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!
I started making another recipe that called for balsamic vinegar, but the rest of the recipe is fairly close, loved it!
We’ve made this one again and again! I usually include a bag of frozen spinach too as a sneaky way to get some extra veggies. I’ve also made it without chicken and just added in a little more seasoning with great results. I usually put the leftovers (if there are any) in tortillas and freeze them as individual burritos for a quick grab and go lunch!
What can I subsitutue salsa for because I don’t have any
You really need salsa for this recipe, unfortunately. It provides most of the flavor and moisture needed for cooking.
I’ve used a can of diced tomatoes and a can (small) of diced green chilies, or a can or two of Ro-tel . Came out great.
I am breastfeeding and can’t eat spicy foods, but wanted to try this recipe. I substituted petite diced tomatoes (undrained) and this turned out to be delicious! I just had salsa on the side for my husband to kick it up a notch for him. :)
I made this tonight and my house smelled (still smells) absolutely amazing. I made it way too late to actually enjoy for dinner, but I taste-tested it and oh my gosh, it was soooooo yummy!!! I plan on pairing it with your cilantro-lime rice out of your cookbook. (It took a year of “begging” for hubby to finally get the hint and buy it for me lol)
Is there a way to adjust the recipe for those of us who don’t have a crock pot (yet)?
You could probably simmer the ingredients in a pot over low heat for an hour or so (or until the chicken is tender enough to shred). Even on low, the stove tends to be hotter than a slow cooker, though, so it will cook much faster. You can also try this Southwest Chicken Skillet, which is very similar but uses precooked chicken.
You can do this in a 250 oven, tightly sealed with aluminum foil. It will take less time than in the pot.
Hello,
As a broke college student who recently got my first crock pot, thank you so much for posting this recipe! It turned out fabulous (I used a verde sauce and queso fresco instead). I’m planning to make it again, but I want to know if I need to change how long/what setting I cook at if I increase amount of meat. Your recipe calls for 1.5 pounds, and I’m wanting to do 2.5-3. Is that doable?
Yep, as long as it fits comfortably in your slow cooker, it probably won’t need any additional time.
I just made this right now. I put it in my crockpot for 4 hours on high, and it’s delicious! I added some red and green bell peppers also, and used hot salsa. I will probably add a squeeze of lime to my plate to make the salsa kick a bit more.
Nice recipe but where the heck do you 1.5 lbs of chicken breasts for $2.90? They were $12 at my store!
My local grocery store has sales on chicken breasts for $1.99/lb. about every other month and when I catch it I stock up (I keep it in the freezer). :)
Can I use uncooked pinto beans? I’m learning how to cook still it’s basically a stupid question :(
That’s not a stupid questions. :) You can’t use dry beans for this recipe because they need quite a bit of moisture to cook and this recipe doesn’t include any significant liquid. You’ll need to use canned beans (but those don’t need to be “cooked” before adding to the slow cooker).
This is fantastic. I substituted in pinto beans and 1 tbs. of taco seasoning. It’s so good. This will be come a regular menu item in our house
You should be happy to hear that after making this for my parents during their christmas visit, they promptly went out and bought a slow cooker :)
I made it as stated, although i did use home-made black beans, and i used a mix of Trader Joe’s regular and mango/pineapple salsa. Everyone devoured it, and there were no leftovers!
I have a 1.5l size slow cooker – would I have to adjust the quantities in this recipe for it to work in that?
I can only guess, but I think you might need to cut it in half. I used a 6qt slow cooker, which is close to 5.5L and it filled it maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the way full.
Can I just tell you how much I love your site? I mean I love it. And this is one of my favorite recipes from this site. The only change I made was I used chicken breasts with bone-in because it is most cost effective. I just shredded the chicken at the end and got rid of the bones. Comes right off. Beside the bowl I also made burritos with lots of cheese and sour cream. Thank you for this wonderful site.
This was, by far, the best taco chicken I have had yet! and who would have thought this much chicken would feed four of us? so tasty and lots of flavor!
These were wonderful!!! My husband and I had them gone within a day (after storing the leftovers for lunch the next day of course). I can’t wait to try more!