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!
How do you make this ahead and freeze for later? Do you cook if first or put all of the ingredients in a bag raw and freeze and then cook it when you remove it from the freezer? Thanks!
You could do it either way depending on how you’ll want to cook it later on. By cooking it ahead of time, letting it cool to room temperature, then freezing, you can just have it read to reheat and eat. Or you can put it all into a freezer bag raw, and have it ready to just pour into the slow cooker after thawing and ready to go.
And just to reiterate what Kelly said, if you are freezing before cooking, make sure everything is fully thawed before it goes into the slow cooker. It’s not safe to put frozen foods into a slow cooker because they take too long to heat through and can become a food safety hazard.
Wow! This recipe was really good. Way better than I expected based on the ingredients. Both my picky 3-year old and husband loved it. I cooked it in an Instant Pot. Did 10 minutes on high pressure and allowed it to vent for 20 minutes. We tried it in tortillas and over rice. Both were great! Try this – you’ll love it and have plenty of leftovers.
My husband and I loved this recipe! I added about a 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple as well for a little sweetness and it turned out amazing! We added the chicken, rice and cheese to a tortilla with some fresh jalapeño and avocado and threw them on the griddle for some awesome quesadillas! I think the chicken would also be great for a taco salad. This will definitely be one of my go-to recipes for an easy and delicious dinner that provides plenty of leftovers as well!
One of my favorites I’ve made it a million times. Can it be made in the instant pot??? I just got one and now I wanna make everything in it!!!!
Yes, this would probably translate to the IP well. I would probably use the chicken setting.
I did it in my IP last night and it turned out great! Did 10 minutes on high pressure and allowed it to vent for 20 minutes. Also I put the spices directly on the chicken. It’s definitely a keeper!
Would making this with chicken thighs cha he the cooking time?
Chicken thighs are pretty sturdy in the slow cooker, so you don’t have to worry as much about over cooking them as you would a chicken breast. So, while I haven’t tested the cooking time with chicken thighs, I’d probably just do it with the same amount of time on my first try and adjust if needed the next time.
I make this ALL the time after one of my friends brought it to me after I had my little girl! Now it’s one of my go to’s for big groups! I also make it for a “take them a meal” quite often. I use a aluminum throw away 3in pan and put the rice in the bottom, main dish in the middle cheese and green onions on top! (I also give the family sour cream and avocado on the side)
SO GOOD!
Budget bytes, why are you always reading my mind, posting the exact recipes I’m looking for all the time? Thank you!
This is an awesome recipe. Super easy, and super tasty. I don’t like to rate recipes, until I’ve made it more than once or twice. I’ve made this almost once a month, for over a year. Everyone in the house will eat this, which is saying something considering we have six people under one roof, including a picky four year old. I actually make a double batch every time I cook it, because freezing this is a super convenient meal to reheat. It tastes just as good reheated from frozen, as it does the day you make it. Plus I use it for so many things. It’s really good in wraps, quesadillas, over rice, or eaten like nachos, or scooping with chips on the side. Thank you so much for this recipe.
This is so good! Right at the end I topped it with a few slices of Pepper Jack cheese, and let that melt. Then we made fajita type wraps, with sauteed peppers and onions, plus fresh avocado and sour cream. WOW!!!!
This recipe is great! My hubby hates salsa but loved this dish. He could not believe it was made with a jar of salsa. He and the kids ask for this dish now.
I just moved to a higher elevation area over 6000 feet. Is there anything different I should be doing while making this meal?
Unfortunately I’m not experienced with high altitude cooking, so I can’t advise on this one. :(
Hi Kenny! Possibly too late. I live at 7,500ft and follow the recipe. It works out perfectly for me.
I put this mixture in burritos. YUM! YUM!
If creating freezer meals to stock the freezer, could the ingredients for the chicken mixture be put into a freezer ziplock bag and frozen that way? Then dump the contents of the bag into the crockpot and cook as directed? I realize small cooked portions are freezeable, I’m just wanting to do a TON of freezer meal prepping for our family of 6 and searching for good recipes to get a lot done in as short of time possible. THANKS!
Yes, I think that would work great! But I do suggest thawing it in the refrigerator overnight before adding it to the slow cooker. Adding frozen meat can be a safety hazard because it takes too long to come up to a safe temperature in a slow cooker. :)
I regularly make this (although a little bit more plain–just salsa and chicken, no spices), but what I really love to do is after the slow cooker is done, shred the chicken and then add the dry rice directly to the slow cooker. There’s already a bunch of liquid in it, anyway! (I normally add the beans at this stage, too.) Then I put the lid back on and let it stay on the “keep warm” setting for about 30 minutes, and voila, everything is done and cooked in own pot.
Just made this recipe for supper tonight and to use for meals for the rest of the week. It turned out so good! Mixed cauliflower rice and regular rice for the base and it is amazing! This recipe will definitely be added to my weekly meal prep list; super easy to make and can be used for so much! Cant wait to make tacos with this later this week!