Home » Slow Cooker Recipes » Crock Pot Shredded Chicken for Tacos (+Video)

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken for Tacos (+Video)

Make some flavor packed, salsa infused Shredded Chicken for Tacos in the Crock Pot with just a few ingredients. So easy and crazy delicious!

A FLAVORFUL SHREDDED CHICKEN RECIPE FOR TACOS!

I am always looking for new ways to add more flavor to my tacos, tostadas, burritos or taco salads. This Shredded Chicken for Tacos is so simple to make and will take all of your Mexican inspired dishes to the next level. It’s the perfect taco filling made with chicken breasts, salsa, taco seasoning, cream of chicken and sour cream. This is a true ‘set it and forget it’ recipe!

A white plate with corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken taco filling.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: 

Can I use frozen chicken breasts?

Yes! You can use frozen or fresh chicken breasts. It’s a bit more budget-friendly and easy on the wallet if you use frozen chicken breasts instead of fresh. One pot of this will feed about 6 people (2 servings each.) It is a super creamy chicken dish that is delicious served on a soft, warm tortilla with chopped lettuce and diced tomato. Just be sure to use a mild salsa and taco seasoning if anyone in your family is sensitive to spicy food.

What’s the best chicken for shredding?

I love to use chicken breasts, but you can use chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins for this recipe as well. If you like dark meat, go for the thighs. If you prefer white meat, stick to the tenders or chicken breasts.

Is there a trick to shredding chicken?

You bet! I like to toss the cooked chicken into a mixing bowl, grab the hand electric mixer and use that to help easily shred the chicken. Especially if you like your chicken shredded finely. Or if you have a stand mixer, you can do it as well with the paddle attachment.

Can I do this with other meat?

You sure can! Check out my recipe for Crock Pot Shredded Beef for Tacos.

How to serve Crock Pot Shredded Chicken?

As you see, I’ve used them with corn tortillas, diced red onion and cilantro – which is more of an authentic Mexican way of serving tacos. You could also use flour tortillas. Top them however you prefer!

Either way, you definitely need to warm the tortillas up so they are more pliable and don’t rip apart when you add the meat filling and other toppings.
You could also serve this chicken in burritos, in a taco salad, in a Dorito Taco Salad, in some Chicken Enchiladas, or with any other Mexican inspired.

I like to use it in Taco Spaghetti, or when we have Doritos Walking Tacos, it makes thing so much easier. Toss some in a Doritos Taco Casserole for an easy dinner. Use some when making your Taco Quesadillas or Fiesta Taco Braids. It’s great to have on hand for meal prepping too!

How to store Shredded Chicken?

Any leftover chicken should be stored in an airtight container and should be stored in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can freeze leftovers appropriately in the freezer for up to 3 months.

A hand holding a large taco with Crockpot Shredded Chicken in it.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • boneless, skinless chicken breasts – you can also use chicken thighs.
  • salsa– any heat variety will work. Whatever you like – mild, medium, or hot salsa. My personal favorite brand of salsa is Herdez (mild) brand salsa and Pace Picante as a backup. Rotel can also be used in place of the salsa but I don’t think it provides as much flavor. 
  • cream of chicken soup– This adds a nice creamy factor to your meat and helps to keep it juicy. Plus, it adds a bit of flavor. If you don’t like to use the canned versions, I have a homemade Cream of Chicken Soup recipe that would work nicely here. You could use a homemade Cream of Mushroom soup as well but I think the chicken works better here.
  • taco seasoning– use your favorite seasoning mix, or make your own homemade taco seasoning mix.
  • sour cream– this can be swapped out for plain Greek yogurt or Crema Mexicana. If you don’t like those options then you can omit it. If you do choose to ditch it, just know your chicken won’t be as creamy as what you see in the images.
Chicken breasts, sour cream taco seasoning, cream of chicken soup, and salsa.

HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT SHREDDED CHICKEN FOR TACOS:

Spray the inside of a 5-6 quart oval slow cooker with some nonstick cooking spray. Add chicken breast to Crock Pot. Sprinkle taco seasoning on chicken.

A collage of two images. Raw chicken breasts in a slow cooker and Taco seasoning covered chicken breasts in a crock pot.

In a bowl, combine cream of chicken soup with salsa. Stir well. Pour mixture evenly over chicken.

Salsa and cream of chicken in a bowl. Sauce covered chicken breasts in a crock pot.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Time will vary based on how large your chicken breasts are and whether you are using fresh or frozen chicken breasts. Also, many newer crock pot models run at a higher temperature than older models. So, if you have an older model, it may take up to 8 hours or a bit longer.

When chicken is ready, take chicken out and shred with two forks. Or you can shred it right in the slow cooker. I don’t want to make your life more complicated, go with what is easiest for you.

Cooked chicken in a salsa cream sauce in a crock pot and a bowl of shredded chicken.

Put shredded chicken back in the pot. Stir in sour cream. At this point you can turn off your slow cooker or put it on the “keep warm” setting. Give it all a good stir.

Cooked Shredded chicken in a slow cooker and Shredded chicken for tacos with a dollop of sour cream on top.

You can serve this in a lot of different ways. Try adding cooked rotini or penne pasta (1 pound box) to the slow cooker when this is all done and stir well. It makes for an amazing pasta meal! Or serve in warm, soft tortilla shells or in a salad! Enjoy

A large Chicken Taco with Shredded Chicken from the slow cooker being held by a hand.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Originally published: May 2012
Updated and republished: February 2024

Shredded chicken in a corn tortilla taco being held by a hand.

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken for Tacos (+Video)

This Crock Pot Shredded Chicken for Tacos is a creamy chicken taco filling made with chicken breasts, salsa, taco seasoning, cream of chicken and sour cream!
5 from 32 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
Total Time: 7 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Spray the inside of a 5-6 quart oval slow cooker with some nonstick cooking spray.
  • Place 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the crock pot. Sprinkle 1 packet taco seasoning on chicken.
    Taco seasoning covered chicken breasts in a crock pot.
  • In a bowl, combine 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup with 1 cup salsa. Pour mixture evenly over chicken.
    Sauce covering chicken breasts in a slow cooker.
  • Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
    A slow cooker full of cooked Shredded Chicken for tacos.
  • When chicken is ready, take chicken out and shred with two forks. Put shredded chicken back in the pot.
    shredded chicken in a bowl.
  • Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream.
    Shredded chicken for tacos with a dollop of sour cream on top.
  • At this point you can turn off your slow cooker or put it on the "keep warm" setting. Stir and serve in warm tortillas, crunchy tacos or in a taco salad!
    A large Chicken Taco with Shredded Chicken from the slow cooker being held by a hand.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 846mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Recipe Rating




39 Comments

  1. Hi Brandie,
    I haven’t made this yet, but could you make this like your shredded beef recipe? Both sound DELISH !!! And with the comments, obviously this is amazing!!!

    Thanks so much !!! MW

  2. 5 stars
    We love this. We substitute enchilada sauce for the salsa because we have some who are opposed to onion and peppers!! Works fantastic. We use in soft tortillas and in walking tacos.

  3. Thanks for posting this recipe. Making this tonight, I added a can of diced green chilis and tomatoes. Gonna serve it with all the fixings. I will let you know how it turned out.

  4. 5 stars
    OMG easiest, best chicken recipe ever. I will treasure it always and will share the love at every potluck and family gathering possible.

    1. I cook a larger batch by doubling the ingredients: seasoning, soup, salsa, sour cream. Use the recommended amount of chicken breast but also get a package of boneless skinless chicken leg meat. I follow the directions, put the leg meat then layer the chicken breast and put the second layer of seasoning, then soup and salsa mis on it. Cook on high for 4 hours. Putting the dark meat on the bottom saves the white meat from getting dried out and adds a little more flavor to the dish.

  5. 5 stars
    We found this recipe a couple years ago and it has become a staple! We love it and it’s so easy. Thank you!

  6. 5 stars
    So easy and yummy. Made tacos., Taco salad with homemade tortillas chops and burritos. Can’t wait to make enchiladas! Thanks for great recipe!!

  7. 5 stars
    OMG…the crockpot chicken sounds de-lish. Can’t wait to try it. Also, can’t wait to make the Boston cream poke cake for our church potluck. I know they will love it. I’ve made other poke cakes before, experimenting with different flavored cakes and jello. Then using a pudding mix & cool whip combo for icing. It’s always a hit. Thank you Brandie!

  8. 5 stars
    I just noticed a comment from someone who only cooks for 2. I live alone and I can tell you it freezes beautifully.