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These Freezer Chicken Enchiladas are filled with tender shredded chicken, black beans, green chiles, and melted cheese, then covered with red enchilada sauce. The chicken cooks in the crockpot, making the filling easy to prepare, and one batch makes enough for two 9×13-inch pans. Bake one for dinner and tuck the other in the freezer for a busy night!
Freezer Chicken Enchiladas
There is something especially satisfying about having a homemade dinner ready before you even need it. These cheesy chicken enchiladas are perfect for planning ahead, stocking the freezer, or bringing dinner to someone who could use a night off from cooking.
Add sour cream, pico de gallo, or shredded lettuce, and dinner is ready to serve.
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Pin It NowWhy You’ll Love These Freezer Chicken Enchiladas
- Makes two pans: Serve both for a crowd or save one for another meal.
- Easy crockpot filling: The chicken cooks with butter, onion, and seasonings before you shred it.
- Hearty and cheesy: Chicken, black beans, and Mexican cheese fill every tortilla.
- Great for meal prep: Assemble ahead and bake when you need dinner.
- Easy to customize at the table: Everyone can add their favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Yield: 20 enchiladas, divided between two 9×13-inch pans. Plan on about 10 servings when serving two enchiladas per person.
For the Chicken
- 2 pounds raw boneless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 large onion, diced
- ¼ cup butter, sliced into pats
For the Enchiladas
- 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese, divided
- 3 (10-ounce) cans red enchilada sauce, divided
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
- 20 flour tortillas
Optional toppings and sides: Sour cream, olives, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, or your favorite enchilada toppings.
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas
1. Cook the chicken
Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a 4–6-quart crockpot. Season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin.
Sprinkle the diced onion over the chicken, then add the pats of butter.
Cover and cook on HIGH for approximately 3 hours or LOW for approximately 6 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part. Cooking time can vary depending on the size of the chicken breasts and your slow cooker.
2. Prepare the baking dishes
For enchiladas you plan to bake right away, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 9×13-inch casserole dishes with nonstick cooking spray.
If you plan to freeze a pan, follow the freezing directions below before assembling that portion.
3. Make the filling
Shred the chicken in the crockpot using two forks or a shredding tool, mixing it with the cooking juices.
Add 1½ cups of shredded Mexican cheese, one can of red enchilada sauce, the drained black beans, and the drained green chiles. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
4. Fill and roll the tortillas
Divide the filling evenly among the 20 flour tortillas, placing a line of filling down the center of each one.
Roll each tortilla around the filling and place it seam side down in a prepared baking dish. Divide the enchiladas between the two pans, arranging them to fit.
5. Add sauce and bake
Pour one can of enchilada sauce over each pan, spreading it across the tortillas.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
Remove the foil and sprinkle each pan with ¾ cup of shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for approximately 10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
These baking times are for freshly assembled enchiladas with warm filling. Refrigerated or thawed enchiladas need additional time.
6. Add toppings and serve
Serve warm with sour cream, olives, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, or your favorite toppings.
How to Freeze Chicken Enchiladas
For a meal you can bake later, freeze the assembled enchiladas before their final oven bake. The chicken filling should already be fully cooked.
- Cool the filling promptly. Transfer the portion you plan to freeze into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. Do not leave it on the counter to cool completely.
- Assemble with chilled filling. Fill and roll the tortillas, then place them seam side down in a freezer-safe pan. A foil pan is convenient for freezer meals.
- Add the sauce. Spoon one can of enchilada sauce over each full pan of 10 enchiladas.
- Package the topping cheese separately. Place ¾ cup of shredded cheese per pan in a freezer bag so you can add it near the end of baking.
- Wrap tightly. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and then foil, or use a tight-fitting freezer-safe lid.
- Label and freeze. Write the recipe name, date, and baking directions on the pan. Aim to use it within 3 months for best quality.
Keep sour cream, lettuce, pico de gallo, and other fresh toppings separate until serving.
Bake one, freeze one: Use half the filling for tonight’s pan and promptly chill the other half for your freezer pan.
How to Bake After Freezing
Move the frozen pan to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw completely. A full casserole may need 24–48 hours, depending on its depth and your refrigerator.
Thaw in the refrigerator first.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove all plastic wrap and replace the foil.
Bake covered until the center reaches 165°F. Begin checking after about 30 minutes, and continue baking as needed. Once heated through, uncover, add the reserved cheese, and bake for about 10 more minutes, until melted.
The timing is a starting point rather than a tested thawed-pan bake time for this recipe. Use the center temperature to determine when it is ready.
Can you bake them straight from frozen?
Yes, but a frozen pan takes substantially longer than a thawed one. Use a metal or foil pan suitable for freezer-to-oven cooking, remove all plastic wrap, and bake covered at 350°F until the center reaches 165°F. Add the cheese near the end.
Do not put a frozen glass dish directly into a hot oven. Follow your baking dish manufacturer’s temperature-change instructions.
Tips for Making These Enchiladas
- Use pliable tortillas. If they tear as you roll them, warm them briefly according to the package directions.
- Drain the beans and chiles well. Extra liquid can make the filling harder to roll.
- Keep the filling inside the tortillas. If the chicken mixture has excess loose liquid, use a slotted spoon when filling.
- Spread sauce over the exposed edges. This helps keep the tortillas from drying out while baking.
- Divide the filling before rolling. Portion it into two equal amounts first so each pan gets the same amount.
- Keep toppings fresh. Add cold toppings after baking for the best contrast with the hot, cheesy enchiladas.
More Freezer Crock Pot Recipes
Freezer Chicken Enchiladas
Freezer Chicken Enchiladas
Equipment
- 4-6 quart crockpot
- 2 forks or a shredding tool
- (2) 9×13 casserole dishes
- stirring spoon or spatula
- Nonstick spray
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 pounds raw boneless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 large onion diced
- ¼ cup butter sliced into pats
For the Enchiladas
- 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese divided
- 3 10-ounce cans red enchilada sauce, divided
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 4.5-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
- 20 flour tortillas
- Optional toppings and sides: Sour cream, olives, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, or your favorite enchilada toppings.
Instructions
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas
- Cook the chicken.
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a 4–6-quart crockpot. Season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin.
- Sprinkle the diced onion over the chicken, then add the pats of butter.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for approximately 3 hours or LOW for approximately 6 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part. Cooking time can vary depending on the size of the chicken breasts and your slow cooker.
- Prepare the baking dishes.
- For enchiladas you plan to bake right away, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 9×13-inch casserole dishes with nonstick cooking spray.
- If you plan to freeze a pan, follow the freezing directions below before assembling that portion.
- Make the filling.
- Shred the chicken in the crockpot using two forks or a shredding tool, mixing it with the cooking juices.
- Add 1½ cups of shredded Mexican cheese, one can of red enchilada sauce, the drained black beans, and the drained green chiles. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
- Fill and roll the tortillas.
- Divide the filling evenly among the 20 flour tortillas, placing a line of filling down the center of each one.
- Roll each tortilla around the filling and place it seam side down in a prepared baking dish. Divide the enchiladas between the two pans, arranging them to fit.
- Add sauce and bake.
- Pour one can of enchilada sauce over each pan, spreading it across the tortillas.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
- Remove the foil and sprinkle each pan with ¾ cup of shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for approximately 10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- These baking times are for freshly assembled enchiladas with warm filling. Refrigerated or thawed enchiladas need additional time.
- Add toppings and serve.
- Serve warm with sour cream, olives, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, or your favorite toppings.
How to Freeze Chicken Enchiladas
- Cool the filling promptly. Transfer the portion you plan to freeze into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. Do not leave it on the counter to cool completely.
- Assemble with chilled filling. Fill and roll the tortillas, then place them seam side down in a freezer-safe pan. A foil pan is convenient for freezer meals.
- Add the sauce. Spoon one can of enchilada sauce over each full pan of 10 enchiladas.
- Package the topping cheese separately. Place ¾ cup of shredded cheese per pan in a freezer bag so you can add it near the end of baking.
- Wrap tightly. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and then foil, or use a tight-fitting freezer-safe lid.
- Label and freeze. Write the recipe name, date, and baking directions on the pan. Aim to use it within 3 months for best quality.
- Keep sour cream, lettuce, pico de gallo, and other fresh toppings separate until serving.
