These easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos made in the crock pot with chicken breast, salsa, and spices are on repeat in my house!
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Chicken tacos are a popular dinner in my house. We love tacos because they are so customizable. You can switch up the meat, toppings, and tortillas, so you may never eat the same taco twice! Madison’s Favorite Beef Tacos and Fish Tacos are a couple of our favorites.
However, lately Madison has been asking me to make these every week! These are the best chicken tacos because they are easy and tasty. One of those dinners that you dump in the slow cooker. Then, when it’s time to eat, it takes just a few minutes to whip up the simple limey slaw, slice the avocado, and heat the corn tortillas.
You can use chicken breast as I did here or make it with boneless chicken thighs, which we often do too.
Are chicken tacos healthy?
Yes, chicken tacos can be healthy – it all depends on the toppings. Cheese and creamy sauces are higher in calories than veggies. These healthy tacos are topped with a cabbage slaw and avocado. I use corn tortillas, which are a little lighter than flour tortillas.
How much chicken do I need for tacos?
To make 12 tacos, you need 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts. This chicken taco recipe has a serving size of three tacos, but you can definitely get more tacos out of the chicken, depending on how much you pile on the tortillas. If you need to make more than 12 tacos, you can easily double the chicken.
How do you make chicken tacos from scratch?
These chicken tacos are really easy to make from scratch.
Chicken. Start with the chicken since that takes the longest to cook. Season the chicken with adobo seasoning or salt, garlic powder, and cumin. Place in the slow cooker and cover with your favorite salsa. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high 3 hours.
Once the chicken shreds easily, it’s done. Drain the excess liquid from the pot while keeping as much of the tomatoes from the salsa. Shred the chicken with two forks.
Chicken Taco Toppings
To make the cabbage slaw, combine the shredded cabbage, lime, salt, and cilantro and mix together. Slice the avocado and cut the lime into wedges.
How to Heat Corn Tortillas
Heat the corn tortillas over the open flame of your gas stove. Hold the tortillas one at a time with tongs for 15 to 30 seconds. Once they are slightly charred, put on a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm.
If you don’t have a gas stove or are short on time, you can microwave the tortillas. Put them on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for about 30 seconds until warm.
You can also heat tortillas in the oven. Wrap them in foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees until warm.
How to Assemble Tacos
Now that all your taco filling is ready, it’s time to assemble your tacos. Top each tortilla with chicken, slaw, and avocado and serve with lime.
To Make Ahead: You can make the chicken ahead and store in a container. Keep covered and refrigerate up to four days. To reheat, microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through.
To Freeze Meat: Let the chicken cool and store in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months. To reheat, transfer to the refrigerator overnight or reheat from frozen in 30-second intervals until heated through.
Variations
- Use flour or whole-wheat tortillas instead of corn.
- Swap the chicken breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Top with guacamole instead of avocado slices. Just mash up some avocado and season with salt and lime for a simple guac.
How To Make
More Taco Recipes You’ll Love:
- Easy Grilled Chicken Tacos
- Healthy Cod Fish Tacos
- Union Cantina Lobster Tacos
- Thai Chicken Peanut Lettuce Tacos
- Shrimp Scampi Tacos
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- adobo seasoning, or salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1 cup chunky mild or medium salsa
tacos
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 ounces from 1 medium haas avocado, sliced
- lime wedges for squeezing
- 12 corn tortillas
Instructions
- Season the chicken with adobo (or salt), then place in the crock pot and top with garlic powder and cumin.
- Top chicken with salsa (no water needed).
- Cover and cook LOW for 4 to 6 hours, until chicken shreds easily.
- When cooked, drain excess liquid from the pot keeping as much as the tomato sauce as possible and shred with two forks. Cover and keep warm until ready to eat.
- Make the slaw, combine cabbage, lime juice, cilantro and salt in a bowl and toss.
- Heat the tortillas about 30 seconds on each side over the flame of your stove until slightly charred, transfer to a plate with a towel on top to keep warm and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- To serve, place 3 tortillas on each plate, top with chicken, slaw, sliced avocado and serve with lime wedges.
Absolutely Delicious Love 💗 her recipes I also made her slow cooker sweet potato 🍠 had the chicken & enchilada sauce left over froze it & threw into this recipe to give it a little kick.
Tried this tonight. So easy and so delicious! Thank you!
I have made this recipe several times and it’s always delicious. This time, I bought chicken thighs by mistake! Do you think it would still work?
These are so easy and delicious. We usually make once a week!
Yay!!
These chicken tacos are delicious and easy!!! All 5 of my kids liked them! The slaw mix gives it a nice crunch and restaurant flair! Definitely making these again! Thank you!
Perfect!!
I’ve made this recipe twice now and it couldn’t be easier. I use 2 large chicken breasts and it easily feeds four of us (kids are 8 and 12) with leftovers the next day. Even the picky eater gives 5 stars.
These are amazing!
What is your salsa recommendation?
Honestly whatever brand I can find.
Delicious! I doubled the slaw recipe. Served with fresh avocado, your cilantro lime rice and black beans. This would be good as a bowl too, without the corn tortillas. I don’t have a gas stove but I toasted the corn tortillas in a cast iron skillet about 15 to 30 seconds per side. My kids said we need this once a week mom!
I’m making this today for at least the 20th time – absolutely one of our favorite Skinnytaste recipes! I always cook the chicken for six hours so that it’s fall-apart tender, double the slaw (so good!), and sub Trader Joe’s Chunky Spicy Guacamole in place of the avocado. Thank you, Gina!
Delicious and so easy! I love the cabbage slaw too. I throw in a package of frozen skinless chicken thighs and cook on high about five hours. Great dinner.
Delicious, filling, and so easy! I made this exactly as written, except I used green cabbage instead of red for my slaw. Great “throw and go” crock pot recipe for taco Tuesday!
These tacos are so delicious and very easy to make!
I have some sazon seasoning that’s been lingering in my cupboard for a few months. Would that work in this recipe?
Can you make this in the instant pot?
Thank you!
Does anyone know how many weight watcher points the chicken would be alone without the tortilla and toppings.??