Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas Bowl Freezer Meal
Slow cooker chicken enchilada bowl
Something that is so wonderful about Mexican food is how healthy it actually is! This slow cooker chicken enchiladas bowl has all the enchilada flavor you know! But it’s healthy!
Healthy chicken enchiladas may sound like an oxymoron to you but hear me out.
It’s all about the spices and the toppings! This healthy crockpot chicken enchilada recipe has it all!
Feeling good about what you eat can make all the difference in your daily lifestyle.
Why you will love this Healthy Enchilada Chicken Bowl
-
- 10 Minutes to Prep
- Super Easy
- Extremely Tasty
- Healthy (Soy Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Preservative Free)
- Family Friendly
You may be familiar with chicken enchilada casserole, with the shy tortilla…this freezer enchilada recipe elevates that dish like crazy!
If you love it in tortillas then use fresh one day of and smother it in sauce, or try this over rice and/or cauliflower rice.
Clean eating, heart-healthy enchiladas, packed with the flavor that you love!
Something else that is so wonderful about this slow cooker recipe is that it can easily be preservative free if you use very simple pantry ingredients to blend up your own enchilada sauce (see below recipe for how to make homemade enchilada sauce).
How to make Healthy Enchilada Chicken Freezer Meal recipe!
Healthy Enchilada Chicken Freezer Meal
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken breasts (or chicken thighs, no skin)
- 1 small onion chopped
- 4 oz diced gren chilies
- 2 cups enchilada sauce (or make your own healthy enchilada sauce below!)
- 14.5 oz can black beans
Homemade Healthy Enchilada Sauce (Blend together):
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 3 clove garlic
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients (except black beans) into slow cooker and stir.
- Cook on low 4 hours or high 2 hours.
- Stir in can black beans with 30 minutes cook time remaining.
- Shred chicken breasts and stir into sauce in slow cooker.
- Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, in tortillas or on chips!
Freezer Directions:
- Label Freezer bag with recipe name, cooking from frozen directions and expiration date (todays date plus three months).
- Add all ingredients (except black beans) to labeled gallon freezer bag.
- Store in freezer for up to three months.
Cooking from Frozen Directions:
- Thaw overnight in fridge or in the morning in some warm water (meal may not be 100% thawed but that is ok).
- Add freezer bag contents into slow cooker.
- Cook on low 4 hours, 4-5 hours if frozen.
- Stir in can black beans with 30 minutes cook time remaining.
- Shred chicken breasts and stir into sauce in slow cooker.
- Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, in tortillas or on chips!
Notes
- May top with favorite taco toppings! (cheese, guacomole, salsa, etc...)
- May also use as a filling for traditional style enchiladas. (wrap in tortillas, set in baking pan, top with leftover sauce, bake in 400 degree preheated oven for 10-15 min)
- Make it pretty: Garnish with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge.
Optional: Homemade Enchilada Sauce Ingredients
-
- diced tomatoes
- chili powder
- ground cumin
- onion powder
- cloves of garlic (or garlic powder)
- paprika
- salt
- black pepper
How to make homemade enchilada sauce?
SUPER EASY! In the past sauces have intimidated me. But this one is as simple as throwing all the sauce ingredients together in a food processor or high-speed blender and blending until smooth.
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Making food that is fast and easy is so important because you don’t have time to cook every night. Kids are hanging on your legs (or climbing into the dishwasher…) while you attempt to keep the whole house clean, much less, cook healthy meals.
But freezer meals will change everything and make life a little easier and more relaxing
FAQ’s
Serve with some fruit, a side of guac or salsa…with chips of course! You could also do some street corn or even a mint watermelon salad.
Yes, this recipe is gluten-free if you make homemade enchilada sauce. If you use a store-bought sauce then be sure to purchase gluten-free enchilada sauce.
Yes, for a vegan version of the recipe use your favorite protein substitute or add extra beans.
Yes! This slow cooker chicken enchiladas bowl is made with whole healthy ingredients. No sugar! Only natural sweeteners like raw honey make this a great healthy recipe you will want to enjoy over and over again!
Not to mention a traditional enchilada may have tortillas and cheese which can raise the fat, sugar, and preservative count in the dish all omitted by making it a bowl! (psst….you can always use this recipe as a filling for traditional cheese chicken enchiladas or top off your bowl with cheese).
This recipe is nut-free, be sure to check the enchilada sauce purchased at the store if you do not make your own to ensure completely nut-free.
Yes, this recipe is dairy free. Be sure to use dairy-free toppings.
chicken breasts (or chicken thighs)
yellow onion
diced green chilies
enchilada sauce (for homemade check ingredients below recipe card)
black beans
No way! If you want to purchase enchilada sauce for this recipe feel free to! Buy your favorite enchilada sauce and pour it into the slow cooker for this recipe!
I love to make my own sauces at home because I can control the flavor and ingredients. Eating clean is a goal for our family and sauces often time contain preservatives and additives.
This recipe was originally designed as an easy low stress crock pot recipe. But can also be made in the instant pot or even the oven if you do not have one.
Of course! If you are tight on time or a last-minute cook then throw everything in the instant pot and adjust the cook time.
Throw everything into a casserole dish, cube your chicken, and bake in the oven at 425 for 40 minutes. Be sure to check the chicken for doneness before serving.
This recipe is not intended to be converted to stovetop cooking.
No problem! Just throw the freezer meal in your slow cooker and you’re all set. If it doesn’t fit thaw it for a few minutes in warm water. (You may need to add an extra 30 minutes cook time if completely frozen when cooking).
This healthy enchilada chicken freezer meal will stay good, prepped in the freezer, for up to 6 months.
After cooking the chicken enchilada bowl will stay good for 3-5 days in the fridge as long as it is stored properly.
Depending on the cut of chicken you use chicken can take anywhere from 4-6 hours on low in the slow cooker. If my meat is frozen I tend to add an extra 30 minutes to be sure the chicken is done. Chicken breasts will take closer to 4 hours whereas chicken thighs are closer to 6 hours.
Yes. It is totally fine to stack chicken just be sure that the amount of meat is appropriate for the size of your slow cooker.
Not at all. You can purchase some tortillas of your dietary preference but this recipe is amazing over rice or on its own and does not need any tortilla.
Yes, the leftover will do well in the freezer. Try freezing individual portions and thaw out for an easy healthy enchilada chicken freezer meal!
Don’t forget to pin this recipe and save it for later! 📌
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Be sure to comment below and share your thoughts!
So good!