Ingredients Needed For Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Chicken I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs because they are inexpensive, flavorful and come out juicy and tender every time. You can use skinless chicken breasts if you prefer.
- Diced Tomatoes Diced tomatoes with chilis add flavor and a little bit of heat. Fire roasted tomatoes with chilis also work well here. You can also use regular diced tomatoes and a small can of mild green chiles. If you don’t like chunky tomatoes, you can substitute tomato sauce instead. Make use of what you have on hand, just avoid tomatoes that have italian seasoning added!
- Spices Chili powder and cumin will give this chicken a classic Mexican flavor while salt and black pepper brings together and enhances all of the flavors.
- Cilantro In my opinion you can’t have Mexican food without fresh cilantro. If you aren’t a fan you can skip it but it makes the flavor amazing.
- Tortillas – Use corn or flour tortillas. Corn tortillas are a good option if you are looking to make a gluten free dinner. Both soft and hard taco shells work.
See recipe card below for exact amounts and full instructions.
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos Key Ingredients
With these healthy slow cooker shredded chicken tacos as the star of the show, taco night has never been better. And the best part?
All you need is a few key ingredients that you may already have:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Opt for boneless and skinless chicken breasts, as this will make your life way easier when it comes time to shred.
- Taco seasoning. To bring these shredded tacos to life, youll need some taco seasoning. You can buy your favorite at any store, or, make a simple yet mouth-watering taco seasoning of your own by a combination of chili powder, cumin, oregano, and sea salt.
- A splash of chicken stock or water. You need just about a tablespoon of liquid per chicken breast if making this in a slow cooker Chicken stock adds flavor to the chicken while its cooking. You can also use water instead if you prefer.
- Lime juice. Squeezing fresh lime juice over the chicken just before serving it is a delicious way of brightening up the dish and adding some extra flavor.
- Tortillas or lettuce cups: Pick your favorite tortillas or lettuce cups to serve up your tacos.
- Taco toppings. Shred some lettuce or cabbage, grab some salsa and grated cheese if you like, and don’t forget the avocado!
Why Youll Love This Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken Recipe:
- DELICIOUS: Who doesnt love the taste of flavorful chicken? If you love Mexican food, this is a fantastic recipe to try.
- STRESS-FREE: Even if youre pressed for time and dont want to spend all day in the kitchen, you can make this shredded chicken with ease. Its a stress-free dish that everyone can enjoy.
- VERSATILE: You can do so much with this Crock Pot Shredded Chicken. Because you can add it to dozens of different recipes, it makes it even better.
Preparing this Crock Pot Shredded Chicken is so simple. Its full of flavor and super juicy, so you never have to worry about eating dry, flavorless chicken.
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How To Make Crockpot Mexican Shredded Chicken
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
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Crock Pot Chicken Taco Meat
Wait wait waittaco night can be even easier? Yep! Meet our 3-ingredient Crock-Pot chicken taco meat recipe!
A shredded chicken taco feast is even easier to make than you think. Like, three ingredients easy. And one of those three ingredients is chicken, so youre already a third of the way there by just knowing that you want to make chicken tacos. With this super-duper simple recipe, all you need to do is fire up your Instant Pot or Crock-Pot and then dinner is as easy as making sure youve got:
Ideas For How To Serve Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Taco bout the possibilities! This easy recipe for crockpot shredded chicken tacos has so many serving options. We love setting up a taco bar for fun weeknight meals, entertaining, and game days. And, since it only takes 5 minutes to prep this recipe and get the chicken cooking away in the slow cooker, you can then focus on the fun toppings. Here are some delicious ways to serve this chicken taco meat:
- Wrapped in soft or hard tortillas
- As lettuce wraps
Read Also: Ma Lou’s Fried Chicken
How Do You Make Chicken Tacos From Scratch
The key to great chicken tacos is simplemake really good chicken! And thats basically all you need to do to guarantee a delicious taco. Heres how to make the easiest, best shredded chicken taco filling recipe ever:
How To Make Salsa Verde Tacos
Also Check: Big Jj Fish And Chicken
Crockpot Chicken Tacos Are A Weeknight Staple
We think its safe to say that everyone wins when tacos are on the menu, whether its Taco Tuesday or any other day of the week. And regardless of whether theyre the standard ground beef taco with minimal toppings or kicked your taco night up a notch with fish, roasted veggies, or shredded chicken and a side of guacamole, theres always room for everyone to make tacos their own.
These Crockpot Chicken Tacos are made with only 8 ingredients , that are all thrown in a slow cooker, making this a super easy dinner option. Weve given this tender chicken a classic taco flavor with our Real Foods Dietitians twist of course that doesnt interfere with your creative license when it comes to toppings.
Bonus: If youre short on time, these Crock Pot Chicken Tacos can also be made as Instant Pot Chicken Tacos! Scroll down for the Instant Pot directions.
Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Recipe
- 5 ingredients and 2 steps are all it takes to get taco night started! Start the slow cooker before work and come home to ready-made taco filling.
- Set it and forget it! Plus its perfect for a DIY taco bar party. Just add bowls of toppings and taco shells or tortillas and let guests help themselves.
- Season with taco seasoning, with cilantro & lime, with green chilis, or with salsa. Shredded crockpot chicken can be made differently every time.
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Tacos Are A Great Choice For Dietary Restrictions
If youre serving friends or family members who have dietary restrictions or follow special diets, we think that serving this recipe for shredded crockpot chicken tacos is an excellent choice. By allowing people to build their own meal, this recipe works for just about anyone.
- gluten-free: this recipe is naturally gluten-free. If you are serving them to someone with celiac disease, offer gluten-free corn tortillas, over rice or cauliflower rice, or serve in lettuce wraps
- grain-free: serve the crockpot chicken tacos in lettuce wraps or in these favorite grain-free taco shells
- dairy-free: to make these completely dairy-free tacos, simply opt out of any dairy-containing toppings, such as cheese and sour cream, Or, serve our Vegan Queso or Vegan Nacho Cheese as dairy-free cheesy toppings to drizzle
- Paleo: this recipe doesnt contain any added dairy, grains, sugars, or refined oils, so it is a great option for your friends and guests who may be looking for a Paleo-friendly option
- Whole30: this crockpot chicken tacos recipe makes a great Whole30 meal. Instead of wrapping the chicken in a tortilla, serve it as a lettuce wrap or bowl style over cauliflower rice or lettuce greens. Youll want to hold the cheese and sour cream and instead top your tacos with guacamole, fresh salsa, and cilantro
You Can Freeze Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos
This is a very easy freezer friendly recipe. Just toss the chicken breasts into a freezer bag.
Then add the salsa and taco seasoning. Freeze completely.
When you are ready to use, just place the entire ingredients from the bag into the crockpot. Add ¼ cup of water, and cook about the same amount of time for an even easier dinner idea.
Now you can also cook this like normal and then freeze it. I like to freeze them in cupcake pans and once frozen pop them out and place in the freezer bag.
Then you have an easy lunch idea and the chicken is frozen in individual servings.
This is such an easy dinner idea when you know you will have a really busy week.
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It’s Shredded Chicken Taco Night
It doesn’t have to be Taco Tuesday for my family to want tacos! Crock pot chicken tacos are perfect for a party, game watching, or just a nice easy weeknight dinner any night of the week. Get out your crockpot or slow cooker, and with minimal prep, dinner will be ready.
I made these shredded chicken tacos the other night, and while they were cooking, I also was on FaceBook, doing laundry and setting the table. This flavorful chicken taco recipe practically cooks itself. Everything goes in the pot, and a few hours later, you have a great meal.
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Keep reading and scrolling for tips for success, as well as the complete recipe. The ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
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Chicken Taco Ingredients And Variations
PROTEIN: Chicken breasts make this a lower-calorie dish, but ground beef or turkey can be used as well as shredded beef or shredded pork .
SAUCE: This recipe is prepared with Rotel tomatoes because they already come pre-seasoned which saves time, but a can of crushed tomatoes mixed with salsa will also add a punch of flavor. A package of taco seasoning can be made spicier by adding a dash of cayenne pepper.
MIX-INS: Black beans and corn give the dish color and texture, but anything that goes in regular tacos can be tossed in the crockpot! Black olives, jalapenos, and onions are great mix-ins, too.
TOPPINGS: Dont forget the cheese! Shredded cheddar and mozzarella or crumbled cotija are great toppings. Chopped cilantro, shredded lettuce or cabbage, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and some extra hot sauce on the side are all perfect for taco night.
Its Just Always That Good
True story: When my little ones dash into the house after school, if their first whiff of home is the incredible aromas of these chicken tacos ⦠well, they do that silly fist-pump move where they make a fist and say YEAH!!! while pumping an arm up and down.
Uh-huh that really happens ⦠because its sooogoooood.
I was sure everyone on the earth had the recipe for my go-to. It was super popular on Pinterest 8 or 9 years ago, and I tell pretty much everybody I talk to about it. So, I just assumed everyone must make this constantly.
I guess not!
When I first mentioned this recipe to Shelley, she looked at me like I was loony. Shed never heard of it!
Ok anyhow â¦
If Shelley didnt know anything about this, we realized there must surely be others out there whose lives have a similar gaping hole. But no more today were gonna fix that!
So this recipe. This is the one that I make all. the. time.
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Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
It is made even easier with the ability to use frozen chicken and just let it cook! The chicken ends up tender and juicy, perfect for use on tacos, nachos or in enchiladas. You can regulate your spice level and adjust the spiciness to your taste by adjusting the amounts of spices you put in and as well as choosing the type of Rotel you put in!
PIN THIS CROCKPOT CHICKEN TACOS RECIPE FOR LATER!
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Shredded Chicken Tacos Recipe
Home » Main Dish Recipes » Shredded Chicken Tacos Recipe
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If you LOVE tacos like I do, youll love this slow cooker shredded chicken tacos. The flavors meld while chicken thighs cook in the crockpot, making a seasoned and juicy chicken perfect for serving in tacos!
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How To Serve Your Tacos
The options here are pretty much endless and entirely up to you!
⢠You can simply roll the chicken taco meat in a tortilla and call it a day. You dont really need anything else.
⢠But, you can definitely get all fancy-schmancy, and add whatever additional toppings you like â maybe reduced fat cheese and sour cream, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes theres no wrong answer here. And, its wonderful that everyone at the table can make their own tacos, exactly how they like them. Happy kiddos, happy parents â happy everyone!
⢠This is a terrific option for family parties and taco bars, too. Set out a slow cooker full of delicious chicken taco meat, and let your guests have a blast creating their own masterpieces !
⢠Or ditch the tortillas, and serve your shredded chicken piled on a taco salad. Maybe some whole grain tortilla chips tucked around the side. Fabulous!
⢠And speaking of tortilla chips, you could even use your chicken to top baked nachos for a great game day appetizer â kind of like we do with our Buffalo Chicken Nachos.
Plus, as if this just couldnt get any better, the taco chicken meat reheats really well, too. So, its perfect for meal prepping and make-ahead meals for busy weeks.
No doubt, I totally think thisll become your go-to recipe.
Shelleys made it multiple times since that first night. And I just know itll soon be your fave, too!
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- For some extra spice, you can either add in a few jalapenos or choose a spicy salsa.
- If you prefer, you can make your own taco seasoning rather than using a store-bought packet.
- If you want some extra tomatoes in the mix, you can use a can of Rotel with green chilies in place of the can of green chilies.
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Can I Use Salsa Or Other Kinds Of Tomatoes
In this recipe, I used tomatoes with green chiles. When I have plain tomatoes, Ill add green chiles to my chicken.
But if youre looking in your pantry and you have a jar of salsa, you can totally substitute your favorite salsa for the tomatoes. Ive also used roasted tomatoes and the dish is also still delicious.
If you have fresh tomatoes on hand, 2 cups of diced tomatoes can be substituted into this recipe.