Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

These Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos couldn’t be any easier! Chicken thighs are cooked in the crockpot in a tomatillo and pepper mixture, then served up in tortillas for an easy dinner idea.

If you want even more slow cooker favorites, don’t forget to check out these Italian Beef Sandwiches or this Slow Cooker Beef Noodle Soup.

I have admitted this before, but I’m not a total slow cooker recipe lover.

What, you ask? I know, I know. It’s not that I hate them.

It’s that I think that there are a lot of bad ones out there. I’m not a fan of the whole – throw your chicken and other ingredients into the slow cooker and let them cook for 10 hours. Because I think that most proteins get a weird texture after being in the slow cooker for a long time. Or they end up tasting really watered down. So I’m pretty picky with my slow cooker recipes. I probably have more failures in the slow cooker than I do any other kind of recipe.

But these Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos are an example that good “dump and go” slow cooker recipes actually do exist.

These are super simple chicken tacos, and maybe that’s why I liked them so much, and I couldn’t get enough of them. I loved the lime juice and cilantro that are stirred in in the end, and the avocados that are served with the chicken tacos. They all bring in that element of fresh that I think is definitely necessary when you are making slow cooker recipes. That, along with the fact that the chicken isn’t cooked too long, makes this recipe a winner.

These Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos are definitely a way to step up Taco Tuesday!

Ingredients

• Tomatillo Salsa: You can use a homemade tomatillo salsa, or you can use a store bought salsa. Just make sure it is a salsa that you like, because the flavor will come through.
• Peppers: You can use either poblano or pasilla peppers. I have used both, and both work great. I usually find that my grocery store only has one or the other in stock at a time. Poblanos are typically a little bigger, so if you are using pasilla peppers, you may need more than 2.
• Oregano: I like to rub the oregano before adding it to bring out the oils.
• Salt and Pepper: There aren’t a lot of seasonings in this chicken, so I like to be generous with the salt and pepper.
• Chicken: I am not a hug fan of chicken breasts in the slow cooker, so I tend to use chicken thighs more often. They don’t dry out as much, and have great flavor. You can use breasts, but you will need to watch the cooking time, as you will probably need less time.
• Cilantro: You will add in some fresh cilantro at the end to give the chicken some freshness.
• Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice is also added at the end, giving some freshness and acidity.
• Tortillas: I like to use flour tortillas, but you could also use corn tortillas.
• Toppings: Feel free to top the tacos with anything you want, but I like more cilantro, sliced avocado, and cotija cheese.

How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

STEP 1: Combine the tomatillo salsa, diced pepper, oregano, and salt and pepper in the bottom of your slow cooker.

STEP 2: Add in the chicken, then stir it to make sure the chicken is coated. You want to make sure the chicken is in as much of a single layer as possible.

STEP 3: Cook the chicken on low until it is cooked through, about 4 hours. Once it is done, remove it from the slow cooker and shred it with 2 forks.

STEP 4: Return the chicken to the slow cooker and mix it in with the salsa and peppers. Use this chicken to assemble your tacos and serve.

Tips and Tricks

I like to char my tortillas on my gas stove, but you can also heat them in a dry skillet.

Make sure to start checking your chicken at about 3 1/2 hours. All slow cookers cook a little differently, and some will cook faster and some slower.

If desired, serve with lime wedges so people can add fresh lime to their tacos.

Storage and Freezing

Store any leftover chicken in a covered container in the refrigerator. It can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave.

This chicken can also easily be frozen. I like to place it in a freezer safe ziplock bag, and let it freeze on a flat surface for easy freezer storage. Freeze for up to 3 months.

More Taco Recipes

Black Bean Tacos
Fried Fish Tacos
Easy Chicken Tacos with Mango and Jicama

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