Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos
Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos are easy to make with just SIX simple ingredients: chicken, garlic, salsa, taco seasoning, black beans, and corn. And this flavorful recipe for shredded chicken tacos is both delicious and effortless, since the slow cooker does all of the work!
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I know y'all love crockpot recipes. So even though winter is behind us, don't think you can't still pull out your trusty ol' slow cooker! But instead of hearty, comforting soups and stews, the warmer months see me utilizing my slow cooker for sandwich toppings, taco fillings, pizza toppings, and more. So that's in line with what I have for you today....Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos!
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, tossed this particular combination of ingredients into the slow cooker before. And if that's the case, you are truly missing out. So these easy-breezy Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos are for especially for you!
Ingredients
You only need SIX basic ingredients to throw together these easy, flavorful, crockpot chicken tacos:
- Chicken. I typically use chicken breasts because I always have them on hand and they're quick to shred. But you may certainly substitute your favorite cuts of chicken instead.
- Taco Seasoning. Check the ingredients on the packet to make sure your taco seasoning has straightforward ingredients. Or, better yet, quickly whip up a batch of Homemade Taco Seasoning yourself so that YOU can control the ingredients!
- Garlic. Minced. As much as I love fresh garlic, I've always felt like it's acceptable to use (jarred and refrigerated) minced garlic in water when it comes to slow cooker recipes...because after the lengthy cooking time, I don't think you can tell a difference anyway. 😉
- Black beans. Canned; rinsed and drained. You can use pinto beans instead of black, if you like.
- Corn. Frozen. Drained canned corn would work as well if that's all you have.
- Salsa. The type of salsa you use in this recipe will dictate the final taste, texture, and heat of your crockpot chicken tacos. So mild, medium, or hot...chunky or pureed...it's up to you! I make a batch of Easy Homemade Salsa every week, so that's typically what I use. But if you don't have any salsa on hand, you could even use tomato sauce with a few generous dashes of hot sauce instead.
For a plain shredded chicken taco filling, you could actually opt to leave out the black beans and/or corn when making this recipe. However, I like the contrast of flavor and texture that these two ingredients add, plus the fact that they stretch how far the recipe goes.
How to Make Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
This is one of those truly effortless dump-and-go crockpot meals.
- Place chicken breasts at the bottom of your slow cooker. Sprinkle with taco seasoning.
- Add minced garlic, black beans, and corn over the top.
- Pour salsa evenly over everything.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- Remove the cooked chicken from the crockpot to a plate or a cutting board.
- Slice the chicken into big chunks and pull apart/shred using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
- Stir all of the ingredients to combine, then cover the crockpot again and allow everything to reheat for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve on flour tortillas with plenty of garnishes for amazing shredded chicken tacos!
Toppings
Whatever you do, be sure you have plenty of your favorite toppings on hand when you make this recipe. These Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos are good as-is...but they are downright spectacular when loaded up!
Here are some of my favorites:
- Avocado chunks or slices.
- Sour cream.
- Salsa.
- Pico de gallo.
- Shredded cheese.
- Diced tomatoes.
- Fresh cilantro.
Mmm-mmmm-MMMMM!
Ways to Enjoy Crockpot Chicken Tacos
If you're not in a shredded chicken tacos 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.
- Chalupas or tostadas.
- Flautas or taquitos.
- Burritos or 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 above.
Let me know if anyone is feeling up to trying it on a pizza... 😉
Yield
The last thing I'd like to mention is that this Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos recipe makes a lot. And it's easy to double if you want even more!
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 slow cooker full of shredded chicken taco filling, a stack of warm flour tortillas, and bowls of every taco topping you can think of. Do I envision a game-watching party of some sort in the near future???
So don't banish that slow cooker to the back of the cabinet just because warm weather has officially arrived...make Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos instead! After all, comfort food season might be on pause, but taco season is just beginning. 🙂
If you prefer to make this recipe in the Instant Pot instead of the slow cooker, you can find that version HERE >>> Instant Pot Chicken Black Bean Tacos.
If you're in the mood for beef instead of chicken, be sure to check out these similar (but different) Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos!
And if you prefer pork tacos instead, you'll love our Slow Cooker Carnitas!
To Accompany Your Tacos
Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning, OR 1 package store-bought taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed & drained
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 2 cups 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 6 hours or until the chicken pulls apart easily with two forks.
- 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!
Equipment Needed
Video
Nutrition
Originally published March 22, 2014, and updated on May 1, 2021, and May 12, 2023.
Could 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.
Hi 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! 🙂
Hi..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?
Hi 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!
These look absolutely delicious! I've included them in a roundup of Slow Cooker Taco fillings I recently posted. Thanks for such delicious inspiration!!
Thanks so much for including me in your round-up, Martha! And I appreciate you stopping by to let me know. 🙂 Happy weekend!
Thank you for the nice recipe, Samantha.
Making these tomorrow for Cinco De Mayo! I am going to link to them on my blog too!
I hope these tacos were a hit, Kristen, and that you had a fun Cinco de Mayo! 🙂
Tip: 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!
Yes, 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. 🙂
This 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!
This looks yummy and good for me. I want to make this!
Thanks so much! You should definitely give it a try sometime! 🙂
This looks delicious - pinning now.
Thanks for sharing,
Kelly
Thanks, Kelly...and I appreciate the pin! Hope you have a great week!
Beautiful 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!
Thank 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!
Hi, 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/
Thanks so much for the invitation, Shobelyn!
G'day! Looks very healthy indeed!
Cheers! Joanne
Viewed as part of Play.Party.Pin
Thanks, Joanne! Healthy, easy, and tasty...my favorite kind of recipe. 🙂
This 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
Thanks so much, Emily...I hope you enjoy it! And I appreciate the link party invitation...I'll try to check it out next week. 🙂
Samantha, these pics are gorgeous! And I use my crock pot year round too. Such a time saver! Love this recipe!
I 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? 🙂
Thanks 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! 😉
Something 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.
This 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!
Looks fantastic! Pinning this for future reference...thanks, Sam. Hope your weekend was great.
Deb
Thank you, Deb! I appreciate the pin and I hope you end up loving this one. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by...have a wonderful week!
Oh 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!
Thank 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!