This recipe for Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos creates incredibly tender, flavorful shredded chicken for easy tacos on a busy day. It’s super versatile and works perfectly for a variety of Mexican entrees.
More Mexican-inspired favorites include my Shredded Mexican Beef and Carnitas.
This recipe for slow cooker chicken tacos is one of the oldest, most beloved in my collection. As a busy working mom with a house full of hungry teenagers, I relied on it over and over again.
Our boys’ water polo games were frequently scheduled right at dinner time and I dreaded the idea of getting takeout for our big family a couple of times a week. If you have a child that is involved in sports or any extra-curriculars, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.
When you’re walking in your door at 6:30 or 7:00 at night, you need a plan.
My slow cooker was my savior during those hectic times and still to this day. A good Crock-Pot recipe is as good as gold!
Table of contents
Recipe Highlights
- Easy Prep – This is an easy dump and go slow cooker recipe. Dicing a small amount of onion is the only advance prep required.
- Hands Off – The slow cooker does all the work. When you get home, toast some tortillas, prepare the toppings, and dinner is served!
- Big Batch – This recipe makes a big batch of delicious shredded chicken. Cook once and eat twice OR freeze half the recipe for an easy future meal.
- Versatile – I’ve used this recipe for everything from tacos, to burrito bowls, enchiladas, and more.
The Best Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos
What sets this recipe apart from others is that it does not call for a jar of store-bought salsa. I’ve made it that way and I think it ends up with an overwhelming jarred salsa flavor that just isn’t great.
Instead, I use a can of diced tomatoes and diced green chiles which yields a fresher, more authentic flavor. Save the salsa to use as a topping for the tacos instead!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – You’ll need 3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Although just 3 large pieces of chicken are pictured here, you will likely need 4 to 6 pieces of chicken to reach this weight.
- Taco seasoning – I always have a small jar of my Homemade Taco Seasoning in my pantry. I like to mix it up myself to control the amount of salt and tweak it just how I like it. You can substitute with store-bought taco seasoning and the result will still be wonderful.
- Onion – A little diced yellow or white onion.
- Diced tomatoes – I normally use a can of regular diced tomatoes with the juice but fire-roasted or the fire roasted garlic flavor work very well too.
- Diced green chiles – A small can with the juice.
- Cilantro – Optional be we love the flavor of cilantro mixed in to the cooked, shredded chicken.
How to Make Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning evenly over the chicken.
- Next, top with the diced onion.
- Then, pour the undrained diced tomatoes and diced green chiles with the juice over the top. Don’t stir. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until tender.
- When the cooking time is up, test the chicken by piercing it with a fork to see if it’s tender enough to shred.
- Then, use two forks to begin shredding the chicken into the cooking liquid.
- Continue to shred the chicken, mixing it with the liquid, until it reaches the texture you’d like.
- Add the cilantro, if you’re cilantro fans, and you are ready to serve!
Serving Suggestions
- Soft Tacos or Burritos – Toast flour or corn tortillas (or some of both) in a dry skillet and transfer them to a tortilla warmer. Load them up with chicken, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, hot sauce, and anything and everything else!
- Crispy Tacos – Cook the tortillas in vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 1 minute per side then transfer to paper towels to drain. Load up the crispy taco shells with toppings and devour!
- Burrito Bowls – Pile this Mexican-inspired shredded chicken on top of Restaurant Style Mexican Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice. Top it with black or pinto beans, Easy Corn Salsa and any other toppings you love.
- Enchiladas– This Crock-Pot Chicken Taco meat is the basis for my recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas.
- Nachos – Layer the chicken over tortilla chips with whole or refried beans and top with melted cheese and your favorite toppings – Blender Salsa and Corn Guacamole are both awesome choices. This is a great way to make use of leftovers for an easy lunch or dinner.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerate – Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze – I like to store the chicken in freezer-safe plastic storage bags to save freezer space. Press out as much air as possible, seal the bag, and freeze flat. Once frozen, bags can be stacked and kept frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw safely in the refrigerator before warming.
FAQ and Valerie’s Tips
You should not cook chicken from frozen in a slow cooker due to food safety concerns. In addition, frozen chicken lets off a lot of liquid as it thaws so the end result would be very watery and not as flavorful.
The juice from the canned tomatoes and green chiles is enough liquid to get this recipe started. As the chicken cooks, it will let off enough juice for the chicken to cook and become tender and easy to shred without burning.
Cooking the chicken low and slow is key to breaking down the tough connective tissue and fat. If the chicken is too tough to shred, it needs to cook longer. I recommend using the low setting for these slow cooker chicken tacos for the best result.
It shouldn’t take more than 6 to 8 hours on the low setting to cook chicken until tender enough to shred. If you cook it longer, it can dry out or the texture can become rubbery. The exact cooking time can vary depending on how much chicken you are cooking.
Sign up for my free newsletter for all the latest recipes and join me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more cooking inspiration!
Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 heaping tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix, or store-bought
- ¾ cup diced onion
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, regular, fire-roasted, or fire-roasted garlic tomatoes, undrained
- 4.5 ounce can diced green chiles, undrained
- ½ cup chopped cilantro, optional
For Serving
- Tortillas, corn or flour
- Vegetable oil, if frying tortillas
- Toppings like cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, hot sauce, etc.
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker insert. Sprinkle the taco seasoning evenly over the chicken. Top with the diced onion and then pour the tomatoes over the top. Finally, top with the undrained green chiles. Don't stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
- Remove the lid from the slow cooker and shred the chicken with two forks. Add the cilantro and mix to combine.
- Serve on tortillas or burrito bowls with the toppings of your choice. Also delicious in enchiladas and nachos!
Video
Notes
- For soft tacos – Toast flour tortillas in a dry skillet over MEDIUM heat for about 30 seconds per side. Just long enough to get them slightly toasted and warm.
- For crispy tacos – Heat a generous amount of vegetable oil in a small frying pan over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. When the oil is good and hot (but not smoking) carefully add a corn tortilla. Cook about 1 minute per side then transfer to paper towels to drain. Blot the top of the tortilla with a paper towel to remove excess oil. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Refrigerate – Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze – I like to store the chicken in freezer-safe plastic storage bags to save freezer space. Press out as much air as possible, seal the bag, and freeze flat. Once frozen, bags can be stacked and kept frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw safely in the refrigerator before warming.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
This post was originally published November 3, 2012. Since then it has become one of the most popular recipes on the blog and in my own kitchen. The photos and text have been refreshed but the recipe remains unchanged.
It’s easy and the whole family loves it. I like it best with the crispy taco shells made from the white corn tortillas and oil. I love this recipe so much. And with the left overs I like to make chicken quesadillas. So good!
So glad you’re loving the recipe! Thanks, Molly. 🙂
I made this recipe most recently for a graduation party and doubled it because I had so many people coming. When I tell you it was the first thing to go in less than 2 hours I’d 100% agree it’s one of the beat recipes for chicken tacos and so easy to prepare! Another thing I love about this recipe is that all ages enjoyed it and I’m currently making it for supper tonight. Thanks!!
This recipe is perfect for a group like that! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe, Jaimie. 🙂
This has become one of my go to meals. Even my daughter who has sensory issues loves it. Finding an easy, healthy meal that all three of my kids can agree on is impossible, but for years now, my entire family can agree on this one. Not only is it easy, but I love that it’s enough for two meals. We have tacos the first night and nachos the next day (or two, or three). I have fibromyalgia and this meal has been a lifesaver for me. I love being able to give my family a good meal when I can barely even get out of bed. No guilt to be had. I won’t look at any other recipe for tacos. I scrolled past quite a few to find this specific one. Thank you a million times for sharing it with us!
Rees, your comment has made my day. 🙂 I am so happy the recipe is working so well for you and that the whole family loves it. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with me!
I make this in my Instant Pot and it is always a hit! 🤗
I cook it on high pressure for 20 minutes with natural release, shred the chicken then put it back in and add my cilantro.
I also make the same homemade seasoning and keep plenty on hand- the perfect blend!
Hi Valerie! Would it work to use chicken broth instead of the tomatoes in this recipe? I’ve got a couple of picky eaters who prefer more subtle taste ☺️.
Hi Kristen. I think the chicken would cook just fine but I’d be concerned it could end up a bit bland without the tomatoes.
Sadly we had to throw it away. Texture was mush although it looked ok and the chicken shredded easily it was not edible. We did like the homemade taco seasoning recipe. I rushed out and bought ground beef for our tostadas!
Sorry you didn’t have a good result, Judy. If you cook chicken too long in a slow cooker, the texture will change and it sounds like that must be what happened here. You want to stop cooking it as soon as it is easy to shred.
Ok my bad. Sorry to rate your recipe one star when it was my fault for over cooking. I’m not experienced with a crockpot. I should have checked the chicken sooner. I’ll try it again and keep an eye on it.
I hope it works out better for you next time!
I’ve made this amazing meal many times and love it! I’m wondering if this same recipe would be doable with a pork loin? Thoughts? Thanks!!!
Hi Kim. It’s hard to say how a pork loin would do without testing but I have used pork tenderloin to make a very lean pulled pork with a good result. I think it’s worth a try but I’d watch the cooking time. You don’t want to overcook the pork and risk it getting dry.
Hi Jen, how many soft taco shells per servings. Is it 3 like your picture shows, So I need 24 6″ tortillas for the recipe of 8 servings (5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)?
What size chicken breasts did you use? Approximately how many pounds of chicken is it?
I usually use about 3 pounds of chicken but you can do a little less or more and it will work just fine.
Do you drain the tomatoes?
No!
Hi would this recipe work to cook on high for shorter time ? I’m running late so it will only work out for me if it’s 4/5 hours on high ??!! Thanks again
Hi Jen. That is plenty of time on high to get the chicken nice and tender.