Crock Pot Shredded Chicken for Tacos
Make some flavor packed, salsa infused Shredded Chicken for Tacos in the Crock Pot with just a few ingredients. So easy and crazy delicious!
A SIMPLE, FLAVORFUL SHREDDED CHICKEN RECIPE
I am always looking for new ways to add more flavor to my tacos, tostadas, burritos or taco salads. This Shredded Chicken for Tacos is so simple to make and will take all of your Mexican inspired dishes to the next level. It’s the perfect taco filling made with chicken breasts, salsa, taco seasoning, cream of chicken and sour cream. This is a true ‘set it and forget it’ recipe!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Yes! You can use frozen or fresh chicken breasts. It’s a bit more budget-friendly and easy on the wallet if you use frozen chicken breasts instead of fresh. One pot of this will feed about 6 people (2 servings each.) It is a super creamy chicken dish that is delicious served on a soft, warm tortilla with chopped lettuce and diced tomato. Just be sure to use a mild salsa and taco seasoning if anyone in your family is sensitive to spicy food.
I love to use chicken breasts, but you can use chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins for this recipe as well. If you like dark meat, go for the thighs. If you prefer white meat, stick to the tenders or chicken breasts.
You bet! I like to toss the cooked chicken into a mixing bowl, grab the hand electric mixer and use that to help easily shred the chicken. Especially if you like your chicken shredded finely. Or if you have a stand mixer, you can do it as well with the paddle attachment.
You sure can! Check out my recipe for Crock Pot Shredded Beef for Tacos.
As you see, I’ve used them with corn tortillas, diced red onion and cilantro – which is more of an authentic Mexican way of serving tacos. You could also use flour tortillas. Top them however you prefer!
Either way, you definitely need to warm the tortillas up so they are more pliable and don’t rip apart when you add the meat filling and other toppings.
You could also serve this chicken in burritos, in a taco salad, in a Dorito Taco Salad, in some Chicken Enchiladas, or with any other Mexican inspired.
I like to use it in Taco Spaghetti, or when we have Doritos Walking Tacos, it makes thing so much easier. Toss some in a Doritos Taco Casserole for an easy dinner. Use some when making your Taco Quesadillas or Fiesta Taco Braids. It’s great to have on hand for meal prepping too!
Any leftover chicken should be stored in an airtight container and should be stored in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can freeze leftovers appropriately in the freezer for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts – you can also use chicken thighs.
- salsa– any heat variety will work. Whatever you like – mild, medium, or hot salsa. My personal favorite brand of salsa is Herdez (mild) brand salsa and Pace Picante as a backup. Rotel can also be used in place of the salsa but I don’t think it provides as much flavor.
- cream of chicken soup– This adds a nice creamy factor to your meat and helps to keep it juicy. Plus, it adds a bit of flavor. If you don’t like to use the canned versions, I have a homemade Cream of Chicken Soup recipe that would work nicely here. You could use a homemade Cream of Mushroom soup as well but I think the chicken works better here.
- taco seasoning– use your favorite seasoning mix, or make your own homemade taco seasoning mix.
- sour cream– this can be swapped out for plain Greek yogurt or Crema Mexicana. If you don’t like those options then you can omit it. If you do choose to ditch it, just know your chicken won’t be as creamy as what you see in the images.
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT SHREDDED CHICKEN FOR TACOS:
Spray the inside of a 5-6 quart oval slow cooker with some nonstick cooking spray. Add chicken breast to Crock Pot. Sprinkle taco seasoning on chicken.
In a bowl, combine cream of chicken soup with salsa. Stir well. Pour mixture evenly over chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Time will vary based on how large your chicken breasts are and whether you are using fresh or frozen chicken breasts. Also, many newer crock pot models run at a higher temperature than older models. So, if you have an older model, it may take up to 8 hours or a bit longer.
When chicken is ready, take chicken out and shred with two forks. Or you can shred it right in the slow cooker. I don’t want to make your life more complicated, go with what is easiest for you.
Put shredded chicken back in the pot. Stir in sour cream. At this point you can turn off your slow cooker or put it on the “keep warm” setting. Give it all a good stir.
You can serve this in a lot of different ways. Try adding cooked rotini or penne pasta (1 pound box) to the slow cooker when this is all done and stir well. It makes for an amazing pasta meal! Or serve in warm, soft tortilla shells or in a salad! Enjoy
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Crock Pot Shredded Beef for Tacos
- Crock Pot Birria Tacos
- Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Tacos
- Hillbilly Tacos
- White Chicken Enchiladas
- Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken Taco Pizza
- Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Crock Pot French Onion Chicken
- Taco Rice
- One Pot Taco Spaghetti
- Chicken Chimichangas
- Copycat Chili’s Salsa
- White Chicken Enchiladas For Two
- 10 Crock Pot Mississippi Recipes
Originally published: May 2012
Updated and republished: February 2024
Crock Pot Shredded Chicken for Tacos
Ingredients
- 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (if they are large, just go with 4)
- 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a 5-6 quart oval slow cooker with some nonstick cooking spray.
- Place 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the crock pot. Sprinkle 1 packet taco seasoning on chicken.
- In a bowl, combine 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup with 1 cup salsa. Pour mixture evenly over chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
- When chicken is ready, take chicken out and shred with two forks. Put shredded chicken back in the pot.
- Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream.
- At this point you can turn off your slow cooker or put it on the "keep warm" setting. Stir and serve in warm tortillas, crunchy tacos or in a taco salad!
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
This creamy chicken was a great sub for beef taco meat in taco salads, nachos, and wrapped up in a warm tortilla with all the fixings. Will be making this again.
Thanks so much Jess! I really appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment!
This is the only way I make chicken for tacos now! Absolutely perfect & delicious. Wouldn’t change a thing & highly recommend!!
I made a few changes because I had more chicken. Just added another cup of salsa and a packet of mild taco sauce and it was a hit! On our list for the week! Beef tacos were getting old. This brought taco Tuesday to a whole new level. 5 stars!
Hi Brandie,
I haven’t made this yet, but could you make this like your shredded beef recipe? Both sound DELISH !!! And with the comments, obviously this is amazing!!!
Thanks so much !!! MW
We love this. We substitute enchilada sauce for the salsa because we have some who are opposed to onion and peppers!! Works fantastic. We use in soft tortillas and in walking tacos.
This makes me so happy to hear Wendy! I love how you adjusted to make it work for you guys!
Thanks for posting this recipe. Making this tonight, I added a can of diced green chilis and tomatoes. Gonna serve it with all the fixings. I will let you know how it turned out.
OMG easiest, best chicken recipe ever. I will treasure it always and will share the love at every potluck and family gathering possible.
Yay!! That makes my day! Thanks so much Kim!
Did anyone’s cook faster? like 4 hours on low?
I cook a larger batch by doubling the ingredients: seasoning, soup, salsa, sour cream. Use the recommended amount of chicken breast but also get a package of boneless skinless chicken leg meat. I follow the directions, put the leg meat then layer the chicken breast and put the second layer of seasoning, then soup and salsa mis on it. Cook on high for 4 hours. Putting the dark meat on the bottom saves the white meat from getting dried out and adds a little more flavor to the dish.
We found this recipe a couple years ago and it has become a staple! We love it and it’s so easy. Thank you!
So easy and yummy. Made tacos., Taco salad with homemade tortillas chops and burritos. Can’t wait to make enchiladas! Thanks for great recipe!!
OMG…the crockpot chicken sounds de-lish. Can’t wait to try it. Also, can’t wait to make the Boston cream poke cake for our church potluck. I know they will love it. I’ve made other poke cakes before, experimenting with different flavored cakes and jello. Then using a pudding mix & cool whip combo for icing. It’s always a hit. Thank you Brandie!
I just noticed a comment from someone who only cooks for 2. I live alone and I can tell you it freezes beautifully.
I have been making this for over a year now. Every 2 or 3 weeks. It's so good. I serve it on rice or angel hair pasta. I will have to try it on tortillas!!!
I just started looking at your site. So far I have seen more receipes I want to try than in any cookbook I own, and I own a lot. I am making the salsa chicken tonight it is in the oven as we speak:). Thanks for making some small dishes. We are empty nesters and don't need such large dishes. Keep them coming. Thanks, Cathy
Made this tonight. Very easy and very yummy!
I love you and your site and if my purchase of crockpot liners helps you in the slightest, I'm headed there now!!!
I made this last night and it was a big hit! Today I heated it up and am using it like a dip with tortilla chips. The flavors remind me a lot of chicken tortilla soup! Very Good!
How should I adjust the time if I am using fresh chicken? Would the cook time be 4-5 hours? Thanks!
yum
I added a can of black beans to this. It gave it a bit more body.
I've made this recipe many times, and my husband loves it. 🙂
I plan to try this but substitute greek yogurt for the sour cream. Looking forward to having this one night soon, last thing I want to do is cut my oven on!
We really enjoyed this dish!! I have been loving your blog and your recipes!! Anyone tried freezing this, or would that be a bad idea?!
So happy to have found your site!
I made this today for dinner and it was delicious! Thank you for the great recipe!
its Monday, and I was looking through your recipes and saw this one. Woohoo, I just KNEW I had all the ingredients…WRONG! So I used cream of mushroom and some chicken bullion powder…Hope it tastes good. So much for my Monday! I love all your posts and have never cooked anything you post that didn't turn out great! Thanks!
Turned out GREAT! My husband loved it! Thanks!
I don't know how I missed this before! I could have really used this over the summer! Looks delicious! I'm putting this on next week's menu!
Making this tonight! Looks Yummy
Trying this tonight for dinner. The kids love Mexican food night.
mmmmm…
I love using my slow cooker! Can't wait to try this! 🙂
Another great slow-cooker meal, Brandie!
Yum, this is so good!
Yum! Yum! Yum! I've made a similar recipe but don't remember adding the sour cream. Perfect! Thanks for sharing another lovely recipe from your kitchen. Have a great week – keep cool! =)
I have made this several times! So good!
This chicken looks terrific. I cannot wait to try this recipe. The family will love it. Come and visit us. We have some wonderful recipes to share this week.
Going to make this one this week. I love crock pot meals on baseball practice nights. I'm thinking I might add some fresh corn when I add the sour cream and some fresh pepper of some sort (banana or bell) and some onion. Either way sounds great!
I used corn and black beans in mine,then sprinkled Mexican cheese blend,sounds tasty for dinner tonight.