Slow cooker enchilada meatballs are delicious, easy, and fun. Made with frozen meatballs, this recipe is full of incredible flavor and tons of flexible serving options.
Using your crock pot to make slow cooker meatballs is always a treat. But, when you spice things up by adding enchilada sauce, green chiles, and taco seasoning - magic happens. This is one of those easy recipes you will want to make on repeat!
📝Shopping list
To make these cheesy enchilada crockpot meatballs you will need:
- Frozen meatballs - I use turkey
- Green enchilada sauce - you can substitute with red enchilada sauce if that is your preference
- Chili peppers
- Taco seasoning - You can use envelope taco seasoning or make your own (instructions below)
- Sour cream
- Mexican cheese blend
- Cilantro - fresh chopped
- Green onions - optional garnish
These cheesy enchilada meatballs are beyond easy to make. And, assuming you are fans of Mexican food, will be a dinner to please the whole family.
This recipe makes for an easy main dish on busy nights. But, it can also be a really fun appetizer for any celebration. From weeknight meals to party food, these meatballs are more versatile than a little black dress!
🥣Assembly
As with most slow cooker meatball recipes, start by spraying your slow cooker with a non-stick cooking spray. Next, add meatballs into your slow cooker and pour enchilada sauce over top. Add in chiles and taco seasoning and stir
Place lid on top of the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
If you prefer to keep your meatballs dairy-free, you can stop here. However, to ramp up the deliciousness, about 15 minutes prior to serving, add sour cream to your slow cooker. Gently stir to combine. Top with Monterey Jack cheese and re-cover allowing the cheese to fully melt on top.
🍽Serving suggestions
There are so many delicious ways to serve this dish that it is hard to know where to start! I always begin by sprinkling some chopped cilantro and/or sliced green onion on top. To spice things up further, you can also top with a bit of chopped chipotle peppers.
Serving this dish over brown rice, white rice or cheesy rice are easy and delicious options. However, it is also amazing over riced or mashed cauliflower. To make a complete meal, try serving some black beans and sweet corn spoonbread alongside your meatballs.
To add a little crunch, transfer your cheesy Mexican meatballs into a taco bowl or shell. Or you can place the meatballs into a serving dish and allow your diners to make their own meatball fajitas. AND - don't forget the tortilla chips!
Make an incredible Tex-Mex meatball sub using these meatballs! This is a great meal planning option for times when you need a meal-to-go.
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Storing leftovers
Store leftovers of this amazing enchilada meatball bake for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or for 3-4 months in the freezer. Be sure to store in an airtight container or bag.
Storing leftovers in meal-sized portions makes for easy reheat-and-eat future meals.
😉Hints & hacks
- This dish can be made with either a store-bought or homemade taco seasoning mix. If you prefer to make it yourself, please see below for an easy and delicious recipe.
- Turkey meatballs are my personal preference, but this dish can be made with slow cooked ground beef meatballs or chicken meatballs. Frozen is easiest, but you can also use homemade meatballs. If you make your own, your turkey meatballs can be added in raw. The dish should take about 4 hours on low or 6-8 on high to cool.
- This is a great recipe to double for a potluck or other larger gathering (but these are no ordinary potluck meatballs!)
- Greek yogurt can be used as a substitute for sour cream if you like.
- If you would like to confirm that your meatballs are ready, use a meat thermometer. Re-heated meatballs are considered ready-to-serve with they reach an internal temperature of 165ºF
- For easier clean-up, slow cooker liners are a big help.
- In the market for a new crock pot? I love mine! The built-in thermometer is especially helpful with this recipe.
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📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Turkey Enchilada Meatballs
Equipment
- mixing spoons
Ingredients
- 24 oz frozen turkey meatballs Not Italian blend.
- 2 10 oz cans green enchilada sauce
- 2 7 oz cans diced chili peppers I use mild
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning for homemade, see below
- 2 cups sour cream optional
- Mexican blend shredded cheese
- fresh cilantro chopped
- green onions optional garnish
Instructions
- spray slow cooker with non-stick spray (or use a slow cooker liner)
- place meatballs in slow cooker24 oz frozen turkey meatballs
- add enchilada sauce, chili peppers and taco seasoning to slow cooker2 10 oz cans green enchilada sauce, 2 7 oz cans diced chili peppers, 2 tablespoon taco seasoning
- stir to combine
- cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours
- If you want a creamy dish (my personal preference) add sour cream to slow cooker 15-30 minutes prior to serving and stir to combine.2 cups sour cream
- top with shredded cheese, sliced green onion and chopped cilantro when servingMexican blend shredded cheese, fresh cilantro
Notes
- 4 tablespoon chili powder
- 1.5 tablespoon cumin
- 1.5 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
Nutrition
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Ellen M Goldstein says
Terrific!
Taylor says
If using homemade turkey meatballs, how long would you cook for in crockpot if meatballs aren’t frozen? I can’t find plain frozen Turkey meatballs near me.
The Lazy Slow Cooker says
Hi Taylor! Homemade meatballs will take about 4 hours on high or 6-8 on low. If you want to confirm, you can use a meat thermometer. Once the meatballs reach and internal temp of 165°F, they are ready to serve. Thank you for asking this question! I am going to add this information into the post. I hope you love the dish!! 😋
Lisa says
I never buy frozen meatballs, I make my own, do they need the frozen water content to work out or can I use my own Chicken meatball recipe?
The Lazy Slow Cooker says
You can definitely use your own (much more delicious, but not as lazy!). When I make chicken meatballs from scratch, I cook them directly in the sauce like in this recipe: https://thelazyslowcooker.com/lazy-slow-cooker-chicken-teriyaki-meatballs/