5-Ingredient Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and more! This simple recipe requires only 5 basic ingredients and turns out perfectly tender and flavorful.
When my family gets together for dinner, we almost always make burrito bowls with two meat choices: typically ground beef taco meat and this Mexican Shredded Chicken.
Sometimes we go the quicker route and use the Instant Pot (as seen in my Instant Pot Chicken Tacos).
What I love most about this tender shredded chicken recipe is itโs so loaded flavor and only requires 5 basic ingredients.
Itโs fresh, easy to make in bulk, and can be put to use in so many ways.
Just think: tacos, burritos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, taco salad, and more!
Letโs discuss the simple fresh ingredients for this easy recipe.
Ingredients for Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken:
Chicken Thighs: Because chicken thighs contain more intermuscular fat than chicken breasts, they are my preference for any time I want a tender, shredded result (which is basically always). To keep it easy, use boneless skinless chicken thighs so that you donโt have to sift through the meat for bones and skin once the chicken has finished cooking in the slow cooker.
You can use boneless chicken breasts if you prefer but note that the meat will not turn out quite as tender. Bone-in chicken thighs or dums work too. Just be sure to use 5 to 6 pounds if youโre going with bone-in to ensure you end up with plenty of meat.
Onion: Adds freshness and flavor to the dish. Amazing how much deliciousness is derived from just one small onion!
Enchilada Sauce: A star ingredient to making these hugely flavorful delicious chicken tacos. Store bought or homemade enchilada sauce is a fabulous way of infusing moisture for pressure cooking and also all sorts of authentic taco flavors.
If you arenโt a fan of using store-bought enchilada sauce, you can make your own Homemade Enchilada Sauce which is much easier than youโd think!
Salsa: Similar to the enchilada sauce, the salsa is here to bring liquid and flavor to the recipe. Because salsa is made with fresh ingredients, it therefore adds fresh flavor to your Mexican shredded chicken, making it taste refreshing rather than overly rich or indulgent.
Use your favorite kind of salsa. Any store-bought jar of salsa or homemade salsa works. I go with red tomato salsa, but you can easily use salsa verde https://yipinpo.com/salsa-verde/ , tomatillo red chili salsa or anything you love. Just note the spice level of whatever salsa you use so that you end up with your preferred spiciness. To keep it mild, use a mild salsa.
Canned Green Chiles: Just one small can of diced green chiles goes a long way in adding flavor to the tender shredded chicken. Be sure to read the label to see the spice level – if you love spicy food, go with hot green chiles, but choose mild for mild taco meat.
Sea Salt: A key component to flavor success here! Salt enhances the flavors of each individual ingredient and also helps tenderize the chicken. So be sure to add enough such that the chicken turns out nice and flavorful.
Optional Additions: Taco seasoning, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for spicy meat, garlic powder, and black pepper are all great options for additions to this Mexican chicken recipe. You can also add fresh squeezed lime juice to the shredded chicken if you like it!
For Serving:
You can use this amazing flavorful Mexican style shredded chicken in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taco salads, burrito bowls, and more!
Tacos: Flour tortillas, corn tortillas (or tortillas or taco shell of choice), cilantro, lime wedges and salsa.
Burritos: Large flour tortillas, Spanish Rice, Mexican Rice, or cilantro lime rice, black beans or refried beans sour cream, cheddar cheese, guacamole or avocado, chopped lettuce, and more.
Taco Salad or Tostadas: Fresh lettuce or spring greens, tomatoes, crispy corn chips or tostada shell, beans, cheese, avocado, or guacamole.
How to Make CrockPot Mexican Chicken:
Add all of the ingredients to your Crock Pot or slow cooker.
Stir everything well until the chicken is coated in the ingredients.
Secure the lid on the crock pot and slow cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high heat for 4 to 6 hours.
Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred chicken to your desired texture. I leave mine somewhat chunky rather than finely shredded.
Transfer the shredded chicken back to the crock pot to soak up the juices until you’re ready to serve.
Note: The chicken becomes even more flavorful the longer it sits and it saves very well. If you’d like, you can prepare it up to 5 days in advance for amazing, richly flavorful chicken.
Serve as shredded chicken tacos, chicken enchiladas, burritos, or more!
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
How Many People Does This Recipe Serve?
Three pounds of boneless chicken will easily serve 6 to 10 people, depending on what else youโre serving with the chicken.
For instance, if you’re including tortillas, rice, beans, guacamole, chips, etc. in the meal, you will be able to serve more people. With fewer side dishes, you will be able to serve fewer people.
When I make dinner for others, I typically budget for about 1/2 pound of meat per person. So for me, I would make this recipe expecting to serve 6 and in reality end up with some leftovers.
You can easily scale the recipe up or down depending on how many people youโre serving and whether or not you want leftovers. For meal prep, consider making a double batch.
Can I Make This in The Instant Pot?:
Yes, absolutely! Mexican shredded chicken comes out just as well in the Instant Pot. To make Mexican chicken in your pressure cooker, follow my Instant Pot Chicken Tacos recipe.
More Mexican Favorites:
- Crock Pot Birria Tacos
- Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Sauce
- Roasted Vegetable Stacked Enchiladas
- Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa
- Turkey Enchilada Skillet
- Shredded Beef Taco Salad
- Carnitas Enchiladas
Thatโs it! A juicy, delicious easy Mexican shredded chicken recipe to incorporate into your Mexican cuisine. Just set it and forget it!
5-Ingredient Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts*
- 1 7-oz can diced green chilis
- ยฝ large yellow onion diced
- 1 14-oz. can enchilada sauce
- 1 cup red salsa**
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients for the Mexican shredded chicken to your crock pot or slow cooker.
- Stir everything well until the chicken is coated in the ingredients.
- Secure the lid on the crock pot and slow cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high heat for 4 to 6 hours.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred chicken to your desired texture.
- Transfer the shredded chicken back to the crock pot to soak up the juices until you're ready to serve.
- Serve as shredded chicken tacos, chicken enchiladas, burritos, or more!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I made this last night and it was so easy and flavorful! I love crock pot cooking. I will definitely be making this again and again, but because itโs so versatile, it can look different every time if a green salsa or taco sauce is used or olives are added, etc. Thank you!
My pleasure, Karen! I love how simple, versatile, and delicious the recipe is too!! ๐
I donโt have a crockpot can I make this on a regular pot on the stove?
Hi Yasmine! I’m betting the recipe can be made on the stove top, but I’m not sure how much time it would need to cook. If you have experience converting crock pot recipes to stove top, I would go with the same method you’ve been using. Wish I had a better answer! Let me know if you try it! xo
Thank you for this crockpot Mexican shredded chicken. I donโt have the other pots and donโt plan on purchasing them. I have limited space to store all that stuff, but I love my crockpot. Also I love the homemade enchilada sauce, so much better tasting & better for you.
Thanks – Shirley
My pleasure, Shirley! I’m happy you enjoy the recipe! xo
How much sea salt would you suggest?
Hi Rick, I add about 1/2 teaspoon and then allow everyone to add more salt if they prefer it. I personally like a lot of salt but the majority of my family members don’t like as much. If I were going to be the only person eating the shredded chicken, I’d add about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons. ๐ Hope this helps! xoxo
Could use ground chicken? I have a lot and this would be perfect!
How much would you use??
I’m intrigued by the idea of using ground chicken and this sounds like a pretty wonderful idea to me…definitely worth giving it a try! Based on the quantity of the sauce ingredients, I would use two pounds of ground chicken. If it seems like there needs to be more sauce, you can always double the rest of the ingredients. Let me know how it turns out! xoxo
Can you use green enchilada sauce instead of red?
Yes, absolutely! Green will be delicious too ๐
BEST MEXICAN SHREDDED CHICKEN RECIPE EVER!!!!!! OMG, we made it two days ago and it’s gone. Now we are making a double recipe tonight!
I’m so thrilled you love it, Ashley! My family is obsessed with it as well…we make it over and over! xoxo
Are able to freeze left overs?
Hi Anthony!
I haven’t tried freezing this recipe myself, but I do think it would freeze well ๐ I’d keep it for up to 2 months. xoxo
What size can of enchilada sauce? 14 or 28 oz?
My apologies, Cindy! I use 14 ounces, but actually it wouldn’t be the end of the world to use 28. Just made that adjustment in the recipe ๐ Thank you for catching that! xoxo