This taco chicken bowls recipe is definitely “slow-cooker 101”. It’s probably one of the first recipes that most people learn to make in their slow cooker. In fact, some version of Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Bowls is probably included in that little mini recipe book that comes with the slow cooker when you buy it. BUT, I had to post it because I know there are probably a lot of you who haven’t made it yet and I can’t bear the thought of you missing out.
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Set it and forget it…
Taco Chicken Bowls are great for bachelors, students, or the chronically busy because it’s a “dump and heat” recipe. All you do is dump all of the ingredients together in a pot, and let it cook.
How to Serve Taco Chicken Bowls
Of course, you’ll need to make the rice separate but even if you’re one of those people who can never get rice right, there is still hope. Just stuff the chicken mixture inside of a tortilla with a little cheese and roll it up for a quick burrito, or fold it over in a tortilla and crisp it up in a skillet like a quesadilla. Presto. Easy, delicious, cheap food.
Taco Chicken Bowls are Freezer Friendly
Oh, also, this taco chicken bowls recipe freezes well. Cheese and all. Then just nuke and stir for a couple minutes until hot. Instant freezer meal!
What Size Slow Cooker to Use
I use a 6 quart Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker and this recipe fills it about halfway. I would suggest using a 4-quart or larger slow cooker.
Okay, one more thing. If you for some strange reason need this taco chicken bowls recipe to be even easier or you don’t have a well-stocked spice cabinet, just substitute a packet of taco seasoning for all of the spices and herbs that I used below.
More Slow Cooker Dinners: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala, Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Peppers, Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili, and Slow Cooker Beef Stew.
Taco Chicken Bowls
Servings 6 (1 cup chicken mixture, 1 cup rice, plus toppings)Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts ($2.60*)
- 1 16oz. jar salsa ($2.15)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($0.69)
- 1/2 lb. frozen corn ($0.73)
- 1 Tbsp chili powder ($0.30)
- 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin ($0.15)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.03)
- Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.03)
- 6 cups cooked rice ($0.60)
- 8 oz. shredded cheddar ($2.59)
- 3 green onions, sliced (or fresh cilantro) ($0.23)
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a 5 quart or larger slow cooker. Drain the black beans and add them to the slow cooker along with the salsa and corn. Add 1/4 cup water, plus the minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, some freshly cracked pepper (about 10-15 cranks of a pepper mill).
- Give the ingredients a brief stir to distribute the spices. Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- After 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a fork to shred the chicken (it should be very tender and will shred easily). Taste the chicken mixture and add salt if needed.
- To build the bowls, place one cup of rice in the bottom of a bowl and top with 1 cup of the shredded chicken mixture. Top with a little cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of sliced green onions.
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Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Measuring Cups Spoons
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!This is definitely one of my favorite meals to keep in the freezer for busy days!
How to Make Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Bowls – Step by Step Photos
Place two large chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs.) in the bottom of a slow cooker. I always buy my chicken breasts in large packs on sale, then individually wrap and freeze them for later.
Drain one 15oz. can of black beans and add them to the slow cooker along with a 16oz. jar of salsa and 1/2 pound of frozen corn (no need to thaw the corn first–the small kernels thaw quickly once the slow cooker is turned on. Do not, however, use frozen chicken breasts because they may take too long to come up to a safe temperature in the slow cooker.)
I usually just use a generic salsa for this dish, but I like generic salsa just fine. The type of salsa you use will greatly impact the flavor the of the overall dish, so make sure you use one that you like. This time around I found a “fire roasted” generic salsa, so I got that for a little extra smokey flavor. :)
Add 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tbsp chili powder (mild), 1/2 Tbsp cumin, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10-15 cranks of a pepper mill).
Add about 1/4 cup of water to help the ingredients combine when you stir. Briefly stir to distribute the spices.
Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours. This is after 4 hours on high–doesn’t look much different!
BUT by this time the chicken is SO tender that just stirring the mixture will make it fall apart. Stir the pot or use two forks to shred the chicken.
When all the chicken is shredded it’s time to eat! You can taste the mixture and add salt if needed (this will depend on the salt content of your beans and salsa. I didn’t add any this time.)
To build the taco chicken bowls, place one cup of cooked rice in the bottom of a bowl and top it with one cup of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle a little shredded cheddar cheese on top followed by a few sliced green onions. Done! How easy is that?
Or you can eat the Taco Chicken Bowls not as a bowl, but as an actual taco. Just stuff the chicken mixture into a tortilla, top with cheese or sour cream, and you’re good to go!
I am terrible at making rice from scratch, so we’ll have this over a bed of fresh romaine with some tortilla chips I think. Looks delish… someday I will cook rice, someday.
I made this for dinner for my boyfriend and I and it was ammaazzinnggg. Neither of us are huge bean fans but we put them in anyways and could barely tell. Super easy to make and really great over rice or for leftovers in a burrito. He already wants me to make it again!
Why would you use dry ice? What is that for? Can u use anything other than dry ice?
Look at the recipe again it says dry RICE…I started laughing because I read it as ice too and went searching through the comments as to why the recipe needed dry ice! Glad I am not the only one – Lindsey
I would love to make this, but I have a question about timing. I work 9 hour days—would cooking an extra hour on low cause the chicken to be too dried out or something? Sadly, I have an old crockpot, which won’t automatically go to low after a preset time (I think that may be on my wishlist for Christmas, since I regularly work 9 or 10 hours).
I don’t think an extra hour will hurt. There is so much moisture in the pot that it should be okay.
Got this in my crock-pot right now, and if it tastes even half as good as it smells then it’s going to be AMAZING! And the best part, I’m only making it for me so I can look forward to plenty of leftovers :)
Yup, it was good! Seemed a little watery until I shredded the chicken and then it was okay. I did add some sour cream towards the end of cooking, because I had some I needed to use up. Quite tasty! Thanks for the easy and cheap recipe.
BTW I’ve tried a cilantro lime chicken recipe that is amazing using salsa verde. Similar concept, and I’m sure it’s in the same price range at this one.
I recently made this and did not use a crock pot! I boiled my chicken in some water with a little salt until it was fully cooked. I then let the chicken cool and shredded it, after shredding the chicken I added it to a pot with the salsa, black beans, frozen corn, and spices and let it simmer for 30 mins. While that was simmering I made some spanish rice to go with the chicken mixture and that was a much better choice than white rice! After eating it for dinner that night I mixed the rice and chicken mixture and ate it with tortilla chips like a dip the next day.
Sadly, I don’t have a crock pot (sigh) but I still wanted to make this recipe with a leftover chicken breast I had in the freezer. I am cooking on a stovetop, so I am not sure how long to cook it for (I’m guessing at least 2-3 hours) on low heat. Brought it up to a boil first, then reduced to simmer. I also had to add an extra cup and a half of water because the piece of chicken is so large, it was poking out of the top. I hope it turns out!
It turned out wonderfully! I used Green Mountain Gringo mild salsa. Tasted so fresh! Next time I might notch it up with their hot salsa. For the spices, I used my own homemade taco seasoning mix. Thanks for the great (and easy) recipe, Beth!
The flavor is great and I can’t wait to put ontop of rice, a salad, or even inside whole wheat tortilla! The only problem I found was that it’s too dry! I followed the exact directions. Maybe next time adding more salsa or water?
Yep, more salsa or a little water should help. I guess some salsas are just more liquidy than others – my final product was pretty watery! :)
this made for a nice bowl of happy today!
Made this last week and it was delicious! :) I subbed fresh red pepper for the corn as it was the only appropriate vegetable on hand and it turned out great. I also forgot to add the minced garlic until shortly before it finished cooking, so I just stirred it in really well. Turns out I kinda liked the extra kick it gave from not being fully blended into the overall flavour!
Such a yummy recipe.
Can you sub something for the salsa .. I can’t have tomato .. Any ideas!?
Hmm, I can’t think of anything. The salsa is the ingredient that kind of brings everything together and provides the most flavor.
There are recipes out there for tomato-less salsas.
My boyfriend and I really enjoyed this dish! Quick, easy, and super delicious. I cooked the exact recipe provided and it came out flawless. Thanks for sharing these awesome recipes :)
This was so easy and delicious, I’m always trying to make chicken in the crockpot, because otherwise I find it very dry or boring. But this gave me INSTANT heartburn. ): Hoping my boyfriend can handle the leftovers on his own!
Bummer! I wonder if using a different salsa or less spices would help. :(
Made it with Costco mango salsa and it was amazing!!!
Can I set this in 4 hours -v- 8? And can I use a can of corn -v- frozen?
You can do 4 hours on high instead of 8 hours low, and yes, you could do canned corn instead of frozen (just drain it first). :)