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.
Thank you so much for the easy recipe. It’s in the Crockpot now for my daughter and granddaughter’s dinner tonight. She will be happily surprised when she walks in the door from work.Thanks again – Diann
Hi Diann! So happy you’re already lovin this!! It always smells SO good when it’s cooking! I just love that about using the crock pot – dinner smells amazing all day! 🙂
Hope your daughter and precious granddaughter loved their dinner – how sweet of you to cook of her! Best ever!!! ~Gretchen
Thanks for the response and feedback! I used 5 fresh chicken breast I just bought from the store and pace medium chunky salsa. The only difference was that I blended the salsa in the food processor to get rid of the chucks because I have picky eaters in the house but that actually made the salsa thicker. I’ve had this issue when trying to do BBQ pulled chicken as well so I’m wondering if my crockpot cooks hotter than the usual low setting?
Hello!! I think you may be absolutely right – I’m guessing your crock pot is getting really hot, and there’s a lot of steam buildup that can lead to mushy food. Since it sounds like there wasn’t an over abundance of liquid, perhaps you could try cooking for a bit less time.
Does your slow cooker have a small hole in the lid? I have several (it’s more of a collection … I just love cooking in crock pots and always need to have one ready to go!) and one I use often has a small hole under the handle – to allow steam to escape, and so there sin’t a vacuum effect with the lid and the bowl. It’s very tiny, so it’s not losing a lot of heat, but there also isn’t a buildup of steam inside.
I’ve seen some articles in the past that suggest taking the lid off for a few minutes every couple hours. This allows some steam to escape, but then also cools the food and slow cooker itself, so it’ll take some time for everything to come back to the right temperature. I don’t think that’s the best idea … but I wanted to share it with you.
I’m sorry that I can’t be of more help! You must have a super-charged slow cooker!! 😀 As long as your food comes to the appropriate temperature, the slightly shorter cook time may be your best bet!
Have a wonderful day! ~Gretchen
I followed the recipe to a “t” and I found that there was too much liquid that when I shredded the chicken it became soggy. I didn’t see any other comments with regard to this issue so I’m confused at where I went wrong? Overall flavor was great but chicken texture wasn’t pleasant. I’d love to give this recipe another try just looking for some tips to prevent this from happening again. Thank you!
Hi Sarah! I’m so sorry that the recipe didn’t turn out as well for you! I’ve got to tell ya, I make this recipe all.the.time and I’ve never had too much liquid. So let’s problem solve!! 🙂 Here are a few ideas I thought of …
– Was your salsa particularly liquidy? Perhaps a thicker, chunkier-style salsa may help! I tend to use a thinner salsa, but if it’s too thin it could become too watery.
– What type of chicken did you use? Some brands of chicken inject broth or water into the chicken breasts – the packaging may read, “Enhanced with 15% chicken broth” or similar wording. Brands claim this will help with a juicier and better tasting chicken breast, but I usually skip over the ‘enhanced’ meats. I’ve not ever had an issue with ‘un-enhanced’ chicken being too dry or under flavored. However, if you used this type of chicken, the extra liquid may be causing the sogginess.
– Was your meat completely thawed? We’re super passionate about using totally thawed meats in crock pots here at THK (we’ve even written about it here!). If your chicken was even a little icy, the extra liquid that would melt off could cause the unpleasant texture, as well as some other issues discussed in our other post.
I’d really love to hear back – I really want this recipe to work for you! It’s absolutely one of my favorites (SO perfect for a busy night – and the leftovers are amazing, too!) and I want it to be one of your favorites, too! ~Gretchen
What is your favorite jar salsa for this recipe?
Hello Ilka! Honestly, I don’t have a favorite salsa for this recipe!! I know it sounds funny, but I always just use what I’ve got on hand. I tend to buy a lot of salsa at Trader Joe’s, but sometimes I’ve only got my local store’s brand in my pantry!
That’s the beauty of this recipe – it works with YOUR favorite! You can have a more mild flavor, or really heat things up with a spicy salsa. We usually opt for a medium … it’s mild enough for the kids, yet has a little zing for my husband and I. I tend to use a thinner salsa, but I know Shelley’s fave is a chunkier style. It all works! 🙂
I apologize for not giving you a direct answer … I guess that would be what you love most!! 😀 ~Gretchen