Description
A simple, budget-friendly slow cooker recipe for tender shredded chicken tacos. This ‘dump and go’ meal uses salsa verde, chicken breasts, and pantry staples for an easy weeknight dinner that feeds a family of four.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 16 oz jar salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
- Corn or flour tortillas for serving
- Shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack)
- Sour cream
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Avocado or guacamole
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. If breasts are large, cut them in half horizontally for even cooking.
- In a medium bowl, combine salsa verde, diced onion, minced garlic, cumin, chili powder, and chicken broth. Stir to mix.
- Pour the salsa mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker, ensuring the chicken is mostly covered.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until chicken shreds easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred using two forks or kitchen shears.
- Optional: For a thicker sauce, remove 1 cup of cooking liquid, simmer in a saucepan for 5-10 minutes to reduce, then stir back into the chicken.
- Warm tortillas and assemble tacos with shredded chicken, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and lime.
Notes
You can use frozen chicken breasts directly from the freezer; just add 30-45 minutes to the cook time. Do not thaw first. The cooking liquid is flavorful and can be saved for soups or rice. Adjust spice level by choosing mild or hot salsa verde. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents; block cheese melts better.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup shredded chick
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 30
Keywords: crockpot, slow cooker, salsa verde, chicken tacos, easy weeknight dinner, budget meals, family friendly, one pot