Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken

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Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken is an easy recipe that is packed with flavor! This chicken can go great in tacos, burritos, salads and more!

Hi friends. Today I am sharing a recipe that I absolutely love! This Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken has been a family favorite for a few years now. I love to make a batch of this chicken for all different kinds of meals. We use it in tacos, burritos, salads, quesadillas- you name it.

This recipe makes quite a bit, so we usually have leftovers. I just love recipes like this because of that reason alone. I can use it through out the week for many things.

The flavor of this chicken is where it’s at! It uses super simple ingredients you most likely already have. Once it’s all done cooking, and ready to serve, you won’t believe how delicious it is. 🙂

What I also really like about this Mexican Shredded Chicken is that it’s healthy! Kale and I have been on a fitness kick the last month and are already losing weight and feeling so much better.

We made this chicken the other day and put it on a green salad with some light dressing. It was delicious! The next day we put it in low carb tortillas for soft tacos and it was a hit again. Even my kids love this chicken. It’s a family dinner win for sure 🙂

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5 from 6 votes

Course Main Course

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

2 pounds large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup mild salsa
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 can (10 ounces) Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chilies)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon EACH of ground cumin garlic powder, onion powder and salt
1/2 teaspoon EACH of paprika dry oregano and pepper
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

Instructions

Spray a large slow cooker with non-stick spray. Set chicken breasts inside. Pour olive oil over chicken and stir to coat. Add all of the remaining ingredients to chicken except for the lime juice.
Cover with lid and cook on low heat for 5 to 6 hours, or on high heat for 2 to 4 hours.
Carefully remove chicken to a cutting board. Shred. Place shredded chicken back in slow cooker and cover with lid. Let cook another 30 minutes. Squeeze fresh lime juice over chicken then serve.
Enjoy!

Notes

TO FREEZE: Cook chicken as directed. Let cool completely. Place shredded chicken in one or two large freezer ziplock bags. Release as much air as possible. Seal shut. Freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat, place bag in refrigerator for 24 hours to thaw. Then microwave or reheat in a large pot over medium heat. Serve warm!

Recipe adapted from: Carlsbad Cravings

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This dish looks amazing. I wish I could eat that right now!
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Absolutely delicious! I make it with low sodium products and serve with brown rice. My husband travels and takes it with him to eat! Delicious, filling, and healthy!
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This recipe is amazing and has become one of our go-to recipes. It’s so easy to just set it in the morning and come home to an amazing dinner. We like to make big batches and freeze some because it reheats really well for a quick and delicious dinner!
Thank you so much for this recipe!
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1. So great to hear! Thank you Danni 🙂
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  See Also
  Lightened up BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with Cilantro Lime Slaw
Great dish!
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In your recipe you use 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke what flavor do you use ?
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what do you eat this with?
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1. Candace, we like to serve this yummy chicken in tacos, burritos and salads!
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WHAT IS LIQUOD SMOKE?? One person asked what flavor & you did not reply? What section in the grocery aisle do I find it?
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1. Liquid smoke is a water soluble liquid that adds a smoky flavor to food. It can be found in the condiment aisle near the sauces, ketchup , mustard, etc.
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I LOVE this recipe. Whether I make it for tacos or nachos, its always a hit. Lots of flavor and no shredding! It falls right apart in the crock pot. I use smoked paprika instead of the liquid smoke.
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I made thIs for a group and it was a hit. Nothing came home with me. I adjusted this to suit my taste. Ten pounds Chicken cooked ahead, and shredded. Next morning in big bowl added two 24 ozs of medium Chunky salsa and a can of tomatoes with chilles, added my homemade taco seasonings, added one cup water and mixed well. Put into crockpot on high for four hoUrs. The aroma was wonderful. Also, first time making taco chicKen. So happy they enjoyed it!
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This is now my go-to recipe for gatherings! I make it fairly true to recipe, Serve w street taco tortillas and oodles of homemade salsas and sauces, Etc. If I have leftovers, I freeze in portioned containers and reheats so well – sometimes burrito, or nachos, or salad, or tacos again. Making again tomorrow – love this recipe!
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I make this in my instant pot by following all the steps except I cook it for 20 minutes. Seriously comes out amazing every time! So yummy! Thank you for sharing!
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Hi! I’m planning to try this recIpe but wondering how many ounces your chicken breasts are? There can be such a wide range and i don’T want to throw off the proportions!
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1. Hi Molly! I would say this recipe requires 2 pounds of chicken total. So 8 ounces for each chicken breast. I will update the recipe card to specify that. 🙂
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  1. Thank you so much for your quick response!
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“Packed with flavor” DOESN’T do this chicken justice! Holy cow. This is amazing On nachos or tacos. Or straight out of the bowl!
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