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These easy, hands-off Crockpot chicken tacos have been a favorite in my house for years. So tender and full of flavor, they’re perfect for a busy weeknight dinner – the slow cooker does almost all the work! The creamy avocado-cilantro sauce puts them over the top. Just add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Before You Get Started
- Change up the salsa you use to give your chicken different flavors each time you make this dish. I’m a big fan of peach mango salsa or pineapple salsa for a slightly sweet take. Salsa verde, fire-roasted salsa, chunky salsa, smooth salsa – it all works here. You can also control the heat of your dish by using mild or hot salsa, whatever you like.
- If you’d rather warm the tortillas on the stove instead of in the microwave, heat a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat. When it’s warm, add just 1 tortilla at a time. Warm the tortilla for 15 seconds or so, until light brown spots appear on the bottom, then flip it over and do it again. Transfer the tortilla to a plate, cover it with a clean kitchen towel to keep it warm, and repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Once they’re all warmed, proceed with making your Crockpot chicken tacos!
What I Love About This Recipe
- There’s no standing over the stove or checking the temperature of your oven-baked chicken over and over. The Crockpot handles all of the cooking and in the end you’ve got tender, juicy, flavorful Mexican-style chicken, with pretty minimal effort on your part. I don’t know about you, but. Sounds pretty dreamy to me!
- You’re welcome to skip the avocado-cilantro sauce if you want, but I think it really takes these Crockpot chicken tacos to a whole new level. The sauce is super creamy, and it’s FULL of flavor from the jalapeรฑo, cilantro, garlic, and avocado. If you’re in the mood for different flavors, try our chipotle aioli, avocado crema, mango habanero, or homemade taco sauce.
- We get to use one of my favorite kitchen hacks here – hand mixer shredded chicken! Seriously, shredding chicken is not my idea of a good time, but if you use a hand mixer, it only takes a few minutes. You’re welcome to use other methods if you prefer, though. I’ve outlined 5 of my favorites in this post all about shredded chicken!
- If you’re not feeling tacos, you can totally use the Crockpot chicken from this recipe in burritos, nachos, taco salads, or quesadillas instead. It’s super versatile, and the flavors go well with anything.
Recipe Variations
- Make it Whole30: Use a Whole30-compliant taco seasoning and salsa. Replace tortillas with lettuce cups. Omit any cheese and sour cream.
- Make it Paleo: Use paleo-friendly taco seasoning and salsa. Replace tortillas with lettuce cups, or use grain-free tortillas. Use paleo-friendly cheese.
- Make it Gluten Free: Make sure your taco seasoning and salsa don’t contain any hidden gluten. Replace tortillas with lettuce cups or use corn tortillas or gluten-free tortillas.
- Make it Low Carb/Keto: Use a keto taco seasoning and a salsa without any added sugars or sugar substitutes. Replace tortillas with lettuce cups, low-carb tortillas, or homemade keto tortillas.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Crockpot Chicken Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Sauce
Simple, perfect Crockpot chicken tacos topped with an easy and flavorful avocado-cilantro sauce. Awesome for a weeknight dinner or for a crowd.
tacos
Equipment
- Crockpot or similar slow cooker
- Tongs or large wooden spoon
- Large bowl or cutting board
- Hand mixer or 2 forks
- internal meat thermometer
- Food processor or blender
- Paper towels
- water
- Microwave-safe plate
- Microwave
Ingredients
For the Crockpot Chicken
- 1 cup salsa of choice
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning store-bought or homemade
- salt to taste
- 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts approximately 6-8 ounces each
For the Avocado-Cilantro Sauce
- 1 large avocado pit removed, peeled
- 1 medium jalapeรฑo pepper stem removed, seeds removed, quartered; see Notes
- ยฝ cup cilantro leaves
- ยฝ cup water
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- salt to taste
Serving Suggestions (All Optional)
- 8 8-inch taco tortillas flour or corn
- crumbled queso fresco
- diced red onion
- chopped fresh cilantro
- diced avocado
- sour cream
Instructions
For the Crockpot Chicken
- Add 1 cup salsa of choice, 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, and salt (only if your taco seasoning doesn't contain salt already) to Crockpot. Stir to incorporate ingredients.
- Add 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Flip chicken to coat with salsa mixture, then place lid on Crockpot.
- Cook chicken on LOW 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH 3 to 3 ยฝ hours.
- When cook time is up, transfer chicken to large bowl (or cutting board). Shred cooked chicken with hand mixer (or 2 forks), then return shredded chicken to Crockpot and stir to incorporate with salsa mixture.
- Cook uncovered on LOW 60 minutes or on HIGH 30 minutes.
For the Avocado-Cilantro Sauce
- Add 1 large avocado, 1 medium jalapeรฑo pepper, ยฝ cup cilantro leaves, ยฝ cup water, 2 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons white vinegar, and salt to food processor or blender. Pulse until ingredients are fully combined and mixture is very smooth. Taste and add more salt if desired.
To Warm the Tortillas
- Wet paper towel and wring out majority of excess water. Spread paper towel out on microwave-safe plate, then place one flour tortilla on top of paper towel. Repeat, layering damp paper towels and tortillas on plate, until all tortillas have been stacked on plate. Cover last tortilla with one damp paper towel.
- Place plate in microwave. Microwave 20 to 30 seconds or until tortillas are warm and softened, then carefully remove plate from microwave.
To Serve the Tacos
- Portion shredded chicken into warmed tortillas. Drizzle avocado-cilantro sauce over chicken as desired, then top tacos with preferred toppings. Serve immediately.
- To drizzle avocado-cilantro sauce, fill a plastic sandwich bag with prepared sauce. Snip off a small piece of one corner and drizzle sauce over chicken in tacos.
- Shred Chicken: Watch this quick video to see how to shred chicken with a hand mixer.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1 taco (flour tortilla with sauce, no toppings)Calories: 290calProtein: 23gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 775mgPotassium: 583mgTotal Carbs: 29gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gNet Carbs: 26gVitamin A: 363IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 109mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Amazing. Simple and the flavors all go together super well. Definitely a must and a regular make.
Thanks so much for sharing, Paul! ๐
Can I use frozen chicken? If so, what would be my time difference?
You can try it with frozen chicken! Just make sure to cook the chicken until it reaches 165ยฐ internally. ๐
Definitely a keeper! Thanks for the recipe ๐
Thank you so much for your review, Tracy!
How long do you think the sauce would last after making it? Thinking of making ahead to take on vacation
Hi, Diane! It should last up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Let us know if you try it! ๐
For the sake of time, can I make the chicken portion in an instant pot?
Absolutely, Sandie! This post actually accomplishes exactly that: https://40aprons.com/instant-pot-salsa-chicken/
This recipe was amazing! I put the chicken, salsa, and taco seasoning in the instant pot (8 minutes) because I ran out of time. The avocado crema was absolutely delicious! This recipe is a keeper for sure!!!!
So glad you loved it, Sandie. Thanks for sharing! ๐
So good! And the cilantro dressing was amazing.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Ashley! ๐
Surprisingly amazing for a simple and easy recipe! Topped mine with avocado, cilantro leaves, queso fresco, and the cilantro avocado sauce included in the recipe! Love love love the fresh sauce!!
YUM! So glad you enjoyed, Tay! Thanks so much for the review!
This was a wonderful dinner recipe for Taco Tuesday! I may or may not use boneless skinless thighs next time. We topped them with avocado, queso fresco, and pico! Delicious!
So glad you enjoyed this dish, Crissy! Chicken thighs would work great with this recipe. Let us know how it turns out. ๐
Can you do this recipe with chicken thighs instead?
Yes, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.