turkey mixture into the Crock-Pot (6-quart). Add uncooked quinoa (make sure to rinse first in a fine-mesh sieve), drained and rinsed black beans, frozen corn, salsa, undrained diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and enchilada sauce.
  • Stir well. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 2 and 1/2 to 3 and 1/2 hours or until all the liquid is absorbed into the mixture. Once absorbed, remove lid and stir together everything again. Add diced cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice (if using), and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
  • Add your favorite enchilada toppings to individual plates: any additional cilantro or lime juice, sour cream, pico de gallo or diced cherry tomatoes, fresh avocado or guacamole.
  • To make these more traditional enchiladas: Warm up the tortillas, spread some cheese on one side, a large spoonful of the mixture on top of the cheese, and more cheese on top of the mixture. Roll it up, cook until crisp in a pan over medium-high heat, and top with more salsa or enchilada sauce. Add sour cream, green onions, and cilantro if desired.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: For the enchilada sauce, I use Old El Pasoยฎ mild enchilada sauce, which I donโ€™t find overly spicy. Some enchilada sauces can be very hot, so taste the sauce before adding to the slow cooker.
Note 2: Toppings: 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, sour cream, cilantro, etc. (whatever toppings you typically would like on enchiladas).
Storage: Let the meal cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For freezing, portion into airtight containers for up to 3 months. Reheat with a splash of stock or water, and add fresh toppings right before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.2g | Protein: 27.4g | Fat: 19.3g | Cholesterol: 72.7mg | Sodium: 919.4mg | Fiber: 7.1g | Sugar: 5.8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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4.96 from 41 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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211 Comments

  1. Anna (Hidden Ponies) says:

    I always forget about my slow cooker in the summer – great idea!

  2. Monet says:

    5 stars
    Oh heavens! This looks SO GOOD. I have never thought about doing quinoa in the slow cooker. That is changing tomorrow night!

  3. Zainab says:

    I haven’t tried quinoa in the slow cooker and I don’t know why. Love this cheesy enchilada very much!!

  4. Happy Valley Chow says:

    We just got a new crockpot! Looks like I have a new recipe to try ๐Ÿ™‚

    Happy Blogging!
    Happy Valley Chow

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      So excited for you! Crockpots are my life ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks!

  5. Ashley says:

    Mmmm this looks amazing! I love anything enchilada-like and in my crockpot? Double win! I’ve only recently started putting quinoa in my crockpot for meals and I am in love!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Isn’t it the greatest?! Thanks Ashley!

  6. Rachel @the dessert chronicles says:

    Always looking for creative ways to use quinoa and I love this one! Thanks for sharing!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thanks Rachel!!

  7. Rina~I Thee Cook says:

    This looks fantastic!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thank you Rina!

  8. Beth @ bethcakes says:

    What an awesome slow cooker dish! I’m thinking I would have to do the enchilada option because enchiladas are one of my favorite things ever. But I bet this would be good no matter how you eat it! ๐Ÿ™‚ Pinning!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Haha I love both ways ๐Ÿ™‚ But yes enchilada style is SO good!! Thanks Beth and thanks for the pin!

    2. Amber says:

      This is great! Curious if you have ever frozen the leftovers? There is so much!

      1. Chelsea Lords says:

        I haven’t personally but I’d loved to hear how it freezes for you! ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes says:

    Loving that GIF! And these quinoa enchilada looks amazing! All that delicious cheese ๐Ÿ˜€

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thanks Jessica! ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. Melanie | Melanie Makes says:

    Pinned, tweeted and going on our weekly menu, stat!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Haha you are the sweetest!! Thanks Melanie ๐Ÿ™‚