Crock Pot Salsa Chicken is juicy, tender, and easy too — all you need is chicken, salsa, and taco seasoning. Use the shredded chicken in tacos, nachos, salads and more!
They say everybody should have a topic they could give a 5 minute presentation on with zero preparation. Well I have two:
- Why the 2019 version of the movie Little Women is vastly inferior to the 1994 version. (This is a hill I’m willing to die on.)
- How to properly cook chicken breasts in the crock pot so they come out juicy and tender, versus tough, dry and chalky.
Actually, I only need a few seconds to tell you the best way to slow cook chicken breasts is with seasonings, a little liquid, and 4 hours on LOW heat.
Enter Crock Pot Salsa Chicken, ie the most tender, succulent, and easy crock pot chicken recipe that’s so flavorful and versatile you’ll come back to it over and over again!
Healthy + Easy Crock Pot Chicken Recipe
Crock Pot Salsa Chicken is a healthy and simple dish that requires less than 5 minutes of prep time, and can be used in endless ways. Gluten free, dairy free, low carb, and low fat too, it’s shockingly tasty. This is one of those recipes where you look at the ingredients and think, “yeah, I’m sure that’ll taste fine“, then it turns out so much better than you imagined.
Behold, the magic of slow cooker salsa chicken!
I also love that this is a recipe where you add everything into the crock pot then press “on”. No extra cooking steps needed. At the end of the slow cooking process, the chicken breasts practically melt into shreds with the help of two forks. SO GOOD!
Ingredients Needed
All you need are three main ingredients to get this easy crock pot recipe on the table:
- Chicken breasts. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are the name of the game. You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs as well — or a mixture of the two. The USDA does not recommend slow cooking frozen chicken breasts — they must be thawed first.
- Salsa. I’d normally recommend my fresh, homemade Restaurant-Style Salsa but it’s perfectly fine to use your favorite jarred salsa for a long and slow-cooked dish like this. I like Clint’s Salsa.
- Taco seasoning. Spice cupboard staples including chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and a pinch of dried oregano flavor the chicken. Feel free to use a packet of store-bought taco seasoning, or a couple scoops of my Large Batch Taco Homemade Seasoning instead.
You’ll also need a crock pot, of course! I love my 6-quart Crock Pot for the job.
How to Use Shredded Salsa Chicken
The magic question — “How can I use the shredded salsa chicken?” This is an extremely versatile recipe and there are endless ways to use it. Here are some ideas:
- Nachos: dollop tortilla chips with shredded chicken and cheese then melt in the oven and load with your favorite toppings.
- Tacos: fill crunchy taco shells with shredded chicken, cheese, and toppings.
- Enchiladas: use the flavorful salsa chicken as the filling in Chicken Enchiladas.
- Burritos: roll salsa chicken with cooked rice, beans, salsa, and cheese in your favorite large tortilla.
- Tostadas: toast corn tortillas then spread with Creamy Pinto Beans, the shredded salsa chicken, and shredded cheese. Melt then dollop with guacamole and drizzle with lime juice.
- Soups: add the tex-mex chicken to Restaurant-Style Chicken Tortilla Soup to save yourself a step.
- Salads: chill the shredded chicken then add to lettuce with shredded cheese, black beans, tomatoes, green onions, and tortilla strips to make Southwest Salads. Serve with a mixture of equal parts salsa and ranch dressing.
- Burrito Bowls: pair the shredded chicken with cilantro lime rice, black beans, and fresh fixins to create your own custom burrito bowl.
- Quesadillas: pair with shredded cheese and tortillas then crisp to a golden crunch. Dip in a mixture of equal parts salsa and guacamole.
#1 Secret for Perfect Slow Cooker Chicken
I didn’t want to bury the lead so I let you in on my secret for cooking perfect chicken breasts in the crock pot above — but it’s worth repeating:
Boneless chicken breasts ONLY NEED TO COOK FOR 4 HOURS ON LOW in the crock pot. If you’re using monster chicken breasts that are over 1/2lb each, simply cut them in half, but still — again — they only need to be cooked for 4 hours on low.
If you’ve ever cooked chicken in the crock pot and they shredded into tiny, tough little pieces that resembled saw dust, that’s because the chicken was overcooked. Using my method of seasonings, a little liquid, and 4 hours on low, the chicken will become beautiful, long, and luscious shreds.
I can’t wait for you to try this recipe!
Add Salsa Chicken to Cheese Enchiladas!
How to Make Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
Step 1: Add the ingredients to the crock pot.
To a 6-quart Crock Pot, add the chicken breasts, a jar of salsa, and taco seasoning blend.
Step 2: Stir to combine then slow cook.
Stir the ingredients to combine then cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours. Alternatively, you can slow cook the chicken on HIGH for 2 hours if you’re in a rush, though 4 hours on low is my go-to (in case that wasn’t abundantly clear by now, LOL!)
At the end of the cooking process the slow cooker will look like it has a ton of liquid inside. Shred the chicken breasts with two forks, and the chicken will absorb nearly all of the cooking liquid.
Step 3: Use the shredded chicken.
Whether your looking to make shredded chicken nachos, or meal prep the salsa chicken to make burrito bowls or salads for lunches all week — the chicken is ready to be used as soon as its cooked!
How to Store and Freeze
Thrilled to tell you that crockpot salsa chicken freezes beautifully AND makes amazing freezer meal kits that are great for families with new babies, illnesses, etc. Here are the details:
- To store: cool the shredded chicken then scoop into an airtight container with a lid and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- To freeze: cool the shredded chicken then scoop into a gallon-size freezer bag, remove the air, seal, and freeze flat for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- To make freezer meal packs: add the uncooked ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag then remove the air, seal, and freeze flat for up to 6 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before following recipe directions.
No matter how you eat this luscious salsa chicken recipe, I hope you love each and every bite — enjoy!
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Description
Crock Pot Salsa Chicken is juicy, tender, and easy too — all you need is chicken, salsa, and taco seasoning! Use the shredded chicken in tacos, nachos, salads and more!
Ingredients
- 2lbs chicken breasts
- 16oz jar salsa
- For the Homemade Taco Seasoning:
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Directions
- Place chicken breasts into the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot then sprinkle on Homemade Taco Seasoning ingredients and pour in salsa. Stir to combine then cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours, or until the chicken shreds easily with two forks. The shredded chicken will soak up the cooking liquid as it sits.
- Use as desired.
Notes
- I like Clint’s Mild Salsa, which is gluten free.
- You may use 2 Tablespoons of my Large Batch Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix in place of the blend listed above.
- Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs — or a mixture of these and chicken breasts — to equal 2lbs.
- To store: cool the shredded chicken then scoop into a storage container with an airtight lid and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- To freeze: cool the shredded chicken then scoop into a gallon-size freezer bag, remove the air, seal, and freeze flat for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- To make freezer meal packs: add the uncooked ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag then remove the air, seal, and freeze flat for up to 6 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before following recipe directions.
How to use the shredded salsa chicken:
- Nachos: dollop tortilla chips with shredded chicken and cheese then melt in the oven and load up with your favorite toppings.
- Tacos: fill crunchy taco shells with shredded chicken then add your toppings.
- Enchiladas: use the flavorful salsa chicken as the filling in Chicken Enchiladas.
- Burritos: roll salsa chicken with cooked rice, beans, salsa, and cheese in your favorite large tortilla.
- Tostadas: toast corn tortillas then spread with Creamy Pinto Beans, the shredded salsa chicken, and shredded cheese. Melt then dollop with guacamole.
- Soups: add the tex-mex chicken to Restaurant-Style Chicken Tortilla Soup to save yourself a step.
- Salads: chill the shredded chicken then add to lettuce with shredded cheese, black beans, tomatoes, green onions, and tortilla strips. Serve with a mixture of equal parts salsa and ranch dressing.
- Burrito Bowls: pair the shredded chicken with cilantro lime rice, black beans, and all the fresh fixins.
- Quesadillas: pair with shredded cheese and tortillas then crisp to a golden crunch. Dip in a mixture of equal parts salsa and guacamole.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
