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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Enchilada Bake - Easy Crock Pot Recipe

    Published: Feb 20, 2019 Modified: Apr 25, 2020 by Kristin King / This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe | Pin Recipe

    Enchilada Bake is super-easy to prepare using pantry and freezer staples, and so tasty it's sure to become a long-time family favorite! No need to turn on your oven, this recipe uses the magic of your slow cooker.

    Side view of enchilada bake with a slice of lime on the side in a white bowl.

    This crock pot enchilada bake is super easy to make using pantry and freezer staples and your slow cooker!

    Enchilada bake recipes are always a hit in my house. However, sometimes at the end of a long day, I am not in the mood to wait for the oven to preheat and then cook my food.

    The preparation is straight-forward and budget-friendly, plus you can customize with the addition of chicken or beef, or keep it as a meatless meal for the vegetarian in your life!

    I have to be honest, it makes me really happy to have dinner already prepared and just about ready for serving when I get home. Which is why my slow cooker is my best friend.

    Now this dish is not one that turns out fine if you cook it all day. It works best when you are able to be home about 3 hours before dinner to kick things off. However, if you really can't make that happen you can certainly cook it on low all day. If you do that, however, just be prepared for your rice to get a little mushy.

    Many people would be put off by mushy rice, which is why I have the directions for a 3 hour cook time. However I must admit that my family is not picky about mushy rice. Thing 2 actually kind of LIKES mushy rice. So if your family is like that, feel free to make this into an all-day cooking recipe! 🙂

    Overhead shot of crock pot enchilada bake in a white bowl with a lime  and herbs on the side.

    This enchilada bake recipe is an easy vegetarian meal!

    Also, note that, as written, this recipe is vegetarian. But you can definitely add chicken or beef if you like. You can add about 2 cups of cubed chicken or beef right at the beginning, or you can add cooked cubed meat at the end when you add the corn and beans.

    Steps for making this Enchilada Bake

    Step 1.

    Step 1 looks a little complicated, but it's really not. Basically, you add the rice, spices, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, and pepper strips, and mix well. Easy!

    Overhead view of process shot- crock pot with rice and spices added.

    Step 1a - Add the rice and spices into the crock pot

    Overhead view of process shot- crock pot with tomatoes and vegetable broth added.

    Step 1b - add the tomatoes and vegetable broth

    Overhead view of process shot- crock pot with pepper strips added.

    Step 1c - add the pepper strips

    Overhead view of process shot- crock pot with ingredients mixed.

    Step 1d - mix well

    Step 2. 

    Then you cook for 3 hours, and it starts to look like this:

    Overhead view of process shot- crock pot after three hours of cooking.

    Step 2 - Cook for 3 hours

    Step 3. 

    Add the corn and the beans, then mix, and cook for another 20 minutes or so.

    Close up view of process shot- crock pot with corn and beans added.

    Step 3 - Add corn and beans to the crock pot

    Step 4.

    Add the shredded cheese, cover, and cook for another 5 minutes, until the cheese melts.

    Overhead view of process shot- crock pot with shredded cheese added.

    Step 4 - Sprinkle with shredded cheese

    Overhead view of process shot- crock pot after cheese is melted.

    Step 5 - Allow the cheese to melt

     

    Variations for this Enchilada Bake recipe

    1. This recipe as written is vegetarian, but feel free to add chicken or beef if you like. Add about 1-2 cups of cubed meat. If you add uncooked meat, add it before you cook for 3 hours. If you add cooked meat, add it at the end when you toss in the corn and beans.
    2. Would you like to make this a vegan meal? Omit the cheese, or substitute a vegan cheese.
    3. Not a fan of brown rice? This works well with white rice too. Be sure to use regular white rice, not instant rice!
    4. If you don't have vegetable broth, you can substitute chicken or beef broth.
    5. Garnish with cilantro, or scallions, or lime wedges. Or all 3!
    Close up shot of crock pot enchilada bake in a white bowl with a lime and herbs on the side.

    This enchilada bake recipe is a family-favorite weeknight dinner!

    This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

    Crock Pot Enchilada Bake

    Serve along with refried beans, a side salad, or even chips and salsa.

    If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! Enjoy!

    📋 Recipe Card

    Overhead shot of crock pot enchilada bake in a white bowl with a lime  and herbs on the side.

    Crock Pot Enchilada Bake

    Recipe Author: Kristin
    Enchilada Bake is super-easy to prepare using your slow cooker and pantry and freezer staples, and it's so tasty it is sure to become a long-time family favorite!
    4.86 from 14 votes
    Print Recipe Share by Email Bookmark Saved!
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 3 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
    Course Entree
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 480 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 ¼ cup brown rice
    • 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon each, salt and pepper
    • 14 ounces tomatoes with green chilis (1 can, undrained)
    • 8 ounces tomato sauce (1 can)
    • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
    • 14 ounces frozen pepper and onion strips (1 bag)
    • 1 cup frozen corn
    • 14 ounces pinto beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
    • 14 ounces black beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
    • 1 cups shredded cheddar cheese
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • In the slow cooker, combine the rice, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, and frozen pepper and onion strips.
      1 ¼ cup brown rice, 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon each, salt and pepper, 14 ounces tomatoes with green chilis, 8 ounces tomato sauce, 1 ½ cups vegetable broth, 14 ounces frozen pepper and onion strips
    • Cook on high 3 hours.
    • Add the corn and the beans, mix well, and cook on low for an additional 20 minutes, until the corn is thawed and the beans are heated through.
      1 cup frozen corn, 14 ounces pinto beans, 14 ounces black beans
    • Sprinkle the top with the cheese, cover, and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
      1 cups shredded cheddar cheese
    • Serve as is, or with garnish of chopped cilantro, chopped scallions, or lime wedges.

    Notes

    • You can add about 1-2 cups of cubed chicken or beef if you like. If you add uncooked meat, add it before you cook for 3 hours. If you add cooked meat, add it at the end when you toss in the corn and beans.
    • This recipe can be made vegan if you skip the cheddar cheese, or substitute a vegan cheese.
    • If you don't have brown rice, feel free to use white rice. However, make sure it is regular white rice, not instant rice!
    • Chicken or beef broth can be used in place of the vegetable broth.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 803mg | Potassium: 1162mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3275IU | Vitamin C: 95.8mg | Calcium: 237mg | Iron: 5.7mg

    Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.

    Want to make cooking even easier?Sign up here to receive FREE DBH exclusive content, including my favorite kitchen shortcuts and hacks, and unlock access to the DBH resource library with many other free downloads!
    Overhead shot of crock pot enchilada bake in a white bowl with a lime  and herbs on the side.

    This enchilada bake recipe is an easy vegetarian meal!

    More Mexican recipes...

    If you like this recipe, you my also like some of my other Mexican-inspired dishes! Kids love macaroni and cheese, so try this mac and cheese with a Mexican twist: Maccarones Con Queso.

    They also love mini-food, so take a look at these adorable Fajita Bowls. BONUS - the bowls are edible!

    Last but not least, this Fiesta Lasagna is a cheesy, flavorful, and fun weeknight meal!

    Looking for some additional enchilada recipes?

    These Easy Chicken Enchiladas will hit the spot. Or, if you are in the mood for something beefier, try these Beef Enchiladas.

    What is your favorite enchilada recipe? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

    Close up shot of crock pot enchilada bake in a white bowl with a lime and herbs on the side.

    Delicious vegetarian meal!

    Thanks so much for reading! I also invite you to follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, or INSTAGRAM to keep up with what's going on in my kitchen.

    And you might want to check out my Dizzy Busy and Hungry store on Amazon for a whole bunch of great kitchen products I love!

    Happy cooking!

    Close up of a signature of Kristin.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Kim

      May 06, 2020 at 10:10 am

      3 stars
      I followed the recipe exactly, but the rice remained hard, which was very disappointing. Otherwise, it seems like it would have been a nice recipe, but had to throw it all away,

      Reply
      • Kristin

        May 06, 2020 at 1:21 pm

        Hi Kim, I am so sorry to hear that! I literally make this at least once a month and have never had that issue. My first thought is that maybe you cooked it on low instead of high? It needs to be on high for three hours or the rice will not adequately cook. My apologies, though, for your disappointment. I appreciate you stopping by!

        Reply
      • Gina

        May 15, 2022 at 8:45 pm

        Same here 🙁 Taste was great but we couldn’t get beyond the under cooked rice.

        Reply
        • Kristin King

          May 18, 2022 at 7:27 am

          Sorry to hear that! I haven't been able to replicate that problem, so I am left wondering if it is possibly a difference in slow cookers or maybe even a difference in the rice used. I just used regular long grain brown rice. Next time you might try adding another 1/2 cup of vegetable broth and increasing the cook time by one hour and see if that helps!

    2. Cheryl

      April 10, 2020 at 5:21 pm

      5 stars
      Fabulous! Can I freeze leftovers?

      Reply
      • Kristin

        April 10, 2020 at 8:23 pm

        Yes, absolutely! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Jodi

      November 27, 2019 at 2:32 pm

      The directions say cumin but it’s not listed in ingredients. How much do you use?

      Reply
      • Kristin

        November 28, 2019 at 8:42 am

        Hi Jodi, so sorry, I don't know how that happened! I have a print out of the recipe here and the cumin is listed, so somewhere along the way it got deleted. Anyway, I have fixed it now. You use 1 teaspoon cumin. Thank you so much for pointing out that issue! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Elizabeth

      November 06, 2019 at 1:13 pm

      Hi, Do you think you can use quinoa instead of rice? Would all the same measurements/times apply?

      Reply
      • Kristin

        November 08, 2019 at 6:22 am

        You probably can use quinoa instead, but I haven't ever tried it so I wouldn't be able to advise you of any specific adjustments. If I were going to try it, I would go ahead and keep everything the same the first time around and then evaluate the results. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out!

        Reply
    5. Kelli

      November 05, 2019 at 8:09 pm

      At what point do you add the frozen peppers and onions?

      Reply
      • Kristin

        November 08, 2019 at 6:18 am

        Hi Kelli, so sorry I accidentally left that ingredient out of the instructions! I usually add them in step 1. I have fixed the recipe now. My apologies and thanks for pointing that out! 🙂

        Reply
    6. dana

      March 25, 2019 at 11:44 am

      Hi!
      Is it 11.2 cups vegetable broth or 1 1.2 cups?

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kristin

        March 29, 2019 at 11:19 am

        Hi Dana, it actually should be 1 1/2 cups. My apologies for the typo! I will fix it right away!

        Reply
    7. Sandra

      March 05, 2019 at 4:56 pm

      5 stars
      I just had to come back and rate this recipe 5 Stars!

      Reply
    8. Sandra

      March 05, 2019 at 4:55 pm

      I love that the rice cooked right in with the tomatoes giving it so much flavor, usually rice around my house is kind of boring. Your variations on the recipe are terrific! I will try it "vegan-style" for my nephew and let everyone add their own cheese.

      Reply
    9. Jersey Girl Cooks

      March 04, 2019 at 1:31 pm

      5 stars
      love this crockpot version!

      Reply
    10. Natalie

      February 22, 2019 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      Love how easy this is and the a meal that the whole family enjoys! We will be adding this to our regular rotation!

      Reply
      • Kristin

        February 23, 2019 at 6:49 am

        Yay, I am so glad you like this recipe! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    Newer Comments »

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    👋 Hey there, I'm Kristin! As a full-time working wife and mom, my life is such a whirlwind, it makes me dizzy sometimes! So I have been working to develop quick, easy, family-friendly recipes for 20+ years, and this site is where I share them with you! Happy cooking!

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