Weeknight Tacos · Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos
Chicken, salsa and spices go in the slow cooker in the morning and shred into juicy taco filling by dinner. Great for a crowd or a week of lunches.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 4 hr
- Total
- 4 hr 15 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
- Chicken
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 ½ cups salsa, mild or medium, jarred
- 1 tbsp chili powder
Swaps for chili powder
Instead of chili powder
- Homemade blend: For 1 tbsp: 1½ tsp paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp dried oregano, a pinch of cayenne. Close; adjust the cayenne for heat.
- Ancho chile powder: The same amount, plus a pinch of cumin. Smokier and fruitier, mild heat.
- 1 tsp ground cumin
Swaps for ground cumin
Instead of cumin
- Ground coriander: The same amount. Brighter and citrusy, less earthy.
- Chili powder: Twice as much. Contains cumin, plus chile heat and garlic.
- Caraway seeds, ground: Half as much. A related flavor, a bit sharper.
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Swaps for garlic powder
Instead of garlic
- Fresh garlic: 1 clove for each ⅛ tsp powder, minced fine. Sharper and stronger.
- Granulated garlic: About twice as much as the powder. The same flavor in coarser grains, which blend better into rubs.
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
Swaps for kosher salt
Instead of salt
- Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
- Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.
- 1 lime, juiced
- To serve
- 12 small flour or corn tortillas, warmed
- shredded lettuce, diced onion, cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges
Cooking for a crowd? Pans, timing and salt for 12 to 50.
Missing something? Tap Swaps next to an ingredient, or see all substitutions.
Cook to 165°F inside (check with a thermometer).
Steps
- Stir the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt together and sprinkle it over both sides of the chicken.
- Lay the chicken in the slow cooker and pour the salsa over the top.
- Cover and cook on LOW (or 2 to 3 hours on HIGH) until the chicken is tender and reads 165°F (74°C) in the thickest piece.165°F⏱ Slow cook (LOW): 4 hr
- Move the chicken to a cutting board andit with two forks.
shred (how to shred)
Shred Pull cooked meat (or cabbage and other vegetables) into thin strands. 1. Let cooked meat cool just until you can handle it, and take out any bones.2. Hold the piece in place with one fork.3. Drag a second fork through it, following the grain, so it pulls apart in strands.4. Toss the strands with a spoonful of the cooking juices so they stay moist. Done when: The meat pulls apart with almost no effort. If it fights you, it needs more cooking time. Safety: Meat straight from the pot holds steam inside; open it up and let it cool for a few minutes first.How to shred cooked meat with two forks: mistakes to avoid - Return the chicken to the slow cooker, add the lime juice and stir it into the sauce.
- Cover and let the chicken soak up the sauce on the WARM or LOW setting.⏱ Soak: 10 min
- Pile the chicken into warm tortillas with a slotted spoon and add your toppings.
Tap an underlined word for how to do it, or see all techniques.
Tips
- Thighs stay juicier over long cooking than breasts. Breasts can dry out if left much past 4 hours on LOW.
- Use the filling for burrito bowls, quesadillas or nachos.
- Use a separate cutting board for raw poultry, and wash hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water after handling it. Don't rinse raw chicken; it only spreads germs around the sink.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours, up to 4 days. Freeze in its sauce up to 3 months.
Make ahead
Shred and refrigerate up to 4 days; reheat in a covered skillet until steaming (165°F).
Cook once, eat twice: Double it (12 servings instead of 6), eat half and freeze the other half. It keeps 3 months frozen, by the storage note above. Print a freezer label · More freezer meals
How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage.
Quick answers
- Can I freeze it?
Yes. Freeze in its sauce up to 3 months.
- What can I swap?
- Instead of chili powder: Homemade blend.
- Instead of cumin: Ground coriander, the same amount.
Answered from this recipe's own storage, make-ahead and swap notes.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 510 2,130 kJ
- Protein
- 39 g
- Carbohydrates
- 55 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugars
- 7 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Saturated fat
- 4.5 g
- Sodium
- 1,580 mg
Whole recipe, 6 servings: about 3,070 calories.
Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 8 of 8 ingredients.
How we estimate
We add up USDA FoodData Central values for each measured ingredient as written and divide by the recipe's 6 servings, so changing the servings or units here doesn't change a serving. Brands, swaps, trimming and cooking all change the real numbers.
Not counted: shredded lettuce, diced onion, cilantro… (to taste or as needed).
Estimated cost
About $2.55 a serving
About $15.25 for the recipe as written (6 servings).
Estimate; prices vary by store and region. U.S. average prices for September 2026 from BLS Average Price Data and USDA ERS Purchase to Plate prices updated with the BLS Consumer Price Index. Priced: 4 of 8 ingredients, 99% by weight.
How we estimate
Each measured ingredient is weighed as in the nutrition estimate and priced at the U.S. average: BLS's average price where BLS publishes one, else USDA ERS's Purchase to Plate price for 2017-18 raised to September 2026 with the CPI for that food group. Whole packages, store brands, sales and regions all change the real cost: treat it as a ballpark.
- boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts $8.40 BLS
- small flour or corn tortillas $3.70 ERS
- salsa $2.75 ERS
- lime $0.35 ERS
Not priced (no official average price we can match, so not in the total): chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, kosher salt.
Not counted: shredded lettuce, diced onion, cilantro… (optional, or to taste).
More dishes for less: cheap eats.
Goes well with
Picked by our pairing rules: the same kind of kitchen, room in the oven and on the stove, ready in time, and a balance of starch, vegetables and richness.
- Side Broiled Street-Style Corn with Cotija and Lime 30 min Both Mexican and Latin. The oven and stove are free while the slow cooker does the main. Ready in 30 min, inside the main's 4 hr 15 min.
- Side Creamy Classic Coleslaw 40 min No cooking: make it while the main cooks. Ready in 40 min, inside the main's 4 hr 15 min.
- Dessert New York-Style Cheesecake 9 hr 55 min Make it ahead, so it's ready when dinner is.
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Cleanup score 5/5 (very easy cleanup): 1 thing to wash, slow cooker. More one-pot recipes.
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