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!
Would canned corn also work?
Yes, just make sure to drain it first. :)
Can I substitute chicken for ground beef? If so, how much would you suggest, 1 lb?
I’ve never cooked ground beef in a slow cooker before, but I’ve read that you want to brown it before going in because it may take too long to come up to a safe temperature in the slow cooker. If that’s the case, you don’t need to use the slow cooker at all. Just add the rest of the ingredients to your skillet or pot after you brown the beef, let it heat through, and it will be ready to go. :)
Can I use frozen chicken?
Yes, but you should let it thaw before adding it to the slow cooker. Placing frozen meat in a slow cooker can be a food safety hazard because it can take too long to come up to a safe temperature.
I’ve made this many times with 2 frozen chicken breasts and have had no problems with that. If you use frozen, maybe set to 2 hours on high and 2-3 on low, or shred the chicken about 1 hour before serving so it can cook through.
Hi!
How spicy is this dish? My mother in law likes the flavor of the chili and cayenne powders, but too much and it’s too spicy for her. Is this relatively mild or should I reduce the amount of those two powders?
Thanks!
It’s fairly mild, as long as you use a mild salsa.
My family LOVES this recipe and we make it all the time. I recently purchased an instant pot, any suggestions on if I could cook this under pressure? I’d love to know how long to cook it for.
Thank you again!
Yes, you can definitely do this one in a pressure cooker. I would just check the guides that come in the booklet with the IP for the suggested settings for boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cook it using those settings. :)
Ahhh so I made this today ( right now actually ) and I followed the recipe to the T and I just stirred mine and at 5 hours my chicken was perfect and shredded just by stirring it. I tasted it and it tasted great!! Is it okay if I stop the cooker now??
Yep!
If I start with frozen chicken that I thaw, can I then re freeze the leftovers? I always thought you couldn’t re-freeze meat that had been frozen. Thanks!
As long as the chicken doesn’t spend more than an hour or two in the temperature danger zone (40-140) it’s safe. The issue with thawing-cooking-freezing is that it’s easy to accidentally let the chicken get too warm while thawing, and then let it stay warm for too long when cooling down again. As long as you’re diligent by thawing it in the refrigerator only (so it stays below 40 while thawing) and cool it down quickly and immediately after cooking, it shouldn’t pose a problem. That being said, the more times you freeze and thaw food the more the texture breaks down, so that’s something to consider as well.
Can you use a packet of taco seasoning if you dont have all the spices?
Yes you can. :)
This recipe is fan-freaken-tastic, I normally add an extra chicken breast (for leftover purpose) and add an extra can of black beans, and use frozen edamame instead of the corn sometimes, also I never have cumin on hand so instead of all the individual spice’s I just use 2 packages of low sodium taco seasoning. And then there’s the toppings which are endless but my favorites are cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, avacodo, green onions and some taco sauce. Bonus…the kids love it just as much as me!!!
One of my FAVORITES! I’ve made and shared this countless times.
I’ve been a fan for quite some time and love your recipes and your “down to earth” approach. I’m looking forward to trying this one–I’ve never been disappointed in any of the ones I’ve tried.
LOVE this recipe. Do you think if I double it, it will still fit in a standard crockpot?
Double will probably fit in a 6 quart slow cooker.
Can I use frozen chicken breast?
Yes, but you’ll want to thaw them first. Placing frozen meat into a slow cooker is not recommended because it can take too long for it to come up to a safe temperature.
Any advice for someone who added too much corn? The ingredient list shows up as 2 lbs of corn but the recipe shows 1/2. Help!
The recipe shows 1/2 lb. corn. I wonder if you were looking at the recipe on Pinterest? Pinterest pulls ingredient information automatically, but it always messes up the fractions. Unfortunately they don’t give us any way to edit the information on the pin.
Easy, delicious, thank you!