3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
Need an EASY weeknight meal? 3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken is it! Simply toss everything in your crockpot in the morning, and have perfectly cooked and seasoned chicken by dinner. Perfect for tacos, burritos, salads and more.
What is Mexican Shredded Chicken?
School and activities are back in full swing and life is busy again! I am back on the weekly meal planning train and always thinking of about easy weeknight meals that require minimum effort to get on the table.
Slow cooker meals are my absolute favorite weeknight dinners because with a little planning ahead, dinner essentially cooks itself.
For my Mexican Shredded Chicken, I use only 3 simple ingredients that you might already have lying around: chicken breasts, taco seasoning and red enchilada sauce.
Simply set everything up, and after a few hours of doing it’s thing in your slow cooker, the chicken is perfectly cooked and becomes SO moist that it can easily be shredded with two forks. The chicken is juicy from the enchilada sauce, and perfectly seasoned with the Mexican flavors from the taco seasoning.
Pro Tip: Spice it up! For my kids, I use mild enchilada sauce, but if you like a little kick, try hot enchilada sauce or sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes.
Bonus Recipes!
Looking for other easy weeknight meals using your slow cooker? Try Chicken and Dumpling Soup or Shredded Chicken Sandwiches and White BBQ Sauce.
How to serve Mexican Shredded Chicken
The best part of this dish is that you can turn it into so many different meals. Below are a few different meal ideas.
Tacos: Our family favorite is tacos. We like hard shells like these or soft tortillas like these. I stuff each shell with a few spoonfuls of the Shredded Mexican Chicken, and then each person can load on their favorite taco toppings like:
- shredded cheese
- diced tomatoes
- shredded lettuce
- sour cream
- salsa
- guacamole
- chopped onions
- black olives
- hot sauce
- avocado
- jalapenos
- queso cheese sauce
Chicken Burritos: Use larger burrito size tortillas like these, and layer in cooked rice (white or brown), black or pinto beans, a few spoonfuls of the shredded chicken and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Then roll it up and place in a baking dish. Drizzle red enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled burritos. Top with more shredded cheese and pop in the oven for 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted. Add fun taco toppings listed above and enjoy!
Chicken Fajita Salad: Slice an onion, red, yellow and green bell peppers into thin strips and toss in a skillet over medium heat. Mix 1T of taco seasoning 2 with 1/4 c of water and stir into the pan. Cook until vegetables are tender, stirring often, and adding a few more splashes of water to the pan as needed. Squeeze the juice of half a lime onto cooked vegetables. Chop romaine lettuce and place into a large bowl. Add the cooked vegetables into the bowl and top with the Shredded Mexican Chicken. Toss to combine. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, a scoop of sour cream, a scoop of guacamole and a scoop of salsa. Finish by sprinkling tortilla strips like these over the top of the salad before serving.
What ingredients do you need for 3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken?
It’s SO simple…there are only 3!
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- a can of red enchilada sauce
- packet of taco seasoning or make your own using this recipe
How do you make Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken?
Place 1.5lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker.
Open the can of enchilada sauce and pour it over top of chicken.
Sprinkle the taco seasoning of the top of the chicken and give it a little stir to combine.
Place the lid on top of the slow cooker and set it on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours (you will want the chicken cooked through which is165 degrees F minimum).
Once chicken is fully cooked, turn off heat, and use two forks to shred the chicken while still in the slow cooker. Give it a good stir to make sure the chicken is covered in the sauce.
Use tongs or a fork to scoop chicken out of slow cooker and serve tacos, salads, nachos, etc.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in refrigerators for up to 4 days.
FAQ’s
3-4 hours on low or 6-8 hours on high. You want the internal temperature to be at least 165 degrees.
Yes! If it cooks too long, the liquid will cook off and the chicken will dry out and scorch. Make sure you are paying attention to cook times.
You bet. Store in a tightly sealed ziplock baggie. Try to get all access air out of ag before sealing. Store in freezer for up to 2 months. Simply reheat on the stove adding a few splashes of chicken broth as needed.
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3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
- 2 forks
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts
- 1 can red enchilada sauce mild or use medium for a little more spice
- 1 packet taco seasoning make your own using this recipe
Instructions
- Place 1.5lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Open the can of enchilada sauce and pour it over top of chicken.
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning of the top of the chicken and give it a little stir to combine.
- Place the lid on top of the slow cooker and set it on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours (you will want the chicken cooked through which is165 degrees F minimum).
- Once chicken is fully cooked, turn off heat, and use two forks to shred the chicken while still in the slow cooker. Give it a good stir to make sure the chicken is covered in the sauce.
- Use tongs or a fork to scoop chicken out of slow cooker and serve tacos, salads, nachos, etc.
