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!
Looks good and pretty simple. How did you come up with $1.33 a serving? I came up with $1.18 a serving.
If there are about 8 servings, it will be $1.33 per serving. :)
This was so delicious! Served with your cilantro & lime rice recipe and added homemade guacamole, scallions & some sour cream. I cannot wait to make this again! Highly recommend! Love your website along with many of your recipes!
I have vegetarians and mourn the use of my crock pot. This looks so yummy. I wonder if the consistency would be OK if I just left out the chicken. Maybe not cook for the whole 8 hours?
If you leave out the chicken, you really don’t need to use the slow cooker at all. :) You can just heat the ingredients together on the stove top until warmed through (15 minutes?). The slow cooker just makes the meat tender and shreddable.
I have made a vegetarian version of this on the stove using a combination of roughly chopped temphe and much more beans, I also mixed them up and also added some cannellini or haricot beans as well. It’s very good that way.
I made this and instead of using white rice, I used authentic Mexican rice and it was fantastic!
Omg, your recipes look sooo yummy!! I am so happy I stumbled across this site. I will be trying MANY of these recipes, thanks!
I’ve made this a few times with the totally lazy way (using Penzey’s taco seasoning) and it’s amazing. We serve it with cilantro lime rice and that puts it right over top! I have made double servings before and any left overs freeze beautifully.
Hey,
I do not have a slow cooker. I’ve thought of first boiling the chicken breasts, then adding them to a normal cooker and execute the recipe as suggested. How long will it take for the food to get ready? Thanks
Hmm, I’m really not sure without having tried that method.
This was amazing. Since we had rice the night before, we eliminated that and used corn chips. I received high praises for this one and said it was a keeper! Thanks for the recipe.
Love this recipe!!! I add an extra can of beans & a can or two of diced tomatoes if I need to juice it up! We love this & use it regularly! Thanks for the great recipe!!
This is great! I just subbed the rice for lettuce and made it a taco salad without all the work – because the crock pot did it for me. Thanks!
Super good! My NEW crockpot is on crack and had this done in 2 hours on low… but very easy. My girls tossed everything in the crock and let it cook. I added extra black pepper, plus chipotle and ancho to spice it up at the end and we added a dollop of sour cream to each bowl but otherwise followed the recipe. Made the rotation.
I’ve made this recipe a few times now, and it’s so easy and delicious every time. I find it’s done in 5-6 hours on low. We actually recently served it on top of corn bread, and it was our favorite way to eat it yet! The sweetness of the corn bread is a really great contrast with the chicken. Topped it with sour cream and guacamole…so yummy!
This was seriously a BIG hit in my house! Even after I forgot to put this in the slow-cooker before I went to work, it still turned out amazing after 4 hours on high. I will definitely be making this again :)
Could I use frozen chicken?
It’s not recommended that you put frozen meat into a slow cooker because it takes too long to get hot and can become a food safety issue.
I use frozen chicken every time in the crock and never had an issue.
Do you think if I added extra water, I could make this into a soup?
Hmm, yes, it might be kind of like chili! Maybe try adding a mix of broth and water, so that the flavor doesn’t get weak.