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Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken

This is a really easy slow-cooker salsa chicken recipe that makes a versatile meal. It tastes very similar to the chicken used in Mexican restaurants in their chicken taco salads. My kids eat it plain, but I like it on a large salad with avocado and sour cream!

Crock pot salsa chicken has the flavors of a fajita and tastes great in salads, quesadillas, or on top of burrito bowls. This easy recipe is naturally gluten-free and makes for a simple weeknight dinner. We’ll often eat it for a quick lunch too.

This recipe freezes and reheats extremely well for easy meal prep. It makes a great packed lunch or can be doubled for a quick meal later. I like to pack it as a mason jar salad by placing some at the bottom of a quart mason jar. Top it with sour cream, salsa, cheddar cheese, avocado, and lastly, lettuce. Dump it upside down for a 2-second salad on the go.

Salsa Chicken Ingredients

This chicken dinner is really easy and involves some shredded chicken, spices, and a jar of salsa. I’ve listed out all of the spices in the recipe, but you could even use 3 Tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning mix instead for faster prep. Our family uses chicken breast since that’s what I usually have on hand, but skinless chicken thighs also work and add more flavor.

For an Instant Pot version use the recipe below but add 1 cup of chicken broth while cooking. For frozen chicken cook for 15 minutes and do a natural pressure release. If using thawed chicken reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes with a natural pressure release.

What to Eat With Salsa Chicken

You can eat the salsa chicken as is with a side of veggies (or salad) or use it as the protein in other dishes. Here are a few ideas:

This recipe is simple but it certainly isn’t boring! Here are some ideas for what to mix in or top your salsa chicken.

  • black beans or pinto beans
  • cilantro
  • diced jalapenos
  • stir in some cream cheese
  • top with guacamole
  • add a squeeze of lime juice

There are so many different ways to serve this chicken that I don’t easily get tired of it. To save on time I’ll sometimes make a big batch on the weekend. Then I can reheat it and use it in different dishes throughout the week. Like enchiladas for supper on Monday, then salsa chicken salad on Wednesday. Mix and match the toppings for even more variety!

Salsa_Chicken

Crockpot Salsa Chicken Recipe

This easy chicken recipe is simple to make and really versatile. Enjoy it plain, on top of salad, or as the protein for other dishes.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 5 minutes
Calories 196kcal
Author Katie Wells

Servings

6 cups

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put the boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) in a slow cooker and sprinkle with all the spices.
  • Pour the salsa over the chicken.
  • Cook on low for 7-8 hours until tender.
  • Shred the cooked chicken with forks before serving.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Crockpot Salsa Chicken Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 196 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 0.02g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 96mg32%
Sodium 1247mg54%
Potassium 722mg21%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 33g66%
Vitamin A 463IU9%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 35mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

  • Serve slightly cooled chicken over salad with desired toppings such as avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, and additional salsa.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

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What are your favorite toppings for salsa chicken? Leave a comment and let me know!

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

20 responses to “Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken”

  1. Bethany Avatar

    5 stars
    Simple, easy, delicious! We ate off the left-overs for a week and made up several other dinners with the extra.

  2. Rosalyn Avatar

    5 stars
    Just made this last night and it was very good!
    Being a turkey farmer I used turkey breast and added a bit more “heat”

  3. Sandy Avatar

    Can someone help me? How much chicken – by weight – would you use for this recipe? I want to make large quantities to freeze for a wedding dinner. My research shows the amounts in the recipe to differ greatly: 3-4 breasts would equal 24-48 oz whereas 5-6 thighs would be approximately 16 oz. Also, I’m also planning to use a mix of breasts and thighs, and it would be a lot easier to adjust the recipe by weight rather than number of chicken pieces!

  4. Becky Avatar

    If you were to do this using a whole chicken, would you increase the seasonings? I almost never buy pre-cut chicken…I get organic whole chickens to save money! I love cooking whole chickens in the crock pot. 🙂

  5. Sara Avatar

    Would you be able to add fajita veggies to this recipe? Like onion, peppers, mushrooms etc? If so, would they need to be precooked? Added later? Or should they just be cooked later?

  6. Rachel Avatar

    I tried this with pork and made stuffed sweet potatoes. I only made a half batch since there wasn’t as much meat. Everyone loved it.

  7. Tina Avatar

    I just put this in the crockpot..can’t wait to try. However, I have a question…when you say ‘chili powder,’ do you mean a chili seasoning blend or just the red chili pepper powder? I feel that everyone uses these terms interchangeably. My husband is from India, so our chili powder means hot chilies!

  8. AimezR Avatar

    My hubby and I LOVE this!! We wrap the meat up in lettuce leaves with some cheese and tomatoes and devour!! It’s spicy, but not to the point where it takes away from the taste! This is a regular in our house, thank you!!!

  9. Tasha Webster Avatar
    Tasha Webster

    a great way to shred chicken after it’s cooked is in your kitchen aid mixer. It works great and is so much easier and faster than shredding with a fork.

  10. Allison Avatar
    Allison

    This is now in our regular rotation! It’s a great base chicken for so many different dishes, and wonderful simply in a salad.  Thanks!

  11. April Avatar

    Delicious! I added chicken stock to help keep the meat moist. And then made taquitos with the meat. Sooooo easy!

  12. Jessica Kessel Avatar
    Jessica Kessel

    Great recipe, thanks so much for sharing!  Was definitely a crowd pleaser.  I did omit cumin and cut in half the spices for chili powder and pepper but it still had great flavor.  Even my preschooler ate it! 🙂 

  13. Anastasia Avatar
    Anastasia

    Love shredded meat for versatile and easy dishes.  Thanks for the reminder!  I’ll have to do this soon. 🙂

  14. Chinya Avatar

    This is a great recipe that I make a lot!  I try to cook this often and freeze the meat in two cup portions for homemade, oven-baked taquitos.   Sometimes I mix the meat with brown rice and cheese and top with sour cream.  But then again, I am pregnant and I have some pretty strong cravings. 

5 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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