This crockpot salsa chicken recipe is both delicious and ridiculously easy, plus, I’ve got three simple recipes for how to use it. A tasty slow-cooker shredded chicken can be used for so many dishes, but below you will find recipes for a take on tortilla soup, cheesy shredded chicken tacos, and a shredded chicken burrito bowl.
Jump to Chicken Recipe
This crockpot chicken recipe could not be any easier. Place a few ingredients in the crockpot then cover and cook for a few hours. Salsa, diced tomatoes, chicken breasts, and some seasoning, are all you need. Perfect to prep on over the weekend so you have some healthy, quick meals during the week. Below you will find a few of my favorite ways to enjoy this chicken. In fact, when I prep this chicken, I have enough for all these meals so dinner for at least three nights is covered.
Crockpot Salsa Chicken
Equipment
- 1 crockpot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breast this is roughly 4 large chicken breasts. you can do 5 if you end up with an extra
- 1 12oz salsa jar, milk you use a little more or less depending on the salsa you use. Use a runny salsa, not chunky.
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- In the bowl of a crockpot, pour in the salsa, tomatoes, and seasoning. Give it a good stir.
- Layer in the chicken and toss around to get it all covered.
- Put the lid on and cook on high for 3 hours, until chicken is cooked through. Or cook on low for about 5 hours.
- Take the chicken out once it's cooked and shred it. Place back in the crockpot, turn the heat off, cover, and let sit in the salsa mix for at least 30 minutes. I just let it cook in the pot with the sauce before storing it.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
First up is this chicken tortilla soup. Or at least my take on one. One of my favorite ways to use slow-cooker shredded chicken. I simply saute some onion, garlic, and zucchini. I add some taco seasoning, a can of diced tomatoes, and broth. Blend a couple of cups of the soup mix with 2 corn tortillas then add that back to the soup to thicken it. I then add about 2 cups of the chicken. If this is the last meal I make with the prepped chicken then I just add whatever is left, usually a little more than 2 cups. Stir, let simmer, then serve and add your favorite toppings like sour cream, avocado, and of course some fresh tortilla chips for scooping.
Cheesy Shredded Chicken Tacos
Ok, next up we have cheesy shredded chicken tacos. Everyone in my family loves them! And I love that they are not only delicious but also so easy. Heat up a tortilla and melt some cheese on top, I’m partial to smaller flour tortillas, then add some of the shredded chicken. Two tips: 1) heat the chicken before stuffing the tortillas and 2) Use a slotted spoon so you can let the liquid drip out. Too much liquid is going to give you a soggy tortilla. Now that the tortilla is warm, the cheese is melted, and the chicken is stuffed inside, add your toppings. I keep these simple with some shredded iceberg lettuce and sour cream. So delicious!
Shredded Chicken Burrito Bowls
Lastly, we have shredded chicken burrito bowls. These are so customizable. For myself and my husband, I add plenty of veggies like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and fresh herbs. For these kiddos, it’s really about rice, beans, and chicken. And we all love our bowls topped with cheese and guacamole. Cook some white rice, or cauliflower rice. I like to add a squeeze of lime and cilantro too. I also warm some black beans and chop some iceberg lettuce. Iceberg gets a bad wrap but it’s the best option for bowls. Then layer up your bowl and add some toppings!
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Tips for the slow cooker chicken
- This recipe makes enough for all three recipes. If you aren’t cooking for a few people, cut the recipe in half.
- I cook this for 3 hours on high, but you can cook on low for about 5 hours too.
- I keep this very simple with salsa and tomatoes with seasoning, but you can add beans too.
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