These Crock Pot Chicken Tacos are a breeze to prepare, making them a perfect weeknight meal for the whole family. With just FIVE simple ingredients plus your slow cooker, you'll have juicy, flavorful chicken perfect for tacos ready for dinner with minimal effort!
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Tacos are a classic Mexican favorite. They don't call it Taco Tuesday for nothing, after all. While traditional spicy beef tacos are great, I like to switch things up with this seasoned crock pot shredded chicken tacos! They're a great Mexican chicken dish perfect for weeknight meals or parties.
I love the ease of this shredded chicken tacos recipe. Just toss chicken breasts, salsa, seasonings, and green chilies into the slow cooker in the morning, and by dinnertime, you'll have juicy, flavorful chicken perfect for taco night.
Plus, the leftover chicken is versatile-it's great in burritos, nachos, salads, wraps, casseroles, or soups for a tasty twist. For more shredded chicken crock pot recipes, try my southwest chicken, slow cooker bbq chicken and spicy chicken soup.
Why You'll Love This Crock Pot Chicken Tacos Recipe
- Short Ingredient List: This recipe uses a total of five ingredients. That's it! Even better, they're all easy to find at just about any grocery store.
- Easy: The prep for this recipe is simple. Mix everything together and let the crock pot do all the heavy lifting.
- Versatile: The shredded chicken taco meat is great for tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, sandwiches, sliders, and more. You're going to be hoping for leftovers!
- Great for Meal Prepping: It freezes great and you can use it to make a wide variety of dishes.
Ingredients
Here's a look at the ingredients you need to make chicken tacos crock pot but you can find their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Chicken Breasts: Use skinless and boneless chicken breasts to keep the prep simple. If you prefer chicken thighs, they work equally well but may take a bit longer to cook.
- Salsa: The salsa infuses the chicken with flavor and creates a simple sauce for cooking the chicken in. Use green or red salsa and any heat level you prefer.
- Taco Seasoning: Using packaged taco seasoning is the easiest way to add that signature taco flavor to your chicken. Use your favorite brand or you can make it homemade as well.
- Diced Green Chilies: Diced green chilies add a kick of earthy flavor and slight heat to the chicken.
Variations
- Spicy Kick: For a spicier flavor, you can use diced jalapenos instead of the green chilies.
- Add Veggies: Bulk up the chicken by adding a cup of drained corn and drained and rinsed black beans.
- Fajita Style: Add sliced onions and bell peppers to the slow cooker to cook with the chicken for a fajita-style chicken tacos.
How To Make Chicken Tacos in the Crock Pot
- Step 1: Load up the slow cooker. Add the chicken to the bottom of the slow cooker and pour all the other ingredients over the top.
- Step 2: Cook. Cook on low heat until the chicken is very tender.
- Step 3: Shred it. Use two forks to pull the chicken apart into shreds.
- Step 4: Serve and enjoy. Add the chicken to tortillas and pile on your favorite toppings!
Serving Suggestions
No taco is complete without its tasty toppings! In our house, we like to serve the shredded chicken up with bowls of assorted taco toppings so everyone can make their own!
- Tortillas (corn or flour): The base for your taco masterpiece and both work great
- Shredded cheese: Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a blend for a creamy touch.
- Chopped lettuce and diced tomatoes: Freshness is key! Don't buy canned or pre-shredded!
- Sliced avocado or guacamole: For a bit of creamy indulgence.
- Chopped onion and cilantro: Aromatic and vibrant. White onions are my go-to with any Mexican dish.
- Lime wedges and sour cream: Classic taco companions.
- Jalapenos: For some spice!
Pair your tacos with fresh sides! Here are some of our favorites!
- For parties,this bean dip or street corn dip with tortilla chips is a great way to kick things off! If you prefer things cheesy, you can't go wrong with our Velveeta cheese dip.
- Beans are always the perfect pair for tacos. Enjoy some classic refried beans or these crock pot pinto beans are hearty, filling, and easily customized with your favorite spices.
Don't forget you can also use the shredded chicken to make a quick batch of baked chicken tacos, taco bowls, quesadillas, nachos, and burritos too!
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store in an air-tight container for up to three days once the chicken is fully cooled.
- Freezer: Store in an air-tight, freezer-safe container for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. When making a large batch I like to separate it into smaller portions so I can just defrost the exact amount we need for dinner.
- Reheat: To reheat the chicken, microwave it covered until heated through. You can also reheat it in a non-stick skillet on the stove with a small amount of liquid added to prevent it from drying out.
Expert Tips
- Shredding the Chicken. It's easier to shred the chicken when it's warm. But be sure to use a bit of caution since the chicken is hot. Use forks to pull the chicken apart either in the slow cooker or you can remove the chicken to a plate if it's easier.
- Tender Chicken. Cook low and slow for the most tender results! It's tempting to use high temperature to speed things along, but over time I've found letting it cook a bit longer at a lower temperature is better.
- Mild Tacos. If you don't like spice in your tacos or serving for kids, completely omit the diced green chilies and use a mild salsa.
Recipe FAQs
The great thing about a crock pot is that you never have to guess. Since the chicken cooks for so long, it's not about how done it is - it's about how tender it is. For shredded chicken like this, the breasts are done when they easily shred with a fork.
Moisture is important to crock pot meals because of the long cooking time and low heat. Placing the meat on the bottom of a crock pot keeps it adequately hydrated from the wet ingredients placed on top of it.
More Favorite Taco Recipes
Did you make these crock pot chicken tacos? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below. Then follow me on Facebook and Pinterest! Share your favorite recipes or ask questions in my Facebook Group.
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 medium chicken breasts)
- 1 (16 oz.) jar of your favorite salsa
- 1 (1.5 oz.) packet of taco seasoning
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Cover with salsa and sprinkle taco seasoning, black pepper, and green chilies over the top.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hour or on high for 2½-3 hours. When done cooking shred the chicken with two forks and stir into the sauce.
- Serve on tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Notes
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.
Christy N says
So easy and so delicious! I’ll definitely be making this again!
Ryan Allen says
So glad that you liked this
Jess says
Best crockpot chicken taco recipe I’ve found! Made others that completely lacked flavor but this one is a total winner! Making it for the second time and so excited! Yum!
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Sandy says
Which salsa do you personally use for this recipe?
Ryan Allen says
I always use homemade salsa for this but. In a pinch I use mild Pace picante.
Margie says
This recipe was so easy to make and it tasted great also. I made this for my Bible study group and everyone really enjoyed it. Today I’m making it for dinner. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Ryan Allen says
Your are welcome! I am glad your group enjoyed it.
Denee says
If I double this recipe, do I need to double the cook time?
Ryan Allen says
You should not need to double the cook time. I would check the chicken to make sure it reaches 165 degrees internally.
Chase says
The tortillas you used look amazing. What did you use for the tortillas?
Ryan Allen says
I just used store-bought flour tortillas and toasted them on the flames of my gas stove.
Laurie says
Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs
Ryan Allen says
Yes, Chicken thighs work great in this recipe.
Lauren says
Can I use frozen chicken breasts?
Ryan Allen says
I don't recommend using frozen chicken breasts. It tends to a lot of liquid to the recipe.
Dorothy says
I tried this recipe, omitting the green chilies. It is a winner. My son, granddaughter, and her cousin loved it. I will be making this again. ❤️
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad you and your family enjoyed it.
Laura says
Used this recipe for a week of meal prep and it was delicious also not to mention really easy to make.
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad you enjoyed it. We make this one a lot at my house.
Kelygrn says
Very easy to make. Chicken came out nice and tender. Of course I added my own seasonings and included the taco seasoning for great flavor. Clean up was a breeze. Thank you for sharing.
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad that you enjoyed it.
Pat B. says
This chicken taco recipe is delicious! I used Bill Echols taco seasoning recipe which is quick & easy. The tacos were very spicy, so I might use less chilies next time. I served black beans & yellow rice on the side. Makes a good burrito, too. It’s definitely a keeper and going into the dinner rotation
Thank you!!
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad you enjoyed it. It is one of my family's favorites.
Diana says
This was a hit with family and friends.
Ryan Allen says
That makes me happy to hear that you all enjoyed these tasty tacos.
Jamie Johnston says
Great recipe! I filled the bottom of my crockpot with about 4 chicken breasts. Cooked on LOW and it was done in 4 hours!!! Glad I decided to check it. It tastes sooo delicious.
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad that you enjoyed it.
Samantha Comer says
Hi, im excited to try out the recipe!
The recipe says it makes 6 servings. Is that 6 tacos or is a serving 2 tacos, making it 12 tacos total for the recipe? Thanks!
Ryan Allen says
Yes, it makes six tacos if you load them up.
Amarilyn says
This is a great recipe. It will noe be my go to! I caan’y have spicy food so I omitted the peppers and it wow wtill the best recipe I’ve found .
Ryan Allen says
That makes me so happy to hear and I am glad you enjoyed it.