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A spoon lifting up shredded chicken mixed with taco seasoning and salsa.

Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken

Take your midweek meals to the next level with this easy Mexican shredded chicken, made in your slow cooker with only 3 ingredients!
5 from 14 votes
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Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chicken, Slow Cooker Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 6 serves
Calories: 181kcal
Cost: $10

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker (crock pot)
  • hand-held beaters optional

Ingredients

  • 800 g chicken breasts skinless
  • 375 g (1 ½ cup) salsa
  • 35 g (2 tbsp) taco seasoning (see notes)

Instructions

  • Place all of the ingredients into the base of a slow cooker. Stir to coat the chicken in the salsa and taco seasoning.
  • Cover and cook for 3 hours on HIGH or 5 hours on LOW.
  • Using two forks, shred the chicken into pieces. Alternatively, use hand-held beaters on low to shred the chicken.
  • Stir the chicken and sauce together and cook for a further 30 minutes on HIGH or 1 hour on LOW.
  • Serve immediately on top of nachos, in enchiladas, tacos, burgers, burritos or with a salad.

Notes

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS
  • Taco seasoning – in Australia, I recommend Mission or Old El Paso taco seasoning, but any store-bought taco seasoning will work. I recommend using regular taco seasoning rather than salt reduced (unless salt reduced is necessary for dietary requirements), for best results. If you are using salt reduced, check the seasoning towards the end and adjust if necessary.
  • Salsa - use medium, mild or hot tomato salsa, depending on your preferred heat level. Use mild salsa for kids. I use store-bought for convenience, but you can also use your own homemade spices, if preferred. Just adjust the salt levels at the end.
  • If you have used salt reduced taco seasoning and are not following a low-sodium diet, test the flavour towards the end and season to taste.
  • Do not add any extra liquid as the salsa provides enough liquid to cook the chicken without the addition of any other liquids. Adding more liquid will make the sauce a little watery.
  • Shred the chicken with two forks, or alternatively shred it using hand-held beaters on low speed directly in the slow cooker pot. Hold the beaters over the chicken and gently press over the top. Make sure they are on low speed, or the sauce will splatter.
  • Optional - add 1-2 tablespoons of chipotle sauce to the mixture before cooking, for even more flavour!
  • Storage - store any leftover pulled chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
  • Freezing - allow the chicken to cool first and then add it to freezer bags or freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight or sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 1035mg | Potassium: 655mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 887IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg