Quinoa Enchilada Crockpot

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Quinoa Enchilada Crock-Pot has seasoned ground turkey, quinoa, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, salsa, beans, corn, enchilada sauce, and (of course!) lots of cheese. Finish it off with your favorite toppings like cilantro, lime, guacamole, or whatever you like on enchiladas.

Pair this healthy meal with a simple salad like this Italian Salad or this Mandarin Orange Salad.

Crockpot quinoa enchilada freshly made, served with a spoon and garnished with cilantro, tomatoes, avocado slices, and lime wedges.

Quinoa Enchilada Crock-Pot

This meal is one of our favorites! It’s so easy to assemble and the slow cooker does all the heavy lifting!  It’s such a great all-purpose meal — it can be eaten as is, layered in tortillas or lettuce wraps, cooked into actual enchiladas, or eaten as a dip with chips!

 

How to make Enchilada Quinoa in the Crock-Pot

The descriptions below correlate with the photo collage below the text.

  1. Sauté the onion and bell pepper in olive oil in a large skillet.
  2. Add in the ground turkey.
  3. Add in the spices and garlic: quickly sauté into the meat for extra flavor.
  4. Stir until everything is fragrant and then transfer to the slow cooker.
  5. Add everything else: uncooked quinoa, drained and rinsed black beans, frozen corn, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and salsa.
  6. Pour in enchilada sauce: I use mild enchilada sauce by Old El Paso® (not sponsored) and we don’t find it to be overly spicy.
  7. Pour in chicken broth or stock: Water and a chicken bouillon cube can also be used here.
  8. Stir everything together until ingredients are combined and in one even layer.
  9. Cook on high heat for 2 and 1/2 to 5 hours or until quinoa has “popped” and absorbed all the liquid.
  10. If you’re around, check occasionally and stir the quinoa so it doesn’t stick to the sides (I usually stir it once at about 2 to 2 and 1/2 hours).
  11. Add in the freshly grated cheese.
  12. Stir to melt the cheese and add your favorite enchilada toppings to individual servings.

Ingredients including onion, bell pepper, and turkey being added to the slow cooker, mixed, and undergoing the cooking process.

Quinoa Enchilada Crock-Pot tips

  • Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-grated cheese has a cellulose coating that keeps it from melting as nicely. While it can be used in this recipe, it will get a little greasy and won’t melt as smoothly.
  • Cook on high. Unfortunately, this recipe doesn’t cook well at low temperatures; the quinoa absorbs liquid too slowly and cooks unevenly. 
  • Use fire-roasted diced tomatoes for more flavor.
  • Don’t forget the toppings. They add so much flavor and texture to this dish. Use whatever you like on top of enchiladas; our favorite toppings for this dish are ripe sliced avocados, fresh cilantro, fresh lime, and fresh cherry tomatoes. Other options include sour cream, additional cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, thinly sliced radishes, and green onions.
  • Crock-Pot® is a trademarked brand of slow cooker that is often used generically. You can use any type of slow cooker you prefer.

Variations

  • Add heat: A tablespoon or two of diced jalapeños, hot sauce, and/or fire-roasted diced green chilies are all additions that add in some heat. A spicier salsa and/or enchilada sauce can also be used.
  • Reduce heat: By using mild salsa and mild enchilada sauce, I’d say this is a very mild dish. To further reduce heat, use only 1-2 teaspoons chili powder. (Use a non spicy chili powder like McCormick® (not sponsored)).
  • Make a homemade enchilada sauce: If you prefer, make your own!
  • Replace ground turkey with lean ground beef.
  • Make it vegetarian: Leave out the ground turkey; no other changes are needed.

Alternate cooking methods

  • Oven: Try this Quinoa Enchilada Bake; it’s very similar to this recipe but baked instead of slow cooked.
  • Stove top: Follow steps 1-4 using a large pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the quinoa has “popped.” Stir mixture every 5-7 minutes and reduce heat if the quinoa is sticking or increase if the liquid isn’t being absorbed.
  • Pressure cooker: I haven’t personally tested this recipe in the pressure cooker, but a reader commented that it worked well: “Made this yesterday in my electric pressure cooker: 9 minutes on high setting (added about 1/2 cup more water).” (Thanks Lisa!)

Finished enchilada quinoa dish in a crockpot, rich and flavorful, with a spoon nestled inside, ready for serving.

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Quinoa Enchilada Crockpot

4.96 from 42 votes
A simple Quinoa Enchilada Crock-Pot meal with seasoned ground turkey, quinoa, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, salsa, beans, corn, enchilada sauce, and lots of cheese. Top the enchilada quinoa with your favorite toppings like cilantro, lime, and guacamole.
Finished enchilada quinoa dish in a crockpot, rich and flavorful, with a spoon nestled inside, ready for serving.
Print Recipe

Quinoa Enchilada Crockpot

Finished enchilada quinoa dish in a crockpot, rich and flavorful, with a spoon nestled inside, ready for serving.
4.96 from 42 votes
A simple Quinoa Enchilada Crock-Pot meal with seasoned ground turkey, quinoa, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, salsa, beans, corn, enchilada sauce, and lots of cheese. Top the enchilada quinoa with your favorite toppings like cilantro, lime, and guacamole.
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword Quinoa Enchilada Crockpot
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings 6 -8 servings
Chelsea Lords
Calories 418kcal
Cost $8.46

Equipment

  • 6 quart slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup diced sweet bell pepper (I use red)
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 and 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1 can (14 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 cup chicken stock (or chicken broth, or water)
  • 1 can (19 ounces) red enchilada sauce (See Note 1)
  • 2 cups Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese (I use 1 cup extra sharp cheese and 1 cup Monterrey jack cheese)
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • Optional: 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, sour cream, cilantro, etc. (whatever toppings you typically would like on enchiladas)

Instructions

  • GROUND TURKEY: Line a slow cooker or generously spray with cooking spray. In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat and then add in the 1/2 cup diced onion and 1/2 cup diced red pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the ground turkey. Cook and crumble until browned through. (Drain any grease if needed). Add in the 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, and salt and pepper to taste (I add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Cook until fragrant, another 1-2 minutes.
  • CROCK-POT: Transfer the ground turkey mixture into the crock-Pot (I use a 6-quart crock-Pot). Add in the 1 and 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa (make sure to rinse first in a fine-mesh sieve), the 1 can drained and rinsed black beans, the 1 cup frozen corn, 1/2 cup salsa, 1 can (undrained) diced tomatoes, 1 cup chicken stock (broth or water), and the 19-ounce can of enchilada sauce.
  • COOK: Stir well. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 and 1/2 to 3 and 1/2 hours or until the liquid is all absorbed into the mixture. Once the liquid is absorbed, remove the lid and stir together everything again. Add in 1/3 cup diced cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice (if using), and the 2 cups cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
  • SERVE: Add your favorite enchilada toppings to individual plates: any additional cilantro or lime juice, sour cream, pico de gallo or diced cherry tomatoes, fresh avocado or guacamole.
  • MAKE QUINOA ENCHILADAS: To make these into more traditional enchiladas: Warm up the tortillas, spread some cheese on one side, a large spoonful of the mixture on top of the cheese, and more cheese on top of the mixture. Roll it up, cook until crisp in a skillet over medium-high heat, and top with more salsa or enchilada sauce. Add sour cream, green onions, and cilantro if desired.

Recipe Notes

Note 1:Enchilada sauce: For the enchilada sauce, either use one large can (19 ounces) or two smaller cans (10 ounces each). I use Old El Paso ®mild enchilada sauce, which we don't find overly spicy. Some enchilada sauces can be very hot, so make sure to check the sauce before adding to the slow cooker.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings | Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.2g | Protein: 27.4g | Fat: 19.3g | Cholesterol: 72.7mg | Sodium: 919.4mg | Fiber: 7.1g | Sugar: 5.8g

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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211 Comments

        1. Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention! 1 cup and the recipe is updated 🙂 Thanks Sarah!

      1. Loved this recipe. Tried it last night and even my kids enjoyed it. Didn’t dare tell them it was healthy for them :-). I love that this recipe made so much. I have left overs for a few days.

        1. This comment makes me so happy to hear! 🙂 Glad the kids enjoyed it and it was good for them! 🙂 And yes, the leftovers from this is my favorite! I always roll it up inside a tortilla and have some burritos the next few days or top a salad with it 🙂

          1. 5 stars
            Do you have any recommendations on how to reheat it? Like cooking instructions? That would be really helpful! I’m making this right now and there’s a lot haha

  1. This looks amazing Chelsea! Love quinoa and enchiladas – making this in the slow cooker is such an awesome idea too! Pinning 🙂

  2. What an awesome slow cooker dish! I’m thinking I would have to do the enchilada option because enchiladas are one of my favorite things ever. But I bet this would be good no matter how you eat it! 🙂 Pinning!

    1. Haha I love both ways 🙂 But yes enchilada style is SO good!! Thanks Beth and thanks for the pin!

  3. Mmmm this looks amazing! I love anything enchilada-like and in my crockpot? Double win! I’ve only recently started putting quinoa in my crockpot for meals and I am in love!

  4. I have never slow cooked quinoa, BUT this looks like a wonderful recipe to give that a try.
    I do love my slow cooker and I do love Mexican food. Sounds like I am more than half way there for motivation.

  5. now you’re adding gif’s on top of captioned photos?! seriously, I’m in love!!! saw this on foodgawker’s instagram page last night so congrats on that huge accomplishment!! definitely looks well deserved 🙂

  6. Ahh out of all of those slow cooker recipes that you mentioned, I’d have a hard time picking out a fav. I know I’d love all of them but if I had to pick a fav, this one would be it! I love anything that is similar to an enchilada. Great idea to make an enchilada recipe with quinoa!

  7. 5 stars
    Made this yesterday for dinner and it was delicious! I usually make quinoa in a rice cooker and was skeptical it would cook correctly in the slow cooker, but it turned out perfectly. Didn’t use any corn (not listed in recipe when I bookmarked it), but did add lots of chopped cilantro, cheese, and the juice of one lime to the dish after it cooked for three hours in the slow cooker. We ate in nacho style yesterday, yum. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe. This is definitely going in the rotation!

    1. Yay so glad to hear that you liked it Rachel!! And nacho style? Totally doing that next time 🙂

  8. Ok so I made it, it was great!! However, I was looking for the nutritional info so I could figure the WW points value? Could you help me with this??

    1. Here are the stats for this dish Brenda:

      Nutrition Facts
      Serving Size 1 Recipe total Servings 8
      Calories 410
      Total Fat 8.58 g
      Saturated Fat 2.86g
      Monosaturated Fat 2.78g
      Polysaturated Fat 2.95g
      Total Carbohydrate 55 g
      Fiber 11 g
      Sugar 3.5 g
      Protein 27.8 g
      Cholesterol 48.61 mg
      Calcium 152 mg
      Iron 4.91 mg
      Potassium 1127 mg
      Sodium 535 mg
      Zinc 4.5 mg
      Thiamin 0.59 mg
      Riboflavin 0.35 mg
      Niacin 4.89 mg
      Vitamin B6 0.62 mg
      Vitamin C 11.6 mg
      Vitamin B12 0.77 Ug
      Vitamin A 806 IU
      Vitamin E 1.53 mg
      Vitamin K 4 Ug
      Points 8
      Points Plus 10
      *The nutritional values are determined by the total ingredients divided by the number of servings for each recipe. Serving sizes may vary. The formula used here for points was obtained from public sources and is an empirical match to Weight Watchers calculators, but it is not an “official” Weight Watcher’s calculator.

  9. 5 stars
    WOW! That looks incredible. I’m trying to “get into” quinoa… this should do the trick! Thanks for the recipe!

  10. This looks so fantastic. Do you think I could sub in rice for quinoa in case I didn’t have it on hand?

  11. As a heads up, in the text of the post you say to cook it on high, but in the listed directions you say to cook it on low. Just thought I’d let you know! It’s a delicious recipe!

  12. 5 stars
    Chelsea,

    I made this recipe last week because I was thrilled to find a slow cooker recipe that had relatively healthy ingredients. It’s fantastic. It’s so filling and tasty, and I think it would still be good if you only put in less than the 2 cups of cheese if you’re watching your fat or dairy. I’m lazy and didn’t even bother slicing chives and cilantro and it’s still delicious. I was a little confused about the cook temp. I did the 3.5 hours on low, but my onions and peppers were still a bit crunchy, so I left it in longer. Fabulous recipe, I’m adding it to my favorite go-to recipe collection. Thanks for sharing!

    Kate

    1. Hey Kate!! Thanks so, so much for taking the time to comment and for your review! I so appreciate it 🙂 I updated the cooking info, so sorry for any confusion! And I definitely agree – we’ve had it with less cheese and still love it! But I’m all about lots of cheese 🙂

  13. This looks so delish! I’ve been on a freezer meal kick…Do you think I could just put all the goods in a ziploc and freeze until the night before (flinging in frig to thaw)…and then fling in the crock pot in the morning??? Thanks for the yummy recipes!

    1. You are so welcome Heidi! I haven’t frozen it so I can’t say for sure, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!! You would want to cook the meat first if you are adding it in! Hope that helps.

  14. Made this recipe last night and it was soooooo good. Even my picky husband had seconds! It was my first time cooking (and eating) quinoa. I ate the leftovers for breakfast I loved it so much. 🙂 Thanks for an awesome recipe!

    1. YAY! I love to hear that! Thanks so much for your comment Lilac – I’m so glad you enjoyed this. And now I definitely need to try eating it for breakfast 🙂

  15. This looks great! Does anyone know if it would work to cook rice in the slow cooker instead of quinoa? Please let me know if you’ve tried this and/or have any recommendations how to do so!

  16. 5 stars
    This was amazing!!!! Thank you for the recipe ~ this was my first attempt at cooking with (and eating) quinoa! My family loved it (2 boys ages 8 & 5). I followed your recipe exactly but added a sprinkle of taco seasoning to ground chicken and added 1 can of chili beans with sauce. I ate it over copped romaine lettuce and my family ate it like chili. I can’t wait to try your other meals!

    1. Hi Shannon!! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and for your review!! I am so happy you all enjoyed it and had a good first experience with quinoa!! I love your additions and love the idea of having it over lettuce! Thanks again 🙂

  17. This looks great! I’ve never cooked quinoa in the slow cooker. I’m wondering how long you would cook it on low? Will that give the same results as 3-3 1/2 hrs on high.

    1. I haven’t always had great success cooking quinoa in a slow cooker on low. That’s why I didn’t give directions for it on low. I would recommend sticking with just cooking it on high!

    2. I was wondering the same thing about the time.
      I am making it like you listed 3 hours on high but on low would work better for my schedule but wasn’t sure since I have never made it before

      1. I haven’t had a whole lot of success with cooking quinoa in the crockpot on low; it always ends up pretty mushy..

  18. 5 stars
    This is by far the best quinoa recipe I’ve tried! It’s kind of tough for me to do a 3 hour crockpot meal but I just plan on a day that it works for me. So yummy! Thanks!

  19. 4 stars
    My fitness pal puts this recipe at over 650 calories. I was blown away. I am glad to see that it is not according to your recipe. Anyway, could include the nutrition chart with the recipe so we don’t have to look in comments for it? I do love the recipe but I would have to change it if it was over 650 calories.
    Thanks for the wonderful presentation.

    1. I’m not sure why My Fitness Pal is putting this recipe at such a high caloric count. Here’s the calorie count that was generated when I inserted all of the ingredients for this recipe:

      Serving Size 1 Recipe total Servings 8
      Calories 410
      Total Fat 8.58 g

  20. 5 stars
    I made this tonight, and it has amazing flavor! I went ahead and pre-portioned it out into roughly 1 cup servings. I’m freezing three servings, so I’ll be able to share how well it freezes. Easy recipe to make and would be great as tacos or as I’m planning to eat it, with shredded lettuce. Mine wasn’t runny enough to eat chili style as someone else mentioned.

    1. 5 stars
      Hi! Can you share how it was freezing some of this finished product? I’m a household of just me and would love to save some for a night I’m not able to cook (and so I’m not eating this for a week for breakfast ,lunch and dinner : )). Thank you!

  21. I had no idea what quinoa was until I saw this recipe, Cooking as we speak. smells awesome!! Do you have other healthy recipes that are kid friendly?

    1. So glad to introduce you to one of my very favorite foods! Hope you all love it! Most of the meals I make are geared towards healthy eating and family friendly (all taste tested by my little boy!) feel free to browse my recipe index for some more recipes. My little guys favorite is probably the one skillet cheesy taco quinoa!

  22. Hi, This looks amazing. Say we *gasp* dont have a slow cooker right now. Could a dutch oven work on say medium high for the same amount of time? maybe just adding liquid if necessary? thanks for the recipe and my new pinned blog!

  23. 5 stars
    This dish is amazing!!! We just finished dinner and the entire family loved it!! We cannot wait for leftovers tomorrow! Thanks for sharing.

  24. 5 stars
    I made this tonight and it was really good! I didn’t have enough Enchilada sauce so I used canned tomato sauce. Delish!

  25. How do you think the recipe would turn out WITHOUT the enchilada sauce? That is the only ingredient I don’t have and to be honest I forgot to pick it up. And on this snowy day….I won’t be going to the store anytime soon. Any replacement ideas?

  26. 5 stars
    I just made this tonight, using my slow cooker for the first time, and it turned out perfect!! I substituted the turkey for “veggie ground round” and used fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones and it was so delicious! It had a ton of flavour but wasn’t spicy. I will definitely make it again 🙂

  27. I figure that I can make this in a skillet instead due to my commute and I don’t want it sitting to long in the crock pot. Mushy quinoa is not yummy at all. 🙂 I typically make my quinoa in a rice steamer and it’s always perfect. So would you make your quinoa separately and then combine it at the end or would you have the quinoa cook in all the juices in the skillet? Thanks! 🙂

  28. Sounds like a great crockpot meal!!! Depending on my mood sometimes Im not a fan of cooking meat only to transfer it to the CP. If I were to make this meal on the stove what cooking time and temperature would you recommend? Thank you 🙂

    1. I haven’t tried this particular dish on the stovetop, so I don’t want to give you incorrect recommendations without further recipe testing. I would assume it would be at a low-medium stovetop temperature (following package directions to cooking quinoa), but not certain everything will work out perfectly on the stovetop. Sorry to not be of any more help!

    1. You can plug in the ingredients to an online calorie calculator to find the nutritional information. I know My fitness pal is a popular one!

  29. 4 stars
    I’m trying this tonight but with chicken, and I’m also trying to decide if I should use red or green enchilada sauce

    1. Hope you love it! I’ve never tried green in it so you’ll have to let me know if you do try that and like it 🙂 we love it made with red!!

  30. Hi. I have this in the crock pot right now. I did omit the quinoa. I hope it turns out ok, maybe too watery? I didnt think of that until now. I should have not put in the whole cup of water! Ugh. Well we will see. Thanks for the recipe!

    1. Yeah the water is pretty much just for the quinoa – the quinoa absorbs all that water as it cooks. Hopefully it was okay without that added in! Thanks for the comment!

  31. This looks so good. I don’t think I have ever used quinoa but I will be making this soon. I shared this recipe in a Roundup on my blog! Annie @ Plus Size to Downsized

  32. Wow, thank you Chelsea for creating such an easy yet amazing meal!! I love quinoa and love to eat clean but also like to try new things, ground turkey stir fry gets boring. We recently got a crock pot as a wedding gift and this was my first time using it…needless to say you’ve created a fantastic recipe & I have so much goodness left over :)!! My husband loved it too, and he HATES quinoa!! Thank you again. Can’t wait to try more of your dishes

    1. Oh yay!! That is so great to hear you enjoyed this meal so much!! Thank you for your sweet comment 🙂 And my husband used to hate it too — isn’t that the best when you convert them? 😉 Thanks so much!

    1. The cheese does add a lot of flavor, but it will be okay without it. If you don’t use the cheese you’ll probably want to add in the other topping choices though so you aren’t missing on too much flavor 🙂 Sour cream is one of my favorite additions!!

      1. Ok…i’ll try to remember to update what i think. We’ll be eating it tonight! Having dairy issues and we like enchilada type dishes without cheese so hopefully it’ll still be good!

  33. 5 stars
    I love literally everything about this recipe. I made it for my lunches this week and it was so easy. The quinoa cooked perfectly (high for 3.5 hours) and the veggies are tender and the the sauce is so tasty.

    A note to other Trader Joe’s shoppers, I bought their enchilada sauce ( the only kind they have) and its surprisingly hot (but not labeled as such). I LOVE spicey but I could see that being a disappointment for someone else out there 🙂

    Thanks for the great recipe – I’m looking forward to eating this all week.

  34. Hi – Could you tell what type/brand of enchilada sauce you used? As with any recipe that says “add enchilada sauce” or “add BBQ sauce” or “Add curry powder” or “add salsa” — I always think to myself “WHAT KIND DID THIS PERSON USE?!” Each of these items can be purchased with a myriad of different flavor profiles and it can make a HUGE difference to a recipe – something bad can turn good or something good can turn horrible. It is like saying
    “add mustard” without specifying yellow mustard, dijon mustard, etc. Ok, sorry for the mini rant (I actually didn’t know I felt that strongly about it! lol) I hope you will still answer my question because while I usually pass recipes that don’t even give a hint as to the type of sauce that was originally used to create the recipe, this recipe is so enticing, I’m actually taking the time to ask. 🙂

    1. I generally use El Paso or the Great Value brand at Wal-Mart. I’ve used both of those in this recipe. The heat is really up to you. I usually do mild or medium 🙂

  35. Hi, looks delish, I’m on a freeze ahead kicK. Could I make this ahead of time and freeze for cooking later?? Thanks!!

    1. I haven’t tried freezing this meal. I’m not sure how the quinoa would hold up though. Sorry to not be of more help! Hopefully another reader that has tried can comment here and help out!

  36. Have no fear for those that are stressing out about using a good home made enchilada sauce, I have one for you! I love that you can make it yourself rather than relying on buying it from a can or jar with ingredients in it that you can’t even pronounce.

    As Chelsea said, there is a blogger named Ali from “Gimme Some Oven” and I have made and used her red enchilada recipe in her BBQ chicken enchilada recipe and it is the BOMB! Problem was, I had so much red enchilada sauce left over when I made it, now that I have a new recipe to try out, I wish I could have froze and saved it for later use. Anyhoo, here’s the link:

    http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/red-enchilada-sauce/

    I’m going to try Chelsea’s recipe this weekend so I can be there the entire time it’s cooking. I LOVE quinoa! Wish me luck!

  37. 5 stars
    This was wonderful. I threw this together tonight in about 15 minutes which included cooking the ground turkey and it was done when I got home from yoga. Fabulous !!! Thank you for the recipe!

  38. hey, is it possible to prep this and freeze it then throw it in the crock pot later? just wondering, i’m looking for recipes for right after baby is born. i like to prep ahead if possible.

    1. I wish I had a for sure answer for you, but I’ve never tried it before. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, but hopefully someone else can chime in that has tried to. And congratulations!

  39. I made this yesterday in my electric pressure cooker, 9 minutes on high setting (added about 1/2 cup more water). Fantastic! Kids and hubby requested I make it again soon!

    1. Oh wow that is what I call a quick dinner!! SO happy to hear this works out so well in a pressure cooker! 🙂 thank you so much for your comment and review! 🙂

    2. This is exactly what I was reading through all the comments to find! (If it works in the pressure cooker) Thanks!

      Chelsea, we LOVE this recipe. It’s made very often in our house.

  40. 5 stars
    Look AMAZING! I will be making this. I saw a post already about the WW info. Now, Its like 410 calories for one serving. How much would you classify as a serving to get that caloric amount? 1 cup is what I would assume. Would you mind helping me out on that? I can’t tell you how excited I am about this! YUM!

  41. Made this tonight, family absolutely loved it!!! I am wondering if anyone else is doing the 21 day fix and has calculated how many of each containers this would be for serving? TIA!!

    1. So glad to hear that you all enjoyed this meal! 🙂 I have not, but hopefully someone else can comment! 🙂

  42. just wondering if I was to use uncooked black beans from a bag instead of canned beans should I be precooking them at all? Might be a silly question, I’ve just never made a crockpot recipe before but am so excited to try yours!

  43. 5 stars
    Great recipe! I recently made this for a potluck, and it was a hit. I have several friends undergoing chemotherapy right now. I think this would make a good freezer bag “dump” meal to give to them. Would you recommend cooking it then freezing it, or assembling it and freezing it? Thanks.

    1. Thank you so much Jackie! So glad this recipe was enjoyed 🙂 I think it would be best to assemble and then freeze instead of the latter 🙂 You sound like a great friend!!

  44. 5 stars
    HI Chelsea! I have shared this with everyone I know–it is so popular!! I think I am going to make it for my book club too. Do you have suggestions on how to increase the serving size? If I did two pounds of turkey would I need more enchilada sauce?

    1. That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you so much Elizabeth!! If you want to double the ground turkey, I would probably increase everything (double all the ingredients). If you have a 6 quart crockpot I think you could double the recipe just fine. Smaller than that and you may not have room. I can’t say this for sure since I’ve never doubled the recipe, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work 🙂 Thanks for your sweet compliment!

  45. 5 stars
    Guuuuuurl, I grew up on and have a sweet spot of casserole type things. Unlike the good, but nearly flavorless casseroles I grew up on, this is phenomenal! Please overlook the fact that I accidentally used “hot” enchilada sauce and had to go buy sour cream and always had my nose running when I ate it, and know that I’m headed to the store to get ingredients for another batch right now!

    1. HAHA!! I love this comment, so thrilled that you enjoyed this! Haha hot enchilada sauce and all 😉 Thank you Melissa!

  46. Question- since we are using cooked meat, wondering if you could use shredded rotisserie chicken, or would that toughen the meat? Loved this recipe- just thinking of ways to switch it up!!!

    1. Thank you Erica!! I would just leave out the ground turkey and just add the rotisserie chicken at the end so it doesn’t dry it out. 🙂 If there is too much liquid you could drain it off! Hope that helps!

  47. 5 stars
    LOVE this recipe! Can I just put the frozen ground turkey in the crock pot with everything? with it still turn out?

  48. Chelsea–

    In the photo of this dish, it points to “Enchilada seasoning”, but it’s not in the recipe to get any premade packets of this sort. Is this just the cumin, chili power, etc in one place? Or is this a different set of seasonings?

    -Shaka

    1. Hey Shaka! Thanks for the question. It’s not the premade packets, just the seasonings listed in the recipe 🙂

  49. Hi I am wondering if I can cook this on LOW instead? Or will that mess up the recipe entirely? If I did cook on low, for how many hours? I was wanting to put this in on my lunch break from work but, in 3-3 1/2 hours I will still be at work

    1. I’ve never had success with cooking quinoa in the crockpot on low; it turns to a mushy mess :/

  50. With my work schedule, I’m not home to start the crockpot to cook for 3 hours. How do you think i could adjust this to cook in the oven?

    1. I haven’t tried this in the oven so I’m really not certain how it would work, but I do think you could combine all of the ingredients in a big casserole dish and bake for probably 45 mins to an hour. Wish I could be of more help!

  51. Hi. I’m so excited to try this recipe! Do I need to make any adjustments if I increase the bell pepper amount from 1/2 cup to 2 cups?

    1. I’ve never tried it, but I believe some other readers have with success. Wish I could be of more help!

  52. I’m looking for make ahead freezer meals. Is this something I can combine in a freezer safe bag and dump it when I’m ready to use it, or freeze everything but meat and brown that prior to putting in the slow cooker? Either way, it looks great. Can’t wait to try it!

    1. I’m sorry I’ve never tried this as a freezer meal. If you did I would brown the meat prior to freezing it with everything 🙂

  53. 5 stars
    This recipe is amazing!! When cooking the ground turkey I added taco seasoning for a little extra touch! It does make A LOT! I’m new to quinoa, Can you freeze the left overs??

    1. So glad to hear that!! Thanks Stephanie 🙂 I haven’t tried freezing the leftovers for this dish, but others have reported success with freezing!

  54. 5 stars
    Even though this was posted years ago I had to come make a comment. I’m a graduate student with little time/inclination to cook every night. Recently I’ve been looking for healthy recipes that I can make on the weekend and eat the entire week. I made this recipe last night (first time I’ve ever cooked quinoa) and I loved it. I just got done eating some leftovers tonight and I’m hooked. If I were the type of person who invited people over and cooked for them, this is what I would make. Amazing!

  55. 5 stars
    I tried this in the instant pot and it turned out awesome! I sautéed the onions and peppers with the meat. Then I set it to multigrain for 12 minutes and let naturally release. Thanks for the recipe!!

  56. 5 stars
    This recipe is the best darn recipe. I made this on a Thursday night, meal-prep style. It made 8 meals. I went to a wedding out of state that weekend, came back, then had lunch and dinner ready for the next 4 to 5 days. I never got tired of it. It tasted like I was on a cheat day! SO GOOD! Thank you for this recipe!

    1. This seriously made my day! I’m sooo glad you enjoyed it! Isn’t it the best when you find a recipe that is healthy and tastes better than anything unhealthy?! Haha! Thanks Emery!

      1. It truly is! …I’m not actually ashamed to admit this, but…I’ve made this recipe THREE TIMES this month! lol. I gotta slow down.

  57. 5 stars
    It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.

    1. Can you tell me what sized slow cooker you used? Mine is a 4 quart. I’m pretty bad at halfing measurements sometimes so I am hoping I don’t have to. 😐

    1. I’m sorry I haven’t ever tried that so I’m not sure. Hopefully someone else can chime in here!

  58. 5 stars
    My husband and I have had this recipe on our rotation for a while now and it’s awesome! It seems this post has been redone (it looks so nice! way to go!) but did you change some things with the recipe? Are more things cooked on the stove beforehand? Was it fire roasted tomatoes? Any chance you can share what changed? We’ve made it and I feel like it isn’t quite what we had before! Thank you

  59. 5 stars
    I made this over the weekend. It was delicious and so easy! My husband loved it. Perfect for the fall. Thank so much! Can’t wait to try out more recipes from your website.

  60. 5 stars
    Made this for our dinner tonight. It’s a hearty and healthy meal perfect for a cool, fall Saturday evening after working outside. I made it exactly like the recipe except I used only 1/2 the amount of chili powder and cumin since I don’t like spicy. I also omitted the cilantro as I’m one of those that think it tastes like soap. We currently have 4 adults living at our house and everyone gave it the pretty high compliment of “I’d eat that again”!

  61. 5 stars
    I never rate things but this is one of my all time favorite recipes! It comes out perfect every time! I love the adjustments you made to it with cooking peppers, onions, and turkey with spices first. I love mixing the cheese in and my husband and I always say the flavor gets better with each bite. Thank you for this great recipe!

    1. I haven’t personally tried it, but one reader said, “I sautéed the onions and peppers with the meat. Then I set it to multigrain for 12 minutes and let naturally release.”

  62. 5 stars
    Made this tonight for dinner. It was VERY tasty! Will definitely make it again soon. I will probably use a bit less cheese next time, but otherwise would recommend the recipe as written. Thanks for sharing!

    1. I don’t have a weight in grams for final serving sizes. If you want to get exact grams, I’d recommend weighing the entirety of the recipe and dividing it into equal portions (nutrition facts are for each portion out of 8 portions). Hope that helps!

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