Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos in the Crockpot are an easy Taco Tuesday recipe! Made with tangy, savory salsa verde, these shredded chicken tacos will have everyone in the family fighting for the last one!
The Easiest Chicken Tacos Ever!
One thing I’ve learned since I started working from home is that crockpot meals can be dangerous. Let me explain.
When you start off a slow cooker supper before leaving the house, it doesn’t really smell like much – maybe just the fragrance of the spices as you dump them into the pot, or a bit of onion or garlic. Then you basically leave the house, carefree and thinking of other things. When when you come home, a wonderful, savory dinner smell hits you.
But as it turns out, that delicious, dive-in-head-first aroma doesn’t just magically show up when you open your door. It’s been there building all day! Which means if I make a crockpot meal as a person who works from home, I have to fight off that mouthwatering fragrance the entire day. And do you know what that leads to? Snacking. Grazing. Stuffing my face with chips. It’s not pretty, people. Not pretty at all.
But in spite of that one issue, crockpot meals are still amazing, especially ones that are healthy and don’t contain a bunch of processed foods (looking at you, “Cream of” soup). This is one of the best – a spicy, tangy, salty, tender, juicy slow cooker recipe for salsa verde shredded chicken. It makes the most amazing tacos, and it’s incredibly easy.
What’s in Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos?
Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos are awesome for many reasons, the main one being that they are addictively delicious. The next biggest reason? With just a jar of store-bought green salsa (or a batch of homemade salsa verde, just skip the added avocado, if you prefer) you only need about 5 minutes of prep and you’re all set. Yes, it’s that easy!
- Chicken Breast: You can also use thighs, if you like. Go with boneless, skinless for easy shredding, or use bone-in and skin-on if you don’t mind removing the skin and taking the meat off of the bones.
- Green Salsa: I like using medium salsa verde, but you could substitute mild if you need a less-spicy dish. Want to turn up the heat? Go with a hot version.
- Broth: Chicken broth, bone broth, vegetable broth… whatever you like.
- Garlic Salt
- Cilantro: Chopped fresh cilantro is awesome in this recipe – unless you don’t like cilantro, of course! In that case, you could try some chopped green onions and/or parsley.
- Tortillas: Homemade Flour Tortillas or corn tortillas, whichever you like!
- Red Onion: Slice up one small red onion. Other kinds of onion are fine, too.
- Cotija Cheese: Crumbled, for sprinkling. You can also use crumbled queso fresco.
- Fresh Lime: Cut into wedges, for squeezing on top.
What’s the Difference Between Salsa and Salsa Verde?
“Verde” is Spanish for “green,” so as you can imagine, salsa verde is green salsa. It’s green because it uses green tomatillos (the little green tomato-like fruits that come with a papery husk around them) instead of regular tomatoes. Salsa verde often includes lime, cilantro, and jalapeno – it truly is a “green” ingredient! The tangy, bold flavor goes really well with mild, savory chicken, creating a taco filling you will turn to again and again.
How to Make Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos in the Slow Cooker
These salsa verde chicken tacos are as easy as it gets – you just dump in your ingredients into the slow cooker, and let them go for hours until the chicken is tender. Then just shred it and pile it into a tortilla!
Mix the Ingredients in Your Crockpot. First, pour a cup of salsa verde into your slow cooker, along with your chicken broth and garlic salt. Give it a stir or a whisk, and then place the chicken breasts in the sauce. Cover the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW.
Shred the Chicken. Once the chicken is cooked and tender, take it out of the crockpot and toss the cooking liquid. Shred the chicken with two forks, place it in a medium-sized bowl, and pour the rest of the salsa over it, along with your freshly-chopped cilantro. Stir it all up.
Enjoy! Fill your tortillas with the chicken, a few slices of red onion, some crumbled cotija cheese and a squeeze of lime.
Tips and Hacks
There are a few more things I’d like to share about this recipe, just a couple of helpful hints that you can use to help make it your own and bring out the best flavors. Here are my top tips for the best salsa verde chicken tacos.
- The Salsa Verde: Green salsa is the most important part of this recipe, and I think it tastes best when it has not only a lot of flavor, but also a little heat. If I am buying it at the store, I always look for a brand that still has seeds in it – that’s where a lot of the heat is.
- Your Crockpot: It’s important to understand that all crockpots cook a little differently, and what might be the perfect amount of time for mine may be too long (or too short) in your crockpot. So if you can, check on the chicken every couple of hours to see how it’s doing. (Pro tip: Older, “vintage” crockpots tend to cook at lower temperatures than modern versions.)
- The Toppings: By the way, if you don’t love red onion or have cotija cheese, you can still make this dish! Those are the toppings that my family enjoys, but salsa verde chicken tacos would also be amazing with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and all of those other tried-and-true taco toppings.
Serving Ideas
A few side dishes are nice with simple tacos like this, and some of our go-to favorites around are rice and black beans. So good! Other mouthwatering options include…
- Maduros: Ever wonder what to do with those plantains at the grocery store? They’re super affordable, and with this easy recipe for Fried Sweet Plantains (aka maduros), you’ll know exactly how to turn them into a crave-able side dish.
- Texas Caviar: Is Texas Caviar a salad? A relish? A dip? This tantalizing combo of corn, beans, bell peppers, and other goodies is all three, and it’s amazing with a meal of freshly-made tacos.
- Homemade Tortillas: Any taco dinner is that much more special when you serve it with real Homemade Flour Tortillas. Even if you’ve never made them before, you can do this, and they will be delicious!
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos
- To store, place any leftover shredded chicken in an airtight container, and store in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. Leftover tortillas usually store well at room temperature for several days, and the toppings can go in separate zip-top bags for one week (red onion) or up to several weeks (cotija cheese).
- Freeze the leftover chicken in a freezer bag or freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat, just scoop the desired amount of salsa verde chicken into a skillet over low heat. Cook and stir until the chicken is heated through, but don’t overcook or it will dry out.
Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos in the Crockpot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
- 3 cups medium salsa verde, divided
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
If Serving As Tacos:
- 8-10 tortillas, corn or homemade flour tortillas
- sliced red onion
- crumbled cotija cheese, or queso fresco
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Whisk together 1 cup salsa verde, chicken broth and garlic salt in crockpot. Add chicken breasts and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
- Remove chicken from crockpot and discard remaining liquid. Shred chicken with two forks and place in a medium bowl. Add remaining 2 cups salsa verde and chopped cilantro to chicken. Mix to combine.
- Fill tortillas with a scoop of chicken, a few slices of red onion, a healthy scoop of crumbled cotija cheese and a squeeze of lime! Or you can serve it with rice, black beans, and pan fried plantains.
Notes
Nutrition
Categories:
More Easy Latin-Inspired Recipes
- Crockpot Salsa Chicken
- Huevos Rancheros
- Pico De Gallo Chicken
- Beef Picadillo
- Easy Cheese Enchiladas
- Beef Empanadas
- Instant Pot Charro Beans
- Homemade Tamales
- Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
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