• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Email Series!

5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Free Email Series!

    5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

    Free email series of my best tips!

  • Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes

Rachel Cooks®

Easy Healthy-ish Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • Popular
    • Instant Pot Pinto Beans
    • Green Beans with Bacon
    • Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
    • Beef Stew Seasoning
    • Chili Seasoning Recipe
    • Thousand Island Dressing
    • Poppy Seed Dressing
    • Copycat Panera Squash Soup
    • Chocolate Chip Blondies
    • Instant Pot Pork Loin Roast
    • Frosé
    • Best Chocolate Cake
    • Dill Vegetable Dip
    • Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
    • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Learn to Cook
    • All The Basics
    • Crostini
    • Delicata Squash
    • Butternut Squash
    • Kabocha Squash
    • Spaghetti Squash
    • Guacamole
    • Croutons
    • Snap Peas
    • Baked Potatoes
    • Baked Bacon
    • Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
    • Simple Syrup
    • Pickled Red Onions Recipe
    • Toasted Pine Nuts
    • Roasted bone-in Chicken Breasts
    • Poached Chicken
    • Roasted Whole Chicken
    • Easy Cheese Sauce

Dinner Made Easy:

Slow Cooker

5 Ingredients

Grilling

Make Ahead

Sheet Pan

Tacos

Pizza

Home Recipes by Type Main Dish Chicken
OP One Pan GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free FF Freezer Friendly 5I 5 ingredients or less SC Slow Cooker

Crockpot Chicken Tacos – 3 ingredients!

4.67
/5
8 hrs 5 mins
21 Comments
Jump to Recipe Video
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 04/30/2014Updated: 06/15/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Shredded chicken on a tortilla with cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Text overlay reads "the best crockpot chicken tacos"
Shredded chicken on a tortilla with cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Text overlay reads "the best crockpot chicken tacos"
Shredded chicken on a tortilla with cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Text overlay reads "the best crockpot chicken tacos"
Shredded chicken on a tortilla with cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Text overlay reads "the best crockpot chicken tacos"

Crockpot chicken tacos only take 3 ingredients to make. Easy, versatile and delicious. It’s a great weeknight meal, and perfect for entertaining, too!

Three soft chicken tacos in front of a crockpot.

EASY. If you’ve spent any time at all on my blog, you know that easy is my favorite word.

Oh wait, no it’s not.

POPCORN is my favorite word.

But easy is important too. We all need more hours in the day to do everything we need to do, so easy home cooked meals are a priority. 

And slow cooker meals are also a lifesaver. Add the three ingredients to your slow cooker in the morning before work, before school, before heading to the zoo, whatever. Then when 4pm rolls around and you’re completely exhausted, dinner is already ready.

But I don’t have to tell you the charms of a slow cooker — everyone knows they are awesome.

Shredded chicken in tongs in front of a crockpot.

Other things I love? Food that can be frozen and food that is versatile. This recipe covers alllll those things:

  • EASY
  • Slow Cooker
  • Freezable
  • Versatile

Oh yeah, and it tastes great too. Clearly that’s of major importance. This recipe uses my homemade taco seasoning which I’m beyond obsessed with (no additives or preservatives, or tons of added salt). I even use the taco seasoning for homemade flour tortillas.

Overhead view of crockpot taco chicken, some in slow cooker and some composed in tacos.

Ingredients needed:

You guys, this could not possibly be more simple. Here’s what you need:

Chicken: I use chicken breasts. You can use frozen or thawed. Chicken thighs would also work, or a combination of the two.

Salsa: Hot, mild, medium, this part is up to you! Pick your favorite.

Taco Seasoning: We love to use my homemade but you could also use store-bought seasoning. 

Ingredients needed to make taco chicken.

About this Crockpot Mexican Chicken

So, how do you make this easy Mexican chicken? Simply put uncooked chicken breasts (thighs are fine, too) in your crockpot.

Raw chicken breasts in a black slow cooker.

Add a jar of your favorite salsa, mild, medium, or hot, doesn’t matter. Mix in a few tablespoons of taco seasoning, cover, and cook. You can totally ignore it for 7 to 8 hours. 

Chicken, salsa, and taco seasoning in a slow cooker.

Then remove the chicken from the slow cooker, shred it with a couple of forks, and put it back in.

Chicken being shredded with two forks.

I like to cook the shredded chicken in the sauce for another hour so it gets really saturated with flavor. If the sauce seems too juicy, drain some of the excess moisture off before serving, or use a slotted spoon to scoop it out.

Taco chicken in a slow cooker, surrounded with toppings.

As I mentioned, one of the great aspects of this slow cooker shredded chicken is its versatility. Make regular tacos for your family or put it on a baked sweet potato with other taco toppings. It will be the best sweet potato you’ve ever eaten (and perfect for a Whole30 compliant dinner).

I also like to make enchiladas, nachos, or tostadas with this easy shredded chicken and it works great in quinoa bowls. Or mix it with Mexican rice and pinto beans for a hearty dinner. 

Close up of a chicken taco.

This slow cooker shredded chicken is also a make ahead/meal prep recipe. Make a large batch and then freeze it in dinner-sized portions. Perfect for nights when you don’t have a clear plan in mind for dinner. Simply take a bag of this shredded chicken out of the freezer and use it for tacos, enchiladas, nachos, or loaded sweet potatoes, or whatever your fridge, pantry or stomach dictates. Delicious!

Chicken tacos on corn and flour tortillas.

More ways to fill tacos:

Looking for more delicious ways to make taco fillings? I have you covered! Try:

 

  • Healthy Taco Meat (in 30 minutes, a ground beef and turkey combination with lots of healthy vegetables)
  • Slow Cooker Pork Tacos
  • Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
  • Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
  • Slow Cooker “Refried” Beans
  • Southwestern style Roasted Sweet Potatoes
  • Restaurant Style Salsa (so easy!)
  • Shrimp Tacos with Avocado, Mango, and Pineapple Salsa
  • Pickled Red Onions

Multiple tacos filled with chicken, tomatoes, and lettuce.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Three chicken tacos topped with lettuce and tomatoes.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Crockpot Mexican Chicken - 3 ingredients!

4.67 from 6 votes
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 8 hrs
Total Time: 8 hrs 5 mins
10 servings
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Slow cooker shredded chicken that only takes 3 ingredients. Easy, versatile and delicious.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • one (16 ounce) jar of salsa
  • 3 tablespoons [taco seasoning]

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Shred using two forks, and mix with sauce.
  • Cook for another hour on low before serving or freezing.

Notes

  • I use medium salsa but use whatever type of salsa you like best.
  • Meat will be a little juicy. If you want, drain some of the juice off before using.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 5oz., Calories: 238kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 43g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 116mg, Sodium: 423mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk

Shop this post

KitchenAid 6-Qt. Slow Cooker
9-Inch Tongs with Silicone Heads
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
Share A Photo! Tag on Insta Rate It
Holiday Quick-Start Guide

Get my Holiday

Quick-Start Guide!

Free email series of my best tips!

FREE BONUS!

You May Also Like...

  • Image of chicken and dumplings with a dumpling cut in half to show inside texture.
    Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
  • Honey and sriracha glazed shredded chicken over rice, served with steamed broccoli.
    Instant Pot Honey Sriracha Chicken
  • Small red bowl containing shredded chicken garnished with sliced green onions.
    Instant Pot Shredded Chicken - 2 Ingredients, 4 Variations
  • This Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is cozy and comforting, but the bright, fresh flavor of the lemon makes it taste just a little like spring.
    Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup - Instant Pot & Stovetop Directions
Closeup side view of 4 tortillas, partially wrapped in woven cloth.
Previous Post
Southwestern Homemade Flour Tortillas
Roasted mushroom risotto in round white bowl on red napkin.
Next Post
Roasted Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 1 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

  1. Joni says

    November 28, 2017 at 1:27 pm

    Can I make this chicken in an Instant Pot?

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      November 28, 2017 at 1:35 pm

      I do, no less than once a week! 10-12 minutes depending on size of the chicken breast, quick release. Enjoy!

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Rachel! Life can be complicated, cooking shouldn't be! I believe that you can put a delicious meal on the table without stressing. It's possible, and I'm here to help. Have a seat at my table...let's chat, eat, and have fun! Read more...

Air Fryer Instant Pot 30 Minutes One Pan Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Vegetarian 5 Ingredients

Trending

Cooked salmon fillet on a grey-toned plate with cooked asparagus spears. The salmon is being flaked with a fork.

Air Fryer Salmon – easy and delicious!

Pizza pasta being scooped from a pan with a wooden spoon.

Pizza Pasta – 1 pan, 20 minutes

Image of a giant bowl of spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Asparagus Panzanella Salad

Seasonal

Beef and vegetable stir fry in a black wok.

Beef Stir Fry With Vegetables

Hot honey chicken sheet pan dinner with honey being drizzled on.

Hot Honey Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Sweet and sour shrimp lettuce wrap garnished with green onion.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

BBQ Chicken burrito bowl with avocado and sour cream.

BBQ Chicken Bowl

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
Free Bonus!

5 Cooking Secrets to Save Time & Stress

Free email series of my best tips and recipes!

Featured On:

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2023 Rachel Cooks®
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled