Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken is one of the best slow cooker chicken recipes! It can be put together in 5 minutes and is a great recipe to try in any Mexican cuisine.
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Why this Crockpot Mexican Chicken Recipe is a Keeper
I love this fiesta chicken recipe because it’s an easy recipe for my favorite Mexican style chicken, that also happens to be a super delicious recipe! You will definitely want to add this one to your stash of easy dinner recipes.
- Easy Ingredients: This chicken fiesta recipe uses common ingredients you often have on hand.
- Can Feed a Crowd: It can easily be scaled up to feed a large group, making it perfect for gatherings.
- Consistent Results: Mexican dishes always turn out well when you use this delicious chicken.
- Freezes Well: It’s great for making ahead and freezing for later.
- Great for Beginner Cooks: This is an easy recipe that’s super approachable for beginner cooks.
Can I Use Canned Chicken for Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken?
You can use canned chicken if you’d like. I would put a few cans in to make sure you have enough chicken for the dish.
Ingredient Notes for Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
To make this recipe, you will need just a few easy ingredients. If you don’t already have these ingredients in your kitchen, they can all easily be found at the store.
- Chicken Breast: Boneless skinless chicken breasts cook perfectly in a slow cooker.
- Taco Seasoning: Make your own Taco Seasoning to have on demand for whenever you need a little bit.
- Black Beans: A can of black beans adds a little bit more flavor to the chicken.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for Crock Pot Mexican Chicken
When you prepare ingredients ahead of time, it can help save you time and kitchen space when it comes to making everything for dinner!
- Cook Chicken: You can cook this chicken a couple days ahead of when you want to use it.
Special Equipment Needed for Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
Sometimes you need a specific piece of equipment to make a recipe just right. In this case, all you need is a crock pot!
- Slow Cooker: A slow cooker is best to cook chicken low and slow. This way, all of the flavors have a chance to come together.
Pro Tip to Make this Recipe
A squeeze of lime or orange juice can add a bright and refreshing flavor to your Mexican chicken.
How to Make Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Chicken
This Mexican chicken recipe is perfect because comes together in 3 quick and easy steps. This chicken for tacos is so good, it’s quickly become one of your favorite recipes!
These are the basic steps for making Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Cook the Chicken
Place the chicken in slow cooker. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat then layer the vegetables and salsa on top. Pour chicken broth over the mixture and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
2. Shred the Chicken
Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred chicken with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to slow cooker and stir in the sour cream and black beans.
3. Finish and Serve
Return lid to slow cooker and cook for 5-10 minutes and top with green onions before serving.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftovers
- Storing: Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Reheating: Reheat leftover chicken in the microwave for about 1 minute.
- Using Leftovers: Use this shredded chicken in chicken tortilla soup topped with shredded cheese.
Variations and Substitutions for Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken Recipe
This easy Mexican flavorful chicken recipe is super easy to customize to make it your own! Try taking it to the next level by swapping out ingredients and experimenting with flavors.
- Chicken: Use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts.
- Different Vegetables: Include different veggies like peppers.
Chicken Fiesta Recipe FAQs
Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice or quinoa would all be really good with this chicken.
Sure! Frozen chicken breasts cook well in a crock pot, you may just need to cook it for an hour longer.
Use the chicken to make Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken Burrito Bowls, Orzo Chicken Salad, Slow Cooker Taco Chili or Instant Pot Chicken Tacos.
Expert Tips to Make Mexican Chicken Recipe
- Finish: Top with fresh cilantro or parsley.
- Liquid Smoke: Add a little liquid smoke to bring a great smoky flavor to your easy slow cooker shredded chicken for tacos.
- Salsa: Try different salsa to find your favorite flavor. You could also use homemade salsa or pico de gallo.
- Doneness: The chicken is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Chicken is perfect after about 6 hours in the crock pot.
Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup Salsa
- 1 cup Petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons Taco seasoning
- 1 cup Onion, diced
- ½ cup Celery , diced
- ½ cup Carrots, shredded
- 3 tablespoons Sour cream, reduced fat
- 1 cup Black beans, rinsed
- 2 Green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Place the chicken in slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat then layer the vegetables and salsa on top.
- Pour soup base over the mixture, set on low and cook for 6-8 hours.
- The meat is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.
- Add the chicken back into the slow cooker and stir in the sour cream and black beans.
- Return lid to slow cooker and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until everything is heated through.
- Top with green onions before serving.
Christina’s Notes
- Finish: Top with fresh cilantro or parsley.
- Liquid Smoke: Add a little liquid smoke to bring a great smoky flavor to your easy slow cooker shredded chicken for tacos.
- Salsa: Try different salsa to find your favorite flavor. You could also use homemade salsa or pico de gallo.
- Doneness: The chicken is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Chicken is perfect after about 6 hours in the crock pot.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
We love honest feedback, but to keep reviews helpful for everyone, we reserve the right to remove star ratings if it is clear the recipe has not been made, if the comment does not provide meaningful input, or if significant substitutions or alterations were made. Please note that ratings should reflect the original recipe as written to avoid confusing other readers.
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
Sounds so good, this is perfect for our busy Wednesday this week. So simple and everyone can eat when they get home.
This sounds absolutely delicious. I love Mexican food, so this is probably one I’d make over and over again!