Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Pasta combines tender shredded chicken, bold red enchilada sauce, green chiles, creamy sour cream, rotini, and melted cheddar cheese. It’s an easy, cheesy slow-cooker dinner packed with Tex-Mex-inspired flavor and perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 (28 oz) can red enchilada sauce
- 1 (4 oz) can fire-roasted green chiles
- 1 cup diced green onions, divided
- 16 oz dried rotini pasta
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and oregano evenly over the chicken.
- Add the fire-roasted green chiles and half of the diced green onions. Reserve the remaining green onions for serving.
- Pour the red enchilada sauce over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6–8 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Near the end of the cooking time, cook the rotini according to the package directions. Cook just until al dente and do not overcook. Drain well.
- Shred the cooked chicken with two forks directly in the slow cooker.
- Stir 1 cup sour cream into the chicken and enchilada sauce until creamy and well combined.
- Add the drained rotini and gently stir until the pasta is coated with the sauce.
- Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese over the pasta. Replace the lid and let it sit for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Serve warm with extra sour cream and the reserved green onions.
Notes
- Cook the pasta al dente so it doesn’t become too soft after being added to the hot slow cooker.
- Freshly grated cheddar generally melts more smoothly than packaged pre-shredded cheese.
- Choose mild, medium, or hot enchilada sauce depending on your preferred spice level.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breasts.
- Try topping each serving with cilantro, avocado, jalapeños, tomatoes, or crushed tortilla chips.
- Refrigerate leftovers promptly in an airtight container and use within 3–4 days.
- When reheating, a small splash of chicken broth or water can help loosen the sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 540 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 1250 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg