Slow cooker enchilada chicken and potatoes makes an easy and hearty dinner! Throw just about everything in the crock pot to cook, then add a simple slurry and shredded cheese to thicken the sauce shortly before serving. Serve over rice, quinoa, or couscous.

Now tell me, are you a year-round slow cooker kind of person, or do you use it more heavily in the colder months? I cook something in mine about once a week year-round, but I get why some people lean on it more so in the fall/winter. After all, it simplifies the process of making a roast, a huge batch of chili, all kinds of soups, and more. Not exactly the type of food you might crave when it’s warm outside.

But I mean, the slow cooker works away on the countertop and alleviates the need for you to heat up the house by turning on the oven. SUCH a helpful tool to use in the summer!

This recipe for slow cooker enchilada chicken and potatoes operates as a perfect in-between dish. It’s got juicy chicken thighs and tender baby potatoes in a slightly thickened, slightly cheesy sauce that tastes like comfort food without with a whole lot of work. It’s warm and comforting without being too heavy, making it suitable for winter, spring, summer, or fall.

(All you have to do is calllllll…🎶)

I used to be a boneless skinless chicken breast die-hard, but lately chicken thighs have been making their way into my cart at the grocery store. The dark meat adds extra flavor and they tend to be cheaper than breasts. Plus I’ve found they’re harder to mess up, or really ‘dry up’ as tends to be the worry when it comes to chicken.

This recipe for slow cooker enchilada chicken calls for skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, but feel free to use skinless and/or boneless if you like. Same goes for the potatoes – any variety of baby potatoes will work, as will chopping regular potatoes into smaller pieces.

The cooking liquid here is responsible for the “enchilada” portion of the recipe title, consisting primarily of red enchilada sauce with a little bit of water or broth to thin it out. Once the chicken is fully cooked, I make a slurry of flour and hot cooking liquid, whisk to combine, and then add it back to the crock pot and stir. Wait about twenty minutes (or until the sauce has thickened to your preferred consistency) and add cheese. It’ll melt very quickly and add a hint of cheesy flavor and help the sauce become even thicker. Add extra cheese, chopped cilantro, fresh from the garden tomatoes, or your favorite veggies and you’re all set!

Tools used:

5 qt. slow cooker – this is the kind I have. Nothing fancy but it’s dependable and does the trick! I’ve found it’s very consistent with the cook times listed on slow cooker recipes.
Instant-read thermometer – so helpful when it comes to meat (especially chicken). You’ll want chicken to reach 165°F, but don’t worry if the temperature registers way over in this recipe when you check it – it’ll still be juicy.

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Slow Cooker Enchilada Chicken and Potatoes

Tools used: