Updated
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.
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.
Crockpot Mexican Shredded Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 1½ 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
- 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
- Serve immediately over a bed of rice or use for tacos. Enjoy!
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.
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.
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.
Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken to shred with a fork and return it to the crockpot.
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!
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.
Amazing!!! Ate it with nachos and it was so good!
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 defrosted
Tastes great, but a little too salty, how do I fix it and make it taste less salty?
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.
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 !
We’re so happy to hear you love this recipe, Johnny!
Absolutely delicious. So easy and healthy meal! A must make
Can you use rotisserie chicken? If so, how would that alter the cooking time?
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!
Do you drain the corn and rinse the black beans before adding to crock pot?
Yes!
What if you didn’t
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!
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!
We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Carole!
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?
We would do 12 minutes plus natural release!
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.