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Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Crockpot Chicken Tacos with tender shredded chicken cooked low-and-slow in a salsa-based sauce for easy, hands-off weeknight filling. Shred in the crockpot, then warm corn tortillas briefly before assembling with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and lime.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breasts
  • 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salsa and seasonings
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 can (1 oz) taco seasoning packet 1 (1 oz) packet
Cooking liquid
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
Taco shells and toppings
  • 12 small corn tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Slow-cook the chicken
  1. Place the chicken breasts, salsa, taco seasoning, and chicken broth in the crockpot, spreading the chicken into an even layer.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (or on high for 3–4 hours) until the chicken shreds easily, letting the sauce gently simmer and thicken around the meat.
  3. Shred the chicken directly in the crockpot and toss with the cooking liquid so the chicken stays coated and moist.
Warm tortillas
  1. Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side, until pliable with light golden spots and fragrant steam.
Assemble tacos
  1. Fill each tortilla with shredded chicken, followed by shredded lettuce and shredded Mexican blend cheese.
  2. Top with sour cream and fresh cilantro, then serve immediately with lime wedges for squeezing over the tacos.

Notes

For the easiest shredding, let the cooked chicken rest in the crockpot for 5 minutes before shredding so it releases cleanly into strands. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; freeze the shredded chicken filling (without tortillas and toppings) up to 3 months. For a dairy-reduced swap, use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream for a similar tanginess.