Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
by Sommer Collier — on Sep 10, 2025 You only need a handful of wholesome ingredients to make the best, most tender, juicy and flavorful shredded chicken taco meat in the crock pot! Saucy slow cooker Mexican pulled chicken is perfect to load into tacos and burritos, on salads, or over fluffy rice for a simple yet oh-so-satisfying meal any night of the week.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
We love to taco-bout tacos here on the site! We feature a few recipes that are slightly more complicated, such as Baja fried fish tacos and birria tacos (also known as quesabirria), which are perfect for casual weekend dinners. But, there are those busy weekdays where you want – need – effortless meals to feed the fam. That’s when it’s time to bring out the classic, simple, tried-and-true crock pot recipes!
Our stovetop chicken taco meat recipe is very quick, and this marinated grilled pollo asado recipe is great to prep ahead. However, if you’re looking for a simple, zesty chicken recipe that requires minimum effort and can be quickly thrown together, this “set and forget” slow cooker Mexican shredded chicken recipe is just right for you! You can get things going in the morning before work, then enjoy an easy and totally stress-free dinner at the end of the day.
Why You’ll Love Mexican Pulled Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe
- Terrific Tex-Mex flavor – Slow cooking chicken in a bath of fire-roasted tomatoes and classic Mexican spices makes the meat fall-apart tender, and infuses it with deep southwestern flavors.
- Versatile protein – Bold and saucy shredded chicken is perfect for tacos, burritos, nachos, and quesadillas, or piled onto rice or in a salad.
- Meal prep magic – This recipe uses 3 pounds of chicken and offers roughly 6-8 servings. So it’s great for making a large batch to enjoy for dinner, then have a couple of lunches or easy dinners later in the week!
So go ahead and add this crock pot Mexican chicken recipe to your next meal prep Monday lineup! It’ll make taco Tuesday so easy and delicious, you’ll wind up making it for taco Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday…
Ingredients and Tips
- Chicken – Use your choice of boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs, or a mix of both.
- Diced tomatoes – Canned fire-roasted tomatoes have the best intense savory flavor for the slow cooker salsa.
- Butter – I suggest cooking with unsalted butter, so you have complete control over how much salt is added to the dish.
- Aromatics – This recipe includes the trifecta of Tex-Mex cooking: Onion, garlic, and fresh cilantro.
- Spices – A blend of chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Shredded Mexican Chicken in the Slow Cooker
Tip for Success – You can make this recipe as a complete dump-and-go crockpot recipe, but we suggest sautéing the onions, garlic, and cilantro prior to placing them in the crockpot. This not only sweetens the onions but also creates a much silkier texture on the veggies. Onions fully cooked in the crockpot can sometimes come out a little rubbery.
Find the full Crock Pot Mexican Pulled Chicken recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – This recipe is terrific to make ahead and meal prep! Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing – Crockpot Mexican chicken freezes very well! Cool the meat completely before storing it in an airtight ziploc plastic bag with all of the air squeezed out. Freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheating – Reheat shredded chicken in the microwave in short bursts at 50% power, or on the stovetop over medium-low heat. You might need to add a small splash of water to loosen the chicken if it has gotten a bit dry in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
Crock pot shredded chicken is fabulous to use in all kinds of Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes! Load generous amounts of saucy chicken into tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and quesadillas. Or keep things slightly lighter and highlight it as a main protein to make copycat Chipotle burrito bowls and taco salads.
For a more elevated meal, try enjoying the salsa chicken on top of fluffy and flavorful Spanish rice (like we’ve done here), yellow rice, or Mexican green rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely, the crockpot was made to cook raw meat!
There is a good amount of liquid needed to make Mexican chicken in the crockpot, but no, the chicken breasts do not need to be totally submerged.
I prefer to cook this recipe on low. Setting it on high will definitely get the job done, but cooking low and truly slow makes the meat super shreddable and packed with flavor!
Crockpot Mexican Chicken
Ingredients
- 3-3 ½ pounds boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs
- 29 ounces fire roasted tomatoes (2 14.5-oz cans)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 4 teaspoons chili powder or ground ancho chile
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Set out a large 6-8 quart crockpot. Then set a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the butter, onions, and garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the cilantro and continue to sauté another 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Place the chicken pieces in the crockpot. Add the canned tomatoes, sautéed veggies, chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, 2 teaspoons of salt, and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper. Stir to incorporate the ingredients. Then cover the crock.
- Set the slow cooker on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 ½ to 4 hours. Once the chicken can be easily shredded with a fork, shred the chicken right in the crock and leave it on warm until ready to serve.
Notes
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- Storing Leftovers – This recipe is perfect for making ahead and meal prep! Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
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- Freezing – Crockpot Mexican chicken freezes very well! Cool the meat completely before storing it in an airtight ziploc plastic bag with all of the air squeezed out. Freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
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- Reheating – Reheat shredded chicken in the microwave in short bursts at 50% power, or on the stovetop over medium-low heat. You might need to add a small splash of water to loosen the chicken if it has gotten a bit dry in the fridge.
