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Crockpot enchiladas combine ground beef, vegetables, enchilada sauce, spices, soft corn tortillas, and cheese for an easy enchilada casserole made entirely in the slow cooker. It’s an easy dump and go Crockpot meal that’s perfect for weeknight family dinners or meal prep!
If you’re like me and don’t pull your slow cooker out often enough, this recipe might change that. Crockpot enchiladas are packed with flavor and are a hit with kids and adults! And for the cook in the family, weeknight dinner doesn’t get any easier. Who doesn’t love a dump-and-go Crockpot meal?
This is really more of a beef casserole because we don’t take the time to roll filling inside tortillas and arrange them in the slow cooker. And we don’t even brown the ground beef because there’s no need. (As a bonus, this also means there’s minimal cleanup and no extra dishes to wash.)
For this one pot Crockpot meal, we slow-cook ground beef and veggies with enchilada sauce and a few spices. Then we stir in corn tortillas cut into strips and lots of cheese, and let the Crockpot work its magic.
Serve it up with your favorite toppings so everyone can customize their enchiladas, and the whole family is happy!
Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Ground beef – Use 90% lean or leaner here because we aren’t draining off the fat.
- Onion, red bell pepper, and garlic – These veggies add depth of flavor and bump up the nutrition.
- Chili powder, salt, cumin, Mexican oregano, and black pepper – These spices add tons of flavor to our enchilada casserole, and you probably have most of them in a well-stocked spice cabinet.
- Red enchilada sauce – Look for a gluten free red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso) if keeping this gluten free is a concern.
- Soft corn tortillas – These help give our casserole structure and create the same flavor profile as regular enchiladas.
- Monterey Jack cheese – Or you can use a store-bought pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend.
How to Make Crockpot Enchiladas
1: The First Cooking Period (To Cook the Beef)
- Spread out the ground beef in an even layer in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Spread the onion, red bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin, Mexican oregano, and black pepper across the top. Pour 1 cup enchilada sauce across the top.
- Cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours.
2: Stir in the Tortilla Strips and Cheese
- Cut the tortillas into strips.
- Add half of the tortilla strips and 1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
- Stir to combine.
3: The Second Cooking Period (To Melt the Cheese on the Top Layer)
In this step we add a layers to the casserole. Don’t stir!
- Spread the remaining half of the tortilla strips evenly across the top.
- Drizzle on the remaining 1 cup enchilada sauce.
- Sprinkle on the remaining 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH until the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the casserole sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with any toppings you like.
Variation Idea: Make Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas Instead of Beef
It’s very easy to use this recipe to make slow cooker chicken enchiladas instead of beef. To do so, omit the ground beef, and instead use 1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. After the first cooking period (2 to 3 hours on HIGH or 4 to 6 hours on LOW), use two forks to shred the chicken and then proceed with the recipe as written.
Storage
Store leftover beef enchiladas wrapped in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Money-Saving Tip: How to Make This Budget-Friendly Meal Stretch Even Further
As it is, this is a relatively cheap meal (that’s still packed with nutrition!). But you can make it stretch further to get even more bang for your buck with these easy, affordable ideas:
- Bulk it up. Stir in a can of rinsed, drained black beans and a can of rinsed, drained corn along with the tortilla strips.
- Serve it with rice and a side salad. Serving enchilada casserole with rice and a salad on the side is a good way to get more servings out of it.
Tip: How to Make Sure Your Enchilada Casserole is Not Soggy
Because no one likes a soggy or watery casserole! There are three ways we make sure that this crockpot beef enchilada casserole isn’t soggy:
- Add just enough enchilada sauce. Don’t forget that the ground beef and vegetables will also release liquid as they cook down. To avoid soggy enchiladas, follow this recipe as written, and don’t be tempted to add more sauce.
- Cook it long enough. This allows the casserole to absorb the liquid, and also lets the excess liquid evaporate off.
- Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Like many cheesy, saucy casseroles, this one is best if you let it sit for a little while before serving so it can set a bit as it cools.
Frequently Asked Questions
My personal favorite type of cheese to melt on enchiladas is Monterey Jack. It has a mild flavor and melts really well into ooey-gooey cheesy oblivion! Here are a few other types of cheese that also work well for enchiladas:
1. Shredded Mexican cheese blend – This mix usually includes Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla, and Asadero cheeses.
2. Asadero cheese – This melts really well and has a mild creamy flavor.
3. Oaxaca cheese – Similar to Monterey Jack, this white cheese also has a mild flavor and melts well.
When I make enchiladas or tacos, I like to set up a “toppings bar”, which is just a variety of different toppings in bowls. This way everyone can add whatever toppings they like to customize their meal. Here are a few topping ideas that are good for enchiladas:
Minced red onion
Sliced black olives
Chopped cherry tomatoes or pico de gallo
Cilantro leaves
Shredded lettuce
Sour cream or Mexican crema
More Taco Tuesday Tex-Mex Style Recipes to Try
- 10-Minute Creamy Chipotle Shredded (Pulled) Chicken Tacos
- Homemade Mighty Taco Beef Copycat
- Keto Taco Soup
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Crockpot Enchiladas Recipe (Slow Cooker Beef Enchilada Casserole)
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Equipment
Ingredients
Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole:
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean or leaner)
- 1 yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
- 6 large cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce (divided into 1 cup + 1 cup)
- 12 soft corn tortillas (about 5 1/2 to 6 inches in diameter; cut into strips; divided into 1/2 + 1/2)
- 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (divided into 1 cup + 2 cups)
Optional Topping Ideas:
- Minced red onion
- Sliced black olives
- Chopped cherry tomatoes
- Cilantro leaves
- Shredded lettuce
- Sour cream (or Mexican crema)
Instructions
- Cooking period 1 (to cook the beef). Spread out the ground beef in an even layer in the bottom of a slow cooker. Spread the onion, red bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin, Mexican oregano, and black pepper across the top. Pour 1 cup enchilada sauce across the top.Cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours.
- Stir in the tortilla strips and cheese and add the top layers. Stir in half of the corn tortilla strips and 1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.Spread the remaining half of the tortilla strips evenly across the top. Drizzle on the remaining 1 cup enchilada sauce. Sprinkle on the remaining 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
- Cooking period 2 (to melt the cheese on the top layer). Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH until the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.
- Finishing touches. Turn off the heat and let the casserole sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.Serve with any toppings you like.
Notes
- Nutrition Information: The nutritional information for this recipe was calculated without the optional topping ideas.
- Storage: Store leftover beef enchiladas wrapped in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on August 16, 2023 and updated on August 11, 2026.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
Really? you can put RAW hamburger in a crock pot. I always thought it had to be fried first.
Bob, No, the ground beef goes in raw on the bottom of the Crockpot. Much easier, less cleanup, and comes out great!
I’m sorry, but I am confused. I read and re-read the ingredients, but there is nothing about tortilla chips. Then in the instructions it talks about the tortilla chips. Are we to use the corn tortillas or make tortilla chips out of them? Thank you.
Lynn, I’m wondering if you’re looking at a different recipe? If multiple tabs are open on your computer, it’s easy to have happen. This recipe doesn’t use tortilla chips.
Like it says in the ingredient list, we use soft corn tortillas, cut into strips. In steps 3 and 4 of the Instructions, it tells what to do with them (half the soft tortilla strips get stirred into the meat mixture, and half get spread on top along with the cheese and remaining enchilada sauce). I hope this helps!