Quick and easy to prepare, this recipe for Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos is tender, juicy, and loaded with flavor from salsa and a handful of seasonings. It’s perfect for busy weeknights with minimal effort, and the leftovers are great to repurpose for a second meal.
The Best Shredded Chicken Tacos
This recipe for crockpot chicken tacos makes a regular appearance on my dinner table, especially during the school year when I need something with minimal effort. Made with chicken breast, salsa, and a handful of seasonings, these slow cooker shredded chicken tacos are tender, juicy, and so flavorful.
These make an excellent chicken taco, especially when garnished with onion, parsley, and lime but I love to use the meat in other ways too. Think enchiladas, quesadillas, and salads. Honestly, I love having leftovers just so I can repurpose the meat for a second meal or two.
This is one of those slow cooker recipes that’s super easy to throw together in the morning before work and dinnertime is simplified. Just shred the chicken and enjoy.
Why You’ll Love These Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
These crockpot chicken tacos are always a hit in our family. Here’s why.
- Quick and easy. These shredded chicken tacos require almost no prep time. All you need to do is add the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook.
- Perfect for busy weeknights. These need to cook on low for 6 hours, which means you can toss everything together in the morning and come home to dinner almost ready. A life-saver on busy weeknights.
- Versatile. Don’t feel like making tacos? You can easily use the meat in lettuce wraps, enchiladas, quesadillas, salads, and so much more.
Ingredients Needed
You’ll need just a handful of ingredients for this slow cooker shredded chicken recipe, as well as a few spices to create that Mexican-inspired flavor.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken breasts but you can also substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins.
- Tomato bouillon with chicken flavor – If you can’t find the tomato chicken bouillon at the store, you can buy it online or you can use plain chicken bouillon.
- Seasonings – Garlic powder, onion powder, coarse salt, black pepper, adobo seasoning, and ground cumin give this crockpot shredded chicken an incredible flavor. If you can’t find the adobo seasoning at the store, you can buy it online or you can add more garlic powder in its place, or just leave it out.
- Chunky salsa – Use mild, medium, or hot according to your preferences.
- Chicken broth – Make sure to use low-sodium chicken broth or stock so the end result isn’t too salty.
- Corn tortillas – Use good-quality corn tortillas. Of course, you can substitute flour if preferred.
Topping Ideas
The best part of any tacos is adding the toppings. Note that traditional Mexican tacos like this are garnished simply with diced onion, chopped parsley, and a squeeze of lime juice. But that doesn’t mean those are your only options.
Here are some other chicken taco topping ideas:
- Diced onion
- Chopped parsley
- Lime slices
- Avocado slices
- Guacamole
- Salsa
- Black bean and corn salsa
- Salsa verde
- Shredded cheese
- Queso fresco
How to Make Shredded Chicken Tacos
These crockpot shredded chicken tacos take just a few minutes of prep time. You can even start them in the morning and come home to dinner ready to go!
(Scroll to the bottom for our easy printable recipe with the complete directions, and don’t miss the video below.)
- Combine the ingredients. Coat a 6 quart crockpot with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the bottom. Crumble the bouillon cubes over the chicken, then sprinkle with the seasonings. Pour the salsa on the top and the chicken broth around the chicken.
- Cook. Cook on low for 6 hours.
- Shred. Shred the chicken right in the pot and mix everything together.
- Enjoy. Serve on tacos with garnishes or as desired.
Tips & Variations
Here are a few tips for making these shredded chicken tacos in the slow cooker.
- Cook on low. This is not a recipe that does well on high, as the chicken doesn’t get as tender and therefore isn’t as easy to shred.
- Adjust the seasonings to your preference. As noted above, you can use regular chicken bouillon instead of tomato bouillon and omit the adobo or add more garlic powder in its place. Additionally, you could also spice up the seasonings with some red chili flakes or paprika or by using spicy chunky salsa.
- How do you know when crockpot shredded chicken is done? The chicken should shred easily but, most importantly, it should reach a temperature of 165F.
- Warm the tortillas. Corn tortillas crack easily, so consider popping them in the microwave for about 10 seconds to make them more pliable before serving.
Video: Shredded Chicken Tacos
Serving Suggestions
Traditional slow cooker shredded chicken tacos are served on corn tortillas with diced onion, parsley, and fresh lime juice squeezed over the top. However, feel free to customize them any way you’d like, by using flour tortillas instead and/or adding more toppings.
You can also use the meat in other ways. Think enchiladas, quesadillas, burritos and burrito bowls, taco salad, chicken salad, and more. You can even serve it up in lettuce wraps. It’s really versatile.
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Store leftover shredded chicken taco meat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze. You can also freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat. Reheat leftovers in the slow cooker, skillet, or microwave.
More Crockpot Recipes:
- Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken
- Marry Me Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing
- Slow Cooker Italian Lemon Chicken
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (about 3 chicken breasts)
- 2 cubes tomato bouillon with chicken flavor
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon adobo all-purpose seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 16 ounce jar chunky salsa
- 15 ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
- 12 good quality corn tortillas , for serving
- diced onion , for serving
- chopped parsley , for serving
- lime juice , for serving
Instructions
- Coat a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the chicken into the bottom in a single layer.
- Crumble the bouillon cubes and sprinkle it over the chicken. Then sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, adobo, and cumin on top.
- Pour the salsa on top of the chicken, then pour the chicken broth around the chicken.
- Place the lid on and cook on low for about 6 hours (or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.)
- Shred the chicken in the pot and mix everything together.
- Serve as tacos with some diced onion, parsley, and a spritz of fresh lime juice.
