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This crockpot salsa chicken is the easiest slow cooker recipe, made with juicy boneless chicken thighs, your favorite jarred salsa, and simple spices. It’s delicious, flavorful, and great for meal prep. Perfect in tacos, rice bowls, salads, and more!
If needed, swap chicken thighs with chicken breasts, as I do for my slow cooker chicken tacos. And if you love this recipe, don’t miss my crockpot Santa Fe chicken.
The Easiest Salsa Chicken
This (embarrassingly) easy crockpot salsa chicken recipe came about after returning from a long weekend in Park City, Utah. With zero desire to cook, I knew I wanted a quick and easy dinner. I scrounged up a package of boneless chicken thighs and a jar of chunky salsa, loaded them in my crock pot with a few zesty Tex-Mex spices, and crossed my fingers.
The results were so good that this salsa chicken is now one of my favorite easy slow cooker recipes and a staple in my kitchen for busy weeknight dinners. I even make a version with salsa verde chicken, and I have Instant Pot salsa chicken as an alternative cooking method!
Why Make Salsa Chicken in the Slow Cooker?
If you’re looking for dinner ideas for a package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, make salsa chicken! It’s basically slow cooker shredded chicken mixed with jarred salsa, perfect for using up chicken in the fridge and ideal when you don’t feel like cooking.
- Only two ingredients: Salsa and chicken! You can boost the flavors with simple pantry seasonings.
- It won’t heat up the kitchen: This comes in handy during the summer, but it’s the perfect excuse not to turn on the oven any time of year.
- Dump and cook: There’s no sautéing or prep needed first. Just dump your salsa chicken ingredients in the slow cooker, and walk away.
- Great for easy meal prep: Serve your crockpot salsa chicken over rice, in tacos and enchiladas, on tostadas, and more delicious Tex-Mex meal ideas.
- Diet-friendly: This easy salsa chicken is suitable for Weight Watchers, high-protein, and naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what I use to make this super-easy, flavorful salsa chicken. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat. You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. My family prefers thigh meat because it’s juicier, but either works.
- Jarred salsa: This doesn’t need to be fancy. Use whichever brand of salsa you like with chips. I love the taste of chunky Tostitos salsa. You can also use my homemade salsa or your favorite recipe.
- Spices: Since the salsa comes with flavor built in, you can simply use salt if you’d like to keep this as a 2-ingredient salsa chicken recipe. For more kick, add adobo seasoning, taco seasoning, cumin, chili powder, and/or garlic powder.
How to Make Crockpot Salsa Chicken
Double this crock pot salsa chicken recipe and freeze half for later! If you double the meat, you don’t need to increase the cooking time; it’ll still take 4 hours on low.
- Season the chicken as you’d like it, either simply with salt or your chosen spice rub, like adobo or taco seasoning.
- Place the chicken in the crockpot. Top with salsa, then sprinkle with garlic powder and ½ teaspoon cumin.
- Cook. Close the lid and cook the salsa chicken on Low for 4 hours.
- Shred the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked through, transfer it to a large plate or tray to shred. Set aside at least ¾ cup of the leftover cooking juices from the crockpot.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot along with another ¼ teaspoon cumin and salt to taste. Pour the reserved cooking liquid over the chicken, and stir to coat. Keep the crock pot covered on the keep warm setting until it’s time to serve.
Tips and Variations
- If you only have bone-in chicken, remove the skin and increase the cooking time by one hour.
- Never use frozen chicken in the slow cooker. As it thaws over low heat, the chicken remains at unsafe temperatures for too long, increasing the risk of bacteria. Always thaw meat or poultry before using it in slow cooker recipes.
- Spice it up with hot salsa, or make it from scratch, like my salsa picante roja. Alternatively, add diced jalapeños (remove the seeds) to the crock pot while the chicken cooks.
- Add canned corn and beans. Add one can each of drained, rinsed black beans and sweet corn kernels to make salsa chicken with black beans and corn.
More Ways to Serve Salsa Chicken
Yield:
Serving Size: 1 /2 cup chicken
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Season the chicken with adobo (or taco seasoning), then place in the slow cooker and top with salsa, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon cumin.
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Cover and cook LOW for 4 hours. When cooked, remove the chicken and set it on a large plate; shred with two forks. Pour the liquid into a bowl to reserve, then place the shredded chicken back into the crock pot, adjust the salt to taste, and add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of cumin.
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Pour ¾ cup of the reserved liquid back into the crock pot and cover until ready to serve.
Last Step:
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- Makes about 2 ¾ cups of shredded chicken.
Serving: 1 /2 cup chicken, Calories: 187 kcal, Carbohydrates: 3 g, Protein: 30 g, Fat: 8 g, Saturated Fat: 0.5 g, Cholesterol: 127 mg, Sodium: 315 mg, Fiber: 1 g
- Pupusas: Use leftover meat as a filling for pupusas (substitute the black beans for this chicken).
- Taco Salad: Add some tomatoes, corn, shredded cheese, and avocado.
- Mexican Burritos or Burrito Bowls: Combine this shredded salsa chicken with black beans, rice, and cheese.
- Tacos: Heat some corn tortillas and fill them with salsa chicken and a quick slaw.
- Enchiladas: Use my chicken enchilada recipe, swapping this chicken for the one in my recipe.
- Loaded Nachos: Top tortilla chips with crockpot salsa chicken, cheese, and beans. See these healthy nachos as a reference.
- Quesadillas: Make chicken quesadillas with flour tortillas and cheese.
- Tostadas: Top a tostada shell with chicken, cheese, pico de gallo, and guacamole.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate. Refrigerate the shredded salsa chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze. Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and microwave until warm.
More Easy Crockpot Recipes
Try these other favorite crockpot chicken recipes on days when you’re craving a set-it-and-forget-it meal.