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!
Hi Beth – I’ve made this recipe many times and I love it. I love the flavor of your enchilada sauce more than the jarred salsa. Have you ever tried meat in the slow cooker with your enchilada sauce? I’m curious of the ratio of sauce to meat/ veggies since it’s thinner than salsa. Thanks!
Oooooh, great idea! I haven’t tried that but now I want to!!
Have you tried this in a pressure cooker? If so how long should I put it on for?
I haven’t tried it in a pressure cooker, but I would probably start with trying 30 min. high pressure.
Could I double or even triple this recipe? Feeding 12 adults and wondering if tripling it would fit in a 6 quart crockpot!
I made this and it’s sooo good, I qualify on all three fronts of busy, poor and a student (a PhD seemed like a good idea) and this was took like 20 mins to put together (and only bc I opened my can of beans with a knife) and tastes amazing. I’ve had a slow cooker for a couple of years now and barely used it but this is inspiring me to find the right recipes and give it another go around. I added cilantro and that really added a great finishing touch
I just made this turned out great ty!
Can you tell us how you would convert this to any instant pot recipe??? It looks fabulous!
You could probably check the IP manual for the recommended cooking time for boneless chicken breasts and just cook it for that amount of time. I’m sure it will be really fast! :)
Super easy and beyond yummy! Can adjust the spiciness accordingly!
This looks delicious. I love anything that I can make in the slow cooker. I’m going to try this recipe this week as a taco instead of a rice dish.
I’m wondering, since you seem to have an instant pot, did you try this recipe in it?
I would love to know if it works well in there because it’s one of my favorite recipe!
I haven’t tried it since buying the IP, but I’m sure it would work great! You could probably just use the “poultry” button. :)
I would like to make this recipe using dried black beans instead of canned. What changes would you suggest to accommodate this?
Also I need the recipe to be enough for at least 20 people.
I actually wouldn’t recommend cooking the beans from dry in the slow cooker with all the other ingredients. They will bleed color and turn everything grey-ish black. :(
I’ve watched your website for a long time and have used many of your great recipes — but I had to comment on the taco chicken bowls. This is about as close to perfect as it gets! I left out the corn and the cayenne pepper, just as a personal preference, and it was absolutely delicious. And easy! I think it would be just as great in a taco with sour cream and lettuce as it is with rice. I’d give this six stars if I could. Thank you Beth! You never disappoint! Love your website.
This is probably one of my absolute favorite recipes to make! And it makes SO MUCH that my husband and I can eat a few helpings at dinner, freeze a bunch, and have leftovers! This recipes makes the best leftovers, too. So far, we’ve taken the leftovers and added them to leftover mac and cheese (yum!) and and spread the leftovers over a wheat pizza crust and topped with cheese for southwest pizza (double yum!).
Yum! Eating this right now, thank you!
This looks so good and easy! By the way, can you use “bone in” chicken instead? I have some in the freezer I’d like to use.
Yes, you can, but be sure to remove the skin if it’s on there and you’ll need to pull out the bones after cooking. :)
I got a late start making this. Do you think 3 – 3.5 hours on high will be enough for 3 chicken breasts on the thinner side? Thanks!
It’s hard to say. It depends a lot on your slow cooker as well.