This easy taco recipe requires no pre-cooking, just throw it all in the crock pot and you’ll have a delicious weeknight meal. Black beans and chicken breast, simmered in the slow cooker make the perfect filling for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or even a burrito bowl and it’s loaded with fiber.
Personally, I love this served in crunchy corn taco shells. I make a quick red cabbage slaw which adds a little acidity and crunch, and it’s a healthier option than iceberg. Add some spicy pico de gallo for freshness and avocados, and I am one happy gal! So good you won’t even miss the cheese!
I often make my own pico de gallo, but when I’m pressed for time, I have no problem buying it. There are lots of great options in the refrigerated produce section of the supermarket, Nature’s Promise is usually my go-to, is organic and has just the right amount of kick.
Avocado is so good on tacos, and loaded with heart healthy fats. It’s creamy and delicious and I totally skip the sour cream, but if you rather save on calories and leave it out, fat free Greek yogurt works fine in it’s place.
And since so many are asking, although I have and love my Instant Pot, I still love my slow cooker! I have the 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker (affil link). I love it because you can adjust the time you want it to cook, and it automatically turns to warm when it’s done. It also has a probe for meat that automatically shuts off when done. I hated my old crock pot, it burnt everything and my food had a weird taste. This slow cooker is so great, I actually own several!
Slow Cooker Chicken Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
- 12 oz raw skinless chicken tenders or breast
- 15 oz can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed (Goya)
- 10 oz can tomatoes with mild green chiles, I used Rotel
- 1 1/8 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp plus 1/8th tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1 medium scallion, diced
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro, optional
For the Slaw:
- 1 1/3 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar, or lime juice
- salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Taco:
- 12 crisp corn taco shells
- Optional toppings:, not calculated
- pico de gallo
- 1 medium haas avocado, sliced
Instructions
- Season chicken with pinch of salt, garlic powder, oregano, 1/8 tsp of the chili powder and 1/8th tsp cumin.
- Add the beans and tomatoes to the crock pot and season with the remaining chili powder and cumin.
- Place chicken in the crock pot and cover. Cook on HIGH 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, combine shredded cabbage with vinegar (add more to taste), season with salt to taste; set aside.
- Remove chicken from the crock pot and shred with two forks.
- Drain beans and transfer to a platter, or back to the crock pot to keep warm. Top with shredded chicken, scallions and cilantro.
- To serve, warm the taco shells according to package directions.
- Fill with equal amounts of bean and chicken mixture. Top with cabbage and your favorite toppings.
Last Step:
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Fantastic. Cannot eat cilantro raw, but it was great without… Also ate without the slaw…
I make this regularly. To keep it simple to fit our schedule, I serve it over rice and top with cheese and sour cream and tortilla chips for scooping.
I tested out this recipe in the instant pot. (I use chicken tenders, not breasts so not sure about what the cooking time would be for whole breasts) I threw all the ingredients in the pot with the chicken on top. Cooked for 3 minutes on manual high followed by a 6 minute natural pressure release. The only things i noticed were that there was a little extra liquid then when I use the slow cooker for this recipe so i left a little out after i shredded the chicken. Also, the beans were slightly more tender but that didn’t bother me.
How many points are these?
Just added the link. 🙂
This is the best taco recipe ever! Husband approved and even my grandson loved it, and he doesn’t like spicy!
Made this for dinner tonight, thanks for sharing! It was super easy, fast, and makes a great taco bowl if you want to skip the tortilla and just have a healthy meal. Will definitely make again. Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow for lunch.
How long should I cook it if I use chicken quarters?
This was so easy and so tasty! My husband couldn’t stop raving about them.
Has anyone tried this on the stove instead of the crock pot? I need some tips on cooking time/etc.
One of my all time favorite recipes. Not only do I use this for tacos but I mix it in with scrambled eggs for a healthy Mexican dish and then add it to my salads at lunch.
So easy and delicious!
I made this and I enjoyed it. However I didn’t want to wait for my chicken to thaw and I think it gave the dish a funky flavor. I will have used it for my lunches for work, 4 days now and I’m not tired of it yet. When I reheated it, I added a little bit of grated cheddar cheese on it and used a variety of salsas over the course of the 4 days. Easy to make and tasty.
How long would this cook in an Instant Pot? Based on your other recipes, I’m thinking 20 minutes?
I see below where people have asked about the instant pot but I do not see a response. Can you tell me if this would work in the instant pot and settings? We made this before in the crock pot and was delicious.
I haven’t tried this recipe in the Instant Pot but some taco recipes that I have are Pulled Pork Carnitas and Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps, but you can also use taco shells.
Is the nutritional information for only the chicken/bean filling or is it for the chicken, shells and slaw?
For all.
Just browsing the website for things I never made before and decided to try this today. Not disappointed!
Great tasting and so easy. Topped with the slaw, pico, and avocado as suggested. The envy of everyone at lunch. Bringing it again on Fri. Definitely on the repeat list!
A hit with everyone! I love when that happens!
Me too! 🙂
Made these for lunch today. They are very quick to make. I probably should have weighed the chicken before adding to the pot as I think I used much more than 12 oz. I will make again and next time weigh the chicken. Thanks for a delicious taco lunch.
Thank you for this recipe. I made what I am calling double black bean nachos using this recipe. I used black bean chips with sour cream and guacamole on top and have eaten it three times now! I look forward to trying your other recipes.
Can this be done in the Instant Pot? How long would the chicken need to cook?
Do you know what this would be in Freestyle points??
Smart Points have been updated to reflect the Freestyle program.
Does the smart points value include the shells? Thank you!
Yes.
How much is chicken with rice and tomatoes with no shells for weight watchers?
Has anyone tried this in the Instant Pot? Seems like it would work there, but I’m too new with the IP to know how to convert the recipe…
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Hi! Could I use the chicken part of this recipe minus the black beans for shredded chicken on a burrito bar? I also thought of the shredded chicken recipe that is for your enchiladas. Let me know if you have any suggestions. We love Skinnytaste, Thank you!!
Yes and I think either one will work.
Amazing as always! I could only eat two. My 14 year old glommed it! I am down 20lbs in 10 months thanks to your recipes. My entire family loves them!
What did you mean when you said to drain the beans after the cooking was complete? They are in with the tomatoes so I’m not certain how you would do that. Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Discard excess liquid so it’s not watery. Not good for your taco shells!
I make this dinner today Omg it’s so goooood..Everyone ate all
Thank you for share the recipe
Oh my….images looks so amazing. It’s so yummy. I’m surely gonna try it out.
Have you tried this in the instant pot?
Loved this recipe. I used mission brand extras thin corn tortillas. I used three whole chicken breasts which took longer than 2 hours to cook. Would advise increasing cooking time or cutting up large chicken breasts.
Hi Gina. I made this last night and it was delicious! I served it with warm soft tacos and I made your husband’s guacamole recipe. I’m wondering if I could double the chicken and bean mixture to serve more people. I’m new to the slow cooker and am wondering how doubling would effect the cooking time. Thanks!
What happened to the print recipe button on all your pages? 🙁
This is astonishing examined and i may need to welcome it tv9livetv Clearly, visit such stunning page again and offer it
How did the calories get calculated… I've added it up myself based on the numbers/portions provided and just adding the chicken, beans, avocado, tacos, its way more than 313. It's healthy ingredients, but its still about 500 cals as avocado is relatively high in calories, as are tacos and beans. I could only get this down to 300 by removing some/all tacos.
Hello, made this last night. AMAZING!!! Could you please give me the nutritional info without the taco shells? Thank you!!
how much of the chicken mixture is a serving? cup wise..
Thanks for sharing. Really a great post, valuable forever.
Thanks for sharing. Really a great post, valuable forever.
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How did the calories get calculated… I've added it up myself based on the numbers/portions provided and just adding the chicken, beans, avocado, tacos, its way more than 313. It's healthy ingredients, but its still about 500 cals as avocado is relatively high in calories, as are tacos and beans. I could only get this down to 300 by removing some/all tacos.
Absolutely delicious, Gina! Another great recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Can we replace black beans with Pinto?
How did the calories get calculated… I've added it up myself based on the numbers/portions provided and just adding the chicken, beans, avocado, tacos, its way more than 313. It's healthy ingredients, but its still about 500 cals as avocado is relatively high in calories, as are tacos and beans. I could only get this down to 300 by removing some/all tacos.
Made these tonight. Will be making these often. Delicious!!!
Does anyone know what a cup of chicken and mixture WW PPs would be without the taco shells?
We loved these with your zesty avocado cilantro buttermilk dressing! Soooo good! Thank you!!
How much would a cup be?
My family has enjoyed many of your recipes! Thank you!
Is this correct? Meaning 10 tacos for 8 pts???
8 pt (10 w avocado)
Delish Gina. Just made this tonight and we all loved the cabbage on the tacos. Thank you
Do the nutritional stats include the slaw, shells, etc…?
Sorry if this is a duplicate question…if you wanted to cook this on low how long would you leave it in maybe?
Do you drain the tomatoes w chilis?
Can I make this vegetarian just by adding more beans and no chicken?
Can you give the nutrition info without the taco shells? Thanks!
This meal is cooking right now in my crockpot, the house smells heavenly!
Made for dinner tonight! So delicious!!!! I opted out on the slaw and just topped with salsa, slight cheese, and avocado! Thank you for such a quick and easy meal! I was shocked it cooked in 2 hours 🙂
The slaw is REALLY good with these – you should try it!
Just found your site and I love it!! I've made this recipe before but instead of the canned tomatoes with green chiles, I used jarred salsa. Making your version tonight. Can't wait.
Looks yummy. My son loves red meat. Do you think this would work well with steak? Has anyone tried it?
Steak in a crockpot is a bad idea! Take it from me, who tried that once, LOL. If he likes red meat, I'd use 90/10 ground beef or chuck roast, which is more suited for slow cooking.
Hi love your recipes. I just wanted to say that I don't understand how three filled shells can be 8 points plus when 2 taco shells are listed as 5 points. Can anyone clarify?
Gina – have you learned the trick where you shred your chicken in the stand mixer? I pull out the cooked chicken, throw it in the mixer with the paddle attachment and it shreds perfectly! Give it a try and see how it works for you.
How many points would it be if you just ate the chicken over the slaw and left out the taco shells?
I love slow cooker recipes!
Is the Calorie count on this recipe correct? I would have thought that three taco shells alone would have been close to 300 Calories. Love the recipe!
Crunchy taco shells are usually 120-150 cals per 3 shells. =)
my husband tried this one ( note: he is a major fan of slow cooking meals!!!lol ) We got excellent result! I definitely recommends this to everyone 🙂 Thanks for posting this wonderful recipe.
OMG, I made this tonight for a girls night. THIS WAS AMAZING. My best friend is very very picky but she LOVED IT. I had some extra and my boyfriend came home and ate one and the first bite he was like "OMG this is good" and then my other friend passes by and he finished whatever was left over in the pot. I wish I made MORE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AMAZING!
I just made these for dinner tonight, and I have to say they were some of the BEST tacos I have ever had! I have been raving about your site to my mom for a while now, and she's been pretty much ignoring me…but she just went to a friend's house for dinner last week, and her friend made your zucchini and mozzarella stuffed chicken breasts, and now that's pretty much all my mom can talk about (she even made them for company the next night)…now she wants to try all of your recipes of course! =)
What is the serving size for the filling to go in the taco…..doing weight watchers!!
I had a huge package of chicken breasts (9 of them) and just doubled the tomatoes and beans. Ha ha. This recipe looks so good and I'm pregnant and need the protein so I wanted to make tons!! It's only 9am and I want dinner already! Thank you!!!!!!
Hi Gina!
Once again you've created an amazing and delicious dish! I was just wondering how many calories are in just the filling? We decided to go with low carb tortillas and are counting calories to lose some weight. Thanks so much!
hi I am not sure if this has already been asked but if I want to leave for work for 7+ hours should I not drain both beans and tomatoes? Do you think it will be dry and gross?
Thanks!
Gina – this is possibly the best recipe I've made of yours (and I've made a lot!). Wasn't sure about the red cabbage on top but it was all delicious!! Had to cut it in half for just me, but I will definitely be making this all the time. Thanks for all you do!
I made this for my husbands poker night and used it as nacho filling. The boys had no idea they were eating "healthy" food and I had it with some homemade guac and pico without the chips…yum!!
ready in 2 hours?? My day just got so much easier! Thank you, Gina!!!!
I would love yo know hiw much filling to put in each shell
I would love yo know hiw much filling to put in each shell
This was fabulous. I stumbled across your site and found this recipe, and tonight it was the most wonderful dinner. My 1 year old even ate some and he's picky! I did sub in pinto beans because my husband loves them. I added a little lime juice and chopped scallion to the slow cooker… oh it was delish. Thank you so much I will def be making again!
This recipe is amazing! I doubled the recipe and used frozen chicken breasts, cooked on low all day. My kids didn't even miss the cheese, or sour cream. Thank you for these amazing recipes.
Thanks for the recipe! I doubled this yesterday and it was great! I used some homemade black beans I froze weeks ago, didn't use chili powder (ran out), and added a sliced onion! I didn't double the cooking time (had it on high for 2 hours then on "keep warm" for about 7 hours). Yummy! We just put the filling into red lettuce leaves with avocado and they were amazing! I did add some water to my crockpot because I thought there wouldn't be enough… I was wrong and next time will NOT add any water (in other words I will follow your directions ha!).
Don't double cooking time with a double batch. In my experience
Also, used fat free greek yogurt instead of sour cream to top it off!
Made this tonight for my husband's birthday and man was it GOOD! I am a very picky eater and not a huge fan of tomatos or chilis…but this won me over.
I used my father-in-laws home grown and canned tomatos (love when I can use home made stuff).
Big hit!! Even my one year old liked it.
Will make this again!
First time slow cooker here…
If I want to double the recipe do I just double cooking time?
This was so easy and delicious, my boyfriend said it was his favorite of all your recipes I've tried so far!! Thank you for all these amazing recipes
Gina these were amazing. Thank you so much for all of these incredible recipes!
These were really goooood, gina!!!
great recipe! how would i make without a crock pot ( i really should buy one!)
I love this recipe! I made the shredded buffalo chicken in the crockpot, rinsed it out, made this taco recipe all on Sunday. . . it reheats beautifully and then you have dinners ready to go for the week! Brilliant recipes, I have made over 50 and have yet to find one that is not absolutely delicious!
This was so good! One of the best recipes so far for us. Due to being so healthy and can eat a lot! For lunch I had the cinnamon pistachio chicken salad. And snacks were the ultimate muffins (dark chocolate chip). OMG what a great day! I feel fantastic. Thanks Gina for making eating healthy fun and satisfying. I've lost 10 pounds in 2 months making your dishes. What a difference! That's my goal. Yippee! I hope I can keep it off eating this way.
Just served this tonight! It was a great dish; easy to make when Mom isn't feeling well. It was ready to go when Dad got home – he just warmed up fresh tortillas on the stove (no "taco shells" for us), and we topped them with shredded cheese, cilantro, and avocado…plus Tapatio for those who like theirs on the hotter side! 🙂
Hi Gina,
I have to limit acid and spices in my diet, which is really difficult. I know that I would normally love it the way you have it. I really want to make it, but how can I do it without the tomatoes? I'm thinking of maybe adding some chicken broth, but I'm not sure how much. Any thoughts. I guess I can experiment like I usually do, but as you've said, it takes a lot of time with a crock pot!
This recipe was sooo good! Will definitely be making again! Love the fact of 3 tacos! Even my little one a a large taco. Thank you, Gina!
I made this last night and it was fantastic!! My husband loved it!! Just joined weight watchers and have a weeks worth of meals planned from skinnytates!! xoxoxo
I'm in the process of making this one for dinner tonight. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us!
About how much goes in each shell? I'm horrible about estimating equal amounts!!
We just had these and they were incredible! My 5 year old even said (mid mouth full), "you know, you could totally make these again mom!"
They were amazing!!
I just made this and it was delicious! My favorite recipe from Skinny taste and that says a lot because I have made a LOT of them!
Hi!
I made this recipe and it turned out awesome! I posted it to my blog, Fancy Fork (http://fancyfork.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/skinny-slow-cooker-pulled-chicken-tacos/). I even included pulled chicken vs. pulled pork calorie stats.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Ashley
This was amazing, had it tonight! Best 8pt…well 10pt bc I did the avocado dinner in a while! 🙂
Hi Gina,
I'm giving Whole30 a try, but don't want to abandon your amazing recipes, so do you think leaving out the beans would be okay? If so, any special adjustments? Or is there a non-dairy, non-soy, non-grain, non-legume (whew!) substitute you'd recommend?
I made my own tortilla shells….take your corn tortillas and with your oven rack pulled out, drape them over two rungs so that they form a U and are dangling down. Bake until they are crispy. Yummy.
Wow! These were a HUGE hit at our house. My 3 year old, who informed me while we were putting the ingredients in the crock pot that she would NOT be eating tacos but would have yogurt or dinner, ate TWO. Definitely will be making this again – THANKS!
Loved this recipe! Switched it up a bit…didn't make it as tacos but put it over your Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice. Was a hit for sure! Definitely a keeper along with the rice. I'm not on WW and not really sure how I stumbled across your site but so glad I did. Thx.
We LOVED this!! It was very filling too. We had tostadas instead of tacos and I was filled up after only 2. Will definitely make again.
🙂
This was awesome, doubled it and we have had it multiple ways. My 3 year old devoured a whole taco with the filling, cabbage, avocado, cheese, cilantro, and sour cream…no small feat for a kid I have to force feed chicken nuggets! This is a keeper. May have missed it, but did anyone figure out the nutrional info for just the filling?
That's wonderful!
Yummy! Left over make great burrito bowls!
Love a good burrito bowl 🙂
This has to be one of my favorite recipes. When I first saw it, I thought, eh, looks good but pretty simple. The depth of flavor in this dish is out of this world! The crunchy cabbage, lime juice, spicy pico de gallo, SO GOOD!!
Made this tonight…kids (8,6,1) LICKED their plates clean and asked for seconds. They have requested it again for next week. THANK YOU!!!
🙂
Made this tonight and it definitely was a winner with my husband!!! I also made some weight watchers Spanish Rice to accompany the meal and that too was great. I love your recipes and can't believe how many I have pinned. Thank you for helping us to cook healthier!!!
OK, I never post replies on recipes but that needs to change. This recipe was AWESOME! It was a hit with my whole family (me, husband, 5 year old, & a 1 year old). It was insanely easy and so tasty. The red cabbage slaw was the perfect topping for them. As a matter of fact…every single recipe I've tried from you has been a keeper in our regular menu rotation! Thank you!!!
I was just wondering what too use as a meat substitute thank you
This was soooo delicious. I had enough left over to use tomorrow on sandwich! My mouth is already salivating, and I just ate. Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Made this tonight and they were AMAZING! We won't be having any other kind of taco again! Thank you:)
I just ate this for dinner – it was so tasty and SOOOOO easy! This will definitely be a staple in our house, and you are so right – don't even miss the cheese one bit!
These were amazing…my 4 and 1 year old loved it…yummy.. Thanks Gina,
I have been an avid follower and recipe making fanatic for years and this is by far my favorite recipe!!!! Soooo delicious and VERY filling! YOU ARE THE BEST!
I am making this now. I am not as concerned with calories, but still want semi-fresh and healthy. I added a can of jalapenos and am thinking of adding a scoop of cream cheese. Do you think that would be weird? I like creamy sauces in tacos but am not sure how that would translate in a crock pot.
We had this for dinner last night too. It was very delicious!!! We rolled ours up in soft tortilla wraps and made guacamole to go with it, and of course, we added cheese too. The other great thing, my 10 month old son loved this meal too. I mashed up the chicken and beans and guacamole and he had 2 servings! This is definitely a keeper!!!
Made this last night for dinner! I used chopped, fresh tomatoes instead of canned, and a can of chilis. After shredding the chicken, I gave the bean mixture a mash with the potato masher, and just mixed everything together without draining. Perfect! I served it with avocado, salsa, sour cream, cheddar, and organic hard taco shells. Thanks!
OMG Gina!! We just had this tonight for dinner and it was delicious! After the first bite the kids asked how soon can we have this again:) Thank you for sharing your healthy recipes with us!
Made this tonight eith oven molded corn tortillas….it was great!
I made this today and used dried beans instead of canned. It worked out just fine. I added a little chicken broth to accommodate the beans and it turned out perfectly.
Very delicious.
For those asking about cooking this all day – just a suggestion from someone who has cooked a LOT of chicken in the crockpot – If you're going to cook this for 8+ hours you might want to substitute skinless chicken thighs. It will up the calories a bit, but the thighs stay much moister during long cooking than breasts. The calorie difference is only about 40 calories per 3 oz serving so to me it's worth it. 🙂
Gina, since there is extra liquid, can I use dried black beans instead of canned? I assume I'd have to cook it a little bit longer to soften the beans.
What are your thoughts?
My husband cooked this for dinner last night and I think it's one of our favorite Skinny Taste recipes. As we were eating, we were already trying to decide when we would make it again. Thanks for all the delicious healthy recipes. We love Skinny Taste!
This looks delicious! I'm curious about how you determine your points+ values, though. When I put this one in the recipe builder – without taco shells or optional toppings – it came out to 6 points+ per serving (1/4 of recipe). Again, that's without shells, so it would be 10 points with shells and without avocado.
It was only when I used the calculator with the protein/carbs/fat/fiber numbers (which presumably include taco shells) that I came up with 8 points. Which number is the actual value?
That is funny, I put it all in the recipe builder and I came up with only 6 points plus (including the shells, no avocado). I am going to stick with Gina's calculations though to be on the safe side when calculating. As long as you make sure you put in raw chicken and goya black beans you should get the same…
Another great "healthy" receipe…..THANK YOU!!! i was skeptical about putting it on high BUT it came out perfect. Loved it!!!
I made this the other night and my fiance said it was one of the best dishes I've ever made – THANK YOU! I noticed that this is marked as a freezer-friendly meal. Can you please elaborate? More specificially, should I freeze before or after shredding chicken, what type of container do you recommend, and any re-heating suggestions? Thanks!
I made these and they were fantastic! had one serving in a large whole wheat tortilla, made 2 more servings into a soup by adding more of the herbs, some chicken broth, and some swiss chard. Delicious both ways!
Made these last night! It's the 3rd recipe of yours that I have tried loved all of them. This is a new favorite!!
My wife cooked this for me last night and it was awesome! Great as usual Gina! Thanks for all the great recipes!
so i made this today – only thing i did different was blend up the can of fire roasted tomatoes and chiles since I have anti chunk family. I tasted the shredded chicken mixed with the tomatoes and beans and spices! it is awesome!!!!! so good!! thanks u
I make crock-pot chicken a lot for tacos but I've never added beans? (usually cook on low 4-5 hours in liquid) Could I use dried beans?
I added the brown rice in after I drained the liquid. Big mistake! 🙁
Just wanted to say that I loved this recipe. I used a bit more chicken than you called for so we had plenty of leftovers. I turned the leftover chicken and beans into Mexican chicken soup by sauteeing an onion and grated carrot, adding a can of chicken broth and about a cup of salsa and some frozen corn. I pureed this mixture with my immersion blender before adding the cooked chicken mixture. Turned out great! Thanks for your wonderful blog!
Mmm, good idea!!
We loved this too. I think the slaw is even better the next day.
Made this 2 nights ago (didn't drain the liquid)and my husband and I LOVED the tacos, then last night we ate it over brown rice and it was AWESOME!! Thanks for such an easy and delicious recipe- can't wait to make it again!
You have made me appreciate green chilies. You have also made me appreciate healthy eating without sacrificing creativity or taste. Thank you for making my journey of health that much easier.
can you please give the calories for just the filling (no taco shells)? I'd love to have it in a nice soft tortilla but not sure how many calories it would be.
So nice and easy and full of flavour!
Really great recipe–always looking for slow cooker recipies that aren't chili or soup 🙂
I dia variation of this for supper tonight- 2 cans Ro-tel, 1 can black beans, and two chicken breasts. Served it up in bowls as some sort of soup/chili hybrid. Was so good, though bf didn't care for the spiciness of it.
Looks amazing as usual! You are a lifesaver. Question on substiting the taco shells. How many points are they? Thanks Gina. I love your site!
4 points plus for 3 shells.
I made this and it was simply delish . I substituted taco seasning for the chili powder. I will definitely make again. Would love to know point value without the taco shells
Since 3 shells are 4 points, I would imagine subtracting that will give you 4 points without the avocado.
I made this last night and we loved it, we want to double/triple up the recipe in the same pot, would you recommend anything different like more time, maybe stir once or twice? Any advice would be great thanks!
I would probably double the time.
I made it! Everyone in the house loved it and my 16 month old daughter couldnt get enough. I had to just tell her dinner was over despite her requests for more. So good and healthy too!
Thank you for helping me through my weight loss journey. Im 41 lbs down thanks in large part to your recipes!
That's awesome!
This looks yummy! I am new to slow cooking. Does anyone have suggestions for a make and model?
Tomatoes are too acidic for me…any suggestion for a replacement?
I'm allergic to beans, is there anything else I could add in place of the beans?
How can this me made on the stove top? Please.
This recipe is delicious! I don't have time to let it cook in the slow cooker for 2 hours, so I follow all the directions except I put it in a Dutch oven. I let it boil until the chicken is white (a few minutes) and then let it simmer until most of the liquid had been absorbed. It doesn't fall apart this way, but once it's cooked, I take out the chicken, slice it, and then put it back in for a few minutes to soak up the juice. It is amazingly delicious! The second time I made it, I also added yellow hominy with the beans and it was amazing!!
I'm a working mom who's out of the house for 11 hours a day…could this work if i put it on low? if so, for how long? My crockpot manufacturer recommends not keeping things on "keep warm" for more than 4 hours, so I'm wondering if it'll burn if I keep it on low for 7 hours. If so, might have to reserve this for a yummy weekend dish!
I think it will be ok, like I said there's extra liquid I tell you to drain, so this may help prevent it from burning. Every crock pot is different though.
I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did.
Going to attempt a two week freezer to crock pot deal….I'm going to prep and freeze all my ingredients for two weeks' worth of crock pot meals. Thaw overnight then pop in the crock pot…trying to use mostly your meals but I think I'll be able to modify other not so healthy ones to make them healthier….this is one is going on my list. 🙂
This looks so good!
I love meals like this – so simple and perfect to eat on all week!
Well, you got me when you said I wouldn't miss the cheese! I'm digging out my old crock pot. This one is to good to pass up. The slaw idea looks great. Love you blog!
Enjoy!
I have the same crock pot as you, and the screw holding the handle on has been loose forever. When I lift up the lid, it occasionally spins around.
However, I have had this crock pot for 5 years now and it's still making delicious food, so I'm not going to complain TOO loudly. 😉
yum! my dinner is in the crockpot right now!!
Great!
How would it work to modify this as a vegetarian recipe substituting "Beyond Meat" or a "Gardein" soy isolate product for the chicken? How should the cooking time be modified for frozen vegetarian protein substitutes?
As another poster noted, I am all about the quantity and 3 tacos for 8 points plus rocks!
Thank you for a wonderful site!
You could probably just mix it in with the beans and cook it the same time.
Gina, you're incredible & a daily lifesaver in our household! As a previous poster asked, would cooking on low for 8hrs be okay? A little nervous that I'll burn the contents of the crockpot. Thoughts? (&thank you!!)
I think it would be fine, since there is extra liquid at the bottom as long as you don't have one of those crock pots that cook too hot.
2 hr cook time – excellent!
I also have a tip for taco shells – you can freeze them! I always have left over shells that go stale. My husband finally tells me (after 12 yrs of marriage) that his mom would freeze the shells, defrost on the counter, sprinkle a bit of water on them and toast. I didn't add any water, but let the shells defrost (the shells defrost quickly, don't microwave) and toast in the toaster oven for like 1 min. Perfectly good, crunchy taco shells!
Monica
www.pear-shaped-gal.com
That is a brilliant thing to know! This Dietitian never knew that and I'll be thrilled to try it out and let clients know.
Thanks Monica!
My mother taught me this a long time ago whenever most things get stale…saltines, tortilla chips, cheerios. Low heat, 5 minutes or so.
Since you are rinsing the beans, do they still need to be low-sodium?
If sodium isn't an issue for you, then regular beans are fine.
This really cooks in 2 hours in the crock??
When you say ” drain the beans” are you just draining the excess liquid from the tomatoes and beans after cooking?
Yes, or there will be too much liquid for the taco shells.
i had the same question….chicken cooks in two hours on crockpot?
Chicken breast yes. Chicken thighs take an hour longer. Most slow cooker recipes you see on the web cook the chicken WAY too long. The time on this recipe is accurate.
This looks wonderful! Two questions though:If I'm using chicken breasts should I plan on a longer cooking time? Also, I work all day so would this be ok on low for 6-8 hours or will the beans overcook? I don't cook a lot with beans so I'm a little clueless!
No, same cooking time.
i've used frozen chicken breasts whole and cooked for just 4 hours and it was fine — this was an easy simple healthy meal for my boys to cook when they were at college
Okay… you got me at you can eat 3 tacos. I'm all about volume. Thanks for posting and yes, I'll defintiely be making this tomorrow.
Has to be 3, right!
No more, no less!
You ROCK my world!That is all!
🙂