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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.

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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
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ¾ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 lime, juiced

To serve

  • 12 small flour or corn tortillas, warmed
  • shredded lettuce, diced onion, cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges

Cook to 165°F inside (check with a thermometer).

Steps

  1. Stir the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt together and sprinkle it over both sides of the chicken.
  2. Lay the chicken in the slow cooker and pour the salsa over the top.
  3. 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.
  4. Move the chicken to a cutting board and shred it with two forks.
  5. Return the chicken to the slow cooker, add the lime juice and stir it into the sauce.
  6. Cover and let the chicken soak up the sauce on the WARM or LOW setting.
  7. Pile the chicken into warm tortillas with a slotted spoon and add your toppings.

Tip: Thighs stay juicier over long cooking than breasts. Breasts can dry out if left much past 4 hours on LOW.

Tip: Use the filling for burrito bowls, quesadillas or nachos.

Tip: 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).

Estimated nutrition per serving: 510 calories · protein 39 g · carbohydrates 55 g · fiber 6 g · sugars 7 g · fat 14 g (saturated 4.5 g) · sodium 1,580 mg. Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 8 of 8 ingredients.