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    🏠Home » Recipes » Mexican Recipes

    Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

    Dec 29, 2021 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · Last modified: Jun 1, 2023 · 10 Comments

    Jump to Recipe - TOC - Print

    With only three ingredients, a crock pot, and 5 minutes of prep, you can make delicious shredded chicken tacos or nachos. So simple, cheap, and healthy.

    Plate full of chicken nachos
    Jump To:
    • 👨‍🍳How to Make Crock Chicken Tacos
    • 🐓Ingredients
    • ✔️Pro Tips
    • ❓FAQs
    • Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📖 Recipe
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    Taco Tuesday or the game watch party has never been so easy. Easy enough for a weeknight family dinner but great for casual company get-togethers.

    Excellent Mexican is always in demand at my house. But I prefer to cook once and eat several times, so this recipe produces enough for four large servings. It is easy to double or triple and does store well. So cook for just a few or larger groups.

    For other Tex-Mex recipes, you will also love, check out Fiesta Chicken, Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Beef, The Best Taco Chili, The Best Ground Beef Taco Meat, Easy Mexican Rice, andEasy Taco Casserole.

    👨‍🍳How to Make Crock Chicken Tacos

    1. In a smaller crock pot, mix salsa or Rotel with spices.
    2. Nestle the chicken breast into the crock pot and spread the mixture over the breasts.
    3. Cook on low for 4 hours; check the chicken for a temperature of 165°, remove the chicken breasts, place the chicken on a chopping board, and shred with forks. If not 165°, cook longer before shredding.
    4. Mix the chicken back into the liquid and cook for one more hour. Add optional black beans or corn if using.
    5. Serve in tacos or spread over nacho chips and top as desired.

    🐓Ingredients

    Chicken

    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.

    Pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken can be used. Two skinless boneless chicken breasts will make 3-4 cups of shredded chicken.

    Most of the cooking time is spent cooking the raw chicken, so the total time goes way down. To use pre-cooked chicken, add all the seasoning to the shredded chicken and cook for 1 hour to infuse with flavor.

    Sauce

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

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

    Spices

    The easiest spicing is one package of taco seasoning. While it is quick and easy, easy is not the best in this case.

    I suggest a few individual spices like chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin. You will be much happier with the intense taste.

    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.

    Optional ingredients

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

    ✔️Pro Tips

    Crock pot size

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

    A double or triple recipe works well in a 6 to 8-quart slow cooker if you cook for a larger crowd.

    When to shred

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

    You can overcook chicken breasts, and they will come out dry and tough. I suggest low since a few crock pots tend to run very hot on high. You can use high but watch the chicken breast temperature.

    ❓FAQs

    How to serve shredded chicken taco meat?

    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.

    What toppings to add to your chicken tacos?

    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.

    How to store shredded chicken taco meat?

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

    To freeze, seal in an airtight container and freeze for 3-4 months—Thaw before reheating.

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    ↑Jump to Table of Contents

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Chicken Breast Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Crock Pot Recipes, Mexican Recipes, Small Crock Pots Recipes

    Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.

    Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    raw chicken with spices and salsa

    Start with two medium-size skinless boneless chicken breasts. These can be fresh or thawed if frozen.

    rotel with spices in a crock pot

    In a smaller crock pot, mix 1 cup of salsa or Rotel with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

    raw chicken in a crock pot covered with sauce

    Nestle the chicken breast into the crock pot and spread the mixture over the breasts.

    shredding chicken on a white board with forks

    Cook on low for 5 hours. About 4 hours into the cooking, and if the chicken is 165°, remove the chicken breasts, place the chicken on a chopping board, and shred with forks. If not 165°, cook longer before shredding.

    mixing the shredded chicken back into the crock pot

    Mix the chicken back into the liquid. If there is too much liquid, remove some and leave the crock pot lid ajar to vent moisture.

    shredded chicken taco meat on a spoon

    Serve in tacos or spread over nacho chips and top as desired.

    nacho chip with chicken taco meat and sour cream
    ↑Jump to Table of Contents

    📖 Recipe

    Chichen taco meat on a chip

    Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    With only three ingredients, a crock pot, and 5 minutes of prep, you can make delicious shredded chicken tacos or nachos. So simple, cheap, and healthy, you will repeat this recipe over and over.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.30 from 17 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 hours hours
    Total Time: 5 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 4

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts - medium size
    • 8 oz Salsa - or RoTel
    • 1 package premixed taco seasoning

    Spices to Replace Packagd Taco Seasoning- Recommended

    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper

    Optional Additions

    • ½ cup drained black beans
    • ½ cup frozen corn
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Start with two medium-size skinless boneless chicken breasts. These can be fresh or thawed if frozen.
      raw chicken with spices and salsa
    • In a smaller crock pot, mix 1 cup of salsa or Rotel with 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Mix well.
      rotel with spices in a crock pot
    • Nestle the chicken breast into the crock pot and spread the mixture over the breasts.
      raw chicken in a crock pot covered with sauce
    • Cook on low for 5 hours. About 4 hours into the cooking and if the chicken is 165°, remove the chicken breasts, place the chicken on a chopping board, and shred with forks. If not 165°, cook longer before shredding.
      shredding chicken on a white board with forks
    • Mix the chicken back into the liquid. If there is too much liquid, remove some and leave the crock pot lid ajar to vent moisture. Add optional black beans or corn if used. Finish the 5 hours of cooking.
      mixing the shredded chicken back into the crock pot
    • Serve in tacos or spread over nacho chips and top as desired.
      nacho chip with chicken taco meat and sour cream
    Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print. Otherwise step-by-step photos are in the post.

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:

    1. This recipe fits in a 2 to 4-quart crock pot. For a double or triple recipe, use a 6 to 8-quart crock pot
    2. You can use chicken thighs for this.
    3. If using precooked rotisserie chicken, use 3-4 cups to replace the 2 chicken breasts. Cooking time goes from 5 hours to only one hour.
    4. The corn and black beans are optional and should be added with the shredded chicken
    5. If using Rotel, drain out about 2 oz of liquid before adding.
    6. Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
    7. Nutrition analysis is for meat only and doesn't include chips or toppings.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories : 85 kcal (4%)Carbohydrates : 4 g (1%)Protein : 13 g (26%)Fat : 2 g (3%)Saturated Fat : 1 g (5%)Cholesterol : 36 mg (12%)Sodium : 397 mg (17%)Potassium : 381 mg (11%)Fiber : 1 g (4%)Sugar : 2 g (2%)Vitamin A : 693 IU (14%)Vitamin C : 7 mg (8%)Calcium : 31 mg (3%)Iron : 1 mg (6%)
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : Mexican

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor's Note: Originally Published September 13, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

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    About Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

    Hi, welcome to 101 Cooking for Two. I'm DrDan, I'm a board certified physician and a lover of cooking delicious easy recipes I have perfected at home for two or larger household. As an award winning educator, let me guide you to finding the joys of cooking everyday food at home.
    Read more About DrDan | Subscribe to the Newsletters

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    1. Mary

      October 30, 2022 at 8:11 pm

      Another outstanding easy recipe! Thank you for studying and doing the homework. I do read your recipes, methods and explanations b4 I make them exact. Seems like you cover it all and questions would be redundant if read. Thank you!

      Reply
    2. Nancy

      May 30, 2022 at 7:16 pm

      5 stars
      very good

      Reply
    3. Gail

      May 13, 2022 at 8:19 am

      I can't seem to save this in collection is that what the name is for?

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        May 13, 2022 at 9:48 am

        It would save to the recipe collection page https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/your-recipe-collection/ There is a link to that page in the footer of all pages. There is a discussion there about organization of the collections and the developer has instructions also at https://help.bootstrapped.ventures/article/153-recipe-collections-101
        Dan

    4. Lili

      November 17, 2019 at 4:23 pm

      5 stars
      Was great for nachos!

      Reply
    5. Valerie Vincent

      April 05, 2019 at 6:06 pm

      Looking forward to making this, this week. What kind of cheese do you recommend?

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        April 07, 2019 at 11:13 pm

        Hi Valerie
        Welcome to the blog.
        I usually use a Mexican blend or Monterey.
        Dan

    6. Leslie

      October 08, 2015 at 10:32 pm

      Plan on making tomorrow (dumb question), can I always use frozen chicken breasts for crock pot recipes or just this one? I always thought you had to use thawed or seared meat before putting in crock pot.

      Reply
    7. Patty

      September 26, 2015 at 10:56 pm

      Another recipe winner! I made these tonight and served with warm corn tortillas. These were a hit at my football gathering. Thanks again, Dr. D!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        September 26, 2015 at 11:13 pm

        Thanks Patty.
        Dan

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