3-Ingredient Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos
~ With just 3 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep, these EASY and delicious Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos are an absolute lifesaver on busy nights! Enjoy them very simply, just rolled in tortillas … or create a festive taco bar featuring your family’s favorite toppings! (Originally published on January 8, 2014. Text and photos refreshed, but recipe remains the same.) ~
This Recipe: • Includes Make-Ahead Steps •
We all have that one recipe.
The one that doesn’t even require a peek at the recipe card. The one that’s your standby and always saves the day when you have no idea what’s for dinner. You know what I mean.
At our house, these Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos (aka Crock Pot Chicken Tacos OR Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos OR just “Oh Yum”!) really are “that one” recipe.
The one that never ever fails to be awesome.
The one that we are always excited to eat.
Wanna get really excited, too? Then check out our video tutorial on how ridiculously easy this recipe is! (While your tummy rumbles and begs you to make this ASAP, and you maybe drool just a little bit on your screen.)
Video Tutorial
It’s Just Always That Good!
True story: When my little ones dash into the house after school, if their first whiff of home is the incredible aromas of these chicken tacos … well, they do that silly fist-pump move where they make a fist and say “YEAH!!!” while pumping an arm up and down.
Uh-huh … that really happens … because it’s sooo goooood.
I was sure everyone on the earth had the recipe for my go-to. It was super popular on Pinterest 8 or 9 years ago, and I tell pretty much everybody I talk to about it. So, I just assumed everyone must make this constantly.
I guess not!
When I first mentioned this recipe to Shelley, she looked at me like I was loony. She’d never heard of it!
(When this happens, I joke that she lives under a rock. She knows so much about so many things, and has tried pretty much every food known to man, so if I come up with something new to her, I do my own little dance. Well, it’s more of me just clicking my heels. Alright fine. I usually just high-five. Myself.)
Ok anyhow …
If Shelley didn’t know anything about this, we realized there must surely be others out there whose lives have a similar gaping hole. But no more … today we’re gonna fix that!
So this recipe. This is the one that I make all. the. time.
The Very Best Part of All
Absolute best part?
It goes in the crock pot. Yes, friends. We’re talking a 5-minute prep, and then you just let your slow cooker work its magic.
You’ll just need another 5 minutes to finish the crock pot chicken tacos before you sit down to eat. Serious.
I went back and scoured my Pinterest boards, my pins, my notes – and I can’t figure out who to credit for this awesome recipe. In my research, I saw a reference that Weight Watchers had a recipe like this years ago, so we decided that must have been the genesis of the whole idea. But a Google search and a search of the Weight Watchers site didn’t yield a similar recipe we could link to for this. Ah, well … we’re gonna give them the credit, anyway!
Tested and Re-tested … And It Just Never Fails
In typical THK fashion, we both needed to test this recipe before we shared it with you all. You know we test … and test … and test again.
At first, Shelley was a little skeptical that something so incredibly simple could taste so good. But, she called me before her family was even done eating.
They were loving it. Loving it.
I’m so excited her family gave the thumbs-up (possibly with fist pumps, too) – because now I get to share this recipe with you!
Ok. Get your pens and paper, because you’ll want to take very good notes here.
Ready?
How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Tacos (Easiest Ever Instructions!)
1. Put the chicken in your slow cooker.
2. Cover with taco seasoning.
3. Cover with a jar of salsa.
4. Walk away … and come on back when it’s dinnertime.
5. Shred your chicken and serve. (And be prepared for the fist pumps.)
Did you get all that? Should I run through it again?
Yep. It’s that simple!
Pssst … You’ll Also Love: Crock Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls AND Crock Pot Southwestern Corn Chowder!
How to Serve Your Tacos
The options here are pretty much endless … and entirely up to you!
• You can simply roll the chicken taco meat in a tortilla and call it a day. You don’t really need anything else.
• But, you can definitely get all fancy-schmancy, and add whatever additional toppings you like – maybe reduced fat cheese and sour cream, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes … there’s no wrong answer here. And, it’s wonderful that everyone at the table can make their own tacos, exactly how they like them. Happy kiddos, happy parents – happy everyone!
• This is a terrific option for family parties and taco bars, too. Set out a slow cooker full of delicious chicken taco meat, and let your guests have a blast creating their own masterpieces (while you relax, stress-free, and enjoy the party)!
• Or ditch the tortillas, and serve your shredded chicken piled on a taco salad. Maybe some whole grain tortilla chips tucked around the side. Fabulous!
• And speaking of tortilla chips, you could even use your chicken to top baked nachos for a great game day appetizer – kind of like we do with our Buffalo Chicken Nachos.
Plus, as if this just couldn’t get any better, the taco chicken meat reheats really well, too. So, it’s perfect for meal prepping and make-ahead meals for busy weeks.
No doubt, I totally think this’ll become your “go-to” recipe.
Shelley’s made it multiple times since that first (fist-pumpin’) night. And I just know it’ll soon be your fave, too!
Looking for More Crockpot Chicken Recipes That’ll Make Your Life EASY?
- Top 10 Easy, Healthy Crock-Pot Chicken Recipes
- Top 10 Healthy Crock-Pot Chicken Soups and Chilis
- Crock-Pot Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder
Oh! And be sure to read up on the question that’s so commonly asked about slow cooking:
3-Ingredient Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos
These Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos are so ridiculously easy – just 3 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep! Enjoy the shredded chicken very simply, just rolled in a tortilla ... or create an entire taco bar of festive toppings!
• Includes Make-Ahead Steps •
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (1.25-ounce) packet low-sodium taco seasoning (see note)
- 1 (16-ounce) jar of your favorite salsa
- Ideas for serving: tortillas or taco shells and your choice of optional toppings, such as shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, black beans, corn, chopped avocados or guacamole, reduced-fat sour cream, and hot sauce
Instructions
- Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken.
- Pour salsa on top.
- Cook on low (for 6-8 hours) or high (for 4 hours).
- Just before serving, use two forks to shred the chicken.
- Stir to evenly distribute salsa throughout chicken.
- Serve immediately with optional toppings as desired.
Notes
Taco seasoning: We recommend avoiding taco seasoning mixes that contain MSG. Also, there are differences in the amounts of sodium (and other ingredients) in various brands, so it's a good idea to read the nutrition information for the brands offered at your store.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 servings Serving Size: 1/2 cup shredded chickenAmount Per Serving: Calories: 137Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 58mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 22g
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
This sounds delicious. Did you use raw or frozen chicken?
Thanks so much!
Hi Tammy! Great question! We always, always use only raw, completely thawed chicken. While it may seem convenient to toss frozen chicken in, it’s never a good idea. We’ve even written a post about not using frozen meat in your crock pot! Simply put, frozen meat spends too much time hovering in the ‘danger zone’ (40F-140F) since the crock pot would need to defrost it before it can begin cooking it, and it could lead to bacterial growth in your food. Super yucky and not at all appetizing. So for this (and all other crock pot chicken recipes!) use totally thawed meat!
This recipe is one of my very favorites (I just made it for dinner last night – no joke!) and my family is always excited about it! Enjoy!! ~Gretchen
Making dinner for the family while my wife is out enjoying some much needed time without hearing mom…mom…mom…mom lol. We will see if it turns out good
Oh, wow! First off, you are so incredibly awesome to tackle dinner duty while your wife snags some sanity time! I can sure relate to how happy she must be! I know that one day I’ll dearly miss hearing “mom…mom…mom” but it sure can get exhausting at times – lol! So thrilled that you’re giving these chicken tacos a try! One thing that’s awesome about this recipe when you have kiddos is that each person can tailor this to exactly how they like to eat tacos – you can spice it up with hot sauce, add lots of great veggies like lettuce and tomatoes … whatever!
And, I’m not sure how young your kids are, but one other little tip that sometimes helps if one eater in the family is particularly suspicious of spices or salsa: before you start to shred the chicken, just set some of it aside for the “pickier” eater, and don’t mix it back into the flavorful salsa mixture in the slow cooker. That way, their portion will be a little more plain and they can flavor it up however they feel most comfortable. (We’ve written several posts on picky eating and spoken about it for some parenting groups, so we totally know how one little tip like this can save a parent’s sanity! 😀 ).
Anyway, happy munching … and hope your wife had some great “me time”! ~Shelley
Can’t wait to try this! Fyi, you can make your own taco seasoning. I do pico de gallo, sea salt to taste, probably around 2 tsp. Of cumin and about 1 1/2 tsp. Of garlic along with a homemade chili powder to taste. I’ve been told it tastes better than buying premade taco seasoning!
Hi, Lara! So excited for you to try these chicken tacos … the all-time most popular recipe on our site! People just love this easy recipe! One of the very best things about it is how flexible it is – you can use all different types of salsa and choose whatever toppings you and your family like! And great idea on the homemade taco seasoning! You should definitely try that with this recipe! Sounds wonderful! Thanks a million for sharing your recipe and measurement amounts with our other readers, too! 😀 ~Shelley
It was great! We added more cumin and garlic than what posted. We also didn’t have enough salsa so i used 1 can of rotell original diced tomatoes with green chiles and 1 can of rotell cilantro lime diced tomatoes with green chiles. It was fantastic! We ended up with extra meat that we mixed in with homemade spanish rice and made 2 more meals for us!!! Great recipe. Love the versatility of it!
Oh, wonderful, Lara! I’m so thrilled you loved this recipe, and it was really, really sweet of you to stop back and let us know! I enjoyed your update on the different personal twists you used, too! Truly – the flexibility of these Chicken Tacos is so fabulous – totally customizable!
Oh – and you got me thinking … if you love this recipe, make sure to check out our Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup – it was actually based on this Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos recipe!
And actually, along the same lines, we have a recipe for slow cooker Chicken Burritos Bowls that was published in the cookbook you can download when you sign up to receive our e-mails (you know – in that little box toward the upper righthand margin of our site). I didn’t hop over to our subscriber list to see if you’ve already subscribed and received your ebook, but if you haven’t, you might check that out, too! The ebook is gorgeous and has loads of great slow cooker recipes (not just our Chicken Burrito Bowls! 😀 ).
Anyway – I know that’s a lot of info, but since you enjoyed these Chicken Tacos so much, I thought you might like the Tortilla Soup and Burritos Bowls, too – they both have lots of wiggle room for customization (spicier salsas, etc.) – which sounds right up your alley!
Thanks again, and have a fantastic week! 😀 ~Shelley
I look forward to trying them soon! I still have 2 lbs of chicken to use!
This is the perfect kind of dish I like to serve at a party. Easy on the cook, but tasty for the guests. And, I like to let people make their own so they can put whatever they want in the taco. Thanks for the recipe.
You know, Debi, you’re exactly right! This is such a perfect recipe for a party! I love recipes that are easy for the hostess! And how fun to make this into a taco bar – everyone can enjoy customizing their own tacos and chatting with other party guests while they do it … it’s social and yummy, too! Thanks so much for popping by! 😀 ~Shelley