This Slow Cooker Taco Chicken turns really simple pantry ingredients, like chicken, ranch, Italian dressing, and spices, into tender, flavorful shredded chicken. Just spread everything in your slow cooker, cook until it falls apart, then season with lime and a dash of hot sauce. Use it to fill tacos, top a salad, or stuff into burritos. This family-friendly meal is so good, oh-so versatile, and perfect for company or busy weeknights. Easy prep and maximum flavor!
Ingredients Needed
- boneless skinless chicken breasts – normally I don’t do chicken in a slow cooker because they are so lean, they tend to dry out. However, with the other stuff we are adding here, we will be fine!
- Italian salad dressing – don’t use low-fat or fat-free, we need the richness to keep the chicken from drying out.
- dry ranch dressing
- water
- chili powder
- cumin
- coriander
- garlic cloves
- dehydrated onion
- fresh lime
- salt
- Chipotle Tabasco Sauce – this is optional but highly recommended!
How to Make Slow Cooker Taco Chicken
This is a simple overview of the recipe, you’ll find a full printable recipe below!
- Add all ingredients (except lime, salt, and Tabasco) to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low until the chicken is tender and shreds easily.
- Shred the chicken, then stir in lime juice.
- Season with salt and Chipotle Tabasco to taste before serving.
Storage & Other Tips
- Refrigeration: let the chicken cool slightly, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 – 4 days. Before reheating, stir in a splash of water, broth, or reserved cooking liquid to keep it from dying out.
- Freezing: place in freezer-safe bags or containers, removing as much as as possible. Label with the date and use within 2 -3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge if you can, because rapid thawing tends to affect texture.
- Reheating: a skillet over low heat tends to work best, or microwaving in short bursts, stirring in between. You will probably need to add a bit of liquid (like water, broth, or salsa) during reheating to keep it from drying out. You also will need to adjust seasonings, like adding more lime, salt, or hot sauce. Flavors tend to mellow in the freezer.
- Ways to Use Taco Chicken:
- Taco Bar: use this taco chicken, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled cotija cheese, tortillas, chopped romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocados or guacamole, pico de gallo (or mango or pineapple pico de gallo), Pineapple Cilantro rice, rinsed black beans, Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette, and Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing (if you really want to complete the experience, you could throw in this green enchilada sauce and this mint limeade). Then people can make whatever they want, like tacos, salads, enchiladas, burritos.
- Quesadillas & Taquitos: You can ALSO use this to make loaded up quesadillas with chicken, beans, corn, chopped green onions, whatever you want to throw in there, or in our famous Chicken Taquitos.
- Soups & Bowls: try it in this Chicken Tortilla Soup, Creamy Chicken & Rice Taco Soup, or in these Southwest Chicken Bowls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Thighs are juicier and more forgiving. Just check for doneness and possible shorten up the cooking time a bit.
It should reach an internal temperature of 165°F and shred easily with two forks.
For a little while is okay, but extended holding can dry out the meat or make it mushy.
Yes, cook it ahead and refrigerate or freeze. Before serving, refresh with lime, hot sauce, and additional seasonings as needed.
In a ton of ways! The main protein in a taco bar, salads, enchiladas, burritos, soup! If you need chicken that fits within the Latin flavor profile, this recipe fits the bill perfectly.
Slow Cooker Taco Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-2 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup Italian salad dressing I use Kraft
- 1 packet Ranch dressing
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 6-8 cloves smashed garlic no need to chop unless desired
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt to taste
- Chipotle Tabasco Sauce to taste optional
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients except for the lime, salt, and Tabasco sauce in your slow cooker and cook for 5-6 hours on LOW or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
- Chicken breast is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165℉. When done, shred the chicken with two forks and sprinkle with lime juice. Taste and season with salt and Chipotle Tabasco Sauce to taste.
Questions & Reviews
This is easy and delicious, not dry at all. I didn’t have Italian dressing, so I just used water + olive oil + Italian seasonings. Turned out great! I served the chicken as part of “totchos”, and my teens gobbled it up. And I’m glad I made extra chicken so I have leftovers for my lunches this week. It’s a win!
In crockpot now. Smells delicious. Very excited to try a different kind of taco. As for those who commented they don’t want to do the Ranch Dressing packet: skip this recipe! There’s like thousands of taco recipes on the Internet. You don’t have to complain about this one having Ranch Dressing packet.
Is there a way to make this in the oven? We don’t have a crock pot. Thanks!
Sure! Cover the pan and cook at 350 for about an hour- I’m totally guessing on the time, you’ll just want to check the temp and take it out when it the internal temp reaches 165.
I have some of this chicken leftover and I was wondering if I could use it in the baked creamy chicken taquitos?
Absolutely!
Does it matter if the coriander is whole or ground?
Yep, you’ll want ground!
Made this for the first time today – delicious! However, I ended up using the meat a little differently.. I Decided to turn this recipe into enchilada filling and and added some sour cream. Wrapped in tortillas, topped with cheese and baked.
Made this in my electric pressure cooker with breasts manual 7-8 min and immediate manual release of steam. Had to put a larger breast back in for a few minutes but regular size was done in 7. Delicious!!!! And I used ranch dip packet because it was all I had.
This is exactly what I was wondering. How to convert this to pressure cooker! Thank you!!
I want to make this but I don’t have any coriander! I’m horrible with spices. Could I add smoked paprika instead to add zip? I really don’t know what I’m doing. haha This just looks so good though!
Haha. You could leave out the coriander. Coriander comes from the cilantro plant, so it’s kind of a fresh, citrus-y flavor. Smoked paprika wouldn’t be bad in there either though, it just adds a smoky flavor!
just made this last week. So. Good.
And so easy! I didn’t realize, until I read later, that I was supposed to use the water for the ranch packet, so just an FYI that it still tastes amazing when you just rip the packet open and dump it into the crockpot. 🙂 (at least with the brand of ranch packet that I bought anyways…)