Oh good grief.
I have been making slow cooker shredded chicken for years. And I have been making homemade salsa for years and years and years. But it was not until this year that the lightbulb finally decided to click on, I realized that chicken and salsa were a ridiculously obvious match made in crockpot heaven.
Brilliant or obvious? You decide.
Either way, if you love Mexican shredded chicken, this one falls in the must-try category. Why?
It only requires 2 ingredients. It takes less than 2 minutes to prep. And then once your slow cooker has worked its magic, it takes less than 2 minutes to shred. And then this wonderfully seasoned, simple, juicy, flavorful chicken is yours “2” enjoy on countless dishes. (Couldn’t resist.)
Here’s the how “2”. (Ok, somebody help me.)
Sorry, I still can’t get over the fact that it took me until I was 30 to think of this. Moving on…
To make this salsa chicken, just pop some raw chicken in a slow cooker. (I didn’t want to mess with bones, so went with chicken breasts for easy shredding.) Then cover it with lots of your favorite salsa. (I used the restaurant-style salsa that I posted yesterday.) Season it with some extra salt and pepper, give it a stir, and then let your slow cooker do its thing.
After about 4 hours (or all day long while you’re at work), pop off that lid, and the chicken should fall apart into shredded, juicy, salsa-y perfection.
I popped half of mine into some tortillas along with avocado to make these simple chicken soft tacos. But the salsa chicken would work perfectly on just about any other Mexican chicken dish you can imagine — quesadillas, taquitos, salads, chimichangas, you name it.
The key is just to use really good salsa, since the seasonings in the salsa are obviously what will flavor the chicken. Remember, too, that the chicken will release plenty of its own juices during cooking. So don’t be afraid to use some salsa with an extra “kick”, since the intensity of its flavor will get watered down slightly while cooking. I also recommend seasoning the meat with extra salt and pepper before cooking. (And if you like heat, feel free to throw in an extra jalapeno too.)
I mean seriously. Shredded Mexi chicken could not get any easier. You’ve gotta try it.
2-Ingredient Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs total)*
- 2 cups favorite salsa
- salt and pepper
- (optional: fresh lime wedges for serving)
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cover with salsa. Toss until the chicken is covered.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6-8 hours), or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. Shred the chicken in the slow cooker and toss with the remaining salsa and juices until well-mixed. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. (This chicken also freezes well.)
- *You can really use just about any cut of chicken for this recipe. For easy shredding though (so that you don’t have to mess with bones), I recommend boneless chicken breasts or thighs. This should be about 2 lbs of chicken total.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
I am making this right now. Per my preferences, I added 2 other ingredients. I dumped in a can of mixed vegetables as well as some pasta. Still so easy… Just dump it all in and enjoy the aromas in the kitchen while it is cooking.
Quick to throw together. Yummy meal. Served with flour tortillas and condiments.
I tried this recipe & it came out absolutely delicious!! Didn’t follow exactly, just one very large boneless chicken breast about 1-1/2 lbs. and one 16 oz.of “Organics” Salsa Verde/ Medium. Through in crock pot for about 5 hrs and wow it’s the easiest recipe ever!!! Had with Spanish rice, some avocado slices & sour cream. Will have leftovers in tacos. It’s the best ever…
It did turn out great however I almost gave it four stars because, if I would not have tweaked this recipe it would have been a burnt mess? I added some water and it was done in 3 hours cooked on low not high!!? Chicken broth might have been better but I didn’t have any on hand. I’m not sure why it worked without burning for so many other people at the recommended temperature and length of time with no added liquid? At any rate for a little crap and super easy I seasoned also with chili powder.
Did you use enough salsa? If you use a jar of salsa or at least a cup per pound, it shouldn’t burn. I do add some extra sometimes, but not always. I normally just use a large jar, about 24oz.
One of our favorite meals for the entire family and so easy! Making it now actually on this rainy busy day, I can put it in the c pot and then leave, get the kids from school, take for hair cuts and then when we get home literally just throw it on the table. We do it on top of rice or corn chips, scoops. Etc. We also make nachos the next night. Don’t forget some sour cream and shredded cheese on top of eating over rice or chips…DELISH!
Ali, I never would have thought of this and I’m so glad you did! So good. I threw some leftover jalapeño and green chili’s into the pot too, and we had burritos that included the chicken broth rice (also brilliant).
Adding this to regular rotation!
I make this all the time now….it’s so easy and it tastes amazing!! Everyone in my family likes it. We use it so many different ways and it makes different dinner choices. We make chicken tacos with it, we make a nacho bar, we put it on top of rice with cheese and sour cream, sometimes we put it on top of corn chips and or rice with sour cream and cheddar cheese…I know not always the healthiest but SO GOOOD!
Oh and I forgot to mention I use store bought mild salsa. Really any kind works. I’ve used some from Aldi which tasted just as good but when I make it for my entire family, I use the kind I know and trust will taste great, Tostitos Mild Chunky Salsa. I’m making it tonight actually. Since I have shared the recipe with others, it became a staple dinner in their house as well, they now make it weekly. It really is one of the best dinners and the easiest.
I put taco seasoning on top of the chicken first then salsa! It’s perfect!
Absolutely delicious and foolproof. Made it several times over the last couple of years. You can do a zillion things with it: add to a stir fry, chicken salad with a little Mays (yum), etc. I even used some I froze for chicken croquettes. Thank you for the recipe which is a staple for me.
This has been my go to lately.
I cook as recommended, then remove the whole chicken instead of shredding it. I uses the remaining salsa in the pot and use it instead on water with white rice. Add some frozen corn to the rice. Cook the rice.
Serve chicken sliced the short way north the length. Fan to very the rice and enjoy.