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!
If I cook this on high how much time would I leave it for? I want to try to bring the cooking time down to about 4-6 hours. Thoughts?
Yes, 4-5 hours should be enough to make the chicken tender and shreddable. :)
Amazing. Made it into wraps and then the leftovers were served over spinach as a salad. It’s so good to win shred some cheese over and serve as is with a dallop of sour cream. Delicious. I’ll make this again for sure.
I made this last week and it was soooo good! I got eight servings out of it, though I think it could probably stretch a little further if we wanted (my husband had a big portion when I first cooked it because it was so good!) We ate it over brown rice, and topped it with shredded “3-Chile Gouda” and sour cream. It would also be delicious in tacos, which we might try next time as I’ll definitely be making this one again!
I have made this recipe a few times and love it, I have tweaked it a little and used the packaged taco seasoning mix and it made it even more delicious than it was with the spices in your recipe
i love this recipe but usually
Make way too much and end up waisting it, is this freezable after its cooked? Thanks
Yes, absolutely. It freezes great, even with the rice and cheese! :)
This is an absolute hit to everyone I introduce it to! My husband regularly requests it and since it’s delicious and easy to just toss in the crockpot I am happy to comply! We modify it slightly, in part because he does not like cheese :( but it’s still wonderful. I recently took this to a potluck at work and since I didn’t want to fool with cooking rice at work, I just served the chicken mixture over tortilla chips like nachos and it was a success. Thank you for sharing!
I forgot to rate this 5 stars! It deserves it.
I made this tonight and my kids, husband and I loved it!! Takes a lot to please the little ones, but they loved it! Thanks so much!!
i made a recipe similar to this last Sunday for a group of about 15 people. They all loved it. I will definitely be making it again.
As soon as i practically seen this recipe i went and made it !! Man is this stuff good and I haven’t even finished the whole bowl yet !!! :-) :-) Yummy !!! I luv cilnatro any ways and if you have any more recipes easy and budget wise to cook or put cilantro in it !!! Pass it my way !!!! LOL :-)
My husband and I love this recipe – it’s definitely a keeper! I served some of the leftovers over baked potatoes. Yummy, too.
great recipe! I’m allergic to tomatoes and I was wondering if there is a substitute for the salsa. I’ve used red hot sauce before but I’m not sure how much I would need for this. Looks delicious!
No, unfortunately the salsa is key here for the flavor. Without it the bowls just won’t be the same!
Are you allergic to tomatillos also? If not, you might substitute a salsa verde.
I really enjoyed this simple and yummy meal. I did have to improvise when it came up to the Salsa. I didn’t have any in my pantry. So I took a quick glance in the fridge and decided to make my own. I used fresher bell peppers, Roma tomatoes, onion n minced garlic. I chopped them all up n fried them until translucent. I added some salt n pepper for taste and finito. The black beans absorbed the flavors so well and all the other ingredients fell in place wonderfully. Thank you so much for this blog. It has saved me so much time and my family loves it !:)
Ridiculously delicious and so easy to make. It is a keeper for sure!
What size crockpot ?
Probably a 5qt or larger.
I don’t have a slow cooker. Can I made this on the stove?
You could probably simmer it all on low for an hour or so, or until the chicken is soft enough to shred. The only danger is that the heat from the burner is much more concentrated, so you’ll have to be careful not to let it scorch on the bottom.
I don’t have 8 hours- could I cook this on high for 3-4?
Four hours on high should be enough to make the chicken tender and shreddable. If it is, then you’re good to go! :)
Yup, 4 hours on high works great! Thanks Beth, this is a fantastic recipe!