Slow cooker chicken tacos are a family favorite go-to recipe any night of the week! Slow-cooked chicken seasoned with taco seasoning and salsa and cooked until it shreds easily and is super tender and juicy. Serve with warmed tortillas or hard shells and all your favorite taco toppings--so easy and delicious!
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You'll Love These Easy Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos!
Easy Weeknight Dinner. This is one of the easiest recipes for chicken tacos to whip together, perfect for any busy night of the week! Add 3 ingredients to make the shredded chicken in the slow cooker, turn it on - and walk away. Assemble all your favorite toppings when your ready for dinner!
Tender and Juicy! Slow-cooking chicken breasts in the crockpot with the seasoning breaks down the meat so that it is very tender and juicy! The salsa adds moisture and flavor for the best-tasting chicken tacos.
Favorite Toppings. Use your family's favorite taco toppings, such as shredded lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, onions, salsa, sour cream, or even avocado! We like using warmed tortillas (flour or corn) so everyone can make what they like.
Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make slow cooker chicken taco recipe:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: you can substitute with boneless skinless chicken thighs if desired.
- Taco Seasoning Mix: use a homemade taco seasoning mix or store-bought seasoning packets.
- Salsa: mild or hot salsa, and any brand preference can be used.
- Flour Tortillas or Hard Shell Taco Shells: use your favorite - hard or soft flour or corn tortillas.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: you can use a taco blend cheese or any of your favorite shredded cheese for tacos.
- Optional Toppings: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, chopped green onion or white onion, sour cream, and salsa or taco sauce.
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some suggestions for customizing your crock pot shredded chicken tacos:
- Use a different protein such as beef chuck roast or a pork butt roast.
- Serve with any of your favorite taco toppings.
- Make your chicken taco filling spicier by adding hot sauce or red pepper flakes.
- Adjust any of the seasonings to taste.
- Substitute the taco shells with any variety, such as corn tortillas for flour tortillas.
- Make nachos with shredded chicken filling instead of tacos!
- Use this meat for enchiladas, taco salad, or any of your other Mexican favorites.
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How To Make Chicken in Slow Cooker for Tacos
Here's how to make this easy slow cooker chicken tacos recipe:
- Add chicken breast, seasoning, and salsa to the crockpot. Cover and turn on low, and cook until the chicken pulls apart easily.
2. Cover and cook on low until the chicken pulls apart easily, about 3 to 5 hours.
3. Remove chicken breasts from the crockpot and shred. Add shredded chicken back to the pot juices. Stir together and adjust the seasoning to taste.
4. Fill warm taco shells with chicken taco filling and shredded cheese. Top with the rest of the toppings.
Hint: Prevent overcooking your chicken breast by cooking on low and checking the internal temperature of your chicken. Once it reaches 165 degrees F, it should shred very easily with a couple of forks.
How to Serve Shredded Chicken for Tacos Crockpot Recipe
There are several ways you can serve your delicious chicken tacos!
Serve your tacos in a warm tortilla or hard taco shell with any favorite chicken taco toppings.
Make chicken nachos by placing tortilla chips topped with shredded cheese on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted. Top with the shredded chicken taco meat.
Burrito bowls are a healthy option - pile all taco fillings into a bowl and top with chicken and cheese. Rice and beans or corn can be added. Top with salsa or pico de gallo.
Meal idea! Serve your tacos with a side of Spanish rice and refried beans for a classic combination! Make homemade guacamole to serve as a side or topping for your tacos or nachos.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos FAQ's
Allow leftover shredded chicken taco filling to cool completely before transferring to an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze as well in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Taco filling should be stored in a separate container from any toppings.
From the fridge: transfer to a microwave-safe plate and reheat in 30-second increments until your desired temperature is reached.
From frozen: Allow to thaw in the fridge for 24 hours so it thaws completely. Once thawed, microwave on a microwave-safe plate in 30-second increments until your desired temperature is reached.
When your chicken is tough and doesn't shred easily, it could be that it has been overcooked and dry. Chicken breast tends to dry out much faster than chicken thighs. To prevent overcooking, be sure to watch the internal temperature of your chicken. It is ready when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Any part of the chicken is great for cooking in the slow cooker! I find that I prefer using dark meat in the slow cooker as they are higher in fat and tend not to dry out as easily as white meat cuts do.
It can be easy to overcook chicken in a crockpot. Typically, you don't want to cook chicken on high in the slow cooker unless you are home and are able to check the internal temperature often enough. Once your internal temperature is 165 degrees, be ready to serve so it doesn't dry out.
📖 Recipe
Best Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
Shredded Chicken Taco Filling
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 package taco seasoning mix
- 1 cup salsa (mild or hot)
To Serve
- 8 flour or corn tortillas (use hard or soft; warm according to package instructions)
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- optional toppings: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, chopped green onion or white onion, sour cream, and salsa or taco sauce.
Instructions
- Add chicken, seasoning mix, and salsa to the crockpot.
- Cover, turn on low and cook 4 to 6 hours on until chicken can easily be pulled apart with two forks.
- Remove chicken from the pot and shred with 2 forks and add back to pot juices. Stir together. Adjust seasoning to taste with more salsa, or salt and pepper.
- Fill shells with taco meat then shredded cheese. Top with any favorite optional taco toppings.
Video
Notes
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- VARIATIONS: Beef chuck roast or pork butt roast can be substituted for chicken. Serve with any favorite taco topping. Make the shredded meat spicier by adding hot sauce or red pepper flakes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- TO WARM TORTILLAS: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap tortillas in foil, place in the oven, and heat until warmed through about 8 to 10 minutes. For hard corn shells follow the instructions on the package.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve chicken tacos in warm tortillas or taco shells with shredded cheddar cheese and any other topping you desire.
Nutrition
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