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    The Life Jolie » Main/Entree » Crockpot Chicken Tacos

    Crockpot Chicken Tacos

    Published: Mar 5, 2019 · Modified: Jun 16, 2022 by Jessy Freimann · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    This Crockpot Chicken Tacos recipe is the easiest taco meat you'll ever make. With just 4 ingredients and minimal effort, your taco Tuesday will never be the same! Also includes Instant Pot instructions!

    This Crockpot Chicken Tacos recipe is the easiest taco meat you'll ever make. With just 4 ingredients and minimal effort, your taco Tuesday will never be the same!

    chicken taco recipe

    Crockpot Chicken Tacos

    This recipe is part of my Dump it 'til it's hot series of dump recipes. It's all about making delicious food with minimal prep, no pre-cooking, the ability to freeze for a good make-ahead meal. And trust me when I say, easy never tasted so good!

    This post contains Affiliate Links. Please see the disclaimer here.

    When I was growing up, taco night meant ground beef mixed with a packet of taco seasoning. And it was delicious- Taco night has always been a favorite! But once I started making this chicken taco recipe, I never looked back (well almost never, except for these amazing Baked Tacos).

    I’ve been making this for so long, I don’t even know where I even found the recipe to begin with. But this shredded chicken taco recipe is not only crazy easy to throw together, it makes the most deliciously satisfying taco meat that everyone in our family goes crazy over!

    taco meal prep

    instant pot chicken tacos

    Tips for making shredded chicken tacos

    • You don’t even have to stir everything once it’s in the pot. It’s a true dump-and-go recipe.
    • This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if feeding a crowd.
    • This also makes some killer leftovers- I love to enjoy them for lunch over a salad or in a quesadilla.

    crockpot chicken tacos

    Frequently asked questions about making slow cooker chicken tacos

    • Can you freeze chicken taco meat? Yes- either before cooking or after works just fine
    • Can I reheat crockpot chicken tacos? Yes- I reheat this in the microwave.
    • How long does chicken taco meat last? 3-4 days covered in the refrigerator.
    • Can I use other types of meat? Yes, I’ve used a 2-3 pound chuck roast and and a half pork butt before with great results. Just extend the cooking time by an hour or two.
    • What goes with chicken tacos? I like mine with lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream and even guacamole!
    • Can I make this in the instant pot? Yes- see the recipe below for instructions for both the slow cooker and instant pot!

    shredded chicken tacos

    Crockpot Chicken Tacos Recipe Upgrades

    Although this is designed to be a dump-and-go recipe, here are a few “upgrades” you can make if you have a little extra time on your hands and don’t mind doing a small amount of extra work. You don’t have to do them to have a delicious meal, but they will make this recipe come out even more delicious:

    • Sear the chicken before placing it into the slow cooker (if you’re using an instant pot, you can do this on the saute setting).
    • Make a can of refried beans and some Mexican rice to serve on the side.

    slow cooker chicken tacos

    Make it a meal!

    A few great recipes to round out and complete this meal would be:

    • Mexican Bean Salad
    • 7 Layer Dip
    • Cajun Black Bean and Corn Salad
    • Guacamole

    instant pot shredded chicken

    Helpful tools:

    1. Slow cooker
    2. Instant pot
    3. Gallon freezer zipper bags
    4. Slow cooker liners
    5. Measuring spoons
    6. Measuring cups
    7. Chef's knife
    8. Cutting board

    shredded chicken taco recipe

    This Crockpot Chicken Tacos recipe is the easiest taco meat you'll ever make. With just 4 ingredients and minimal effort, your taco Tuesday will never be the same! Also includes Instant Pot instructions!

    Crockpot Chicken Tacos

    Jessy Freimann
    This Crockpot Chicken Tacos recipe is the easiest taco meat you'll ever make. With just 4 ingredients and minimal effort, your taco Tuesday will never be the same!
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 4 hrs
    Total Time 4 hrs 5 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 6 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
    • 1 packet taco seasoning
    • 1 10 ounce can Rotel
    • ¼ cup of water
    • 2 Tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil

    Instructions
     

    Crockpot instructions

    • Place chicken into crockpot.
    • Place remaining ingredients over the top of the chicken (don't even bother stirring it).
    • Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours.
    • Shred chicken with two forks (it will shred very easily and quickly) and stir to mix juices.
    • Serve immediately in tacos, over salad, over nachos or in quesadillas.

    Instant Pot instructions

    • Place chicken into Instant Pot.
    • Place remaining ingredients over the top of the chicken (don't even bother stirring it).
    • Cover and set Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 10 minutes.
    • When the time is up do a natural release for 10 minutes.
    • Shred chicken with two forks (it will shred very easily and quickly) and stir to mix juices.
    • Serve immediately in tacos, over salad, over nachos or in quesadillas.

    Notes

    If freezing, combine all ingredients into a zipper freezer bag and freeze.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Now that you know how to make this Crockpot Chicken Tacos recipe, be sure to share it and tag @thelifejolie on Instagram and Facebook.  And be sure to pin it to save for later or bookmark it!

    Check out other Dump It ‘Til It’s Hot posts:

    • Dump recipes main page
    • My introduction post
    • Best tools for prepping dump recipes
    • Tips for making dump dinners

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    This Crockpot Chicken Tacos recipe is the easiest taco meat you'll ever make. With just 4 ingredients and minimal effort, your taco Tuesday will never be the same! Also includes Instant Pot instructions!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Scott says

      April 27, 2015 at 10:19 am

      I've made pulled pork in a slow cooker many times, but never into taco meat. I don't know why I never thought of it!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 27, 2015 at 1:16 pm

        I LOVE pulled pork in the slow cooker, it's so good!
        Reply
    2. Wendy says

      April 27, 2015 at 9:51 pm

      Tacos are always a meal everyone loves at our house, thanks for this great idea to use the crock pot! Looking forward to trying it.
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 28, 2015 at 11:02 am

        Thank you- I hope you enjoy. We are huge taco fans as well- what's not to like?
        Reply
    3. Peter @ Feed Your Soul Too says

      April 27, 2015 at 10:02 pm

      Recipe looks great.
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 28, 2015 at 11:00 am

        Thank you :)
        Reply
    4. Christine says

      April 27, 2015 at 10:30 pm

      My stomach is growling looking at those!! Super yummy! Question: what is a can of Rotel? Never heard of that! Thanks for sharing! xox Christine
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 28, 2015 at 11:00 am

        Thank you! Rotel is canned tomatoes and diced green chiles. IT's pretty delicious and I heard that people like to mix it with Velveeta to make a queso dip but I couldn't really speak to how that is because Velveeta and I don't mix haha. At our grocery store, they keep the Rotel next the canned tomatoes not with the Mexican foods so you might want to check both locations. Let me know if you have any other questions :)
        Reply
    5. yanique says

      April 27, 2015 at 10:37 pm

      Slow cooker meals are the best since I'm busy through out the day. I can't wait to try this one. Pinning!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 28, 2015 at 10:57 am

        I completely agree- it's all about keeping it simple. Thank you- I hope you enjoy! :)
        Reply
    6. Jen @ Living in His Way says

      April 27, 2015 at 10:55 pm

      This looks SO good! Pinned!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 28, 2015 at 10:55 am

        Thank you :)
        Reply
    7. Lauren White says

      April 28, 2015 at 2:44 am

      I'm all about easy peasy dinners! This is getting added to my list!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 28, 2015 at 10:37 am

        Me too- I hope you enjoy!
        Reply
    8. Lauren White says

      April 28, 2015 at 2:46 am

      I'm all about easy peasy dinners! This is being added to my list!!!!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 28, 2015 at 10:33 am

        I hope you enjoy it- thanks for stopping by!
        Reply
    9. Krista says

      April 28, 2015 at 9:26 am

      I love my slow cooker!! These tacos look amazing and it sounds like a great flavor combination, and super easy! Thanks for sharing! Pinned!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 28, 2015 at 10:16 am

        Thank you- I hope you enjoy!
        Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 28, 2015 at 10:55 am

        Thank you- Enjoy!
        Reply
    10. Krista says

      April 28, 2015 at 9:27 am

      Those tacos look amazing! I love using my slow cooker and this recipe sounds perfect! Pinning!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 28, 2015 at 10:15 am

        Thank you- we love it! I hope you enjoy :)
        Reply
    11. Brittany Dickerson says

      April 29, 2015 at 10:29 am

      I've never thought about putting taco meat in the slow cooker! LOVE this recipe!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 29, 2015 at 11:24 am

        Thank you- enjoy!
        Reply
    12. Velaundra{at}Velsworld.com says

      April 29, 2015 at 10:53 am

      Those look super yummy! I know my boys would definitely love these.
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 29, 2015 at 11:09 am

        Thank you- I hope they enjoy them!
        Reply
    13. Melissa Vera says

      April 29, 2015 at 11:41 am

      This recipe looks so yummy. I am always on the lookout for new crock pot recipes. Thanks for sharing.
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 29, 2015 at 11:56 am

        Thank you- I hope you enjoy it!
        Reply
    14. All that's Jas says

      May 03, 2015 at 6:08 pm

      That sounds and looks amazing! I'm all about easy cooking. Thanks for linking up with Thursday Favorite Things.
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        May 03, 2015 at 9:27 pm

        Thank you- so am I!
        Reply
    15. Kaitie @ Fuchsia Freezer says

      May 04, 2015 at 10:02 am

      This looks amazing! Plus it's a great weeknight meal during the summer when you don't want to heat up your entire house and have a FANTASTIC meal done by the time you get done!!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        May 04, 2015 at 10:02 am

        Thank you :) That's why we love it- easy and delicious!
        Reply

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