Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks, until no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease.
If using the onion, stir it into the hot beef and cook for 2–3 minutes, just until it softens slightly. (If you prefer, you can skip this step and add the onion raw to the slow cooker for a bit more texture.)
Spray the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray or lightly grease it with a bit of oil. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of enchilada sauce over the bottom and spread it around to keep the tortillas from sticking.
Enchilada sauce spread in the bottom of a slow cooker
Place a layer of corn tortillas over the sauce, tearing them as needed to cover the bottom in a mostly even layer, like you would for lasagna.