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You will love how easy these deliciously tender Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Tacos are! It’s a dump & go crockpot meal with chicken, corn, black beans, salsa, fresh lime juice and taco seasoning. These are the best and easiest chicken tacos ever!
For a one pot pasta + chicken southwest dinner try this Southwest Chicken Pasta recipe! My family loves it.
Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Tacos (Easy Chicken Tacos Recipe
Chicken tacos are always a family favorite dinner idea! What’s not to love about tender shredded chicken loaded into a crunchy corn taco shell, or soft flour tortilla shell, and then piled high with all your favorite taco toppings?!
I especially love these southwest chicken tacos because it’s a quick & easy dump & go crockpot meal that takes just minutes of prep and then the slow cooker does all the work. You get to come home to a ready-to-devour meal that will please everyone in the family.
Why You’ll Love These Amazing & Easy Southwest Chicken Tacos
- Taco Toppings! : The best part of chicken tacos are all the delicious toppings. I love to put out bowls with an assortment of taco toppings in each one, this way, everyone can make their own chicken tacos just how they like them. Some topping ideas are shredded or green lettuce, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, pico de Gallo, chopped black olives, sliced jalapeño, chopped cilantro, sour cream, avocado slices or chunks, guacamole, hot sauce or taco sauce. So many options!
- Quick Prep : You just can’t beat a 5 minute dump & go prep for dinnertime.
- Healthy Dinner Idea : These shredded chicken tacos are healthier dinner option with the lean protein, beans, corn, and salsa. Use crunchy corn taco shells or the net zero flour tortillas when serving.
Ingredients Needed
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts : The recipe calls for 1.5 pounds of chicken breast, which is equal to about 3 large chicken breasts. I like to cut each one in half just to ensure that it cooks quick and gets ultra tender in the slow cooker. If the chicken breast are smaller pieces then leave them whole.
- Canned Corn : Use yellow corn, white corn, southwestern corn, or gold n’ white corn. No need to drain the corn. We want all that flavored slightly sweet corn juice it sits in.
- Black Beans : Dump the beans into a colander and run cold water over them to rinse them off.
- Rotel : Use mild, orignal, or hot & spicy Rotel.
- Salsa : I recommend using one of the fresher salsas that you can find in the deli section near the produce area of the store. I think they taste much better than the jarred stuff you find by the other taco ingredients.
- Fresh Lime Juice : Squeeze one juicy lime into the slow cooker. Roll the lime between your palm and the countertop to release all those juices.
- Taco Seasoning : Use regular, mild, low-sodium, or spicy taco seasoning. You can even use the chicken taco seasoning packet.
How To Make Southwest Shredded Chicken Tacos In The Slow Cooker (Recipe Card Below)
Learn how to make shredded southwest chicken for chicken tacos with the easy steps below. Be sure and read to the bottom of the page where there is a recipe card with all the details and a printable option so you can have it in your kitchen.
- Add the chicken breasts, corn, black beans, Rotel, salsa, fresh lime juice, and taco seasoning into the insert of the slow cooker. Mix it together as best as you can.
- Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook at LOW heat for 6-7 hours.
- When done, use two forks to shred the chicken (shred it right inside the slow cooker OR you can remove it with tongs to a plate to shred) and then give it a good stir to combine everything together.
- Serve inside crunchy corn taco shells or flour tortillas with all your favorite taco toppings.
How To Store Leftover Shredded Chicken Taco Meat
Store any leftover southwest chicken inside an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove top inside a small saucepan. You may need to add a splash of water or broth to moisten the leftovers back up.
Or try using the leftover shredded chicken in this recipe for Easy Chicken Tostadas or these Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos.
Serving Suggestions For Southwest Chicken Taco Meat
We love serving these as tacos with all the topping options in bowls. I love to set out the taco shells, tortilla shells, and bowls with all the topping options out on the countertop buffet style. Here are some ideas for toppings – shredded or green lettuce, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, pico de Gallo, chopped black olives, sliced jalapeño, chopped cilantro, sour cream, avocado slices or chunks, guacamole, hot sauce or taco sauce. So many options!
You can also make quesadillas, taco bowls, burrito bowls with a base of rice, or have a nacho bar with the shredded chicken taco meat.
Recipe Tips
- Make it Spicy! : This recipe is so easy to customize to your spice level. Use a packet of hot taco seasoning, use hot spice level salsa, add a can of diced green chilies or a can of chopped jalapeños, use hot Rotel tomatoes, garnish the taco with jalapeños slices or hot sauce.
- Mild Spice Level : You can also make this recipe as mild in spice as you prefer. Use a packet of mild taco seasoning, use mild Rotel or leave the Rotel out completely (even the mild version has a slight kick to it).
- Don’t Like Tomatoes? : Omit the Rotel and just use the salsa. Some people don’t like the larger chunks of tomatoes when using canned Rotel, if that’s you, then simply leave them out. I don’t recommend omitting the salsa as that provides the much needed liquid for the recipe.
- Changes To The Recipe : Use any canned bean you prefer if you don’t like black beans. Use any variety of canned corn. Choose your favorite salsa and use it – there are spicy salsa options, mild salsa options, cilantro salsa, etc.
Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large chicken breasts)
- 1 can (15 oz) corn
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans (drained & rinsed)
- 1 can (10 oz) Rotel
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 packet mild taco seasoning
- 1 large lime juiced
Instructions
- Add the chicken breasts, corn, black beans, Rotel, salsa, taco seasoning, and fresh lime juice into the insert of the slow cooker. Mix it together as best as you can.* If the chicken breasts are large I like to cut them in half before adding to the crock pot.1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 can (15 oz) corn, 1 can (15 oz) black beans, 1 can (10 oz) Rotel, 1 cup salsa, 1 packet mild taco seasoning, 1 large lime
- Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW heat for 6-7 hours.
- Use two forks to shred the chicken. Give everything a good stir to combine it all together. * Shred the chicken inside the crock pot with two forks OR remove the chicken to a plate, shred it, and then add it back in.
- Use tongs or a slotted spoon to serve the southwest chicken inside crunchy corn taco shells or flour tortillas, with all your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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