Simmered in a blend of spices with salsa and rich adobo sauce, this Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken is flavorful and versatile. Add it to your favorite shredded chicken recipes, like nachos, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or a salad for a simple but delicious dinner everyone will love.
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This delectable slow cooked Mexican chicken is packed with flavor from the variety of seasonings, spicy salsa, and chipotle peppers in a rich adobo sauce. The chicken practically falls apart on its own, but you can finely shred it using a pair of forks. Whether you use it in other dishes, or serve it alone, this Mexican slow cooker chicken is sure to be a new dinnertime favorite!
If you love making spicy chicken recipes in the slow cooker, you will enjoy this Chicken Tikka Masala and Jalapeno Popper Chicken.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich, Flavorful Chicken: The chicken absorbs all of the zesty flavors of the salsa, adobo sauce, and spice blend in this recipe. The result is tender, juicy, well-seasoned chicken.
- Perfect Low-Stress Dinner: This meal takes less than 10 minutes to toss together. Aside from chopping the chipotle peppers, there isn’t any prep work. It’s the perfect, easy dinner for a busy weekday or a laid back weekend.
- Budget Friendly: Chicken is generally one of the more inexpensive meat options at the grocery store. That makes it the ideal protein for a family on a budget.
- Chicken Can Be Used In a Variety of Ways: This crockpot Mexican chicken is perfect for so many different meals. Use it to make tacos, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, soup, taco salad, or add it to a bowl with rice and vegetables.
Ingredients
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are best for this recipe so you won’t need to worry about picking out bones or skin after the chicken is cooked. The meat is simple to shred and doesn’t need to be seared or tenderized before cooking. You could also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.
- Salsa: Add liquid and flavor to the chicken with a jar of salsa. Change the flavor of the dish by playing with different salsa flavors. Use mild, medium, or spicy tomato salsa, or a try a sweet pineapple or mango salsa for sweet and spicy flavors.
- Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce: A chipotle pepper is a dried and smoked jalapeno pepper. They are canned in a thick, smokey, spicy adobo sauce, and add a depth of rich flavor to any Mexican dish.
- Mexican Seasonings: This dish really shines when the chicken is thoroughly spiced. Spices like cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper add much needed flavor to the chicken. You can also substitute a Mexican seasoning blend, or taco seasoning for the spices listed above.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Different Meat: Replace the chicken with pork or beef for a heartier and meatier meal. A pork roast or beef roast needs to cook for a longer time on low heat to ensure the meat is tender. I’d recommend cooking red meat for at least 8 hours.
- Add Vegetables: Expand this dish beyond just meat and add a few vegetables. Canned beans, corn, or tomatoes are excellent additions to turn this slow cooked Mexican chicken into a full meal.
- Sweeten Things Up: A sprinkle of brown sugar balances the spiciness of the adobo peppers for a slightly sweeter chicken dish. Use 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar depending on how sweet you want the chicken to be.
- Make It Smokey: Capture the smokey flavor of grilled Mexican chicken directly in your crockpot with a dash of liquid smoke. A single teaspoon goes a long way!
How to Make Mexican Chicken in the Crock Pot
This delicious crockpot Mexican chicken recipe is ideal for meal planning, an easy weeknight meal, or entertaining. It comes together in the slow cooker with hardly any prep work and doesn’t dirty a bunch of dishes.
- Step 1: Start with the Chicken. Place the chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker and season it with your Mexican spices.
- Step 2: Add the Salsa. Pour the salsa and the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce over the chicken. This is also when you’d add beans or corn if you want them in your chicken.
- Step 3: Cover and Cook. Place the lid on your slow cooker and set your cook time. For a quick cook, set the crock pot on high and cook for 2 ½ - 3 ½ hours. For a low and slow cook, set your slow cooker to low and cook for 4 ½ - 6 hours.
- Step 4: Shred and Serve. Remove the cooked chicken and shred using two forks. Place the shredded chicken back into the leftover sauce and stir until everything is evenly coated. Load the chicken into tacos, burritos, or nachos and add your favorite toppings.
Expert Tips
- Use a Juicy Salsa: Crock pot recipes need liquid to keep the meat from drying out. For this Mexican pulled chicken, use a jarred salsa that's juicy instead of something without a lot of liquid like pico de gallo.
- Make Shredding a Breeze: Save some time and effort when shredding the chicken and skip the forks. Instead, place the fully cooked chicken breasts in your KitchenAid or stand mixer. and use the paddle attachment on low for 30 - 60 seconds to shred the chicken to your desired consistency.
- Meal Prep: This dish is perfect for meal prep. Divide the shredded chicken into smaller meal-sized portions. This could be a portion for the whole family or one person. Store the portions in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months to use for quick lunches or dinners.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Allow the chicken to cool completely, then store leftovers in a large food storage bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to three months.
- Reheating: You can reheat this dish in the microwave for 60 seconds, then at 30-second intervals until it is heated through. To reheat on the stove, add the leftovers to a pan and heat over medium heat until it’s warmed through. Add a little of the liquid to ensure the chicken doesn’t dry out. If frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. To reheat in the slow cooker, place the shredded chicken back in the crock pot with the leftover liquid and heat on high for 1-2 hours. Stir the meat occasionally.
Serving Suggestions
This Mexican crockpot chicken is the ideal slow cooker recipe for taco night at home. Your family can enjoy it with their favorite taco toppings for a hassle-free weeknight dinner or make it for a large crowd when entertaining.
Slow cooker Mexican shredded chicken can be used in so many different dishes. Serve it with other Mexican-inspired dishes or vegetable side dishes.
- Serve this flavorful Mexican chicken over a bed of slow cooker rice with a side of crockpot pinto beans for a filling and delicious meal.
- Pair it with crockpot cornbread for a filling and delicious dinner.
- Create a 3-course meal complete with an appetizer of taco dip, Mexican shredded chicken, and slow cooker bread pudding for dessert.
More Delicious Crock Pot Mexican Recipes
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Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 16 ounces salsa
- ¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce chopped
Instructions
- Add chicken to the bottom of a slow cooker. Then, season with black pepper, cumin, salt, parika, onion powder, and garlic pepper.
- Pour salsa and chipotle peppers over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on high for 2½-3½ hours or low for 4½-6 hours.
- Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add back into the pot and mix until coated in sauce.
- Serve in tacos, burritos, nachos or over rice and enjoy!
Notes
- Use a stand mixer to shred the chicken instead of doing it by hand to save time and effort. Place the cooked chicken in the mixer on low speed for less than 60 seconds for perfectly shredded chicken.
- If making ahead for meal prep, divide the shredded chicken into smaller meal-sized portions. Store the portions in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months to use for quick lunches or dinners.
- Use a jarred salsa with plenty of juices instead of something without a lot of liquid like pico de gallo.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen
This yummy pulled chicken has the perfect amount of spice and is perfect for tacos or burritos.