Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Guys, making Crockpot Salsa Chicken is soooo unbelievably easy. All that’s needed is 2 ingredients – chicken and a jar of salsa – and your slow cooker. And if you want to spice it up a bit (pun intended!) you can add some fajita or taco seasoning to really amp up the Mexican flavor.

What’s great about this Salsa Chicken is that there really is no prep work. It is a true dump and start, one-pot slow cooker dish. A meal light and healthy, full of flavor with minimal clean up…..now that’s my kind of dinner. #easydinnerforthewin

Slow Cooker Chicken Salsa is an ideal meal prep recipe too. You can whip up a batch and pair it with so many other things throughout the week. Salsa Chicken is a great base for tacos, goes well on a salad, makes make the perfect lettuce wrap, and is fantastic all by itself.

P.S. One of my very favorite ways to serve it is on top of delicious Crockpot Mashed Potatoes. Seriously folks, you gotta try it! #somuchyum

Why You’ll ♡ This

• Easy peasy – really no prep work and pretty much a dump and start recipe.
• Meal prep – use it to make all sorts of meals all week long.
• Feeds a crowd – easy to double or triple for gatherings.
• Budget-friendly – a frugal meal that’s full of awesome flavor.

Ready to learn how to make easy salsa chicken in the slow cooker? Gather up these ingredients and I will show you….

How To Make Crockpot Chicken Salsa

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Place chicken breast in a crockpot.
2. Top with fajita seasoning or taco seasoning (if using) and add the salsa.
3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
4. Take chicken out and shred. Reduce salsa if you wish. 
5. Return chicken to crockpot and stir everything together. 

Recipe Tips

• Cook for a shorter amount of time if you want chicken you can slice instead of shredded chicken.
• If you want a thicker Chicken Salsa meal, you can take out some of the salsa liquid when you’re shredding the chicken.
• I prefer to use smooth, blended salsa for this recipe. 
• Use tongs for lifting out the meat from the Crockpot.
• When reheating, you may want to add some extra salsa to help prevent the chicken from drying out. 
• In order to stick to Keto, Paleo, and Whole30 dietary guidelines, make sure to check the ingredients in your taco seasoning, fajita seasoning and store-bought salsa.
• Remember that Slow Cookers and Crockpots can cook at different temperatures, check your make and model, and consult the manual for recommended cooking times. 

Recipe Variations

While this is super delicious just the way it is, feel free to try some of these other variations; 

• Swap the meat – use chicken thighs, turkey breast, or pork.
• Spice it up – add in some hot sauce, add some diced jalapeños, add enchilada sauce or use poblaño peppers or bell pepper for different flavors.
• Add toppings – avocado slices, guacamole, sour cream, black olives, diced tomato, lime wedges, fresh-made pico de gallo.

Meal Prep And Prep Ahead

Crockpot Salsa Chicken is the ultimate meal prep solution. The options and ideas for this are endless. It compliments so many dishes and can be used with various meals for prepping meals ahead of time. Think Taco Tuesday, Salsa Chicken Style!

Prep Ahead – This chicken recipe is soooo simple to make. There really isn’t much to do ahead of time because this is pretty much a dump and start recipe. 

Store – Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. 

Freeze – Use this for an awesome freezer meal prep solution. Guys, I just loooove making a big batch of this recipe in advance, and then freeze it and thaw and reheat when needed. Follow these super handy tips below on how to freeze for later and reheat to enjoy.

• Let cool down then transfer into these very handy Ziploc freezer bags.
• Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags.
• Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer.
• Store in the freezer for 3 months.

Pro Tip: Check the internal temperature of your chicken with a meat thermometer to ensure the temperature has reached 165F / 74C.  

Reheat – If you want to reheat your Salsa Chicken, use one of these methods: 

• Oven – place chicken and salsa in an oven-safe dish, cover it with foil, and bake at 425F / 218C for about 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F / 74C.
• Microwave – put food in a safe container, cover it with a damp towel and reheat for about a minute, or until warm. 
• Stovetop – Heat oil in a pan, then add the Chicken Salsa and heat until internal temperature reaches 165F/74C. 

FAQs

How Do You Shred Chicken?

Once you’ve cooked your chicken in the Crockpot, you can easily shred it. 

Use forks – Simply transfer the cooked meat to a plate or bowl and use two forks to pull it apart and shred.

Pro Tip: Put the chicken in a bowl and use a hand mixer or your stand mixer to easily shred it.

Can You Use Frozen Chicken?

To safely use frozen chicken for any slow cooker recipe, I recommend thawing the chicken before you start cooking it. 

You want to make sure that your chicken is fully thawed before cooking since frozen meats might not reach a safe temperature in the crockpot before it gets contaminated.

Don’t forget to use your meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat before serving. 

Can You Use Overlap Chicken In The Crockpot?

If you need to, you can minimally overlap the chicken breasts when you place them in the slow cooker. But it’s better for the chicken if they aren’t overlapping as they try to cook. 

Serving Suggestions

• Spiced Crockpot Pinto Beans.
• Instant Pot Mexican Rice.
• Jalapeno Strawberry Margaritas.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

• Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole.
• Slow Cooker Whole Chicken.
• Easy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas.
• Crockpot Green Beans with Bacon.
• Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs.
• Crockpot Breakfast Casserole.
• Crockpot Mashed Potatoes.
• Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs.
• Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Pasta.
• Crockpot Mashed Butternut Squash.
• Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake.

Weight Watchers Points 

There are 0 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

Tools You Need

• A crockpot.
• Measuring cups and spoons.

Thank you for reading my Crockpot Salsa Chicken recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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