You can prepare delicious chicken tacos or nachos with just three ingredients, a slow cooker, and five minutes of prep time. Cook the chicken for several hours, shred it, and cook for another hour. Serve this tender chicken taco meat as tacos, nachos, or other Mexican dishes.
🐓Ingredients
Chicken—skinless boneless chicken breasts
Salsa—or RoTel®️
Taco seasoning
Optional additions—black beans, frozen corn
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🐓Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Make Chicken Tacos in a Crock Pot—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- 🤔When is the chicken ready to shred
- 🐓Chicken options—breasts, thighs, and rotisserie
- 🥣Salsa notes
- 🌮Taco seasoning
- 🤔Optional ingredients
- ♨️Crock pot and recipe size
- 🍽️Using chicken taco meat
- ❄️How to store leftovers
- ❓FAQs
- 👨🍳Jump to Recipe
Featured Comment by Patty:
"Another recipe winner! I made these tonight and served with warm corn tortillas. These were a hit at my football gathering. Thanks again, Dr. D!"
This easy and delicious crock pot chicken tacos recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. Add all the ingredients to your crock pot and let it cook while you go about your day.
Excellent Mexican food is always in demand at my house. However, I prefer to cook once and eat several times, so I love recipes that produce four servings—enough for several meals. But, it is also easy to make a half recipe for only two servings in a 2-quart crock pot or double the recipe for the freezer.
For other Tex-Mex recipes, you will also love, check out Fiesta Chicken, Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Beef, The Best Taco Soup, The Best Ground Beef Taco Meat, Easy Mexican Rice, and Easy Taco Casserole.
👨🍳How to Make Chicken Tacos in a Crock Pot—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Mix salsa in a crock pot with taco seasoning.
2. Nestle the chicken breast into the crock pot and spread the mixture over the breasts.
3. Cook on low until 165°—about 4 hours. Remove an shred.
4. Mix the chicken back into the liquid. Add optional black beans or corn if using.
5. Cook for one more hour.
6. Serve in tacos or spread over nacho chips and top as desired.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
🤔When is the chicken ready to shred
Chicken needs to be fully cooked before shredding. Most crock pots can cook whole chicken breasts to 165° on low in about 4 hours, while on high, it takes about half the time.
Please remove the chicken and shred it when the chicken is cooked. Then return the shredded chicken to cook a bit longer and pick up seasoning and flavors.
You can overcook chicken breasts, and they will come out dry and tough. I suggest low since a few crock pots tend to run very hot on high. You can use high, but watch the chicken breast temperature.
🐓Chicken options—breasts, thighs, and rotisserie
This recipe calls for raw, skinless, boneless chicken breasts, but you can also use chicken thighs. Both will cook well in the crock pot. Thighs should be cooked to 180° for tenderness, so they may take a bit longer.
Rotisserie chicken or other precooked chicken can be used. Two skinless, boneless chicken breasts will make 3-4 cups of shredded chicken. Add the taco seasoning and cook for only one hour.
🥣Salsa notes
You can use any salsa you like. I suggest a chunky salsa; you can add more heat with spices if needed.
You can use Rotel®️ instead of salsa. If you use Rotel, it comes in 10 oz cans, and I suggest draining off an ounce or two of liquid.
🌮Taco seasoning
The easiest spicing is one package of taco seasoning. While it is quick and easy, homemade seasoning is better.
I have provided a homemade version with more flavor that uses chili, garlic, and onion powder, plus cumin, salt, and pepper. It is also adjustable to your taste,
To adjust the heat, first, your choice of salsa will affect the spiciness. Choose the heat level you want. Second, you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper, or if using a package,
🤔Optional ingredients
Add about 1 cup of frozen corn or rinsed black beans with the shredded chicken for the last hour of cooking.
♨️Crock pot and recipe size
This recipe makes about 5 cups of chicken taco meat for 4 servings. It will cook fine in a 2-quart crock pot, but you may need to cut the chicken in half to fit in the bottom of the mini crock pot. I generally use a small 3 to 4-quart crock pot. You can cook in a larger pot, but it may cook faster.
A half recipe for only two servings of taco meat will fit in a 1-quart crock pot. However, be aware that micro 1-quart crock pots may have temperature control issues, so be sure to cook on low and check the temperature early with an instant-read thermometer.
A double recipe needs a 3 ½ quart slow cooker minimum. A triple recipe needs a 5-quart crock pot.
🍽️Using chicken taco meat
You can make soft tacos in flour or corn tortillas or fill a crunchy taco shell.
We generally make nachos. Spread corn chips on a plate, top with shredded chicken taco meat, and cover with cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a good Mexican cheese blend. Then, melt the cheese in a microwave for a minute. Add toppings to finish your delicious dinner.
Diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, salsa, pico de gallo, shredded cheese of your choice, guacamole or chopped avocados, sour cream, hot sauce, or cilantro are commonly used toppings for tacos or nachos.
You can also use the chicken taco meat in burritos or enchiladas. Or top a salad, baked potato, or rice bowl.
❄️How to store leftovers
Just refrigerate covered for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave. To freeze, seal in an airtight container and freeze for 3-4 months—Thaw before reheating.
❓FAQs
No, it is not safe to cook frozen chicken in a crock pot. The USDA strongly advises against it for safety concerns. The frozen chicken may take too long to reach a safe internal temperature leading to a potentially for foodborne illness.
It is not needed. Raw chicken may be cooked safely in a crock pot without brown. You may brown if you wish and it will and some flavor with a Maillard reaction.
👨🍳Jump to Recipe
Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
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Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts - medium size
- 8 oz Salsa - or RoTel
- 1 package premixed taco seasoning
Spices to Replace Packagd Taco Seasoning- Recommended
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Optional Additions
- ½ cup drained black beans
- ½ cup frozen corn
Instructions
- Start with two medium-size, skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
- In a smaller 2-quart or larger crock pot, mix 1 cup of salsa or Rotel with one envelope of premade taco seasoning. Alternatively, use homemade taco seasoning: 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Nestle the chicken breasts into the crock pot and spread the mixture over them. You can cut the chicken breasts to help them fit into the bottom of the crock pot.
- Cook on low for about 5 hours. About 4 hours into the cooking, if the chicken is 165°, remove the breasts, place them on a chopping board, and shred them with forks. If they are not 165°, cook longer before shredding.
- Mix the chicken back into the liquid. If there is too much liquid, remove some and leave the crock pot lid ajar to vent moisture. If you use black beans or corn, add them. Cook for one more hour.
- Serve in tacos or spread over nacho chips and top as desired.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- This recipe requires a 2-quart or larger crock pot. The recipe post discusses the crock pot and recipe size.
- You can use chicken thighs for this, but they shred better if cooked to 180°.
- If using precooked rotisserie chicken, use 3-4 cups to replace the 2 chicken breasts. Cooking time goes from 5 hours to only one hour.
- The corn and black beans are optional and should be added along with the shredded chicken.
- If using Rotel, drain out about 2 oz of liquid before adding.
- Good refrigerated for 4 days and frozen for 4 months.
- Nutrition analysis is for meat only and doesn't include chips or toppings.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally Published September 13, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Mary says
Another outstanding easy recipe! Thank you for studying and doing the homework. I do read your recipes, methods and explanations b4 I make them exact. Seems like you cover it all and questions would be redundant if read. Thank you!
Nancy says
very good
Lili says
Was great for nachos!
Valerie Vincent says
Looking forward to making this, this week. What kind of cheese do you recommend?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Valerie
Welcome to the blog.
I usually use a Mexican blend or Monterey.
Dan
Leslie says
Plan on making tomorrow (dumb question), can I always use frozen chicken breasts for crock pot recipes or just this one? I always thought you had to use thawed or seared meat before putting in crock pot.
Patty says
Another recipe winner! I made these tonight and served with warm corn tortillas. These were a hit at my football gathering. Thanks again, Dr. D!
DrDan says
Thanks Patty.
Dan