How long do I cook Crockpot Mexican Chicken in the slow cooker?

After you dump all of your ingredients into the slow cooker, how long do you have to wait until dinner? You might be surprised at the answer. In fact, we wrote an article about how long to cook chicken in the slow cooker because so many people are doing it wrong! After loads of recipe testing, we have found that chicken breast is done after 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours in the slow cooker. This will vary on the type of slow cooker but it’s done quicker than you think!

How do I adjust the level of spiciness in this recipe?

Adjust the spice level with the kind of salsa you choose (mild, medium, or hot) and the type of taco seasoning you use. Our Homemade Taco Seasoning is medium heat level but feel free to pull back on the red pepper flakes to reduce this. If you want the dish spicier, add a pinch of cayenne pepper before cooking or hot sauce to the final dish.

How can I make this even healthier?

Feel free to omit the cream cheese for less fat. You can also add in more veggies like cauliflower rice, a little pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree , or some chopped spinach.

Crockpot Mexican Chicken (Only 6 Ingredients!)

Name: Crockpot Mexican Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 16 ounces of your favorite salsa (1 1/2 – 2 cups); 1-ounce package of all-natural taco seasoning (or 2-3 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning recipe); 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 can corn, drained and rinsed; 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-3 breasts); 6 ounces cream cheese, cubed; 3 cups cooked brown rice or Cilantro Lime Rice; Optional topping ideas: shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, diced avocado, diced red onion, minced jalapeños, chopped black olives

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Crockpot Mexican Chicken

Creamy shredded chicken with beans and corn make for a delicious, healthy, and EASY meal served over rice.

Yield: 6 servings 1x

Prep: 10 minutesCook: 3 hoursTotal: 3 hours 10 minutes

Units:

Scale:

Ingredients

16 ounces of your favorite salsa (1 1/2 – 2 cups)
1-ounce package of all-natural taco seasoning (or 2–3 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning recipe)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-3 breasts)
6 ounces cream cheese, cubed
3 cups cooked brown rice or Cilantro Lime Rice
Optional topping ideas: shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, diced avocado, diced red onion, minced jalapeños, chopped black olives

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Instructions

Make It Now:

Combine: In a slow cooker, add salsa, black beans, corn, and taco seasoning. Stir until well combined. Nestle the chicken into the mixture and spoon some on top of each piece.
Slow Cook: Cover and cook on low for about 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours or until chicken is done (165°F internally or no longer pink inside). (Trust us on this timing when it comes to how long to cook chicken in the crockpot!)
Shred: Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Add back to slow cooker and stir in the cubed cream cheese until it melts and blends into mixture.
Serve: Serve over brown rice or cauliflower rice and serve your favorite Mexican toppings, like diced avocado, lime wedges, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onion, diced red onion, sour cream, etc.

Freeze For Later:

Method 1 (Uncooked): To a gallon-sized freezer bag, add salsa, beans, corn, taco seasoning, and chicken. Seal, squeezing out any excess air, and squish it around until well combined. Freeze.

Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Fully cook and cool the meal. Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag.

Prepare From Frozen:

Method 1 (Uncooked): Thaw completely using one of these thawing methods. Add the meal to the crockpot and follow Steps 2-4.

Method 2 (Fully Cooked): To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours and warm on low on the stove, in the microwave, or in the crockpot. For a quick thaw, use the defrost setting on the microwave. Follow Step 4 for serving instructions.

Notes/Tips

It’s essential to follow our cooking times on this recipe, so you don’t overcook and dry out the chicken!
Instant Pot Instructions: Use our Instant Pot Mexican Chicken recipe to make this same dish even faster.
How to Make Freezer Meal Kit: If you want to make this a freezer meal kit, freeze the chicken mixture along with a freezer bag of frozen rice (here’s how to freeze rice) and a bag of shredded cheddar cheese (here’s how to freeze cheese).
Cream Cheese – I’ve only tested it with full-fat cream cheese. (If you try using low-fat cream cheese, let me know in the comments how it works for you.) I think that Kitehill’s Dairy Free Cream Cheese would work well, too.
Salsa – Use your favorite all-natural salsa from the store. I LOVE Mateo’s Gourmet Salsa and have seen it at Walmart, Hy-Vee, and Publix so far.
Taco seasoning – Either make your own using our easy Homemade Taco Seasoning or buy some at the store. I use McCormick’s brand or Siete’s gluten-free taco seasoning.
Sneaky Nutrition Tip: If you’d like to add some tasteless, extra sneaky nutrition, stir in a 1/2 – 1 cup of canned pumpkin, butternut squash puree, chopped spinach, or frozen cauliflower rice. (Check out more ways to sneak extra fruits and vegetables into meals.)
Dairy-Free Version: Simply leave out the cream cheese or use Kitehill’s Dairy Free Cream Cheese instead, and omit any dairy toppings (like cheese or sour cream). This recipe is still yummy without those!
Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves.

Cuisine: Mexican Method: Slow Cooker

Find it online: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/crockpot-mexican-chicken/