The easiest recipe for Crockpot Chicken Tacos! Let your slow cooker do the work for dinner tonight and enjoy delicious shredded chicken tacos!
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When you want an easy, yummy dinner but don’t have time to cook – these Crockpot Chicken Tacos are the solution!
Rather than grilling or pan searing chicken, let your crockpot do all the work! These Shredded Chicken Tacos are full of flavor and great with tortillas, in a salad, or even plain over rice!
Making Chicken Tacos in the crockpot can save you tons of time and can easily feed a crowd with little to no work!
Crockpot Chicken Tacos
If you love easy,healthy crockpot meals, try these Crockpot Chicken Fajitas and Salsa Verde Chicken next!
why we love this recipe
There is a lot to love about this shredded chicken tacos recipe:
- Easy to make –This is such an easy recipe because you just layer the ingredients in yourslow cooker, shred the chicken, and enjoy!
- Simple Ingredients –You probably already have everything you need to make thesecrockpot chicken tacos in your fridge and pantry!
- Great for meal prep –Theseshredded chicken tacos are such a healthy addition to yourweekly meal prepbecause they are so versatile and reheat very well! See our favorite ways to eat this shredded chicken below.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
To make chicken tacos in crockpot, you’ll need:
- chicken breasts
- chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder
- salsa
- limes
- chicken broth
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded box.
This is our favorite crockpot for these shredded chicken tacos.
Taco Seasoning Substitute
We always make our own taco seasoning! It’s super easy and cheap to make yourself We like this taco seasoning if you’re looking for a store-bought brand. It has no preservatives, and it’s delicious!
Chicken Breast or Thighs – Which is Better for Slow Cooking?
You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs in this recipe – it’s totally up to you! Chicken thighs have a little bit more fat, so they become super tender in the crockpot.
Chicken breasts also become very tender in the crockpot. Both chicken breasts and chicken thighs will soak up the salsa/broth in this recipe and be full of flavor – so it’s totally personal preference on which cut you use.
Chicken thighs are higher in fat, so they might be a little greasier!
Making Chicken Tacos in a Crockpot – Tips for Success
It’s so easy to make chicken tacos in your crockpot. Here are our top 3 tips for making sure they come out perfect!
- Cook the chicken on low, not high – Yes, if you’re in a pinch you can set your crockpot to high, but we really recommend cooking on low! Cooking on low can help your chicken get fall apart tender while cooking on high could give you dry chicken.
- Make sure the chicken is covered in salsa/broth– Most of the chicken should be submerged in the crockpot while it’s cooking. This will help the chicken get tender!
- Return the chicken to the pot after shredding– You’ll want to add your shredded chicken back to the pot after cooking so it can soak up all the juices/flavor!
Easy Ways to Shred Chicken
Pro Tip for shredding chicken: Shred it in your stand mixer! This is so much easier than shredding with 2 forks. Just place cooked chicken breasts in your stand mixer and use the paddle attachment on low. Your chicken will be shredded in no time!
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS
Chicken Breasts: You can substitute with boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenders.
Spices: You can substitute taco seasoning for the spices! It’s super easy and cheap to make yourself! We like this taco seasoning if you’re looking for a store-bought brand. It has no preservatives, and it’s delicious!
Salsa: You can use red or green salsa, but I prefer red. If you prefer green salsa, try this Chicken Salsa Verde.
Lime: In a pinch, you can use lime juice, but fresh squeezed limes are so much better!
Broth:Broth and stock are the same thing! You can use anybrothor stock interchangeably.Beef Broth,Chicken Broth, or vegetable broth all work interchangeably. I always use low or no salt broth.
How to Serve Chicken Tacos:
These chicken tacos are really versatile. We like them on tortillas with a little bit of guacamole or corn salsa.
You can also serve them in bowls with cooked rice, salsa and veggies (I did this for meal prep the other day and it was great!)
They’re delicious with cheese, onions, or your other favorite taco toppings on top!
Storing Leftover Taco Meat
Storing: Crockpot chicken taco meat will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freezing Cooked Shredded Chicken
Freezing: You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. We like these containers for freezing! You can also place the chicken in ziploc bags and freeze flat.
If you need more freezer friendly recipes check out our Fill Your Freezer Ebook with 22 easy freezer meals!
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave, toaster oven or on the stove. We recommend heating in a pan on the stove top with a little bit of olive oil!
Healthy Chicken Tacos Recipe FAQ
Which cut of chicken is best for shredding?
Chicken breasts and chicken thighs both shred well. Chicken thighs are a little bit fattier so they may be more tender.
Are chicken tacos healthy?
Chicken tacos are healthy! Chicken is high in protein and low in fat compared to beef tacos. You can add veggies to chicken tacos to make them a complete meal!
How do you keep shredded chicken taco meat moist?
The key to keeping shredded chicken taco meat moist is to store it in the juices it is cooked in. Make sure not to discard the salsa/broth while shredding the chicken. Store it all together in a container.
Other healthy crockpot recipes:
Love your crockpot? Check out these 40+ Healthy Crockpot Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy crockpot cookbook.
- Crockpot Whole Chicken
- Crockpot Wings
- Salsa Verde Chicken
- Crock Pot Turkey Breast
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
Crockpot Chicken Tacos
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The easiest recipe for Crockpot Chicken Tacos! Let your slow cooker do the work for dinner tonight and enjoy delicious shredded chicken tacos!
Prep Time : 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time : 6 hours hours
Total Time : 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
Serves : 6 4 oz portions
(hover over # to adjust)
PRINTRATE
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup salsa you can use red or green salsa, but I prefer red
- Juice of 2 limes – optional
- 1/2 cup chicken broth low or no salt or water
Instructions
Place your chicken breasts in your crockpot insert. Cover the chicken with seasonings. Place salsa on top of chicken. Sprinkle lime juice on top (optional)
Add chicken broth to the crockpot insert. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours (recommended!) or high for 3-4 hours. We don’t recommend cooking on high, chicken breasts are better cooked low and slow!
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the crockpot and shred with 2 forks on a cutting board or you can use a stand mixer or hand mixer (don’t use a hand mixer directly in your crockpot as it can chip the enamel).
Return the chicken to the crockpot insert to soak up the juices.
Serve with your favorite taco toppings.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Amount Per Serving (4 oz cooked chicken)
Calories 191Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 0.02g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 97mg32%
Sodium 466mg20%
Potassium 701mg20%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 33g66%
Vitamin A 521IU10%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 26mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. This is an estimate and can vary pending your ingredients
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