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

Three soft chicken tacos in front of a crockpot.
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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.

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.

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 Taco Fillings

Multiple tacos filled with chicken, tomatoes, and lettuce.
Recipe

Crockpot Chicken Tacos – 3 ingredients!

4.67 from 6 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Slow cooker shredded chicken that only takes 3 ingredients. Easy, versatile and delicious.
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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.

Video

Nutrition

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

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.67 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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21 Comments

  1. 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!

  2. Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says:

    Everyone needs a recipe like this in their back pocket! Love.

  3. denise says:

    hmm, I may make this for dinner tomorrow!

  4. 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!!

  5. 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.

  6. whatjessicabakednext says:

    Brilliant recipe- love shredded chicken tacos- so good!

  7. Liz@Virtually Homemade says:

    I love making a pot of shredded chicken. It’s ridiculously easy. Thanks for recipe!

  8. Meagan @ A Zesty Bite says:

    Yes, this is definitely easy and perfect for cinco de mayo.

  9. Beth @ The First Year says:

    I always refer to mine as the “magical crockpot”! Pinning Rachel!

  10. 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!