How to Make Crockpot Salsa Chicken [Step-by-Step Guide]
This healthy Crockpot Salsa Chicken is incredibly flavorful, tender, and versatile. Serve it in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or in a bowl over rice. It’s destined to become a family favorite.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 24 oz salsa, your favorite brand, or homemade
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ cups frozen sweet corn kernels
- 14.5 oz black beans, drained, from a can
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Optional for Serving:
- avocado, freshly sliced
- shredded cheddar cheese
- lime wedges
- salsa
Instructions
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Towel dry chicken pieces. Place chicken in the crockpot.
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Mix salsa, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground cumin together. Spoon over chicken.
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Cook on low for 6 hours if chicken is defrosted, 8 hours for frozen chicken.
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1 hour prior to finishing, remove the chicken and shred it with forks.
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Place the shredded chicken back in the crockpot along with corn and beans. Finish cooking for the last 1 hour. If needed, season with additional salt and pepper.
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Serve salsa chicken with your choice of toppings, with extra salsa on the side if desired.
Notes
- We recommend chicken thighs for tender results. If using whole skinless/boneless chicken breasts, use 4 chicken breasts. Note that chicken breasts tend to be drier.
- Always pat your chicken dry before placing it in the slow cooker. This helps the seasonings and salsa to stick better and also gives the chicken a nicer texture.
- If you’re using frozen chicken, make sure to adjust your cooking time. You’ll need to cook it on low for 8 hours instead of 6.
- Love a little heat? Choose a spicy salsa for this recipe. If you prefer a milder flavor, go for a mild salsa.
- Double the recipe – serve some tonight and divvy the rest up for this week. Or freeze in freezer-friendly containers with lids for future meals.
- Serve this salsa chicken on top of Cilantro Lime Rice. It’s also great in soft or crunchy tacos, burritos, or in a Mexican style salad.