Salsa Chicken Crockpot

Here is an easy 4 ingredient salsa chicken crockpot recipe that only requires a few ingredients and is a healthy slow cooker dinner for sure! Shred it and make tacos or serve it on top of rice for a delicious meal packed with vegetables.

4 ingredient Crockpot Salsa Chicken

I am all about dinner cooking by itself all day, thus I’m a little obsessed with my Instant Pot and slow cooker! If you’re in a hurry you can shorten the cooking time by using our Instant Pot salsa chicken recipe. Both ways are fantastic but some days you may just not have time to get this going in the morning, I get it.

This nifty pot just makes our busy lives easier for sure right? I can make really cheap and healthy recipes that take no time at all. That means we can eat together as a family more often and take care of our health, big win win. Using chicken thighs or breasts you will love this one.

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

1. This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
2. I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

We’re a huge fan of our pressure cooker but if I remember in the morning to put everything together and allow it to cook all day it is great too. Either way you decide to go you just throw everything in, cover and cook! You can serve your chicken and salsa dinner on top of white or brown rice.

This creates burrito bowls in essence. Or put your salsa shredded chicken inside small flour tortillas to make soft tacos topped with lettuce and cheese. Both ways are delicious but we love tacos with this or with our Crockpot jerk chicken so we opt for that choice most of the time.

Ingredient Notes

You will want a few Boneless skinless chicken breasts or use chicken thighs if you prefer. The amount you use depends on how many people you’re feeding but I usually use 4 medium size breasts. I don’t like using really large thick breasts because they won’t become as tender. If that is all I can find though I will just cut them in half before putting them in.

I like a jar of medium chunky Salsa but any heat level will work. There is enough liquid in that jar and the juices that come off the meat when it cooks to allow you to make this without any other moisture needed.

Taco seasoning will give this whopping flavors, use a packet or make your own. You could alternatively use chili seasoning if need be.

Onions sliced thick are typically added if I have them but not necessary, bell peppers work too.

Made with Frozen Chicken Breasts

You can start with Crockpot frozen chicken or thighs to begin with. Surprisingly the cook time won’t really change as long as they are medium sized and separated from one another.

Variations

You can really load this slow cooker salsa chicken recipe up with lots of bell peppers and onions, or add just a few. They add great flavor even if you don’t eat them when the chicken is done. It’s super easy because you only need a few items with little prep beforehand.

You can add a drained can of black beans, can of diced tomatoes will make more sauce, salt and pepper to taste, chiles diced right out of the can. And sour cream is a great topping once it is done! We love sliced avocado too. 😉

Can you put raw chicken in a slow cooker?

Yes! We do so for this recipe and many others. You will need just a bit of liquid or salsa in Crock pot works just as well, about 1 cup does it. You don’t need much as the meat will let out some broth. BUT do not put raw ground beef. Instead precook it like we did with our 5 ingredient chili.

This is probably one of the cheapest recipes I have in my back pocket. It’s healthy and low in saturated fat. You can add in as many onions and peppers as you’d like. There is tons of flavor with just 3 ingredients. Served over pressure cooker rice or this is How to Make Flour Tortillas homemade. It is a versatile meal, and super healthy too!

How do you keep chicken from drying out in a Crockpot?

You have the option to cook on high or low temp. I prefer a lower slower for the ideal texture and to keep it moist, but it depends on what you have time for I guess.  This is not the case when meat is added to casseroles or dishes like this one with other ingredients and liquid.

1. One way is to use chicken thighs instead of breasts, they are more tender.
2. Cook on low vs. high temperature to avoid drying out.
3. Make sure you have enough liquid in your slow cooker to keep it moist.
4. Do not keep in too long.
   1. Chicken thighs alone shouldn’t be in for longer than 6 hours
   2. Breasts should cook for a maximum of 5 hours

Leftover Recipe Ideas

If you do have some left, allow it to cool and store in freezer bags or containers in the fridge. Day after you can make a sort of quick version of our slow cooker chicken cacciatore with adding some more sauce, tossing and making fresh rice. After you enjoy this one here are a few other slow cooker dinners you will love; Healthy Crock pot chicken noodle soup You can try these slow cooker chicken thighs.