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.
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
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!
Would it be possible to replace salsa with crushed tomatoes or make salsa from scratch? My daughter does not like ready made salsa from supermarkets.
Thank you so much for the website. I have made three of your recipes so far; always happy with the results!
You could probably do a mix of fresh diced tomatoes, onions, chiles, and cilantro, although I think it will just inherently taste different. You might need to add a little moisture, like chicken broth, too. I’m really not sure how it would work out without testing it.
I actually always make it this way because I don’t like buying packaged dressings/salsas, etc. I just add 4-5 diced plum tomatoes, one yellow onion, and one jalepeno in place of the salsa. The tomatoes when cooking down generate plenty of liquid on their own. I made this on Sunday and added a little bit of chipotle in adobo I had in my fridge for a little more smoky kick.
Delicious recipe and a great way to use up the chicken that’s been in the freezer as it comes out juicy and delicious.
Do you feel you could do this with ground beef? Cook the beef first (say the night before?) and cook it in the crock pot w/ the medley?
Curious because I have a lot of ground beef on hand!
The only times I’ve put cooked ground beef in a slow cooker, it ended up over cooking and turning into really small almost pellet-like beef granules. Hahaha. The only reason the slow cooker is really needed for this dish is to soften the chicken to the point where it’s shreddable, so if you wanted to use ground beef you could just cook it in a skillet, then add the rest of the ingredients and heat through. It will be super fast and easy! :)
This was excellent, I made it according to the recipe and it was a big hit with three very picky children tonight!! And a huge hit with my company as well. Not watery like some I have made.
Thank you!!!
I forgot to rate it. :)
We’ve been making this recipe with chicken thighs, and it works well.
When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. I’m not very familiar with Mexican or “Tex-Mex” cooking but it seemed easy enough. I planned to go to the store to get some chicken breasts but remembered I had some smoked chicken drumsticks in the freezer. Oh my heavens! I can’t even begin to describe how incredible this was. The smokey flavour of the chicken really took this to spectacular territory. If anyone has an opportunity to try this with smoked chicken, DO IT!! I will try it with chicken breasts as it says in the recipe just to compare but wow, smoked chicken is everything in this dish! One note though, I added a bit of water because mine didn’t appear as saucy as your pictures then I saw that you mentioned 1/4 cup of water further down in the description. It’s not included in the ingredients list which can be confusing.
I made this for dinner tonight. Oh my! It is so good. The only things I did differently was made it with taco seasoning instead of chili power because I didn’t buy it at the grocery store because I thought had some already. I added chopped onions because I need to use them up before they went bad. I omitted the cilantro and rice and we just ate them with taco shells. This will definitely be a recipe I will make again and again.
I just tried this recipe for the first time this week, and it’s definitely a keeper! Incredibly easy, and super delicious to boot. I followed this recipe exactly and had great results. I’ve been eating the shredded chicken with tortilla chips & cheese to make a variation on classic nachos. Tonight, I’ll try some of it with rice. Definitely recommended!
I have made this at least once a week for the last two months, it has been a lifesaver for the warmer days where being over a stove top is a no go. My adjustments are a taco seasoning pack (40 grams dry mix), 15 oz can of corn kernels and 2 teaspoons of minced/finely diced garlic. Serve this with white corn tortilla chips, avocado & Tabasco. Thank you!
Forgot to mention, my slow cooker is a 6 liter & I have only ever cooked this on high for 4 hours, perfect at 3.5 hours.
Hi! I’m going to be making this this week but I was just curious if you think it’d make a difference if I used canned corn rather than frozen? Can’t wait to try it!
Canned corn just usually has more salt and sugar added to it, but other than that, it will still work. :) Just be sure to drain the corn first.
We’ve made this recipe a number of times and just decided to do it again this week. It’s filling, DELICIOUS, and incredibly easy. We LOVE you Budget Bytes! And if you ever get an app, well… that would be lovely :)
I’ve always used frozen chicken breast for crockpot meals, would it have to cook longer if frozen? Also not sure if I missed it but is it 8 hours on low or high?
I don’t recommend putting frozen chicken in a slow cooker because it can cause the contents to stay in a dangerous temperature zone (for bacterial growth) for too long. Using a thawed chicken breast, though, it’s 8 hours on low or four on high. :)
This sounds awesome! Oh my! I do have 2 questions –
I am vegetarian and would leave the chicken out. If I subbed that with another can of beans would it be too bean’y?
Also, could you add the dry rice into the pot maybe about 45 minutes before eating and just have it be a 1 pot mix?
Thanks in advance
Personally, I don’t think it would be too beany, but I love beans. :) I’ve never attempted to cook rice in a slow cooker, so I’m not sure how that would work, but I would guess that you would at least need more liquid.
I love this recipe! I just made it for the first time yesterday and I already know it will become one of my standard go-to recipes.
The only thing I changed was that i pan fried the chicken and then pulled it apart by hand because I don’t have a slow cooker and I’m pretty impatient (having it simmer for at least an hour would have totally killed me).
And I really can’t believe how much food you can make with so little money.
This is my 2nd Budget Bytes Crockpot experiment and was super happy! My only complaint was that the chicken seemed a lil dry – which to me doesn’t make sense cause it cooking for so long in a lot of liquid. Any suggestions on how to kept that from happening next time?
I think the dryness is more a factor of how much fat is in the meat than the liquid that it’s cooked in. Chicken breasts can sometimes be very lean and will seem a bit more “dry” because they don’t have that thin coating of oily fat. Does that make sense? Dryness is not always about water/moisture, but sometimes fat and oils. :)
I cube my chicken first and only cook for six and a half hours.
You should check the chicken yourself and adjust your time accordingly.
Also I put very little butter in first.
This is amazing. I’ve already made it serval times. Once I ate it with rice and another time I tried it with taco shells. It was just as amazing either way :)