Make this yummy Crockpot Enchilada Casserole for a fantastic dinner any night of the week! Easy to prepare using pantry and freezer staples, this tasty meal will become a long-time family favorite after just one serving.
Best of all, you don't even need to turn on your oven! The magic of the slow cooker means this is a hands-off, low-prep recipe that's ready to serve come dinnertime.
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🩵 About This Recipe
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! This crockpot enchilada bake gets all of the delicious flavors and ingredients on the table without extra stress.
For even more flavorful and bold slow cooker dinners, try my Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup or this Creamy Chicken with Cayenne!
What readers are saying...
Love how easy this is and this a meal that the whole family enjoys! We will be adding this to our regular rotation!
- Natalie
🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- brown rice - adds a hearty quality to this crockpot enchilada bake.
- seasonings - I use a combination of cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper to add flavor.
- canned tomatoes - regular canned tomatoes are fine, but I like to use tomatoes with green chilies for extra flavor.
- tomato sauce - creates the base of the enchilada sauce, adding tanginess and depth.
- vegetable broth - thins the sauce slightly and adds savory flavor.
- frozen pepper and onion strips - feel free to use fresh produce, but frozen veggie strips are great for a convenient shortcut!
- frozen corn - adds a pop of sweetness and freshness.
- canned beans - both black beans and pinto beans are great in this dish, but feel free to use one or the other if you prefer.
- shredded cheddar cheese - melts in for rich, gooey flavor.
🔪 Let's Make Crockpot Enchilada Casserole!
(Or click here to jump right to the recipe card with measurements!)
Make Sauce
In your slow cooker, combine rice, seasonings, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, and frozen veggie strips.
Cook Rice
Cook on high for 3 hours.
Add Canned Ingredients
Mix in the corn and both kinds of beans, then cook another 20 minutes until heated through.
Melt Cheese
Sprinkle cheese over top, then cover and cook until melted.
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- There's no need to thaw any of the frozen ingredients before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Make sure to cook on high so the rice is properly cooked through. You may need to add more broth if the casserole is too dry after the rice has absorbed it.
❔ FAQs
When it comes to enchiladas, a quality sauce is key to ensuring the flavor of your dish is perfect. This casserole doesn't use a classic enchilada sauce, so instead you'll want to make sure that you're using plenty of seasoning and quality ingredients.
Serve enchiladas with avocado or guacamole, sour cream, green onions, diced tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, black olives, or chopped parsley or cilantro.
Absolutely! If you prefer a creamier casserole, feel free to use refried beans instead of canned whole beans.
📝 Substitutions and Variations
- Add a protein like chicken or beef for a more filling result. Raw meat should be added at the beginning of cooking, but cooked meat can be stirred in with the beans and corn.
- White rice can be used instead of brown rice. Don't use minute rice, as that will get mushy in the slow cooker.
- This dish can be made vegan by omitting the cheese or using a dairy-free substitute.
- Kidney beans or black-eyed peas can be used instead.
Kristin's Kitchen Tip
This dish can be made with fresh peppers, onions, and corn if you prefer, but frozen and canned ingredients make it convenient and stress-free!
🥡 Storage and Reheating
If you have leftovers of your crockpot enchilada casserole, transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftovers for 3 months or so.
To reheat, microwave individual portions or cook over medium heat on the stove top. Add a splash of broth to prevent drying out. Let frozen leftovers thaw in the fridge before reheating for best results.
Keep It Handy
Don't have time for this crockpot enchilada casserole recipe right now? Click on or tap the heart icon on the BOTTOM RIGHT of the screen to save it for later!
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
This works well served as a main course with cilantro, scallions, lime wedges, or avocado as toppings. Sour cream and hot sauce are also great toppings, and a side salad with some tortilla chips make great side dishes to serve along with this casserole!
😋 More Slow Cooker Recipes You'll Love
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs - Featuring a homemade sauce, these tender chicken thighs are packed with tangy, savory flavor.
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef - This easy dinner is flavorful and satisfying, combining tender beef with an Asian-inspired marinade.
- Slow Cooker Veggie Fajitas - With similar flavors to this enchilada dish, this recipe makes it so easy to prepare delicious fajitas.
- Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops - This recipe from Butter Your Biscuit results in tender pork chops in a savory and delicious onion gravy!
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Crockpot Enchilada Bake
⭐ Did you make this recipe? Awesome! I would love to hear from you. Please give it a star rating and review below! 👇
📋 Recipe Card
Crockpot Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup brown rice
- 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt and pepper
- 20 ounces tomatoes with green chilis (2 cans)
- 8 ounces tomato sauce (1 can)
- 1 cup 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
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, 20 ounces tomatoes with green chilis, 8 ounces tomato sauce, 1 cup 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
Prep Tips:
- There's no need to thaw the frozen veggies before using them in this recipe.
- You can use chicken or beef broth in place of the vegetable broth, if desired.
Variation Suggestions:
- Add cubed chicken or beef for extra protein (add raw meat at the beginning or cooked meat at the end when you stir in the corn and beans).
- You can substitute white rice for brown rice, but don't use instant rice (like Minute Rice) because it will get mushy.
- Make this recipe vegan by omitting the cheese or using your favorite plant-based alternative.
- Try different beans like kidney or black-eyed peas if desired.
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve as a main dish topped with chopped cilantro, scallions, lime wedges, or diced avocado.
- Add a dollop of sour cream or a drizzle of hot sauce for extra flavor.
- Pair with a side salad or tortilla chips for a complete meal.
Storage Info For Leftovers:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of broth or water to keep it moist.
- Freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months-thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in February 2019, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in October 2025.
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Kim says
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,
Kristin says
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!
Gina says
Same here 🙁 Taste was great but we couldn’t get beyond the under cooked rice.
Kristin King says
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!
Cheryl says
Fabulous! Can I freeze leftovers?
Kristin says
Yes, absolutely! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Jodi says
The directions say cumin but it’s not listed in ingredients. How much do you use?
Kristin says
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! 🙂
Elizabeth says
Hi, Do you think you can use quinoa instead of rice? Would all the same measurements/times apply?
Kristin says
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!
Kelli says
At what point do you add the frozen peppers and onions?
Kristin says
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! 🙂
dana says
Hi!
Is it 11.2 cups vegetable broth or 1 1.2 cups?
Thanks!
Kristin says
Hi Dana, it actually should be 1 1/2 cups. My apologies for the typo! I will fix it right away!
Sandra says
I just had to come back and rate this recipe 5 Stars!
Sandra says
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.
Jersey Girl Cooks says
love this crockpot version!
Natalie says
Love how easy this is and the a meal that the whole family enjoys! We will be adding this to our regular rotation!
Kristin says
Yay, I am so glad you like this recipe! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy! 🙂