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!
Thank you for the quick response Beth as always. A Sno Cone sounds good right now especially with ice cream in the middle. I wish I was in New Orleans instead of up north. Disfruta!
Anon – Yes, a mix of beans would still work very well :) I LOVE pinto beans!
Could you use a mix of canned pinto beans and black beans in slow cooker for this recipe? Thank you for all the wonderful recipes, Beth!
This was so tasty and quite easy. First recipe I’ve tried from your site and I’ll be coming back for sure!! Thanks!
Great! Thank you :) I can’t wait to make this!
Yes, a packet of taco seasoning is the super quick, easy alternative! One packet should be plenty :)
Could you use a pack of taco seasoning instead of all the individual spices? Would one be enough?
Anonymous – I suggest cooking everything before freezing it. After cooking, I portion out single servings of rice and the chicken taco mixture into ziplock containers (the kind with a clear bottom and blue top) and then just freeze it. That way I can just take single servings straight from the freezer directly to the microwave to reheat.
How do i freeze this..in actual bowls with plastic wrap on top? Also you said to someone dont cook before freezin should just freeze everything except the topping ingredients-including the raw chicken- in a ziploc bag and then thaw it kn refridgerator and put in slow cooker ??
Anon – Yes, if you leave out the chicken you don’t even have to bother using the slow cooker :D The only reason the slow cooker is used for this is to cook the chicken long enough so that it will shred easily. If you’re going vegetarian, simply heat it all together on the stove or microwave and you’re good to go. Super easy! I’d substitute by adding a couple other types of beans in addition to the black beans. Sounds delicious :)
I’m going to try a vegetarian version of this. Would you alter it in any way if you were to leave out the chicken?
I made this with the ingredients listed, but not in the method listed. I didn’t have 8 hours to slow cook the chicken, so I poached the breasts and then threw them into a slow cooker for 2 additional hours to finish the dish off. The chicken wasn’t quite as tender as it might have otherwise been, but it still pulled apart with two forks. I topped this with Sriracha for some additional kick. Delicious!
The only thing I changed was to use 16 oz of homemade salsa rather than something from a jar. Those store bought salsas are just terrible IMO. It probably cost more than just buying a jar, but it was worth it. I also added juice from one lime to the rice.
Made this for dinner tonight…Definitely a keeper…YUMMY!
This was so freaking good!!! My boyfriend was skeptical – “ew what is that??”
But let me tell you – he had seconds!!!! This is going to be a regular meal in our home. Thank you <3
I made this tonight with cilantro lime rice. Let me tell you, my husband and son both told me we have to make this one again! It is so yummy!