Slow Cooker Beef Enchilada Casserole

By Sarah On February 17, 2015 | Updated: March 12, 2026

This slow cooker beef enchilada casserole cooks up nearly entirely in the slow cooker and features multiple layers of saucy tortillas, flavorful beef and beans, and gooey cheese.

You won’t believe the level of comfort food that’s gracing our slow cooker today! Enchilada casserole just got a serious makeover in the direction of EASY.

With layers upon layers of a beefy black bean filling, lots of cheese, zingy enchilada sauce, and naturally, a heavy hand of toppings as nature intended.

For those days when you just want to set dinner in the slow cooker and move on with your day, this enchilada casserole is going to be your best friend! Once you set it you won’t need to worry about dinner until it’s time to gather your toppings and go crazy.

And go crazy you must because hello, comfort food.

This Enchilada Casserole Features…

A black bean green chile beef filling
Flavorful enchilada sauce
Three layers of tortillas
Gooey Monterey jack cheese
Your choice of lots of toppings

Making the Enchilada Casserole

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

Ground beef
Yellow onion
Garlic
Spices
Green chiles
Black beans
Enchilada sauce
Flour tortillas
Monterey jack cheese

Choosing Your Tortillas

I recommend going with 10-inch flour tortillas for this casserole. I found that flour tortillas held up under multiple layers a bit better than corn which tended to break and become a bit soggy.

Prepare the tortillas for cooking by tearing tortillas in half so they fit in an even layer in slow cooker. You will need 2 torn tortillas per layer in the casserole.

Tips for Perfect Enchilada Casserole

Brown ground beef – do this part on the stovetop to properly cook the ground beef.
Blot excess grease – take a paper towel and blot away any extra grease in the ground beef to prevent the casserole from being excessively greasy.
Build casserole in 3 layers – start with a layer of enchilada sauce followed by the tortillas, beef-bean filling, more enchilada sauce, and cheese. Repeat the layers 2 more times for a total of 3 layers.
Cook casserole on high or low – the casserole should take 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low. The casserole is done when the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbly.
Allow casserole to cool 10 minutes before serving – this helps the casserole set up a bit which will make for cleaner slices.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this casserole.

Make it spicy – this casserole is on the mild side but you can easily dial the heat up or down. Skip the green chiles and use a mild enchilada sauce for non-spicy. Alternatively, use a spicier chili pepper or a spicy enchilada sauce for a higher heat level.
Use another cheese – try pepperjack, colby jack, or a mix of Monterey and cheddar.
Try another meat – use ground chicken, turkey, or 2 cups shredded cooked chicken in place of the ground beef.
Use a different bean – try pintos or navy beans in place of the black beans.

Choosing Your Toppings

You can use my suggested toppings in the recipe card below or feel free to try any of these additions as well.

Fresh aromatics – fresh cilantro, lime wedges, or green onions
Veggies – tomatoes or avocados.
A sauce – sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, or guacamole
Crispy topping – crushed chips or fritos on top.

This right here is why we slow cook dinners, folks! Every layer of this enchilada casserole is perfectly saucy, loaded down with flavorful beef and beans, and seriously soooo much cheese.

Hopefully it goes without saying at this point but please make sure you bring your A-game in the toppings department here!

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More slow cooker favorites to make next!

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