Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
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Slow cooker chicken tacos make taco night a hands-off meal. Add everything in the crockpot, set it, and walk away! Everyone loves these easy tacos.
You might associate slow cookers with the colder seasons, but I love to use mine all year long.
Whether I’m making curried chicken in the winter or slow cooker eggplant parmesan in the summer, the slow cooker is definitely one of my kitchen pinch hitters.
I first made these slow cooker chicken tacos right after having my second son, and they quickly became one of our favorite family meals.
Depending on how big your family is, the recipe makes enough to have a couple of taco leftovers for lunch. And who doesn’t love two meals out of one?
Why you’ll love this recipe
It’s hard to not love tacos right out of the gate, but here’s a few reasons this recipe is a winner.
Hands off – Set and forget it is the name of the game here. There’s a little chopping of vegetables, but you don’t need to worry about cutting up the chicken!
Customizable – Have fresh tomatoes from the garden or your favorite spicy salsa on hand? Swap it in! I’ve made this dish with canned diced tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, homemade roasted tomato salsa, and green tomato salsa. It’s always a hit.
Perfect for weeknights – Oftentimes the last thing I want to do at the end of a busy day is make dinner. Yes, even food bloggers feel this way! I love that I can put this together in the morning, turn it on, and dinner will be ready and waiting.
Keeps the kitchen cool – When I lived in Texas, the last thing we wanted to do is heat up the kitchen in the middle of the summer. Slow cooking does the work without turning your space into a sauna.
How to make crockpot chicken tacos
Place chicken thighs into the slow cooker. I use boneless skinless chicken thighs so I don’t have to remove them later. You can also use boneless chicken breasts, if you prefer.
In a small bowl, mix together cumin, paprika, Mexican oregano, chili powder, and salt. Sprinkle evenly over both sides of the chicken.
You can also swap in your favorite taco seasoning in place of this mix. You’ll need about 2 tablespoons.
what is mexican oregano?
Mediterranean oregano has minty undertones, while Mexican oregano has notes of citrus and licorice. It’s actually in the same plant family as lemon verbena, not oregano! Crush the leaves together between your hands before adding to dishes.
If you can’t find Mexican oregano, simply leave it out rather than substituting Mediterranean oregano.
To the slow cooker, add diced onion, jalapeños (use as much as you like for heat here), salsa, and chicken broth.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
When you’re ready to eat, remove the lid and use two forks and shred chicken into small pieces.
If your slow cooker has a simmer function, you can let it simmer a bit to thicken the juices. Or, you can transfer the chicken to a pan to crisp up similar to carnitas.
Serve with your favorite toppings and some black beans and rice on the side.
Any leftover juices can be transformed into soup with some additional broth!
How to serve shredded chicken tacos
Honestly one of the reasons my family loves tacos so much is because everyone can add all of their desired toppings, and even the pickiest eater gets their way!
We like to set up all of the topping options on the kitchen island as a build-your-own taco bar. It’s great for family dinners and entertaining alike.
Be sure to warm your tortillas! Whether you choose flour tortillas or corn tortillas, warming them will make them taste SO much better. We heat tortillas on an electric griddle and pop them into a tortilla warmer while we finish the batch.
If using crispy taco shells, warm them in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet.
Here’s just a few of our favorite toppings for serving:
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded cheese
- Crumbled oaxaca cheese
- Pickled red onions
- Fresh cilantro
- Pico de gallo
- Sour cream or crema
- Lime wedges
My whole family loves easy recipes like this because we get extra time to enjoy our meal together! These are my best chicken tacos — give them a try!
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 to 4 diced jalapeños
- 1 cup salsa, any variety
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Place chicken thighs into a slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine cumin, salt, paprika, Mexican oregano, and chili powder. Sprinkle evenly over both sides of the chicken.
- Add diced onion and jalapeños, then pour salsa and broth evenly over the top. Place lid and cook on low 6-8 hours.
- When ready, remove lid and shred chicken using two forks. Serve with your favorite taco toppings.
Slow cookers are intended for summer! Ours has been out on the counter for the past month or so and has been taking on everything from baked potatoes, to stocks, to beans and I have even been eyeing some of those of slow cooker bread recipes.
Happy to hear you are finding your way back to a groove of sorts. 🙂
You are a super mama! I’d be happy with a plate of these, postpartum or not.
I have the slow cooker and I have the gardens, I just need to get me a pool! This is a great recipe. Hope little Max is doing as well as Mommy seems to be.