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A bowl of creamy chicken enchilada soup topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro, served with tortilla chips on a rustic wooden table.

Chicken Enchilada Soup


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  • Author: Amelia
  • Total Time: 30 minutes (stovetop) / 6 hours 10 minutes (slow cooker)
  • Yield: 11 cups

Description

Rich and creamy chicken enchilada soup loaded with tender shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and melted cheese in a flavorful enchilada sauce base.


Ingredients

Seasonings (pre-mixed):

  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp mustard powder
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • A pinch of cinnamon
  • A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional for heat)

Soup:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 10 oz red enchilada sauce
  • 10 oz diced tomatoes with green chiles (undrained)
  • 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 15 oz whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (or 2 small), or about 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
  • 4 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese


Instructions

Stovetop Version: Mix your spices

Dump all the seasoning stuff in a bowl now because once things start cooking you’ll be scrambling. Also pull your cream cheese out to soften or you’ll hate yourself later.

Start with the good smells

Melt butter and oil in your biggest pot over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeño, cook about 4 minutes until your kitchen smells amazing. Throw in garlic for another minute.

Everything goes in

Pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper, then add it with your spice mix, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, beans, corn, hot sauce if you want it, and broth. Let it bubble gently for 15-20 minutes. Don’t let it boil like crazy or your chicken turns into rubber.

Shred the chicken

Fish it out and shred with two forks. Should fall apart easily if it’s done right. Stir it back into the pot.

Add the creamy stuff

Turn heat down to low, then slowly mix in that cream cheese until it disappears. Add both cheeses and stir until melted and gorgeous.

Taste and serve

Add more salt, pepper, whatever it needs. Serve immediately before anyone realizes how easy this was.

Crock Pot Option: Do the onion thing first

Sauté those onions, jalapeños, and garlic on the stove like above.

Dump it all in

Add sautéed veggies and everything except cheeses, beans, and corn to your slow cooker. Cook on low 6 hours or high 3-4 hours.

Finish it

Shred chicken, stir in beans, corn, cream cheese, and shredded cheeses until smooth.

Notes

Buy rotisserie chicken – why cook raw chicken when the grocery store already did it? Just add 2 cups shredded at the end and heat through.

Sauté those vegetables – I tried skipping this step once when I was being lazy. The soup tasted flat and boring. Those few minutes make a huge difference.

Real cheese only – pre-shredded cheese has weird anti-clumping stuff that makes your soup grainy. Shred it yourself, takes like 30 seconds.

Don’t boil anything – gentle simmer is your friend. Boiling makes chicken tough and breaks dairy.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes (stovetop) / 6 hours (slow cooker low)
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican-American