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!
I am going to try this recipe this week. I wanted to “pin” it but don’t see a button for it. Are you on Pinterest?
This was a GREAT recipe. I love that you can use it for tacos or burritos or my son can use in his quesadillas, or like the recipe says, over rice…very versatile. I doubled the recipe and it made 9 cups of food, so I worked it out at 5.8 weight watchers points per cup, but I only used less than 1/2 cup to put in my 2 point corn & flax tortillas, so I had a great meal for only about 5 points.
This is awesome and only 3 weight watchers points without the rice!
Thank you for the advice on adding a cup of water- dinner was great!!
Yes, you can use frozen chicken. I would suggest thawing it in the refrigerator (put it in the fridge the day before) before making this, though. Adding frozen meat to a slow cooker can prevent the temperature from getting hot enough fast enough to be in the “safe zone”. Or, you can cook it on high for an hour or so, then turn it down to low for the remaining 7 hours.
I only have frozen chicken will this still work?
Anon – Yes, you can definitely add water as needed. Everyone’s slow cooker is a little different, some let more moisture escape than others. That sounds like the problem you’ve been running into. I would start with a cup of water and then add more during cooking if needed. Good luck!
Can I add some water or stock to this recipe? I made this and it was delicious, but it was pretty dry. I’ve had the same problem making pulled pork, even though I follow the recipes exactly- any tips would be appreciated!
Made this for dinner tonight and everyone LOVED it! Plus there is enough left over so we can eat it throughout the week. Thanks for sharing!!
I made this for our Friday night dinner. It was very good. I served it with rice and tortillas. I also added a big can of diced tomatoes near the end of the cooking time. We have been eating on it all weekend because it made a big pot full. Will make this again.
After 4 hours it was absolutely perfect!!! Super delicious, even though i was very disappointed with a local salsa i bought (tasted like tomato sauce that needed sugar). It was STILL amazing!!!! I will sooooo be making this again! It was the perfect inaugural recipe for my crock pot :)
Gina – Slow cookers usually cook twice as fast on high as they do on low, so four hours should be safe!
Does anyone know about how long this recipe takes when you cook it on high? This is literally the first time i’ve ever used a slow cooker (thank you Santa!) and i’m not sure if it’s okay to open the lid and chek for doneness. It’s been in about 3 hours now and smells AMAZING!
Cannot wait to try this! Looks awesome!
Made this for supper tonight and it was delicious! I do, however, have a question. You state that the recipe has 8 servings– what serving size is this? A lot of recipes have the servings per recipe, but don’t have what the serving size is; then you’re stuck having to measure your entire pot/crockpot/pan of food and then dividing by the number of servings.