Southwestern Crockpot Chicken Tacos Recipe

Name: Southwestern Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 490 min
Ingredients: 1 (16-oz) jar salsa; 2 pounds chicken breast (I used boneless, skinless (about 4 medium-large)); 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (or more to taste); 1 (15-oz) can black beans (rinsed and drained); 1 cup corn (frozen or canned); 1 onion (coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)); taco shells (and any toppings you like; for serving)

Put these Southwestern Crockpot Chicken Tacos on your meal plan – they are so easy to make with just 6 ingredients, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been making them all along!

overhead view of soft taco shells filled with crockpot chicken taco mixture

My family loves chicken tacos – and I usually make them in the crock pot for super quick and easy prep. Which is probably my favorite thing about this meal – just throw a few things into the crock, and dinner is basically done!

Even though I don’t like the name of them, this is a real “dump and go” slow cooker recipe – it has 2 steps: Add everything to the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours OR on high for 4 hours, then shred the chicken and serve with your favorite taco shells and toppings. So easy, and yet so delicious!

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for crock pot chicken tacos with text labels — Ingredients to make Crockpot Chicken Tacos: Chicken breast, salsa, black beans, corn, onion and taco seasoning.

Ingredient notes

Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a great alternative here.
Salsa: one 16-oz jar will add plenty of sauce to your chicken. We enjoy a mild, chunky salsa (like Newman’s Own Medium) for this recipe, but you can go wild here: Jarred pineapple salsa is delicious, and so is black bean and corn salsa.
Spiciness: I make these super mild for my kids, but feel free to add heat with jalapeños or chili! I use my Homemade Taco Seasoning to add flavor to these tacos, so I can control exactly how mild these are.
Taco Shells: We prefer these with soft wheat taco shells because of the sauce, so hard taco shells make it more difficult to eat – but they definitely work, too.

How to make chicken tacos in the crock pot

My chicken tacos are really foolproof and prepped in about 5-10 minutes:

1. Prep chicken:

Spread ⅓ of the salsa over the bottom of your crock. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle with the taco seasoning.

raw chicken with taco seasoning on top in crock — season chicken

2. Add vegetables and salsa:

Place the onion, corn and black beans on top of the chicken. Spread the salsa on top. You don’t need to be fancy here – just make sure the vegetables cover the chicken, and the salsa covers the vegetables.

overhead view of black beans and corn in crock — add vegetables

overhead view of salsa and corn in crock — add vegetables

3. Slow cook the chicken:

Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.

I generally prefer to cook chicken on LOW in the slow cooker because I prefer the texture that way. It’s fine to cook it on HIGH if you need it to be done quicker, just know the texture will be a little less tender.

overhead view of cooked salsa, beans, corn and chicken in crock pot — slow cook

4. Shred the chicken:

Open the crock pot, carefully remove the chicken.

Shred the chicken using your preferred method – I always use two forks to pull the chicken apart on a chopping board. Stir the shredded chicken back into the salsa mixture.

overhead view of two forks shredding cooked chicken breast on wooden chopping board — shred chicken

overhead view of shredded chicken sitting on top of black bean and corn salsa in crock — shred chicken

5. Finish and serve:

Allow the chicken to sit, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes before serving. This way, it will soak up those juices in the crock and become even more juicy and flavorful! Serve with your favorite toppings and sides.

overhead view of crock pot chicken taco mixture in black slow cooker insert with kitchen tongs stuck in

Recipe top tips

Layering: Make sure to stick to the layering the recipe calls for – especially the salsa spread over the bottom of the crock. This helps to keep the chicken from sticking and burning. A previous version of this recipe called for stirring everything, but this new way is much easier!
How I shred chicken: I know there’s all sorts of fancy tutorials on how to shred chicken with a mixer, a food processor, a blender… But I actually prefer to just pull the cooked chicken apart with the help of two forks. That way I get to control how shredded my chicken is (I prefer it shredded into chunks vs super stringy).

Helpful hints

Other cooking methods

Stovetop: If you don’t have time to make them in the slow cooker, you can make these on the stovetop: Just add everything to a pot, cover with a lid and simmer until the chicken is done. It will take around 20 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken breast. You may need to add a little chicken broth to keep it from charring.
Instant pot: You can make this in the Instant Pot if you prefer – this is especially handy if you have frozen chicken!
- Add all ingredients to the inner pot of your electric pressure cooker. Add 1 cup chicken broth OR water and stir very well. Close the lid, set the valve to “sealing”. Pressure cook on “high” for 10 minutes (for raw chicken) or 15 minutes (for frozen chicken).
- Once the cooking time is up, do a natural pressure release for 5 minutes (just switch the IP off and leave it alone). Manually release any remaining pressure, open the lid and shred the chicken.
- The sauce will be more runny, you can either drain some OR set the instant pot to sauté and simmer until the liquid has reduced to your liking.
Oven: Layer the ingredients as directed into a deep oven-safe skillet, or a large and deep casserole dish with a lid. Cover and bake at 360°F for 45-60 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear.

Leftovers

Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Gently reheat on the stove or in the microwave, making sure the chicken is steaming hot throughout before serving.

Freezer instructions

I love freezing this chicken for a day we’re too busy to cook. It’s great in so many dishes – as tacos, over rice, as a quick quesadilla filling or simply packed into a burrito!

Allow the chicken to cool for 30 minutes, then place it in a freezer bag or container. Seal, then label with the name and use-by date. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat as directed in the leftover instructions above.

Recipe FAQs

Can you put raw chicken in the crockpot?

Yes, you can according to the slow cooker safety guidelines from the USDA. Make sure to only use thawed meat (never frozen), use a clean crock and clean utensils and keep the chicken refrigerated until ready to use.

What is the internal temperature of chicken?

To ensure food safety, I always check the internal temperature of the chicken with a food thermometer – especially when using a slow cooker! According to the government’s food safety guidelines, cook chicken to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. Full cooking temperature chart.

How many tacos do you need per person?

We usually need 1 taco per small child and 2 tacos per older child and not too hungry adult. A hungry adult in our household has been known to eat 3-4 tacos for dinner.

overhead view of five chicken tacos on wooden platter surrounded by taco toppings

Serving ideas

My homemade guacamole, shredded cabbage or lettuce and some shredded cheese are our favorites. Coleslaw is also a nice addition! And if I have enough time, I make a batch of Pineapple Salsa or Mango Black Bean Salsa to go with them – so delicious!

This is such a great way to use your slow cooker during the summer: An easy meal that always puts a smile on everyone’s face around the dinner table – winner, winner, chicken dinner. Enjoy!

frontal close up view of chicken taco in front of slow cooker

More easy chicken dinners

For all my easy chicken dinners, check out the collection here: Easy Chicken Recipes

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Printable recipe

Printable Recipe Card

overhead close up view of crock pot chicken tacos with toppings on wooden platter

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Southwestern Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Put these Southwestern Crockpot Chicken Tacos on your meal plan – they are so easy to make with just 6 ingredients – just throw in the crock and start!

Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings

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4.63 from 189 votes

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Recipe details

Prep 10

Cook 8

Total 8 10

Servings 8 servings

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

▢ 1 (16-oz) jar salsa
▢ 2 pounds chicken breast I used boneless, skinless (about 4 medium-large)
▢ 2 tablespoons taco seasoning or more to taste
▢ 1 (15-oz) can black beans rinsed and drained
▢ 1 cup corn frozen or canned
▢ 1 onion coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
▢ taco shells and any toppings you like; for serving

Instructions

Prep chicken: Spread ⅓ of 1 (16-oz) jar salsa over bottom of crock. Place 2 pounds chicken breast on top and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons taco seasoning.
Add vegetables and salsa: Place 1 (15-oz) can black beans, 1 cup corn and 1 onion (chopped) on top of chicken. Spread remaining salsa on top.
Slow cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
Shred chicken and serve: Once done, remove chicken, shred, stir back into salsa mixture. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving with favorite taco toppings.