Who has time to roll enchiladas? Not me. I do love them so, but sadly they are mostly relegated to restaurant dinners. No more! The slow cooker solves it all. With this recipe, enchiladas become a hands-off weeknight dinner. Totally traditional? No. Easy and full of zesty enchilada flavor? Yes and yes again.

What Do I Need For Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas?

Well, it’s a slow cooker recipe, so you need a crockpot. As for ingredients, you’ll need:

• Chicken breasts — boneless, skinless (yes, you can sub thighs)
• Chili powder
• A can of red enchilada sauce (or make your own)
• Corn tortillas
• Cheddar cheese — Monterey jack or another good melting cheese works too!
• A can of black olives
• Your favorite toppings!

How Do I Make Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas?

It’s so easy! First, you’re going to season your chicken and get it into the slow cooker along with the enchilada sauce. For now the chicken is just going to simmer in that sauce, so set it to four hours on high or six on low.

When you return, the chicken should be very easy to shred with two forks. Want to stop here and use this for taco or regular enchilada filling? Go for it. Want to see what this slow cooker version is all about? Press on.

Then you’ll cut up the corn tortillas and stir them into the chicken and sauce mixture along with some of the cheese. Press the mixture down a bit with a spoon to make sure the tortillas are covered, and then top it with the rest of the cheese and some olives, if you’re a fan. (I am.)

Cover it, set it to low again, and let it cook for about 45 minutes, which is really just for the purpose of melting all that cheese. Dig in and you’ve got something that tastes just like enchiladas, without all of the work!