How To Make Crockpot Mexican Chicken:
Add all of the ingredients to your crock pot or slow cooker.
Stir everything well until the chicken is coated in the ingredients.
Secure the lid on the crock pot and slow cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high heat for 4 to 6 hours.
Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred chicken to your desired texture. I leave mine somewhat chunky rather than finely shredded.
Transfer the shredded chicken back to the crock pot to soak up the juices until youre ready to serve.
Note: The chicken becomes even more flavorful the longer it sits and it saves very well. If youd like, you can prepare it up to 5 days in advance for amazing, richly flavorful chicken.
Serve as shredded chicken tacos, chicken enchiladas, burritos, or more!
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Other Ways To Serve It
Ive used this chicken taco recipe to make all kinds of dinner its so versatile.
Salad: Make a chicken taco salad with lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, corn, and add your favorite dressing we love taco ranch dressing! Sprinkle some crushed tortilla chips over the top for crunch.
Enchiladas: Wrap the shredded chicken in flour or corn tortillas, place them in a baking dish, top with enchilada sauce and lots of cheese. Bake until hot and bubbly.
Quesadillas: Sandwich the chicken between large tortillas with cheese and salsa. Cook in a hot skillet until the tortillas are crispy and golden in spots. Serve with salsa or queso on the side for dipping.
Nachos: Top tortilla chips with the meat, cheese, beans, and salsa. Bake until the cheese melts and then add your favorite toppings.
Burritos: Wrap it up in large flour tortillas with cilantro rice, pinto beans, salsa, and cheese. Or pile it on rice in bowls to make burrito bowls with all of your favorite veggies and toppings.
How Much Chicken Do I Need For Tacos
One pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts makes enough crockpot chicken taco meat for 8 tacos. So plan according to how many tacos you need. If youre serving four people at two tacos each, you will be good to go. If you want to make 12 chicken tacos, use a pound and a half of chicken breasts.
I like to make a double batch of chicken taco meat and freeze half of it for another week. If doubling your recipe, use two pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts, and 1 cup of chicken broth, but dont double the taco seasoning. I go with an extra 2 tablespoons of the seasoning when making a double batch of chicken.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Are Done
- Taco shells
- Soft corn or flour tortillas
- For low carb fill our air fryer zucchini boats with this and some cheese on top
1/2 cup of cheese per person . We like to pile it on though so I dont really measure. LOL. Mexican cheese mix is fantastic.
Yes you could double the recipe if you are batch cooking but youd need a larger Crock to do so.
Its a great recipe since it is super easy to throw everything together for a weeknight meal.
How To Make Taco Meat In The Crock Pot
Voila! Beautiful taco meat for any occasion!
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Shred Chicken + Place Back In Crockpot
Shred chicken by using two forks or in your stand mixer using the paddle attachment. It only takes a few seconds. A hand mixer will also work.
Remove any questionable pieces and place back into the crockpot with the cooking liquid. Coverto keep warm and serve in tacos, quesadillas, on a salad, or however your little heart desires.
What To Serve With Shredded Chicken Tacos
Tacos are one of those super flexiable dishes where you can add just a few toppings or really load them up! This also makes a great dish to let everyone add their own toppings so everyone is happy with dinner.
Here are a few of our favorite toppings Ive served with these tacos before. Honestly it all depends on what I have in the fridge. Feel free to use what you have. You dont have to make a special trip to the grocery for this meal.
- Diced tomatoes- also pico de gallo works too
- Sour Cream
- Lettuce, spinach or shredded cabbage
- Pickled red onions
- Beans- black beans, refried beans, pinto beans, yum!
- Cheese- cheddar, crumbled queso fresca or monetary jack are our favorites
- Sliced avocado- or guacamole!
- Cilantro
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How To Assemble Tacos
Now that all your taco filling is ready, its time to assemble your tacos. Top each tortilla with chicken, slaw, and avocado and serve with lime.
To Make Ahead: You can make the chicken ahead and store in a container. Keep covered and refrigerate up to four days. To reheat, microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through.
To Freeze Meat: Let the chicken cool and store in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months. To reheat, transfer to the refrigerator overnight or reheat from frozen in 30-second intervals until heated through.
What To Do With Shredded Chicken
The beauty of shredded chicken in a crock pot is that it can be used in SO many recipes! Add it to any recipe that calls for shredded chicken or bring extra protein to your favorite salad, soup, or pasta dish. Here are a few ways that I like to use crock pot shredded chicken:
- Tex-Mex Recipes. Slow cooker shredded chicken tacos, enchiladas, or quesadillas are a delicious way to use the chicken. You can find more fiesta-themed ideas here!
- Sandwiches. Take a note from my Crock Pot BBQ Chicken and add a sauce. Then, use the chicken to make a crockpot shredded chicken sandwich.
Shredded chicken, you are a lifesaver. Id be lost without you.
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How Do I Make This Shredded Chicken For Tacos
This easy shredded chicken recipe is a true set it and forget it meal. Add your chicken, onion, garlic, taco seasoning, enchilada sauce and salsa to a greased slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. When your chicken is fully cooked, shred and place back in the slow cooker to coat in the sauce. Thats it! To make things even easier, you can shred the chicken using a hand mixer!
Ways To Shred Chicken
There are a few different ways to shred chicken depending on what tools you have in your kitchen.
- The one that everyone can do is simply shred it with two forks.
- Another great option is using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer. This is quick and easy and gets its shredded evenly. Its by far my favorite way to go!
- If you let the chicken cool you can even do it with your hands, but this is the messiest way. It gets the job done in a pinch, though.
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What Brand Of Salsa Verde Is Good To Use For This Recipe
Personally, I like the brands Frontera, Stonewall Kitchen, Mrs. Renfros. and Xochitl. If you cant find any of these, just look for a salsa verde that is chunky with a deep green color.
I also have a salsa verde recipe you can make from scratch, if you feel so inclined or cant find any salsa verde at your grocery store. Here is the link!
How To Make Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos:
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Tips From The Pillsbury Kitchens
- tip 1 Serve the saucy chicken as a taco filling, to top crisp tostada shells, or to wrap up in warm flour tortillas to make portable burritos. Or spoon over shredded romaine lettuce, with cooked black beans, sautéed sweet bell pepper strips, a corn salsa, and a handful of crumbled queso fresco for the ultimate taco salads.
- tip 2 Store your slow-cooker taco shredded chicken leftovers in the fridge in a covered storage container for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months, thawing in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- tip 3 For best results, we recommend boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this slow-cooker Mexican chicken recipe. Chicken breasts tend to dry out when cooked in a slow cooker.
- tip 4 Add more deliciousness to mealtime with fun recipes like Slow-Cooker Poblano Chicken and Mexican Buffalo Chicken Skillet Dip.
S For Prepping Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos
Really, the chicken for these tacos is super easy. Layer a few ingredients, set the slow cooker, and come back when its time for dinner.
You can shred the chicken right in the crockpot, or remove it to a cutting board. Just dont forget to remove a cup of the liquid before you shred the chicken or the chicken becomes too soggy on the tacos.
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How Make Shredded Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
To the shredded crock pot chicken tacos, I added cloves of garlic with the chicken while it was cooking. I usually break off a few pieces and let the garlic just sit in the the crock pot with the chicken. The flavor of garlic without the chewy chunks. Flavor, not crunches. -)
When making food for your family, don’t think the food needs to be complicated. Most of the food I make has only few ingredients. It doesn’t need a fancy name or long list of ingredients to make it good. A crock pot, some chicken and taco seasoning does just fine for us quick and busy families. Use your crock pot and use it often. Put a meat in it and add a seasoning. You have yourself a great meal.
What To Serve With Chicken Tacos
You can serve up your crockpot chicken tacos in soft or crunchy tortillas, chicken taco bowls, or as part of a taco bar to let people build their own chicken tacos or chicken taco bowls. If you are making a taco bar, I suggest leaving the chicken taco meat in the crockpot on the warm setting to keep it hot.
Here are some of the ingredients we like pairing with crockpot chicken taco meat.
- Soft corn tortillas
- Fresh Pico de Gallo
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Seasonings For Crockpot Shredded Chicken
If you want to utilize your chicken in a variety of different recipes, salt and pepper will be best, as they fit with any dish.
However, if you want to infuse your easy crockpot shredded chicken breast with flavor, here are some other seasoning ideas to consider:
- Buffalo Shredded Chicken. Follow the crockpot shredded chicken recipe from this Healthy Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potatoes recipe.
Recipes Ideas To Use This Chicken Taco Meat
Whether youre adding chicken to tacos or quesadillas, this crockpot chicken is perfect for the job. Here are few recipe ideas to get you started.
- Amazing Chicken Enchiladas forgo the fajita seasoning in this recipe and use this chicken taco meat instead.
- Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup adding chicken already flavored with taco seasoning will only enhance the flavor of the soup!
- Southwest Salad Recipe with Chicken this recipe calls for rotisserie chicken, but can easily be swapped for chicken taco meat.
- Taco Casserole you can substitute the ground beef with shredded chicken
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Can I Increase This Recipe To Feed A Group
Yes! And you should!I would recommend doubling or even tripling the recipe if you’re looking to feed a group.
I like to make a big batch of these when we have friends coming over for dinner or when we do family game night. You will need to plan on increasing the cooking time as you increase the volume as well, so that’s something to take into account.
Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos
With just five ingredients and five minutes of prep, crockpot shredded chicken tacos are a meal youll reach for again and again! Make a big batchMexican shredded chicken freezes well and is delicious in tacos, bowls, enchiladas, and salads.
Taco night is a menu staple, and when the filling is easy and cooks itself? Even better!
Crockpot shredded chicken tacos are the perfect way to make this meal almost completely hands-off. It seriously requires just five ingredients and five minutes of prep. Dinner doesnt get any easier than that!
Mexican shredded chicken is also very versatile and a terrific meal prep. Make it once and enjoy throughout the week, or freeze the extra for a rainy day.
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Shredded Chicken Tacos Crockpot Mexican Chicken
- 2poundsof chicken breast
- 2TablespoonsOlive Oil
- ¾CupSalsamild, medium, etc feel free to choose how spicy you want this to be
- 2 4OunceCans Mild Green Chilies
- 2 10OunceCans Diced Tomatoesdrained
- 1 15OunceCan of Corn
- 1 15OunceCan of Black Beansrinsed and drained
- 1 7OunceCan of Chipotles Peppers in Adobo Sauceoptional this adds quite the kick!
- ½TeaspoonChipotle Chili Powder
- Garnishes such as shredded cheese, cilantro, and salsa
Chicken Tacos Crockpot Topping Ideas
You can use this shredded chicken in so many ways, but I love to use it to make tacos. Here are some of our favorite toppings:
- We love some crunchy taco shells but sometimes I mix it up and serve the tacos with soft corn tortillas or flour tortillas.
- Shredded lettuce iceberg, romaine, even spinach works well! We also love diced tomatoes.
- All the cheese, please! Cheddar cheese is our go-to, but Monterey jack and pepper jack cheese are great, too.
- Add some sliced avocado or make a batch of my easy guacamole!
- Spoon some salsa over the top or pico de gallo.
- Creamy sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro are great, too.
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Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos
Published: » By: Kylie » This post may contain affiliate links. »
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With just 5 minutes of prep time, these slow cooker chicken tacos are healthy, tasty and almost too easy to make! Toss everything in the crock pot, come back a few hours later, shred the chicken and you’re ready to sit down for dinner!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Four ingredients, friends! You might already have them on hand, too.
- There are no pre-cooking steps or prep work. Just toss everything in the slow cooker, let it cook all day, and dinner is ready.
- We love this shredded Mexican chicken for tacos, but it also makes a great filling for quesadillas, enchiladas, or use it to make chicken nachos.
- Its the best weeknight dinner because its so easy to make we have it on repeat at our house.
If you need super easy dinner recipe for taco night, be sure to save this chicken taco recipe! Its saves me when life gets busy and everyone at our house loves it. Your family will, too!
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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.
Chicken Breast Cooking Times
Boneless Chicken Breasts.
- Cook on LOW for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Always cook your boneless skinless chicken breasts on LOW for the best results.
- I do not recommend cooking boneless chicken breast on HIGH, as it will become very dry, even if you check it early. On high, the chicken turns out drier I consistently have the best results with low.
- Based on a medium boneless chicken breast with a weight of 8 ounces. Be sure to add or subtract time if your piece of chicken is smaller or larger.
- Check early! All crock pot models are different, so your chicken may take less or more time than listed.
Bone-in Chicken Breasts.
- Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours or HIGH for 1-2 hours.
- Bone-in chicken is less likely to dry out than boneless, so you have the flexibility to cook the chicken on high.
- Based on medium bone-in chicken breast with a weight of 11 ounces. Be sure to add or subtract time if your piece of chicken is smaller or larger.
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