Crockpot Chicken Tacos – 3 ingredients!
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Crockpot chicken tacos only take 3 ingredients to make. Easy, versatile and delicious. It’s a great weeknight meal, and perfect for entertaining, too!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: It’s a super easy dinner and makes a lot!
How long it takes: 6 hours
Equipment you’ll need: Slow cooker or crockpot
Servings: 10 servings
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.
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.
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.
How to Make Crockpot Mexican Chicken
So, how do you make this easy Mexican chicken? Simply put uncooked chicken breasts (thighs are fine, too) in your crockpot.
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.
Then remove the chicken from the slow cooker, shred it with a couple of forks, and put it back in.
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.
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.
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!
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
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 jar (16 ounce) salsa
- 3 tablespoons [taco seasoning]
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Shred using two forks, and mix with sauce.
- If desired, 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
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.
fahmeida says
Hi…how much is 48 oz in grams n kilos?
Rachel Gurk says
Hi! I usually use this to convert measurements – it might help you! http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking.htm
Becki says
Do you put the chicken in the crockpot frozen? I want to make this for a family fiesta we are having this weekend.
Rachel Gurk says
Either way! If you put them in frozen, you might need to increase cooking time slightly. Hope you love the recipe!
Bryn says
Have you tried this with thighs? My husband is pro thigh and anti breast. That didn’t come out right….
Rachel Gurk says
I’ve done similar recipes with thighs or a combination of thigh and breasts and it turns out great! Shouldn’t be an issue. You can always drain some fat/juice out if need be.
Bryn says
Thank you so much for your help. They turned out great!
Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen says
I love this! Easy, versatile, and freezer-friendly? Yes please! This is totally pinned and I’ll be making it very soon.
Carol at Wild Goose Tea says
This so easy, that it makes me suspicious. Aaaaah just kidding. I like tacos. Everyone pretty much makes their own dinner. No complaints. They can tailor it to fit them completely. You are so correct about the number of hours in the day. Daylight savings time is such a misnomer. Heaven help me, if I only did things during the daylight hours. With that restriction I would certainly be up the proverbial creek.
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
Yum yum! Love how quick and easy this is, Rachel. And there are so many options for using precooked, shredded chicken you already have on hand!
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
Everyone needs a recipe like this in their back pocket! Love.
denise says
hmm, I may make this for dinner tomorrow!
Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog says
I totally make chicken with salsa in the crock pot all the time, but never thought to add taco seasoning, love it, will definitely try that next time! The photos are so gorgeous, I’d like some of it right now!!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says
i made a similar recipe from another blog it was phenomenal..i like the idea of adding taco seasonings on this.
whatjessicabakednext says
Brilliant recipe- love shredded chicken tacos- so good!
Liz@Virtually Homemade says
I love making a pot of shredded chicken. It’s ridiculously easy. Thanks for recipe!
Meagan @ A Zesty Bite says
Yes, this is definitely easy and perfect for cinco de mayo.
Beth @ The First Year says
I always refer to mine as the “magical crockpot”! Pinning Rachel!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
POPCORN is my favorite word too! I’m totally obsessed with it.
and EASY. I love these tacos? 3 ingredient meals are my love language! Pinned!