Description
This Healthy Crockpot Chicken Tacos recipe is an easy, flavorful, and nutritious slow-cooked dish perfect for busy weeknights. Tender chicken breasts are seasoned with classic Mexican spices and simmered in salsa and lime juice until juicy and shred-ready. Serve with your favorite taco toppings or over rice for a wholesome meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasonings
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Liquids
- 1 cup salsa (red or green, red preferred)
- Juice of 2 limes (optional)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (low or no salt) or water
Instructions
- Prepare the Crockpot: Place your chicken breasts into the crockpot insert. Evenly cover the chicken with all the spices: chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Pour the salsa over the seasoned chicken and sprinkle the lime juice on top if using.
- Add Liquids and Cook: Pour the chicken broth or water into the crockpot. Cover the crockpot with its lid and cook on low for 4-6 hours for best results, or on high for 3-4 hours. Slow cooking on low heat ensures the chicken stays tender and flavorful.
- Shred the Chicken: Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the crockpot and shred it using two forks on a cutting board. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer or hand mixer to shred, but avoid using a hand mixer directly in the crockpot to preserve the enamel coating.
- Mix Back with Juices: Return the shredded chicken back into the crockpot to soak up all the flavorful cooking juices and stay moist.
- Serve: Serve the shredded chicken with your favorite taco toppings such as lettuce, cheese, avocado, sour cream, and salsa. You can also use the chicken as a protein topping over rice or in lettuce wraps.
Notes
- For a low-carb alternative, swap the tortillas for lettuce wraps or use cauliflower rice instead of traditional rice.
- This recipe is versatile and can be made with chuck roast for shredded beef tacos or with pork shoulder for pulled pork variations.
- Choose mild, medium, or spicy salsa depending on your heat preference; all work wonderfully in this recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
