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.
Made this for some friends at a board game night. It received universal appraise. Will make again. Thanks. http://i.imgur.com/Nz57uII.jpg
I made this for dinner yesterday and it was really good!
I am going to make chicken tacos for a group of about 20 people tomorrow. Can you give me an idea of how much chicken I will need to make? Not sure how many people your recipe is meant to serve. Thanks!
Hi, Jane! We’re so thrilled you’ll be making this – what a lovely compliment!
Ok – so exactly how much you want to make honestly depends on the type of party and your crowd (and how hungry they are! 😀 ). For example, if it’s for a potluck and everyone will be filling their plates with lots of other foods, too, you will obviously need much less. Also, if your group is like our families, and loves to pile on lots of (healthy!), yummy veggie toppings like the tomatoes and avocados and lettuce, then you again won’t need quite as much. So, a ballpark would be that one batch of this should feed about 6-8 people. We’d suggest that you definitely at least make a double batch, probably a triple if you have a large enough crock-pot or (if you’re like Gretchen who has 7 or 8 slow cookers 😀 ), fire up two of them. (Make sure you carefully check the chicken for doneness if the crock-pot is really full.) Admittedly, though – when we entertain, we always like to have too much rather than too little, and this particular recipe reheats so well that we’re truly delighted to end up with leftovers of it!
I hope that helps you a bit. Good luck, and have fun tomorrow! 😀 ~Shelley
Great recipe, and so easy! Even my super picky daughter loved it!
Yay, Danny!! So happy your family loved it!! My favorite part is how totally simple this recipe is – less than five minutes and dinner is started! And it’s a meal all of us just really enjoy, it’s a total win-win! Hope you make it again! Thanks for stopping by, Danny! Have a great day! 😀 ~Gretchen
Do you use bone-in, skin-on chicken?