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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
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!
Curious if anyone knows if this recipe time can be cut down by setting the crockpot on high? And if so, how long should I cook this for?
Yep, you can probably do 4 hours on high and be just fine. :)
Could u tell me what is the taste of this?
Spicy? Sweet? or
I would like to know what is Jar Salsa?
is that tomatoe paste or?
is Jar Salsa spicy?
It’s a jar of salsa (not tomato paste), so it mostly tastes like salsa. You can buy spicy or mild salsa, your choice.
thinking about swapping out the chicken for some tofu and a little better than bullion chicken flavor. think this will work, i’m new to tofu and wondering if this will work?
I’ve never really cooked with tofu either, but I think if you are skipping the chicken you can skip the slow cooker all together. The only real advantage of the slow cooker here is that it cooks the meat down to the point where it is tender and shreddable. So you could really just combine all of the ingredients in a pot and warm them on the stove top in about 15 minutes without the chicken! :D And if you want to use bouillon to add some chicken flavor, I’d suggest cooking your rice in it instead of using plain water.
I made this for a party and everybody LOVED it.
I want to try to make a salsa verde version. Do I need to make any changes to the spices?
I don’t think I would change anything else. Just swap out the salsa and you’ll be good!
Thanks!
I made this and added a package of frozen spinach for extra nutrition… DELICIOUS!
I’ve been making a similar dish to this for years, but just came across your site today! I make it all different ways, different salsas, different or no extra spices, and sometimes I finish it off with a cubed block of cream cheese during the last 30 minutes. Gives it a great creamy texture. We put it over rice, as you suggest, or over chips for nachos, in taco shells, in burritos, and even in enchiladas! It’s so versatile!
I “dumped” this in the slow cooker earlier today and stepped out for a few hrs. I can’t believe how insanely delicious my house smells right now and it still has a few hrs to cook. I used only ingredients I already had in so instead of chicken breasts I’m using boneless skinless thighs and instead of salsa I put a can I’d diced tomatoes, a small chopped onion and some mixed diced peppers. I think I’ll serve it over yellow rice. Looking forward to dinner time!
OMG I love,love,love this! I never leave reviews but I had to tell you how much my whole family loves this, I make it once a week! Thank you so much!
So good! Made this tonight..super easy and the whole family loved it! Thank you!!
Seriously amazing! So easy and so delicious!! I threw this together in 5 minutes and it was ready when I came home. So good! Will DEFINITELY be making this again!
Made this for my picky eaters (talking about my husband here!!) with your homemade black beans and everybody loved it! Even my three and seven year old daughters.
I have not yet tried one of your recipies we have not liked.
Thanks for sharing!
This recipe has become a favorite in our home. My daughter asked for it for her birthday dinner-chicken burrito bowls “with all the fixins'”!
I’m so happy that I found your site! I just tried this out for dinner tonight and my hubby and I both loved it. I upped my budget a bit and added some sliced avacado on top, which was perfection. I look forward to trying more!
Made this for my family of five small children. They loved it. My 18 month old twins were spoon shoveling it–literally–into their mouths. I used half green salsa and half fresh pico de gallo for the salsa. I also added a couple of tablespoons onion powder, 1 tsp ancho chili powder and 1 tsp of paprika, just to add to the depth of chili flavor. I omitted the cayenne because of the babies, but even so it had a little heat that was just right for the family. Thanks!
Made this last night for two adults, not only was it amazing and tasty I still have two containers worth of it to freeze!
This meal reminded me of a similar thing I have eaten at a Mexican restaurant and soo simple to make!
Def recommend it!!!!!