5 Ingredient Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Five-ingredient crockpot chicken tacos are made with boneless chicken cooked slowly with tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno peppers, resulting in super-flavorful chicken taco meat. This simple recipe makes for a perfect dinner idea that the whole family will love, especially on taco night.
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This crock-pot chicken tacos recipe is perfect for hectic nights when you don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. It takes minutes to put together, and it’s a great recipe for meal prepping. And the best part? You can use the cooked chicken taco meat in so many different ways, from tacos and burritos to burrito bowls and salads.
Crockpot chicken recipes make dinnertime easy, especially when they’re dump-and-go recipes like these tacos, healthy crack chicken, chicken marbella or chipotle chicken stew.
Why you will love crockpot chicken tacos
- It’s an easy recipe to make with only five ingredients!
- Versatile! There are so many ways to enjoy this chicken taco meat.
- Crockpot chicken tacos are perfect for meal prep for the week, and you have your protein ready to go.
Here is what you will need to make slow cooker chicken tacos
This is a brief summary of the ingredients needed to make this recipe and a convenient shopping list from my Instacart affiliate link. For a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card section.
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Ingredients
- Boneless chicken breast
- Diced tomatoes
- Onion
- Jalapeno pepper
- Taco seasoning – (here is my homemade taco seasoning recipe)
🥄Equipment
This is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make this recipe; scroll down for a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions.
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How to make 5 ingredient crockpot chicken tacos
Prepare the ingredients: chop the onions and garlic and peppers. Measure the tomatoes and taco seasoning.
STEP 1: Place chicken into the crockpot and top it with half of the taco seasoning.
STEP 2: Top the chicken with the onions, tomatoes and peppers. Sprinkle on the remaining seasoning mixture and give it a quick stir. Cover and cook for 4 1/2 hours on low heat.
STEP 3: Use two forks to shred the chicken. Cover the crockpot and set it to warm. Serve with your favorite taco toppings.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
The full list of ingredients for this easy slow cooker chicken tacos recipe is above. Below are notes about some of the ingredients, along with ideas for substitutes.
Chicken – I prefer to use chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken breast, but you can also use chicken thighs.
Tomatoes – When tomatoes are in season, fresh tomatoes add a fresh flavor to this delicious recipe. When they aren’t in season, look for good-quality low-sodium canned diced tomatoes.
Jalapeno pepper – My preference is fresh jalapeno peppers, if you don’t have fresh jalapenos, about 2 tablespoons of chopped pickled jalapenos will work too. If you don’t like hot food, you can leave the jalapeno pepper out.
Taco seasoning can be substituted with 2 teaspoons of chili powder and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin.
Serving suggestions
Serve this flavorful shredded chicken taco meat stuffed into lettuce wraps, taco shells, flour tortillas or corn tortillas topped with your favorite toppings such as homemade guacamole. garden salsa, salsa verde, spicy mango habanero salsa, shredded cheese, chopped onions, a squeeze of lime juice, sour cream, or Greek yogurt.
Chicken taco meat also tastes great in quesadillas, burrito bowls, salads and enchiladas.
How to store leftover chicken taco meat
Once it reaches room temperature, store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Freeze leftover chicken in an airtight container or a stasher bag and place it in the freezer for up to three months. A great way to freeze leftover chicken taco meat is to freeze it in portions for easy meal prep.
Thaw the chicken in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it on top of the stove over low heat or in the microwave.
Slow cooker chicken taco recipe variations
Taco meat is so versatile! You can add more veggies, change up the meat and seasonings to make a delicous dinner.
Chicken and veggie tacos – Add one to two diced carrots or zucchini (or both) to the crockpot. This is an easy way to add more vegetables.
Slow cooker pork tacos – Instead of boneless chicken breasts, use boneless pork chops.
Slow cooker chicken taco salad – Top your favorite salad greens with shredded chicken taco meat, green onions, add some cheese and crumbled tortilla chips.
Add beans – Add a can of black beans, kidney beans or pinto beans just after shredding the chicken.
Tips
- Save time and use a jar of salsa in place of tomatoes and jalapeno peppers.
- Spread the broccoli florets out on a baking sheet and avoid overcrowding, which can lead to steaming instead of roasting the broccoli.
- Cut the broccoli florets into similar sizes to ensure even cooking.
- Save time and use pre-cut broccoli.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can! Place all of the ingredients into a Dutch oven, cover, and simmer on low heat until the chicken is cooked through (about 2 to 3 hours). Shred the chicken and enjoy!
Yes, you can. Even though the chicken will stay moist in the tomato mixture in this recipe, if you leave it in the crock pot for more than 6 hours at low heat, it may dry out and become dry. You can, however, set the slow cooker to the warm setting once it’s cooked to keep the chicken warm until it is time to serve it.
It really depends on your personal preference. Some people prefer soft flour or soft corn tortillas, while others prefer crispy corn tortillas. Soft tortillas are a good option if you want to wrap your tacos while corn tortillas are good if you prefer a crispy texture.
Have you tried these taco favorite recipes?
- Breakfast Tacos
- Korean Beef Tacos with Kimchi Slaw
- Vegetarian Taco Lettuce Wraps
- Healthy Beef Tacos
- Grilled Chicken Tacos
Do you like this recipe or have a question?
Please leave a comment or question and a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating below. I answer all questions!
Click on serving size to scale this recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or tenders
- 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes canned or fresh
- 1/4 cup chopped onions about 1/2 of a small to medium onion
- 1 jalapeno pepper diced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- Taco Fixings suggestions: chopped lettuce and cabbage diced onions, avocado slices, cilantro, salsa, lime wedges, shredded jack or cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt, guacamole.
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients: chop the onions and jalapeno pepper.
- Place the chicken into the crockpot and top with half of the taco seasoning
- Cover and cook on low heat for 4 1/2 hours.
- Serve it in your favorite taco shell or in a salad with taco fixings.
Video
Notes
- Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Freeze it for up to three months.
- Add diced carrots or zucchini to the crockpot for an extra serving of vegetables.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
Such a simple and tasty recipe!! I love that you can make it in the slow cooker.
The slow cooker makes the chicken so moist and tender! Perfect with the delicious spices!
Great idea! Definitely need new ideas for my crockpot.
I decree it officially taco-palooza ALL of next week. I would happily shelter in place with that huge crock of shredded chicken and toppings.
I love how simple & tasty these are, and that have all the ingredients on hand!
We love tacos in our house and these ones looks easy and delicious.