Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken (Recipe + Video)

If you’re a fan of delicious chicken recipes that are easy on the pocket book and crazy easy to make, then this Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken is officially must-try recipe for you! Seriously, this chicken dish is so good, y’all.

Don’t wait, just make it!

Much like how I missed out for years with the recipe for an absolutely scrumptious Mississippi Pot Roast, this simple Salsa Chicken is another trendy recipe that I took way too long to try. I might be stubborn sometimes. I finally tried this slow cooker chicken recipe for the first time just this past summer. Slow cooker recipes are some of my favorites during the summer months as they don’t heat up the house. I did not want to heat up the kitchen at all at the time because it was probably 125° outside!

I have to admit, my expectations were pretty low as I added the ingredients to the slow cooker crock that day, but oh man… dinner that evening was an absolute treat! We were all impressed with how incredibly flavorful and tender this chicken turned out (literal ooh and ahh’s were coming from the fam, y’all) and this recipe became an instant family favorite.

How to make slow cooker salsa chicken

To make this mouthwatering salsa chicken you’ll need around 2.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, a one ounce packet of your favorite taco seasoning or 4 level tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning, and a 16 ounce jar of mild or medium, store-purchased salsa. All of the ingredients will simmer together for 4 hours on high in a slow cooker and then dinner is ready to serve. Easy peasy!

The result is scrumptious, well-seasoned, fall-apart-tender chicken that is delicious served in so many ways.

I do typically prefer to make this recipe with chicken thighs, however if I make it with chicken breast I slice the whole breasts in half to create thinner pieces of meat. Thinner pieces of meat will become the most tender and flavorful in the slow cooker, and I’ll always create thinner pieces of meat for any slow cooker recipe when it’s possible.

I also prefer to layer the meat and the seasoning to ensure that all sides of the meat have been seasoned before starting the slow cooker (refer to the full video below to watch me make this recipe, if you like). I’m too much of a control freak for a literal “dump and go” method, and I seriously believe seasoning all sides of the meat is a critical step for building good flavors in a dish, no matter how simple it is🙂.

Also, I do not recommend using higher than a medium heat salsa in this recipe, especially if this recipe will be served to children. This meat will braise/simmer in the salsa for hours, and as a result the meat takes on a bit of the heat in the process. I don’t know about your kids, but mine would have stopped eating completely after just a single bite of 5-alarm-fire, hot shredded chicken! 😆🔥

We often serve this comforting salsa chicken over Mexican-style rice and with a crisp, green salad, but my all-time, favorite way to enjoy it is as a shredded chicken filling for crunchy tacos.

Oh my, y’all it’s really so good!! 💖🌮🌮

As this recipe is written, it’s low carb and light. You could serve portions of this amazing salsa chicken over Mexican-style cauliflower rice and with some salad on the side to round out a delicious low carb meal.

Happy eating, my friends! 🍲❤️🍽️

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Easy Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

Recipe by Marcelle at A Little Fish in the Kitchen Course: Dinner, Lunch, BrunchCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

4

hours

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken is sure to become a regular recipe on your monthly menu plan, it’s always on ours these days! This recipe is so simple and the chicken turns out flavorful and fall-apart-tender every time. Serve larger portions of this chicken over Mexican-style rice or shred it up to make the most amazing chicken tacos!

Ingredients

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (2.5 pounds-ish of chicken), trimmed of excessive fat

• 1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning or 4 level tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning

• 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (your favorite brand, mild or medium heat)

Directions

• Lightly coat the inside of a slow cooker crock with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle one tablespoon of taco seasoning into the bottom of the greased, empty crock. (Full video tutorial for this recipe is available below, if needed) Create a layer of chicken thighs, as many as it takes to just cover the bottom of the crock. Sprinkle more taco seasoning over the tops of the chicken thighs, repeat layers as necessary. Sprinkle all remaining taco seasoning over the top of the chicken.
• Pour the entire (16 oz) jar of salsa evenly over the seasoned chicken. Cover the slow cooker crock and allow salsa chicken to simmer on high for 4 hours.
• Once the cook time is finished, serve larger portions of chicken immediately, or remove chicken to a mixing bowl with a slotted spoon and shred the meat. Return the shredded meat to the sauce in the crock and serve as desired.
• Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

• Recipe from A Little Fish in the Kitchen Blog at www.alittlefishinthekitchen.com. All content is owned by Marcelle G. Bolton. Please contact the author for permission to republish.