What you need
Crockpot chicken tacos are about as simple as slow cooker cooking gets. The usual formula is three ingredients, plus tortillas:
- About 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 packet (about 2 to 3 tablespoons) taco seasoning
- 1 to 2 cups salsa, red or green
- Tortillas and toppings
Optional add-ins include a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, a diced onion or a clove of minced garlic.
How to make them
- Place the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning over it, then pour the salsa on top.
- Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and reads 165°F in the thickest part. Recipes commonly give about 6 to 8 hours on low or 3 to 5 hours on high, though cookers differ, so check early.
- Shred, stir the meat back into the juices, and serve in warm tortillas.
When to shred the chicken
Shred once the chicken is fully cooked and tender enough to pull apart easily with a fork. You can do this right in the crockpot, which saves a dish, or move the chicken to a cutting board and shred it there. Either way, return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid and stir. Letting it sit in the juices for about 10 to 15 minutes helps it stay moist. If the chicken is still tough or resists the fork, it likely needs more time.
If there is a lot of liquid, spoon some off before shredding so the tacos do not turn soggy.
Tortillas and toppings
Flour tortillas are soft and easy to fold; corn tortillas have a more traditional flavor. Warm either one briefly in a dry skillet or the microwave so they do not crack. Popular toppings include:
- Shredded cheese
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Guacamole or sliced avocado
- Cilantro and lime wedges
How long can taco meat stay in the crockpot?
Once it is cooked, you can switch the cooker to the warm setting to hold the chicken for serving. Keep it hot, and avoid leaving it out at room temperature for long. As a general food safety guideline, cooked food should not sit between roughly 40°F and 140°F for more than two hours. A few hours on warm for a gathering is usually fine if the meat stays steaming hot, but stir occasionally, add a splash of broth if it dries out, and refrigerate leftovers promptly rather than leaving them in the pot overnight. When in doubt, check the guidance from your local food safety authority.
Reheating shredded chicken
To warm up leftover shredded chicken, use a skillet over low heat with a splash of chicken broth or salsa, or in the microwave. Stir now and then and heat until it is steaming and reaches 165°F. If you want to hold it for serving, move it to a preheated slow cooker on warm afterward, since slow cookers are slow to bring cold food up to a safe temperature. The added liquid keeps it from drying out.
Make it a freezer meal
Put the raw chicken, taco seasoning and salsa in a freezer bag, remove the air and freeze flat. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then cook as above. Label the bag with the date and the cooking steps. Frozen meals are generally best used within about three months.
How many calories are in chicken tacos?
There is no single answer. The total depends on tortilla type and size, how much chicken goes in each taco, and the toppings. Cheese, sour cream and guacamole add noticeably more than lettuce and salsa. For an accurate number, enter your own ingredients into a nutrition calculator.
Leftover ideas
Leftover taco chicken works in quesadillas, nachos, burrito bowls and soups. For a more flexible batch with green chiles and extra spices, see our slow cooker Mexican chicken. If you want peppers and onions in the mix, try slow cooker chicken fajitas. For a faster pressure cooker route to shreddable chicken, see juicy Instant Pot chicken breast recipes.