Slow Cooker Chicken & Black Bean Tacos make for an effortless taco night since the crock pot does all of the work!
I know y’all love crock pot recipes, and you’ve probably noticed that over the past few weeks, as winter headed towards spring, I’ve been slacking in the slow cooker department. The truth is, I do use my crock pot all year long, but the type of recipes that I make in it change. Instead of hearty, comforting soups and stews, the warmer weather sees me utilizing my slow cooker for sandwich toppings, taco fillings, and such.
So that’s what I have for you today. Tender, juicy chicken — cooked with black beans and corn, seasoned with taco seasoning and salsa, and then shredded — makes the ultimate chicken soft taco filling! But if you’re not in a taco kind of mood, don’t let that deter you from trying this recipe. I have determined that the chicken/black bean/corn mixture is also delicious in the following applications:
*Quesadillas
*Nachos
*Enchiladas
*Burritos
*Chalupas
*Burrito Bowls (over rice or quinoa)
Seriously, any Tex-Mex type recipe is adaptable to using this filling. And it would probably be good in even more ways than the ones I’ve listed. Let me know if anyone is feeling up to trying it on a pizza…
I actually hesitated to post this recipe because it’s one of those that I feel is so easy and brainless that everybody must already know about it and make it regularly. But my rational side argued that there are probably many of you out there who haven’t, in fact, thrown this particular combination of ingredients into the crock pot before. And if that’s the case, you are truly missing out. So this is for you!
This is one of my go-to recipes when I only have a few minutes in the morning, because it’s something for which I almost always have the ingredients on hand. It’s also adaptable, of course, if I happen to be out of something. I’ve made it with pinto beans instead of black. I’ve used tomato sauce with a few dashes of hot sauce in lieu of salsa. Canned corn works instead of frozen. Heck, (I haven’t tried it, but) I bet you could even use pork instead of chicken for a change of pace!
Whatever you do, be sure you have plenty of your favorite toppings on hand when you make this recipe. These tacos are good as-is, but they are downright spectacular when loaded up with avocado slices, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, etc., etc. Mmm-mmmm-MMMMM!
The last thing I’d like to mention is that this recipe makes a lot. So it’s great if you have a large family or if you enjoy the convenience of leftovers (which, incidentally, can be used in one of the other aforementioned options if you don’t feel like tacos again). The leftovers also freeze well for a ready-to-go dinner down the road.
And this quick and easy recipe is even great for serving at a party or get-together! Set up a little taco bar with a crock pot full of shredded chicken filling, a stack of warm flour tortillas, and bowls of every taco topping you can think of. Do I envision a March Madness-watching party in the near future???
So don’t banish that slow cooker to the back of the cabinet just because spring has officially arrived! After all, taco season is just beginning. 😉
Tasty chicken soft tacos -- stuffed with tender shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and your favorite toppings -- make for an effortless taco night since the slow cooker does all of the work!
Ingredients
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 package taco seasoning (or 3 tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning)
- 2 tablespoons mined fresh garlic (or the jarred, refrigerated kind)
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed & drained
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 16 ounces salsa
- Optional garnishes: sliced avocado, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, fresh chopped cilantro, salsa, sour cream, pico de gallo, etc.
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts at the bottom of slow cooker. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and minced garlic. Place black beans and corn on top, and pour salsa evenly over everything. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours.
- About 15 minutes before serving, remove chicken breasts from the slow cooker to a cutting board. Slice into big chunks and shred with two forks. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir all ingredients to combine. Taste and stir in a bit more taco seasoning, if desired. Cover and allow to reheat for a few minutes before serving. Serve on flour tortillas with plenty of your favorite toppings!
MORE slow cooker recipes with real food ingredients!
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♥And to accompany your tacos…
Ashley @ 3littlegreenwoods says
March 23, 2014 at 2:41 pmOh I love a quick and easy crockpot recipe! Especially one that I think my little people will eat. Awesome job on the photographs!
Pinning and making!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 24, 2014 at 12:24 amThank you so much, Ashley, for the kind comment and the pin! I am all about quick and easy crock pot recipes, too. 🙂 I hope you enjoy this one when you have a chance to try it!
Debbie Caraballo says
March 23, 2014 at 4:52 pmLooks fantastic! Pinning this for future reference…thanks, Sam. Hope your weekend was great.
Deb
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 24, 2014 at 12:25 amThank you, Deb! I appreciate the pin and I hope you end up loving this one. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by…have a wonderful week!
Liv says
March 23, 2014 at 10:19 pmSomething like this is basically my go-to when I’ve failed to do adequate dinner prep. I’m at the point where anything I can eat with avocado is a definite win in my book.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 24, 2014 at 12:27 amThis is one of my fall-back recipes for lack of dinner planning, too, Liv…which is probably why we have it so often! 😉 And I’m with you on the avocado…I could eat it with just about anything. Have a great week!
Dee says
March 25, 2014 at 6:32 pmI love using my slow cooker for tacos, burritos etc. –makes it so easy, especially since I have a large family and, like you said, this makes a lot! Your photos are fab–I’m drooling here. You wouldn’t happen to have a recipe for tortillas would you? 🙂
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 26, 2014 at 4:41 pmThanks so much, Dee! You know, I’ve made homemade tortillas from scratch in the past but I have yet to find a recipe that I just love, so I haven’t blogged one yet. But I definitely will once I get them perfected! 😉
[email protected] says
March 25, 2014 at 10:29 pmSamantha, these pics are gorgeous! And I use my crock pot year round too. Such a time saver! Love this recipe!
Emily says
March 26, 2014 at 7:46 pmThis looks AMAZING! Pinned and will be making on Friday! I’d love for you to link this up at Much Ado About Monday. 🙂
~Emily
http://www.huckleberrylove.com
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 27, 2014 at 1:04 amThanks so much, Emily…I hope you enjoy it! And I appreciate the link party invitation…I’ll try to check it out next week. 🙂
Joanne T Ferguson says
March 27, 2014 at 7:36 pmG’day! Looks very healthy indeed!
Cheers! Joanne
Viewed as part of Play.Party.Pin
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 28, 2014 at 9:42 pmThanks, Joanne! Healthy, easy, and tasty…my favorite kind of recipe. 🙂
shobelyn says
March 28, 2014 at 10:17 amHi, found you at Chef In Training blog. I want to invite you to my Cunning Ladies’ Friday Party. The theme is My Popular Post. Please join us.
http://easytocookmeals.com/cunning-ladies-friday-party-3-my-popular-post/
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 28, 2014 at 9:45 pmThanks so much for the invitation, Shobelyn!
Jill says
March 28, 2014 at 10:20 amBeautiful photos! I have a hard time assembling tacos to photograph. Found you at Kitchen Fun’s roundup. I always love slow cooker recipes, especially ones that look this good!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 28, 2014 at 9:46 pmThank you, Jill! I totally agree…some foods are just harder to photograph than others! It took me awhile to figure out how to arrange the tacos so that they would lay closed but still show what was inside. 😉 I really appreciate your kind comment, and I hope you have a great weekend!
Kelly says
March 29, 2014 at 8:36 amThis looks delicious – pinning now.
Thanks for sharing,
Kelly
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 31, 2014 at 12:27 amThanks, Kelly…and I appreciate the pin! Hope you have a great week!
Made From Pinterest says
March 30, 2014 at 1:49 amThis looks yummy and good for me. I want to make this!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 31, 2014 at 12:32 amThanks so much! You should definitely give it a try sometime! 🙂
Audra says
March 30, 2014 at 9:53 amThis is my family’s kind of meal! We are huge lovers of all these wonderful Mexican flavors. Some form of Chicken and Black Beans are a weekly meal in our house! Pinning <3
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 31, 2014 at 12:35 amThanks so much, Audra! We are the same way…any recipe that falls into the Mexican/Tex-Mex category is sure to be a hit at our house. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and pinning, and I hope you have a great week!
Leslie says
April 27, 2014 at 10:45 amTip: I learned from another blogger (can’t remember who or I would give credit!) a while back that you can take the cooked warm chicken and put it in your kitchen aid with the paddle and it sheeds in seconds! I’ve don’t this before and it works beautifully!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
April 28, 2014 at 10:36 amYes, Leslie, that’s a great tip! I’ve tried it before as well and it does work well! Thanks for reminding me and sharing here for everyone else to see. 🙂
Kristen says
May 4, 2014 at 8:44 pmMaking these tomorrow for Cinco De Mayo! I am going to link to them on my blog too!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
May 6, 2014 at 12:10 amI hope these tacos were a hit, Kristen, and that you had a fun Cinco de Mayo! 🙂
Liz says
June 4, 2014 at 8:04 amThank you for the nice recipe, Samantha.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
June 4, 2014 at 1:45 pmOf course, Liz! It’s one of our favorites…hope you love it, too. 🙂
[email protected] simple-nourished-living says
July 25, 2014 at 3:17 pmThese look absolutely delicious! I’ve included them in a roundup of Slow Cooker Taco fillings I recently posted. Thanks for such delicious inspiration!!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
July 26, 2014 at 10:21 amThanks so much for including me in your round-up, Martha! And I appreciate you stopping by to let me know. 🙂 Happy weekend!
Nanci says
February 9, 2015 at 4:55 pmHi..looks yummy but would like to know how many people would this serve at say two tacos each? Also do you put the chicken breast in frozen or thawed?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
February 11, 2015 at 10:20 amHi Nanci! At two tacos per person, I’d say that this would probably make 4 to 6 servings (depending on how full you stuff the tacos, of course!). As far as the chicken, using frozen chicken in the slow cooker in not recommended from a food safety standpoint, since an older slow cooker may not heat up quickly enough to bring everything to a safe temperature. Hope that helps…enjoy!
Renee says
March 17, 2015 at 1:49 pmCould this be made on the stovetop? I’ve made this several times and it’s delicious, but sometimes I don’t have time for the crock pot.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 19, 2015 at 11:55 pmHi Renee! I think you can definitely make this on the stovetop. 🙂 I’d probably poach/simmer the chicken in a big pot, drain the water and shred the chicken, then stir in the other ingredients and cook for a little while until heated through. Hope that helps…enjoy! 🙂
Sharon says
March 11, 2017 at 12:00 amThese were so good for being so simple!
divya sharma says
March 16, 2017 at 3:13 amThese look fantastically delicious! I can’t wait to try them.