Fall apart tender and perfectly seasoned, crockpot salsa chicken is a 4 ingredient recipe that is perfect for busy nights! Use it up in tacos, burrito bowls, or enjoy as is.
The slow cooker can make your life so much easier, particularly on busy weeknights! Assembling simple meals like crockpot stuffed peppers, slow cooker peanut stew, or this salsa chicken earlier in the day will make the 5-pm rush much easier to deal with.
Serve this salsa chicken up in tacos, burritos, on taco salad or as an entrée! It works great for meal prep as well, and can be assembled in freezer packs.
Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
- it is made with a few simple ingredients that you may already have on hand
- it works great for meal prep and can be assembled ahead as a freezer crockpot meal
- it's versatile and can be used in a variety of meals including tacos and burrito bowls
Recipe video
See exactly how to make your own crockpot salsa chicken by watching the video below! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- chicken- you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts (3-4 hours low) or boneless skinless chicken thighs (4-5 hours low) to make this recipe
- salsa- choose your favorite salsa, and be sure to choose a mild salsa if you are serving this up to your children
- chili powder- refers to a paprika-based blend and does not refer to pure powdered chiles. Here's a recipe if your grocery store doesn't carry a mild blend.
Step by step directions
1. Assemble- in the insert of your slow cooker, stir together the salsa, chili powder and cumin. Mix until the spices are dissolved, then add the chicken. Use tongs to turn the chicken until evenly coated in the liquid.
2. Cook- Place the lid on the slow cooker, and set the slow cooker on low for 3-4 hours (for chicken breasts) or 5-6 hours (for chicken thighs).
3. Shred- When the chicken has cooked through, transfer it to a clean bowl using tongs. Use an electric hand mixer or two forks to shred the chicken.
4. Serve- Toss the chicken back in the cooking liquid until evenly coated. Enjoy immediately, or store for later.
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FAQ
Slow cookers vary greatly in their temperature settings, and the high setting can be quite vigorous. For chicken breast, it's best to use the low setting, which is more gentle and less prone to overcooking.
It can vary by different slow cooker models, but in general, 3-4 hours on low is sufficient to cook a chicken breast through. You can use an instant read thermometer to ensure your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F when inserted into the thickest part to be sure.
I have successfully cooked this in my older 6 quart Instant Pot, however I have not tried in the newer (and more burn warning-prone) 8 quart model. You could try, and if you get a burn warning, add ¼ cup water and try again? 8 minutes high pressure for chicken breast, 10 minutes high pressure for thighs, both with a quick pressure release. Leave us a comment to let us know how it goes for you!
How to serve salsa chicken
- burrito bowl- serve with rice (or cauliflower rice), corn and black beans, cheese, pico de gallo and your favorite additions
- quesadillas- add with shredded cheese and fresh tomatoes. See healthy chicken quesadillas
- wraps- top with romaine lettuce, shredded cheese, avocado and sour cream
- nachos- top tortilla chips with salsa chicken, jalapenos, tomatoes, red onion, bell peppers and cheese
Meal prep & storage
Leftovers/reheat meals
Salsa chicken stores really well in both the fridge and freezer. Here's how to do it:
- Cool completely, then portion out into an air tight container or reusable silicone bag.
- Store in the fridge (4 days) or the freezer (3 months).
- Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot, or in a frying pan, using tongs to stir and flip it up, until steaming hot.
Crockpot freezer meal
A crock pot freezer meal is assembled ahead and frozen before cooking. This way, when it's time to cook, you simply dump the ingredients into the slow cooker and skip any measuring. This is a great recipe to prepare for someone who is expecting a baby.
Here’s how you can turn this recipe into a freezer meal:
- Combine the chicken, salsa, chili powder and cumin in a ½ gallon or larger freezer bag or silicone bag, or an 8 cup meal prep container. Stir to combine, and squeeze out as much air as possible.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely, then cook as directed in the recipe card.
TIP- make sure you label the bag with thawing and cooking directions
Equipment notes
- this is my favorite 6 quart slow cooker
that fits a full batch - if you want to cut the recipe in half, use a smaller slow cooker like this 2.5 quart slow cooker; keep the cook time the same
that fits a full batchMore slow cooker chicken recipes
- Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
- Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Sticky Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Crockpot Salsa Chicken (4 ingredients!)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts see note 1
- 2 cups salsa
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder see note 2
Instructions
- Assemble- in the insert of your slow cooker, stir together the salsa, chili powder and cumin. Mix until the spices are dissolved, then add the chicken. Use tongs to turn the chicken until evenly coated in the liquid.
- Cook- Place the lid on the slow cooker, and set the slow cooker on low for 3-4 hours (for chicken breasts) or 5-6 hours (for chicken thighs).
- Shred- When the chicken has cooked through, transfer it to a clean bowl using tongs. Use an electric hand mixer or two forks to shred the chicken.
- Serve- Toss the chicken back in the cooking liquid until evenly coated. Enjoy immediately, or store for later.
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Tips:
- Combine the chicken, salsa, chili powder and cumin in a ½ gallon or larger freezer bag or silicone bag, or an 8 cup meal prep container. Stir to combine, and squeeze out as much air as possible.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely, then cook as directed above on the recipe card.
Video
Nutrition Information
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Leah says
Made this yesterday for dinner. With only 4 ingredients and no chopping or prep required, this is ridiculously easy to make but still very flavorful. We served ours on toasted corn tortillas with some pickled red onion and sour cream. This will absolutely be in our regular rotation from now on!
Tiffany says
My family loves this it was super simple and turned out delicious… I used 1 cup of cilantro lime salsa and 1 cup chunky mild salsa AMAZING!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Tiffany, we are so glad that your whole family enjoyed this crockpot salsa chicken! Thanks for sharing your variations - that sounds delicious. Thanks for the review!
Greta says
An absolute staple in my meal prep routine. Could not be easier and works great in so many different meals!
Denise says
Yay! So happy to hear this. Thank you for reporting back 🙂
Melinda Gross says
Easy, delicious and versatile. We made tacos on the first night and taco salads with the leftovers. This is going into meal plan rotation!
Denise says
So happy to hear this, Melinda! Thank you for your review!
Sarah says
Sounds fab will try this but can you just clarify about the salsa, is it just bought salsa from a jar? This needs to be suitable for my 1 year old as well as us so is this ok or should I try making my own salsa if so any tips please? Thanks
Denise says
Hi Sarah! I used jarred salsa, but I don't see why you couldn't use homemade? Just make sure the chicken is always smothered in it so it doesn't dry out. My only worry is there might not be enough liquid to keep the chicken moist.
Emily N says
This is delicious and so easy. Thanks for sharing!! Can you freeze the shredded chicken once it is made or are the freezing directions just for putting the chicken breasts and other 3 ingredients so it’s ready to throw in the crock pot?
Denise says
Hi Emily! You can do it either way! Freeze pre or post cooking 🙂
Jenni says
I've made this several times and my SUPER picky boyfriend really likes it. My Instant Pot seems to cook hot so it never takes this long but then again, I don't cook it long enough to shred....he just eats it along side rice and green beans. Highly recommend....it's easy and normally, ya got chicken and salsa on hand!
Denise says
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for sharing, Jenni 😀
Izik says
Doh! Toss the shredded meat within the cooking liquid... I think. Hah ?
Denise says
Ha ha YES! Glad you figured it out 🙂
Izik says
"Toss in the cooking liquid."? I'm lost... What cooking liquid? I don't see cooking liquid as an ingredient.
Sue R says
To do it in the pressure cooker I'd go with putting a cup or two of water in the bottom the sit the chicken and other ingredients in a bowl onto of a trivet. No burn issue then. I'm about to head off camping so will be doing it this way. Thanks for the idea.
Denise says
Sure you could do that, but then you might be watering down the salsa which is where all the flavor comes from. I'll be testing this in the IP soon!
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says
Will definitely be trying this! Love how I have all of the ingredients always on hand at home!