Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken Recipe (Just 5 Minutes of Prep Work Needed)

This crockpot salsa chicken recipe is absolutely loaded with flavor. It combines juicy chicken breasts with fresh salsa to make perfectly cooked and tender shredded chicken. And the best part is that it's so, so easy to make. In fact, as far as prep work goes, you're only looking at about 5 minutes worth of work. And as far as ingredients go, just 3 are all you'll need to get this salsa chicken recipe going!

The Best Crockpot Salsa Chicken

This salsa chicken recipe is so simple, yet the results are so, so good. I mean, the shredded chicken just comes out mouthwateringly tender and dripping in juice. And, honestly, it makes the perfect chicken to add to tacos, a taco salad, or even to pile high on top of burrito bowls.

In fact, it's so good that I usually just eat this crockpot salsa chicken straight out of a bowl! I'm not going to lie, sometimes I even eat it straight out of the crockpot itself.

Yup, it's that good, and it's so easy to make too. Truly, out of all of our chicken recipes, this salsa chicken might just be the easiest one I've come up with. As I mentioned a second ago, it takes only a few minutes to prep this recipe, then the chicken just has to cook in the crockpot. But, don't let the simplicity fool you, the results are absolutely incredible every single time!  

By the way, since this recipe is mostly passive cooking, you'll be left with plenty of time to whip up some equally tasty sides to go with it. I usually make this jollof rice, this Meditteranean rice, or this turmeric rice to go with it and make it a complete meal!

Ingredients

The ingredient list for this slow cooker salsa chicken recipe is super short. In fact, if you have chicken, I'm willing to bet you have the rest of the ingredients on hand to make it!

Anyway, here's everything you'll need to make it:

• 1 lb. chicken breasts
• 1 cup of desired salsa
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Not bad, eh?!

By the way, if you have some extra salsa, I definitely suggest making these air fryer tortilla chips to have as a little appetizer while the chicken cooks.

Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions

While I recommend making this crockpot salsa chicken with the ingredients listed above, there definitely are some exciting ways you can switch up this recipe. So I'll go over some of my favorite suggestions below.

Swap The Chicken Breasts

If you don't have boneless skinless chicken breasts, then you can swap them for any cut of chicken, including chicken thighs. You can also swap fresh chicken for frozen chicken breasts. Just keep in mind it will need to cook for longer before being shredded.

Salsa To Use

When it comes to salsa, use whatever your favorite salsa is! I like to switch it up every time I make the recipe. Some favorites of mine have been mild red salsa, super spicy red salsa, and salsa verde. For a little sweet flavor, I'll sometimes use pineapple salsa.

Experiment With Add Ons

This recipe is pretty simple, so feel free to play around with some add-ons. I recommend adding a little taco seasoning to the chicken breast before cooking them. You can also add any spices to the slow cooker, like chili powder, garlic powder, and even things like green chiles, for a little added spice.

You can even just add your "add-ins" right before serving the shredded chicken. To do that, just garnish it with a little fresh lime juice, shredded cheese, sour cream, or fresh cilantro. 

How To Make Salsa Chicken In The Crockpot

Now it's time to get down to business and make this slow cooker salsa chicken!

Again, I know I've said this a few times already but making this salsa chicken is about as simple as it gets. You basically just add everything to your slow cooker and let it do its thing, then shred the chicken and serve.

Yup, it's that easy!

Anyway, with that said, let's stop wasting time and get cooking! 

Step 1: Cook The Chicken

First things first, you'll want to season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

Then, after you've done that, you can transfer the seasoned chicken breasts to your crockpot/slow cooker.

After you've got the chicken covering the bottom of the slow cooker, you can pour the salsa in - make sure to use enough to cover the chicken with the salsa.

Now you can put the lid on the slow cooker and cook everything on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Really what you're looking for is to be able to shred the chicken easily with a fork.

Step 2: Shred The Chicken

Once the chicken has cooked long enough, you can either shred the chicken in the slow cooker or you can transfer it to a cutting board and shred the chicken with two forks there. Then, all you have to do after it's shredded is add it back to the slow cooker so it can soak in some of those delicious juices.

Step 3: Serve The Salsa Chicken

Now that you've shredded the chicken and stirred it up in its cooking juices, you can go ahead and serve your shredded chicken as desired.

A few of my go-to sides to serve with my chicken are warm tortillas and sliced jalapenos to make chicken salsa tacos, rice or cauliflower rice and black beans to make burrito bowls, or for a lighter meal option, I'll just eat the chicken out of a bowl with a little cheese on top. 

How To Store Crockpot Salsa Chicken

This recipe for salsa chicken makes 4 servings, so it's perfect for an easy weeknight dinner! If you're lucky, you might even end up with some leftovers, which is great because it's even better the day/s after you make it.

Speaking of leftovers, the best way to store the leftover chicken is in the fridge in an airtight container. Stored this way, your shredded chicken should last up to 3-4 days.

Alternatively, if you want to store your salsa chicken for even longer, you can freeze your leftovers. Just let the chicken cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container - or freezer-safe bag - and you'll be able to freeze it for up to 4 months.

How To Reheat Crockpot Salsa Chicken

When you're ready to enjoy your salsa chicken again, you can either eat the chicken cold or reheat it first.

So, to reheat the salsa chicken, I recommend transferring the leftovers to a skillet with a little broth or water. Then, you can heat the chicken over medium heat, moving it around the pan constantly for a few minutes - or until it's warmed through.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make crockpot salsa chicken!

This easy crockpot chicken recipe is honestly so, so good, and the results are perfect every time.

This flavorful, easy-to-shred chicken is perfect for everything from tacos to salads to nachos and more. Honestly, it's quickly become a family favorite at our house. Especially on days we're feeling lazy and don't want to cook anything.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I/we do. As always, if you give this slow cooker salsa chicken a try, then be sure to leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts!

More Chicken Recipes

If you enjoyed this crockpot salsa chicken recipe, we have a ton of other chicken recipes that you can make next!

Here are some of our most popular ones:

• Chicken mushroom casserole
• Cream cheese chicken enchiladas
• Orange chicken
• Tandoori chicken
• Lemon chicken

And make sure to check us out on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for even more deliciousness! We post new recipes on them every day.

Print