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These Crockpot Chicken Tacos are one of the easiest dinners to throw together on a busy night. Just add chicken, salsa, taco seasoning, tomatoes, and a few fresh extras to the slow cooker, then let it do the work. The chicken comes out tender, saucy, and easy to shred for tacos, burrito bowls, nachos, salads, or quesadillas.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“These Crock Pot Chicken Tacos have so much flavorful. Will be making them at home moving forward, they’re so much better than take out!” – Natasha
“I love a good crockpot meal so I knew I would love this recipe. So yummy, easy and full of flavor! Will be making this again!” – Andie
“Its really good for a busy week night and the leftovers freeze very well!” – Dana
Why I Love These Easy Tacos
I love this Crockpot Chicken Tacos recipe because it is the kind of meal I can start in the afternoon and not think about again until dinner. It only takes about 5 minutes to prep, and the chicken cooks right in the salsa, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, and taco seasoning so it soaks up all that flavor. Once it is shredded, I always stir it back into the juices in the crockpot so every bite stays moist and flavorful. It is perfect for taco night, but I also love using the leftovers for taco salads, nachos, enchiladas, burritos, and rice bowls.
🩷 Kelsey
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken – Boneless skinless chicken breasts shred easily and work great for this recipe.
- Taco seasoning – Use your favorite packet or homemade taco seasoning with cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Onion – White or yellow onion adds flavor as it cooks down with the chicken.
- Jalapeños – Remove the seeds for less heat, or leave them out if you want mild chicken tacos.
- Salsa – Use your favorite jarred salsa, homemade salsa, or salsa verde for a different flavor.
- Diced tomatoes with green chiles – Rotel is an easy option and adds extra saucy flavor.
- Tortillas – Flour tortillas, corn tortillas, or crunchy taco shells all work well.
- Taco toppings – Lettuce, cheese, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, lime, pico de gallo, hot sauce, and olives are all great choices.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
This recipe is really easy to adjust based on what you have in your kitchen.
- Chicken thighs – Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breasts. They are a little richer and stay very tender.
- Chicken broth – Add a splash of chicken broth if your salsa is thick or if you want a little more cooking liquid.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo – A reader suggested adding a small jar of diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for a smoky flavor.
- Extra spices – Add a little cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, or cayenne if you want more flavor than a seasoning packet gives.
- Mild version – Skip the jalapeños and use mild salsa.
- Spicy version – Use hot salsa, add extra jalapeños, or stir in a little cayenne pepper.
- Salsa verde – Swap the regular salsa for salsa verde for a tangy green chile flavor.
- No diced tomatoes – If you do not have diced tomatoes with green chiles, use extra salsa instead.
- Gluten-free option – Serve with corn tortillas, gluten-free taco shells, rice, or lettuce wraps.
- Dairy-free option – Skip the cheese and sour cream, then add avocado, pico de gallo, salsa, cilantro, and lime.
How to Make Crockpot Chicken Tacos
- Add everything to the crockpot. Spray the bottom of the crockpot with cooking spray. Add the chicken breasts, taco seasoning, onion, jalapeños, salsa, and diced tomatoes with green chiles.
- Cook until tender. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, or on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165 degrees F.
- Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred it with two forks, then add it back to the slow cooker.
- Serve with toppings. Stir the shredded chicken into the juices so it stays moist and flavorful. Serve in warm tortillas or taco shells with your favorite toppings.
Recipe Tips
- Do not skip stirring the shredded chicken back into the crockpot. The juices are where so much of the flavor is.
- Use a salsa you already like. Since salsa adds a lot of flavor, choose one that tastes good on its own.
- Warm the tortillas before serving. This makes them softer and helps keep them from cracking.
- Do not overfill your slow cooker. If doubling or tripling the recipe, make sure the crockpot is not more than about two-thirds full.
- Check the chicken temperature. Chicken should reach 165 degrees F in the thickest part.
- Use the leftovers in more than tacos. This shredded chicken is great in burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos, taco salad, and rice bowls.
- Drain if needed. If the chicken looks too saucy after shredding, leave the lid off for a bit or use tongs to serve.
- Keep the juices with leftovers. This helps the chicken stay moist when reheated.
Frequently Asked Questions
For best and safest results, I recommend thawing the chicken first. Frozen chicken can spend too much time at an unsafe temperature in the slow cooker. If you do use frozen chicken, make sure it cooks fully to 165 degrees F and plan on extra cooking time.
Yes! Boneless skinless chicken thighs work really well in this recipe. They are tender, flavorful, and shred easily. You can use all thighs or a mix of chicken breasts and thighs.
Cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. If cooking on LOW, plan on about 6 to 7 hours, depending on the size and thickness of your chicken.
Yes, this recipe doubles well. Use a larger slow cooker and make sure it is not more than about two-thirds full. The cooking time should be close to the same, but always check that the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
Absolutely. Homemade taco seasoning works great and lets you control the salt and spice level. A mix of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper works well.
Yes. Use mild salsa, skip the jalapeños, and use regular diced tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes with green chiles.
Yes. Use hot salsa, add extra jalapeños, stir in chipotle peppers in adobo, or add a little cayenne pepper.
Some of my favorites are shredded lettuce, cheese, cilantro, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, diced avocado, lime wedges, hot sauce, black olives, black beans, and diced tomatoes.
Use it for burrito bowls, nachos, enchiladas, quesadillas, taco salad, tostadas, wraps, or loaded baked potatoes.
Some salsa and chicken release more liquid than others. After shredding, stir the chicken back into the sauce and let it sit uncovered for a few minutes. You can also serve it with tongs or a slotted spoon.
Make Ahead and Storage
These Crockpot Chicken Tacos are great for meal prep because the chicken reheats well and can be used in so many different meals.
- Make ahead: Cook and shred the chicken, then store it with the juices in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat when ready to serve.
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: Let the chicken cool, then freeze it in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. Freeze it with some of the juices so it stays moist.
- Reheating: Thaw frozen chicken in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the crockpot until hot. Add a splash of broth or extra salsa if needed.
Pairing Ideas
These Crockpot Chicken Tacos go well with simple Mexican-inspired sides like Cilantro Lime Rice, Mexican Rice, refried beans, black beans, corn salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, tortilla chips, or a fresh green salad. They are also great with a fresh fruit salad or a quick corn side dish if you want to keep dinner easy.
More Crock Pot Chicken Recipes
These Crockpot Chicken Tacos are easy, flavorful, and perfect for busy weeknights. With just a few minutes of prep, the slow cooker does almost all the work, and you end up with tender shredded chicken that can be used in tacos, bowls, salads, nachos, and more. If you make this recipe, leave a comment and rating below. I love hearing how you serve it and what toppings your family likes best! 💛
Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Video
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 packet taco seasoning, or homemade taco seasoning
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 jalapeños, diced and seeds removed
- 16 ounces salsa
- 1 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chilis
- tortillas
- taco toppings
Instructions
- Spray the bottom of the crockpot with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts, taco seasoning, onion, jalapeños, salsa, and diced tomatoes with green chilis into the pot.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Remove chicken, shred it with two forks.
- Put the shredded chicken back into the pot. Stir to combine it with the sauce.
- Serve with your favorite tortillas and toppings!
Equipment
- Crock Pot or Slow Cooker
Notes
- Store leftover shredded chicken with the juices so it stays moist.
- Freeze leftovers in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen chicken in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Stir the shredded chicken back into the crockpot before serving so it can soak up the sauce.
- Use mild salsa and skip the jalapeños for less heat.
- Add chipotle peppers in adobo, hot salsa, or cayenne for more heat.
- Chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breasts.
- For best results, thaw chicken before adding it to the crockpot.
- Chicken should reach 165 degrees F before serving.
- Serve leftovers in tacos, burrito bowls, nachos, salads, quesadillas, enchiladas, or wraps.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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We add a small jar of diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to this recipe for a smokey flavor.
We also dust the chicken with extra spices before adding in all the other ingredients (just the typical spices you find in a taco mix packet).
Its really good for a busy week night and the leftovers freeze very well!
This recipe sounds delicious. I am looking forward to trying it. Thank you.
These Crock Pot Chicken Tacos have so much flavorful. Will be making them at home moving forward, they’re so much better than take out!
I love a good crockpot meal so I knew I would love this recipe. So yummy, easy and full of flavor! Will be making this again!
Very good, I loved this!