Slow cooker salsa chicken

Written by

Justin

Hey, welcome back!

If you read my sheet pan post, you already know my history: drive-thru dinners, forgotten grocery lists, and vegetables dying in the back of my fridge. This recipe is the one that fixed the part I struggled with most, which was having to make a decision about food every single night…

Here’s the thing nobody told me about cooking for yourself. The cooking isn’t always the hard part. It’s opening the fridge at 7pm, staring at it, and having zero idea what to make. For me, that moment ended with my keys in my hand and a Chick-fil-A order in my head more times than I’d like to admit.

Animated GIF
on my way to CFA

Salsa chicken gets rid of that moment entirely. You put chicken, a jar of salsa, and some taco seasoning in the slow cooker in the morning. That’s it. That’s the whole job. No chopping, no stirring, no standing at the stove. You go about your day, and when you get home it’s done and your place smells like you’ve had your life together all along (you don’t have to tell anyone otherwise).

The best part is what happens after. One batch turns into tacos tonight, a burrito bowl tomorrow, a quesadilla the day after that… and suddenly you’ve made three dinners and only cooked once. Benny and Frankie also think this recipe is the best one on the site, mostly because they sit right next to me while I shred it (no, they don’t get any. Okay, maybe a little).

A few things that make it even easier:

  • Do it the night before. Put everything in the slow cooker insert, cover it, and stick it in the fridge. In the morning, just put it in and hit the button. Half-asleep me can handle that.
  • Thighs over breasts. If you forget about it for an extra hour (I’m not judging!), thighs stay juicy. Breasts dry out.
  • Freeze some. Portion the leftovers into bags with a little of the juice. Future you will be so grateful on a bad week.

This one’s about as low effort as real food gets. If you only try one recipe on this site, make it this one!

Justin (+ Benny & Frankie)

🍽 Serves 6 🔪 Prep 10 min 🔥 Cook 360 min ⏱ Total 370 min 🙌 Active 5 min ⚡ Low energy 👀 Can walk away 🧽 Easy cleanup

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
  • 16 oz jarred salsa
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1 lime , juiced (optional)

Steps

  1. Gather everything: Pull out the slow cooker, two forks, and the ingredients. That's the whole equipment list.

  2. Load the slow cooker: Put 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs in the bottom of the slow cooker in a single layer. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons taco seasoning over the top, then pour 16 ounces jarred salsa (any heat level) over everything. No stirring needed.

    • 2 boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
    • 16 jarred salsa
    • 2 taco seasoning

  3. Cook on low: Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours (or HIGH for 3 hours). Hands-off: go to work, walk the dogs (Benny and Frankie love this part), live your life!

  4. Check it's done: The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F inside and pulls apart easily with a fork. If it's still firm, give it another 30 minutes

  5. Shred: Shred the chicken right in the slow cooker using two forks. Stir it into the juices so it soaks them up. Squeeze in 1 lime, juiced (optional) if using.

    • all lime, juiced (optional)

  6. Rest and serve: Let it sit in the juices on WARM for 10 minutes so it absorbs more flavor, then serve.

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