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.
How many calories in one serving? Thanks
Hi Lerin! This is a great question … with a bit of a lengthy answer.
At least thus far, we’ve opted not to include nutrition info, although we’ve actually debated about this issue since the beginning of our blog (and we address it in our FAQ at http://twohealthykitchens.com/about/).
Especially with Gretchen’s (my original business partner’s) master’s degree in nutrition, she could easily have calculated all this manually – plus there are loads of online calculators to use. However, for a variety of reasons, we have decided over and over again not to do that. One big reason is that we generally don’t specify exact brands (although on some occasions we need to), so the final nutritional profile of a recipe can vary widely, depending on the purchasing decisions our readers make. In the end, it could almost be a bit misleading to quote nutritional info, if readers make significantly different purchasing choices than we did in testing. For example, the final nutritional profile of these very simple 3-Ingredient Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos – could vary tremendously (particularly, in this case, the sodium) depending on which taco seasoning and which salsa someone purchases.
Also … having said all of this … I want you to know that we get questions like this from other readers from time to time, too. As a result, we are always re-evaluating this very good question and exploring how we may be able to offer nutrition information in a way that we can feel good about – a way that’s helpful and not potentially misleading. So stay tuned …
Thanks so much for reaching out to us! I hope this explanation helped you out at least a little!
Have a wonderful week! ~Shelley
I make this all the time. But I use JUST salsa and I add a half a brick of cream cheese the last 5 minutes. Delish!
Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback, and the yummy suggestion, Susan! Really appreciated! Have a terrific week 🙂 ~Shelley
Can u use chicken tenders besides Breast.
Hi Becky! I haven’t tried using tenders, but I have seen other slow cooker chicken recipes that spcify chicken tenders in various applications – so I think it’s worth a try. My biggest concern, however, is just that, because tenders are so much smaller and thinner than the chicken breasts we specify, they might overcook or become dried out, particularly toward the end of cooking. Maybe just monitor them closely the first time you try it, adjusting cook time as needed, to be sure you’re happy with the end result. And if you do give these chicken tacos a try using tenders, I’d love to hear how it works out! Thanks so much! ~Shelley
I made these today and used the 4 hour on high method and….. I CANNOT wait for it to be done! (30 more minutes). It makes my apartment smell so amazing and it will be ready just in time for when the hubby comes home from work!
We’re going to be making tacos tonight and tomorrow packing up taco salads for lunch…. YUM.
Easiest, least messy way for taco nights. New favorite and I will never go back!
Thank you!
Oh, Taylor … thank you so much! I’m terribly behind on finding your lovely comment, as I’ve been traveling a bit lately, but it was absolutely perfect timing to read your comment TODAY! Why? Because it’s Cinco de Mayo (and, you know … Cinco de Mayo tacos … 😉 ! And it’s also so perfect because I’m actually making this chicken taco recipe for my family’s Cinco de Mayo dinner tonight! No kidding! Those yummy tacos are cooking away in my crock-pot at this very moment, just a few inches from where I’m sitting to type this! We love them, too, and I’m so happy that they’ve become a new go-to for you and your hubby. Happy Cinco de Mayo … and thank you so much for your really sweet comment! ~Shelley
I have a friend that on facebook asking for easy recipes since they have 3 kids in sports band…always on the go, someone posted this recipe and me and my husband working 12 hour shifts thought it was perfect, we throw (sorry to say we have used frozen chicken) but we put it in the crockpot at 6am on low, get home at 7:30 shred it up and its awesome. So easy and its nice to come home to something cooked instead of cooking and eating at 9pm. Very easy love it!
Oh, Lisa – thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful compliment! I totally get where your busy friend is coming from … sports, band … yep!, I’m right there with her! 🙂 These chicken tacos are definitely a lifesaver on busy nights, and it truly is fabulous to come home to a hot, delicious slow cooker meal, with the whole house smelling deliciously welcoming at the end of a long day! I’m so truly happy that you’re enjoying it! Have a lovely weekend! ~Shelley
I love this recipe. Tried it once before and got it going in the crock pot again now! I love doing mine in lettuce shells! So refreshing!
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback on these chicken tacos, Rian! And most especially, thank you for taking a moment to share your great idea of lettuce shells with our other readers! It’s always terrific when our readers swap their own personal recipe twists and suggestions – such great inspiration for others! We really appreciate it! Have a fabulous week! 😀 ~Shelley