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!
Kinda new at my crock pot so give me some slack but do I need some liquid at the bottom exp: chicken broth or water or is it good as is
No worries Shaula! You shouldn’t need to add any extra liquid than what’s listed in the recipe. Just make sure your crockpot is large enough for the quantities in this recipe. (We used a 6-qt for this one.)
Please try to use more accurate measurements than “4 boneless skinless chicken breasts.” I have no idea why so many recipes do this. Any store you go to and buy such a thing at, you will see that each and every package will have a different weight. I like to use about 1:2 salsa to chicken ratio (ie 2 lbs chicken = 2 cps salsa). It looks like in your recipe it is closer to 1:1. I think this leaves you with a more “soupy” or “saucier” outcome which is okay, but if you use just the right amount you will be left with a perfectly juicy salsa chicken broth/sauce that you can ladle right over your rice without having to strain or anything.
I think the nuance of this dish if getting the ratio right. I’ve used too much salsa and the juices from the chicken get incorporated into the salsa and lose their flavor, so you end up with a bunch of salsa with salsa-infused chicken resting on top. Good but not optimal. Use too little, and the chicken will actually dry up. This is the worst outcome because a lot of the flavor will evaporate from the dual marination-cooking process and the chicken will taste tough and none too flavorful. Strike the perfect ratio, and you get this irreplaceable mixture of salsa and chicken juices that makes one of the best tasting chicken dishes you’ll experience. Using taco seasoning is common, but I’m a fan of keeping it simple. Make sure you season with salt and pepper DURING THE COOKING PROCESS or your dish will not turn out correctly.
In any case this is a staple meal for me. Finding the right salsa for the job and the right ratio is what makes it yours. I might even try homemade salsa one of these days.
If I were to use chicken thighs, how many would I need to be the same amount of 4 chicken breasts? Would increasing the amount of meat affect cooking time?
Thanks!
Hi Rachel! About 3 chicken thighs would be equal to one chicken breast, so we would say 12 chicken thighs for this recipe. We think the thighs will probably need to be cooked on low for about 6 hours. We hope this helps!
What if I don’t have a slow cooker?
Hi Emily! You really need a slow cooker for this recipe, but we think the next best thing would be to just shred some rotisserie chicken and mix it with your favorite salsa. It will almost identical to this recipe, the chicken just won’t be quite as moist. We hope this helps!
I made this using corn & black bean salsa & it was awesome!!
We’re so glad you liked it Jen! :)
Thank you for sharing! I’m trying this for the first time today. I never thought of putting salsa and chicken together.
You’re welcome Stephanie, we hope you enjoy!
My husband and I eat this all the time. We eat it over homemade Spanish rice (rice, chicken broth, rotel, cumin, and a bit of butter all thrown in a rice cooker). It’s an AMAZING combination!
Thanks for sharing Naomi, we’re glad you and your husband love this! :)
Hello, can I make this with frozen boneless chicken breast? If so, what adjustments should I make to the cooking time ?
Hi Jon! You never want to put frozen items in a slow cooker, especially frozen meats. Doing so creates a really good environment for dangerous bacteria growth, and it will through off the temp of other ingredients in the slow cooker, preventing things from cooking safely and thoroughly. You can certainly use chicken that was previously frozen. Just make sure you thaw properly. We hope this helps, and that you enjoy!
This is a great recipe just by itself. It gets even better to spend a couple of extra minutes to throw in a diced bell pepper (red or yellow), a chopped onion, and a can of black beans (rinsed). In my cooker 6 hours on low is enough – no need to shred the chicken, it will fall apart when you stir it. Although with the extra ingredients it’s a little runny, so I toss in one cup of instant rice the last few minutes. Serve on totillas with some shredded cheddar to make burritos and it’s a family favorite.
Just curious though – has anyone tried this with beef/steak?
Thanks Jon, we’re glad you like it, and thanks for sharing your take on it! :)
Any thoughts on using boneless skinless chicken thighs instead?!
Sure, you totally could. You’ll just need to remove the bones. :)