Enjoy the savory flavors of this Crockpot Mexican Shredded Chicken. This slow cooker chicken tastes amazing in tortillas, flautas, enchiladas, or any of your favorite Mexican recipes.

Crockpot Mexican shredded chicken over rice in a white bowl with sour cream and a lime wedge.

5-Star Reviews

“This was delicious and so easy. We put it on top of nachos and it was better than a restaurant.” -Kellene

Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken

Want flavorful chicken with zero fuss? This Crockpot Mexican Chicken is a must! The slow cooker does all the work, giving you juicy, tender, fall-apart chicken that’s perfect for tacos, bowls, enchiladas, and more.

I love making this recipe with chicken breasts, but dark meat is a good substitute if you are craving juicier chicken. For spicier chicken, add cayenne pepper with the taco seasoning or stir in diced jalapeños or a can of diced green chiles. You can also add extra veggies like diced bell peppers or tomatoes if you wish.

Recipe Card

Crockpot Mexican Shredded Chicken Recipe

4.73 from 88 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 8 hours
Total: 8 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Becky Hardin
close up of crockpot mexican shredded chicken in a crockpot with a wooden spoon.
Crockpot Mexican Shredded Chicken is cooked low and slow. It's loaded with seasonings, corn, beans, salsa, and more. Serve it over rice or nachos, in tacos, and more.
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Equipment

  • Crockpot

Ingredients 

  • pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts thighs also work
  • 1 ounce taco seasoning store bought or homemade
  • 15 ounces canned corn kernels drained (1 can), fresh or frozen also work
  • 15 ounces canned black beans drained and rinsed (1 can)
  • 1 cup salsa store-bought, homemade or try salsa verde.
  • ½ lime juiced
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro for garnish
  • 1 cup cooked rice optional, for serving

Instructions 

  • Add the chicken breasts to the bottom of the crockpot. Season the tops of the chicken breasts with half of the seasoning.
    1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 ounce taco seasoning
  • Dump on the corn, beans, salsa, and remaining taco seasoning on top of the chicken.
    15 ounces canned black beans, 15 ounces canned corn kernels, 1 cup salsa
    crockpot mexican shredded chicken ingredients in a crockpot.
  • Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature has reached 165°F.
  • Remove the chicken to shred with a fork and return to the crockpot. Stir in the lime juice and garnish with fresh cilantro.
    ½ lime, 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro, 1 cup cooked rice
    crockpot mexican shredded chicken in a crockpot.
  • Serve immediately over a bed of rice or use for tacos. Enjoy!
    crockpot mexican shredded chicken over rice in a white bowl with sour cream.

Becky’s Tips

  • For the best results, I recommend cooking this chicken on low. If you’re pressed for time, you can cook the chicken on high for 3-4 hours instead.
  • Shred the chicken using two forks, use meat shredding claws, or toss the meat in the bowl of a stand mixer and let it do the work for you.
Calories: 460kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 47gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 1797mgPotassium: 1282mgFiber: 10gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1041IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How to Make Crockpot Mexican Shredded Chicken

Place the chicken and seasoning in the crockpot. Add the 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts to the bottom of the crockpot. Season the tops of the chicken breasts with half of the taco seasoning.

Crockpot Mexican shredded chicken ingredients in a crockpot.

Add the rest of the ingredients: Dump a 15-ounce can of corn, a 15-ounce can of black beans, 1 cup salsa, and remaining taco seasoning on top of the chicken.

Cook the chicken: Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature has reached 165°F.

Crockpot Mexican shredded chicken in a crockpot.

Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken to shred with a fork and return it to the crockpot.

A forkful of crockpot Mexican shredded chicken over Mexican shredded chicken in a white bowl.

Add lime juice, garnish, and enjoy: Stir in the juice from half a lime and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve immediately over a bed of rice or use for tacos. Enjoy!

Close up of crockpot Mexican shredded chicken in a crockpot with a wooden spoon.

How to Store

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through. Freeze in individual portions in separate airtight containers or Ziplock bags for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Serving Suggestions

There are so many ways to eat this Crockpot Mexican chicken! Use it to spice up any of your favorite shredded chicken recipes. Serve it over a Mexican-style salad, some cilantro lime rice, or you can even add it to street corn pasta salad. Use it in air fryer chicken taquitos, to prepare chicken enchiladas, or chicken quesadillas.

more mexican chicken recipes to try!

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.73 from 88 votes (81 ratings without comment)
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18 Comments
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Ingrid
Ingrid
February 6, 2025 6:44 pm

Amazing!!! Ate it with nachos and it was so good!5 stars

Last edited 3 months ago by Ingrid
Geri
Geri
September 27, 2024 12:59 pm

Great recipe I add brown rice into the mixture when it’s cooked and Wrap in tortilla shells to make burritos then I freeze them and heat them up in the air fryer after defrosted5 stars

Jenny
Jenny
December 19, 2023 3:19 pm

Tastes great, but a little too salty, how do I fix it and make it taste less salty?4 stars

Samantha Marceau
December 19, 2023 3:50 pm
Reply to  Jenny

There are a few possible culprits here for the saltiness. Make sure you drain and rinse the canned goods to get rid of any excess salt. You can also make your own taco seasoning (click here for a recipe!) and omit the salt from that completely. Store-bought tends to be pretty salty.

Johnny
Johnny
December 15, 2023 12:16 pm

I was pinched for time last week so I chose this very easy recipe. I was pleasantly surprised, It was restaurant quality!! It was so delicious and flavorful! I’m making it again now !5 stars

Samantha Marceau
December 15, 2023 1:24 pm
Reply to  Johnny

We’re so happy to hear you love this recipe, Johnny!

Amy
Amy
November 6, 2023 7:36 pm

Absolutely delicious. So easy and healthy meal! A must make

Melissa L
Melissa L
October 27, 2023 5:51 pm

Can you use rotisserie chicken? If so, how would that alter the cooking time?

Samantha Marceau
October 30, 2023 9:33 am
Reply to  Melissa L

You could, but I don’t think it would be quite as flavorful! Make sure to drain everything fully so there’s no excess liquid and cook just until everything is warmed through!

Stacey P
Stacey P
September 24, 2023 11:27 am

Do you drain the corn and rinse the black beans before adding to crock pot?

Samantha Marceau
September 26, 2023 9:44 am
Reply to  Stacey P

Yes!

Hayhay
Hayhay
October 18, 2023 12:59 pm

What if you didn’t

Samantha Marceau
October 18, 2023 1:42 pm
Reply to  Hayhay

I would use a bit less salsa if you haven’t already added that! Otherwise, after you remove the chicken to shred it, you can pour the sauce into a saucepan and cook it down a bit before adding the chicken back!

Carole
Carole
September 7, 2023 7:36 pm

Very easy to make and very versatile. Put it in crock pot before work and even after 9 hours it was great. Before serving I mixed it with cooked egg noodles. I love that you can use almost anything you’ve got in the house to make this. A little extra hot sauce spices it up too!5 stars

Samantha Marceau
September 8, 2023 9:23 am
Reply to  Carole

We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Carole!

Jamie Anderson
Jamie Anderson
March 28, 2023 11:36 am

This was super to make and very delicious! I do have a question though if your were to want to cook this in an instate pot how long would you cook this for?5 stars

Samantha Marceau
March 28, 2023 4:45 pm
Reply to  Jamie Anderson

We would do 12 minutes plus natural release!

Kellene
Kellene
January 15, 2023 11:39 am

This was delicious and so easy. We put it on top of nachos and it was better than a restaurant. I used chicken thighs because that is what I have and I also added a can of pinto beans.5 stars