Sweet Peas and Saffron

meal prep recipes for busy people

Crockpot Mexican Chicken Stew (+ Instant Pot)

40 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This healthy crockpot Mexican chicken stew is inspired by tortilla soup. Packed full of delicious Mexican flavors and super simple to prepare!

Crockpot Mexican Chicken Stew

UPDATED Nov 2017 to include instructions on how to prepare in the Instant Pot.

I find it pretty strange which recipes from my blog become popular and which ones do not. Usually, it’s the ones I’m the most excited about that are the real flops…I mean, apparently you guys aren’t that into Spicy Mango Margaritas, and apparently Moroccan Chickpea Sliders with Harissa Mayo and Mint are just not your thing. It’s OK. We can still be friends!

Well one recipe that completely surprised me by taking off on Pinterest was my Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Stew. So I guess you guys really want slow cooker stews? I can run with that!

So here you go! I made you this crockpot Mexican chicken stew!

Crockpot Mexican Chicken Stew

Crockpot Mexican Chicken Stew

And look, guys, it’s a near photogenic clone of my Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Stew…by accident. Same bowl, same pot, but totally different flavors, I promise! {side note, I really need a new model bowl! This one, my fave, is in almost every shoot I do. He needs a buddy!}

This stew is almost like a tortilla soup, actually that’s what I was inspired by. However it is packed with chicken, salsa, green chiles, black beans, corn, carrots, peppers and onions. This is not a soup, that is for sure…it is incredibly hearty and filling!

The flavors of this stew come from the salsa, chili powder and ground cumin. My favorite tortilla soup adds salsa rather than diced tomatoes, and I love this flavor short-cut!

Surprisingly one of my favorite components of this crockpot Mexican chicken stew was the black beans. After simmering with all the spices and the salsa, they acquire so much flavor, and really add a nice dimension to the dish. Don’t leave them out!

And of course my other favorite parts is all of the toppings: Greek yogurt {or sour cream}, avocado, cheddar cheese…they add flavor, creaminess and even more heartiness to the dish. And I totally forgot to add some tortilla chips, but obviously this would have been a very wise decision.

 Crockpot Mexican Chicken Stew

This crockpot Mexican chicken stew cooks for longer my last stew; 6-8 hours. This way the chicken is tender and shreds easily, and the flavors have some extra time to get together and party. Once the time is up, I added some lime juice, salt to taste, and we were good to go!

This is perfect as a dinner or reheated for lunch the next day. {Actually, it is even better on the second day}  It is not spicy, but you can tailor this to your needs, adding some hot sauce or using hot salsa, or even adding some jalapenos.

And good news: another throw-in-the-crock-pot-and-run-out-the-door recipe! No browning, no sauteeing, nothing like that, just throw it all in and say goodbye until dinner.

Yeeeeeah. My kind of crockpot recipe! Easy peasy, lotsa flavor, healthy, and did I mention easy? I need easy meals in my life these days, I’m sure we all do!

Happy Tuesday!

Crockpot Mexican Chicken Stew

More slow cooker chicken recipes!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
4.8 from 5 votes

Crockpot Mexican Chicken Stew (+ Instant Pot)

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Slow Cooker
Calories: 287kcal
Servings: 8
This healthy slow cooker Mexican chicken stew couldn't be simpler to prepare, and is packed with delicious Mexican flavors!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time8 hrs
Total Time8 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients

stew

  • 2 carrots diced
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 green pepper diced
  • 8 chicken thighs I recommend boneless & skinless
  • 1 can corn {340mL}
  • 1 can black beans {19 oz 540mL}
  • 1 can green chiles 4.3 oz}
  • 3/4 cup salsa
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock {plus more as needed}
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder

just before serving:

  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt {more as needed}

toppings

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 avocado cubed
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • tortilla chips

Instructions

Slow Cooker

  • Combine all stew ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  • Stir in the lime juice and salt. Serve with cheese, avocado, Greek yogurt and tortilla chips.

Instant Pot

  • Cook the carrots, bell pepper and onion for 5 minutes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil using the sautee function on your Instant Pot. Add the chicken thighs and nestle to the bottom of the pot. Cook for 5 more minutes or until lightly browned. 
  • Turn off the sautee function. Add all ingredients except for the lime juice and salt, and stir to combine.
  • Cook on manual high pressure for 6 minutes, then do a natural pressure release: turn off the Instant Pot and let it sit for 10 minutes before releasing remaining pressure.
  • Stir in the lime juice and salt. Serve with cheese, avocado, Greek yogurt and tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Notes

 nutritional info excludes toppings

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of batch | Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 413mg | Potassium: 454mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2910IU | Vitamin C: 14.7mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.3mg

More slow cooker Mexican recipes!

Products used in this recipe:

Crockpot Mexican Chicken Stew

Reader Interactions

FREE EMAIL COURSE

Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

Tips & strategies to get you prepping...fast!

This site contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase through them, we will receive a small commission.

Comments

  4. MJ

    Made this on the stove instead of the crockpot. Didn’t have any canned chilies – hard to find where we live. I think I followed the rest of the recipes pretty closely. It was a hit! Glad I stumbled upon your website. I’ll definitely be trying other recipes.

    Reply

  5. Brian

    5 stars
    This recipe is so good. I’ve made it three times and I love it… My mods are: Half an onion. I use small sweet pepers (red, yellow, orange) in the same volume as a green pepper. Use a mild chunky salsa. I add a small can of chopped tomatos for body. Tsp of blk pepper and kosher salt. I add 2 jalepenos for a good back spice (med low) and add a chopped serrano to bring that up to medium/med high. Chopped cilentro on top w lime for sure. I run the slow cook at high for 2 hrs and 6 on low…it really changes after 6, 8 is optimal. Hope this helps play with this…such a great pick! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Denise

      Hi Brian! I’m so happy you like the recipe. It’s so interesting seeing how everyone’s slow cooker cooks so differently, if I cook chicken breast in mine for over 6 hours, it basically disintegrates. Thanks so much for reporting back with all of your suggestions 🙂

      Reply

  6. Jen

    I came across this recipe on pintrest and tried it this past weekend. We don’t like things too spicy in my house so I left out the green chillies. Also pre-cut the chicken in chunks rather than have to shred later. It was delicious!! will be making it again. Thanks! So nice to have a Mexican stew that is not too “tomatoey”.

    Reply

  7. Stefanie

    I made this recipe yesterday for dinner. Absolutely delicious! My favorite slow cooker recipe, and the easiest! I will be making this again, for sure.

    Reply

  8. JCP

    4 stars
    I made this Mexican chicken stew twice and it is delicious! It is so easy to make and wonderful with a corn bread. I love the recipes on this site, it is great that you are local to Calgary. I find many recipes on the web are not good for our altitude here in Calgary. I am thrilled to have found your site, thank you for all your wonderful recipes.

    Reply

    • Denise

      Hi JCP! I’m so glad you like the Mexican chicken stew! I need to make up another batch, and cornbread sounds just perfect with it! I have to admit, I have the hardest time baking here in Calgary, I have had so many ‘pancake’ cookies, and sunken cakes (don’t worry, they don’t make the blog!) Hope you find some other recipes you like. Thanks for the comment!

      Reply

  9. Cecelia Goodson

    I have tried several recipes similar to this one but this is definitely the best. Only thing I did different was to use frozen corn rather than canned. Delicious!!

    Reply

  12. Karen

    Hi Denise,
    Just tried the Mexican chicken stew and took it to the office for a luncheon (my department consists of me and 7 men). They loved it and even asked for the recipe! I make fresh guacamole, instead of just cutting up the avocado, to serve with it. Also I chopped fresh cilantro to sprinkle on top.
    Thanks for the recipe and I will surely try more!

    Reply

  13. Lauren

    Just a quick question. After the stew is cooked, do you just pull the chicken off the bones and tear it up into the stew? This is my first slow cooker recipe so I’m a bit green!

    Reply

    • Denise

      Hi Lauren! I used boneless chicken thighs in my stew, however I am pretty sure your chicken is going to be so tender it will be falling off the bone. If you’d prefer, you can take it off the bone and put it back in to serve, however it should be pretty easy to separate it while eating the stew. I hope you enjoy the recipe, it is currently in my crockpot for dinner tonight 🙂

      Reply

      • Lauren

        5 stars
        It ended up working out perfectly! After it was cooked I just pulled the thighs out into a separate bowl and pulled the meat off with two forks and separated the bones. Then I just threw it back into the stew and it was nice and shredded. Only took a few minutes!
        I cooked this for my boyfriend’s birthday because he is half Mexican and I was a little intimidated by some of the very in-depth classic Mexican dishes. Then I made a Mexican chocolate creme brulée for dessert. He absolutely loved it! Thank you!

        Reply

        • Denise

          Lauren, thanks so much for reporting back! I’m glad that it worked well with the bone-in chicken thighs, and that you guys both enjoyed it! I am intrigued by the Mexican creme brulee, sounds delicious!

          Reply

  14. Danielle

    about how much chicken do you use in weight? I want to make this and I have all the ingredients, but I have breasts instead of thighs. Would two pounds be okay?

    Reply

    • Denise

      Hi Danielle! I have never weighed my chicken before, so I’m not sure how much this was in weight. But I think 2 pounds should be plenty. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

  17. Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel

    My most popular recipe is freezer breakfast sandwiches… which isn’t really even a recipe!! LOL!! It definitely IS funny sometimes what people like! But you have to remember you’re seeing what the general population likes… not just the foodie population! 🙂
    Slow cooker meals are always hit though, so I bet this one will be a winner! Looks delish!

    Reply

  18. Nora @ Savory Nothings

    Seriously, most of the time I don’t get the internet at all when it comes to blog post popularity 😀 This looks gorgeous and I totally get why you like this bowl so much – it’s beautiful! I’ve been looking for a nice blue bowl everywhere!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

logo

join the FREE lunch prep challenge →