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!
I plan on putting everything in the slow cooker before I head out to work. Unfortunately, due to my commute, I probably won’t be back to the house until after about 10 hours. Will the extra two hours in the slow cooker make the ingredients too soft/mushy?
P.S. Five Stars because I’ve made this recipe before on a weekend and loved it!
Nope, this one holds up really well to extra cooking time, so I think you’ll be fine. :)
Made this for dinner and it was fabulous! Chicken was tender and delicious. I’m freezing the rest for dinners over the next few weeks. I’ve got class three nights a week, so it will be a lifesaver when I get home late and need something quick to eat. Thanks for sharing!
This was delicious! I needed a quick lunch meal and just looked up burrito bowls on the internet and your recipe came up. So I didn’t have time to use the crock pot, just took some rotisserie chicken I had in the freezer and put that in the pan along with all the other ingredients. I also added a large fresh tomato I had and some red pepper I just got at the farmers market. It was so easy, quick and so good! I will definitely be making this again! Thanks for a super easy recipe.
If I could give this recipe 10 stars I would. Stumbled upon this site couple years ago and tried this recipe…. It was a hit, even with the picky eaters in my house. We never have leftovers of this meal lol
We love this recipe! So easy yet so tasty! Once cooked, how long can this be frozen for?
I usually try to eat it within a few months.
Hi, what size crock pot do you recommend for 1 1/2 lbs chicken that you here?? Looks great.
I think my slow cooker is 6 quarts, but I lost the papers long ago, so I’m not 100% sure.
I LOVE this recipe! It’s been one of our family’s favorite dinners since I was diagnosed with celiac disease and switched to a gluten-free diet. Thanks, Beth!
I know someone else said they did this, but I’m assuming it’s OK to cook on high for 4 hours? I don’t cook chicken often and would appreciate the advice. Thanks!
Yes, that will work fine. :)
I made the recipe today and it came out delicious. All the instructions and timings were perfect. Thanks for posting the recipe.
I know your recipe says it serves 9 but I’m curious what the actual serving size would be for 9 people. It’s currently in the crockpot cooking and I can’t wait to try it!
Unfortunately this recipe was from when I first started blogging and I didn’t record the serving size. :( I’m going to guess it was about 2/3 cup of the chicken mixture per serving, though.
I’m finally using this as taco bowls this week, but I have made and used this for enchiladas and Mexican lasagna before, and it’s great!
Awesome recipe!!! I just discovered your web site yesterday, and this was recipe #3, and we love them all so far!
I just added 1 1/4 cup of water to the whole mix, let it cook 4.5 hours on High in the slow cooker, then added 1 cup
of instant rice at the end, let it cook for another 30 minutes, and now the kids can just scoop it up and stuff a soft tortilla,
add grated cheese and they got a Burrito!! It’s a winner! Thank you so much for your great and simple ideas!
Hey Barb!
When you added the cup of Rice did you turn your slow cooker to low or did you keep it high? I think I’m gonna add 2 cups of rice also
I used the “rice” function on my cooker. There is a link in the post about how to cook rice in a pressure cooker if it doesn’t have a specific “rice” function. :)
It’s in the slow cooker right now. I added an onion and 1.5 bell peppers (bought a pack of three, one of each color – the other 1.5 were used in your oven fajitas a couple days ago which is a big favourite at our house) and cut back on the corn a little bit. Really curious how it’ll turn out! smells fantastic already.
Where can I find the nutrition facts for this recipe?
I’m sorry I don’t have the nutritional information.
I wouldn’t expect your to, Beth :)
This recipe was soooo yummy! It was the first dinner I made in my new crockpot and wow! It’s so easy. I’m a convert :)