Make these easy slow cooker chicken tacos for your next taco night! Chicken, salsa, seasonings, and lime juice turn out tender, moist, and full of flavor without being overly spicy.

My family and I are HUGE taco fans. Whether it’s Spicy Salmon Tacos or Korean Beef Tacos and bowls or Black Bean and Corn Salsa Tacos, we’ve never made a taco that we didn’t like.
One of the reasons why I personally like tacos so much is because you can tailor what goes inside to accommodate even the pickiest of eaters.
You can also customize the tacos based on what you have in the pantry, your dietary preferences, or what’s on sale that week at the grocery store.
And if that wasn’t enough, you can use your Instant Pot or slow cooker to do all the work for you, so you can spend just 15 minutes pulling out toppings, and BOOM! Dinner is done! For those busy days, I find myself turning to these slow cooker chicken tacos.
THE BEST SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TACOS
These are the best slow cooker chicken tacos because:
- They’re frugal. You can regularly find chicken thighs or drumsticks for around $1 per pound. Considering my husband isn’t a fan of Ground Beef Taco Meat, this is a huge win!
- Chicken cooks SO FAST in the slow cooker, it’s perfect for when I forget to get dinner started first thing in the morning.
- Simple ingredients. Crockpot chicken tacos only have 4 ingredients, and one is optional!
- Customizable. Use your favorite salsa to put your own spin on taco night.
- Flavorful! Even with just a few ingredients, you’ll still have delicious tacos bursting with flavor!
INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN TACOS IN THE SLOW COOKER
You only need 4 ingredients to make chicken tacos in the slow cooker.
- Chicken. I recommend using either boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless thighs. You can use bone-in chicken, but it requires a little more work to remove the bones when the chicken is done.
- Salsa. We like to make our own Homemade Salsa, but you can use Salsa Verde, pineapple salsa, black bean and corn salsa, lime and garlic salsa…they’d all go really well! Or use up a few half-eaten jars from the fridge.
- Taco Seasoning. We make our own Homemade Taco Seasoning too since it’s much cheaper than buying it at the store, but you can use a store-bought taco seasoning packet as well. (The taco seasoning will have all your salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder, so there’s no need to add extra spices!)
- Lime Juice. This is optional, but we really liked the flavor it added to the chicken. If you have it, go ahead and add it!
I typically buy my chicken at Costco, but if you’re having trouble finding high-quality chicken locally, you might want to check out Butcher Box.
Butcher Box delivers grass-fed beef, pasture-raised and organic chicken, and heritage pork directly to your front door each month. You can read my honest review of Butcher Box here, and how to make Butcher Box worth the cost here.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN FOR TACOS IN SLOW COOKER
Step 1. Pour the salsa into the bottom of the slow cooker.
Note: There’s no need to add additional cooking liquid other than the salsa. The chicken will release its juices as it cooks, and if you add more liquid, your chicken will be too liquidy!

Step 2. Add the chicken, nestling the pieces into the salsa so as much of the chicken is covered as possible.
Step 3. Sprinkle the top of the chicken with taco seasoning and lime juice (if using).

Step 4. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken for tacos in slow cooker using two forks or follow this method to shred using your stand mixer.

Store leftover slow cooked chicken tacos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months (you can buy containers locally at Walmart or have them shipped to you via Amazon).

Psst! Leftover chicken taco meat is a great topping option for Potato Nachos.
SERVE WITH CHICKEN FOR TACOS SLOW COOKER
Once we’ve cooked our chicken for tacos slow cooker style, we get out tortillas or taco shells and all the toppings, and dinner is served! Some of our favorites include:
- Chopped onions or Quick Pickled Red Onions
- Fresh cilantro
- Diced tomatoes
- Corn
- Avocados
- Shredded cheese
- Lettuce
- Hot sauce (try my Homemade Hot Sauce)
- Jalapeños
- Guacamole
- Sour cream or Lime Crema
- Mango Salsa
You can make your own Flour Tortillas or Corn Tortillas! Or try my Almond Flour Tortillas and Paleo Cassava Flour Tortillas.
If you have leftovers but don’t feel like regular crock-pot chicken tacos, make the shredded chicken into something else! Quesadillas, burrito bowls, taco salad, or chicken enchiladas. The possibilities are endless!

SLOW.COOKER CHICKEN FOR TACOS FAQS
Which chicken is best for shredding?
The best chicken for shredding is boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts. Chicken thighs are moister but either works great!
Do you shred the chicken before or after cooking?
After the slow.cooker chicken for tacos is finished cooking, wait a few minutes for it to cool down. Then you can start shredding the meat. It should shred easily with two forks.
What can I serve with slow cooker chicken tacos for dinner?
We like to have Instant Pot Yellow Rice or Our Favorite Black Beans with our tacos. We also enjoy Tortilla Chips and Homemade Salsa on the side. And of course, we set out plenty of toppings!
MORE SLOW COOKER CHICKEN RECIPES
- Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
- Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma
- All-Purpose Cooked Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Quinoa Chicken Cacciatore
- Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken

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Make these easy slow cooker chicken tacos for your next taco night! Chicken, salsa, seasonings, and lime juice turn out tender, moist, and full of flavor without being overly spicy.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes-6 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken (boneless skinless breast or boneless skinless thighs)
- 1 cup salsa of choice (try my homemade recipe)
- 2 Tbsp taco seasoning (try my homemade recipe)
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
Instructions
- Pour the salsa into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add the chicken, nestling the pieces into the salsa so as much of the chicken is covered as possible.
- Sprinkle the top of the chicken with taco seasoning and lime juice (if using).
- Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Shred in the slow cooker using two forks, or follow this method to shred using your stand mixer.
Notes
- Liquid – There’s no need to add additional liquid other than the salsa. The juices from the chicken will come out as the chicken cooks, and if you add more liquid, your chicken will be too liquidy!
- Salsa – We like to make our own homemade salsa, but you can use Salsa Verde, pineapple salsa, black bean and corn salsa, lime and garlic salsa…they’d all go really well! Or use up a few half-eaten jars from the fridge.
- Taco Seasoning – We make our own homemade taco seasoning too since it’s much cheaper than buying it at the store, but you can use store-bought as well.
- You can make your own Flour Tortillas or Corn Tortillas! Or try my Almond Flour Tortillas and Paleo Cassava Flour Tortillas.
Nutrition
- Calories: 253
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