Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Raw skinless boneless chicken breast works great with this recipe. You can also use chicken thighs. Both will cook well in the crock pot.

If your chicken is frozen, thaw before starting to cook. The frozen chicken will cook unpredictably, and there have been reports of the ceramic breaking when cooking frozen chicken.

Yes. Most of the cooking time is spent cooking the raw chicken, so the total time goes way down.

Two skinless boneless chicken breasts will make 3-4 cups of shredded chicken. To use pre-cooked chicken, add all the seasoning to the shredded chicken and cook for 1 hour to infuse with flavor.

Use a salsa you like. I suggest a chunky salsa, and you can add some heat with more spices if needed.

Absolutely. I initially used Rotel for this recipe and find it is still a good fit. If you use Rotel, it comes as 10 oz cans, and I suggest draining off an ounce or two of liquid.

The easiest is one package of taco seasoning. While it is quick and easy, I suggest a few individual spices like chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin. You will be much happier with the intense taste.

This is a smaller crock pot recipe and works well in a 2 to 4-quart crock pot. You can cook in a larger crock pot. It may cook a bit faster.

A double or triple recipe works well in a 6 to 8-quart crock pot if you are cooking for a larger crowd.

I suggest low. A few crock pots tend to run very hot on high.

You can use high but watch the chicken breast temperature.

You have several points to adjust the heat.

First, your choice of salsa will affect the spiciness. Choose the heat level you want.

Second is your choice of taco seasoning mix or the other seasonings I suggested. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you want.

Chicken needs to be fully cooked to shred. On low, most crock pots will get whole chicken breasts to 165° in 4-5 hours. On high, it will take about half the time.

Please remove the chicken from the crock pot and shred it when the chicken is cooked. Then return the shredded chicken to the crock pot to cook a bit longer and pick up seasoning and flavors.

You can overcook chicken breast, and they will come out dry and tough.

Yes. You can add about 1 cup of frozen corn or rinsed black beans with the shredded chicken for the last hour of cooking.

Make soft tacos in flour tortillas or corn tortillas, or fill up a crunchy taco shell, then top with your favorite toppings.

We generally make nachos. Spread corn chips on a plate, top with your shredded chicken taco meat, and cover with cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a good Mexican cheese blend. Then a minute in a microwave to melt the cheese. Add toppings to finish your delicious dinner.

You can also use the chicken taco meat in burritos or enchiladas. You can also top a salad or rice bowls.

Commonly used toppings are diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, salsa, Pico de Gallo, shredded cheese of your choice, guacamole or chopped avocados, sour cream, hot sauce, or cilantro.

Just refrigerate covered for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave.

Yes. Seal in an airtight container and freeze for 3-4 months—Thaw before reheating.