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!
Could you sub beef for the chicken in this recipe?
Yes, perhaps, although I haven’t actually tried it. I’m not sure how well ground beef holds up to the long cooking time. Maybe if you can find some sort of small roast or steak that will shred like the chicken does.
I roasted a whole chicken and have tons of leftovers…can I use that instead? How would I go about the sauce?
Yes, you can definitely use the precooked chicken in place of the raw chicken, with no other alterations to the recipe.
Hi! Have you ever doubled the recipe? How long do you think it would take to cook in the crock pot?
I haven’t tried doubling it, but I bet it would still work in the same amount of time.
Can I use pressure cooker and cut the cooing time in half?
Probably, although I’m not experienced with pressure cookers, so I can’t say for sure.
Do you know how many calories per serving?
No, I’m sorry I don’t.
If you go to myfitnesspal.com and join, you can actually add the URL to Budgetbytes recipes, and it calculates all of the calories for you based on Beth’s recipe and the number of servings she makes. You can also adjust the recipe (I remove the rice, and add lettuce and tomato and serve this with soft taco shells) and the site recalculates.
Everyone loves this when I make it.
I was wondering if I cook this on medium in the slow cooker, what time can I cut from the final recipe?
Spelled my own name wrong. Boy.
Hmm, good question. My slow cooker only has “low” and “high”. :) I would guess maybe take two hours off the cook time?
Can I cook this on high for 4 hours instead of low for 8?
Yes, that should work.
Just a word of warning for this recipe. Don’t use cheap Great Value or store brand salsa in something like this. It’s so salty it leaves a nasty lingering taste in your mouth and you’ll probably end up throwing the rest out like I did. You can skimp on all the other ingredients but the salsa. I made it a second time with a all natural salsa and it was great.
I’ve found if I don’t use my own salsa, that those fresh salsas in the deli section are the best; and they conveniently come in 16 oz. containers.
This recipe is so delicious! It was so easy to make and it makes quite a bit so I had plenty for leftovers. I like my food a bit spicy so I did spicy salsa, I also added kidney beans to the mix. Instead of the rice, I decided to do whole wheat flour tortillas and they were fantastic.
Two questions:
1) If I used dried beans instead of canned, would I need to cook them first?
2) What suggestions do you have to replace the corn, because I have a food allergy to corn?
1.Yes, I would cook the beans first because there is not enough liquid in this recipe to cook them through (plus cooking black beans makes everything turn black :) ).
2.I think I’d just leave the corn out with no need to replace it with anything.
I just tried this but subbed the rice for grated cauliflower! Delicious!
I just want to say that I follow a LOT of food blogs. A lot. But I recently found yours, and never have I made so many recipes from just one site! Smitten Kitchen comes close, but I’ve been following her for 4 years. Let me just say, it is GENIUS to suggest using the slow cooker in the summer! I previously had only pulled mine out in the winter for stews, roasts, and chilis. But, you suggested this chicken dish as a way of avoiding kitchen heat in the summer, and I never would have thought of it, and it’s totally brill. Mind blown. Any other suggestions for summer crockpotting? (I’d want to stick to chicken, to keep things light).
I plan to come up with some more summer crock pot recipes over the next month or so! Keep watch :) And thanks for your kind words!
hey I’m in Australia and I can’t seem to find black beans! is there an alternative??
Red kidney beans might not be that bad, or you can try pinto to keep with the southwest theme.
Beth M is right. Black beans are hard for me to find in Germany, I use red kidney beans all the time.
Can this be made with canned instead of frozen corn ???
Yes, but it will taste a little different. Make sure to drain the can of corn before adding it.
Not tomtis–i don’t even know what that Tostito chips!
I make this every year while on Girls Trip to beach. Put all of this in crockpot, head to the beach all day, and after sun & many libations its ready for us to eat when we come up for showers & food. I serve it with rice, burritos, tomtits–they can fix it any way they like. It has been a must cook for us!