Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken

Slow Cooker Mexican shredded chicken with chicken thighs and Rotel is great for tacos or over rice. Fork tender meat with tons of flavor and a bit spicy, this meal is going to knock your socks off!

with Chicken Thighs

On our site we share a lot of easy chicken thigh recipes. Why? Let me count the ways y’all. I will say that these weren’t my go to for many years. My mom always cooked breasts but white meat isn’t always the best. Dark meat not only has a bit more nutritional value but is more moist and has way more flavor too.

We first used this same meat to make slow cooker bbq chicken thighs and yes those were amazing too. If you just want a 2 ingredient meal that is a go to for sure. BUT if it is Tuesday and you want a Mexican twist maybe a bit spicy you have got to make this sauce instead.

This is an easy cheap Crockpot meal that my kids always cheer about when they smell it cooking. There are many great reasons to make this. One is you can tweak the seasonings of course to please your family. If Mexican food means to you that it should be spicy then by all means throw in red pepper flakes or chili powder.

Ingredient Notes

You are going to want to start out with the basics of our Crockpot boneless skinless chicken thighs idea but with a killer sauce. Yes you can use either chicken thighs or chicken breasts but I will say dark meat is most common and tenderest by far. To be honest I buy and use what is on sale typically for this or our slow cooker chicken stroganoff because either works well..

You will want canned petite diced tomatoes canned with juice, fire roasted homemade salsa or store bought Rotel is easier. The latter gives you chiles, onions, a bit of juice and tomatoes all together. You can use mild, medium or hot.

Chicken broth or stock works for the needed liquid to cook it low and slow. I mean you can use anything from water to beer but if I had that choice I would choose the later because we are about ALL the flavors around here with this one.

I like to add a cup of kidney or black beans canned, drained. You could start from scratch the night before or that morning by making Pressure Cooker Black Beans, drain and use those. Onion diced is another optional add in

As for seasonings you want to go all out. This recipe calls for chili powder but red pepper flakes would be hotter. Salt and pepper are basics, add Garlic powder, Onion powder, Paprika and cumin.

with Frozen Chicken

We are more of a medium family so I don’t use much. Of course fresh or defrosted meat is always best but once again, isn’t necessary. I have on occasion made this with frozen chicken thighs too! Believe it or not the cook time doesn’t change at all as long as they are broken apart and not in a huge chunk. You’ll need;

Some like to add a few tbsp of taco seasoning too. If you wanted to make burrito bowls out of them you could add a cup of drained canned or frozen corn. And then whatever you want to serve this with. Small tortillas work well for tacos or we serve this over white rice sometimes for a change. OR make into an egg noodles and chicken dish.

Shred using two forks, it should be that tender. Stir with flavored liquid to coat pieces nicely and serve this like taco bowls if you like with slices of avocado, sour cream and/or salsa on top. Inside regular tacos or burritos with some lettuce and cheese. I mean let everyone in your family make their own favorite combo.

How to save leftovers

If you have leftovers from your batch of Crockpot Mexican chicken it saves quite well for another meal later, throw it in with some pasta, make rotel tacos with it, or on top of a salad works.. Always make sure you allow the meat to cool completely first. Then move it to a container that has a lid or cover tightly with foil. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. When you reheat it transfer to a microwave safe bowl.

Cover the top with a plate or paper towel and heat in 45 second increments stirring after every time it stops. You could use a pot on your stovetop too but that will take longer. Make sure you add some of that liquid into the mix so it stays nice and moist too. But wait….there is more!!

Looking for another super easy meal prep idea? Use our salsa chicken Crockpot which is similar to this but with fewer ingredients. If you wanted it just the same all you would have to do is use that timing and temp with these ingredients. They transition well. If you use breasts slice them in half so they get as tender as possible with that method.

FAQ

Both are great, fast, cheap meals that our family absolutely loves. You can’t go wrong, I just choose which I have time for on the day in question. Sometimes I just don’t have it together enough in the morning to remember to throw this in to cook all day, others I am on top of things. 😉

Ready to jump to recipe and get started? I thought so. We have exact amounts needed below as well as how it is done. I always recommend low setting vs. high with protein. Low and slow is where it’s at friends. Let us know if you add something else you love into the mix and it turns out great too. We love trying your ideas too.