Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos (or Instant Pot)

These Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos – and the toppings that go with them – are always a good idea! Whether you call them crockpot chicken tacos or slow cooker chicken tacos, this recipe is one you’ll want to try! Better yet it can be made in the Instant Pot, too. This recipe is Whole30-friendly when served with compatible toppings.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos are a weeknight staple win every time.

Whether it’s Taco Tuesday or any other day of the week, we think it’s safe to say that everyone wins when tacos are on the menu. And regardless of whether they’re the standard ground beef taco with minimal toppings (cheese, lettuce, and tomato) or kicked up a notch with fish, roasted veggies or shredded chicken and a side of guacamole, there’s always room for everyone to make them their own.

They’re made with only 8 ingredients (less if you use a premade taco seasoning mix), that are all thrown in a slow cooker, making this a super easy dinner option. We’ve given this tender chicken a classic flavor – with our Real Foods Dietitians twist of course – that doesn’t interfere with your creative license when it comes to toppings.

Bonus: if you’re short on time, our crockpot shredded chicken tacos can also be made in the Instant Pot!

This post may contain affiliate links that won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

• Chicken breast or chicken thighs – we recommend 1 lb. of each. We love ButcherBox for its quality meat options.
• Salsa of choice – homemade or store-bought.
• Ground cumin*
• Chili powder*
• Garlic powder*
• Ground coriander* – optional but really adds delicious and authentic flavor in this recipe.
• Cayenne pepper* – for more heat add a pinch or two extra, for less heat omit.
• Salt and Pepper
• Salad greens or Butter leaf lettuce – for serving as a lettuce wrap or salad or serve them in a gluten-free tortilla (we like an organic corn tortilla or a grain-free tortilla)
• Toppings of choice – Fresh chopped veggies of choice, fresh cilantro, olives, avocado, hot sauce, fresh salsa, lime wedge, etc. cheese and sour cream (not Whole30 compatible)

*May substitute our homemade taco seasoning or a pre-made one of your choice.

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How to make Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Slow Cooker Directions

• Step 1: Place all of the chicken ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours.
• Step 2: Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Return to slow cooker and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.
• Step 3: Serve the chicken taco meat in a lettuce wrap, gluten-free tortilla, or on a bed of greens, top with cilantro, and add desired toppings.

Instant Pot Directions

• Step 1: Place all chicken ingredients into the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. Lock the lid in place and flip the vent valve to the “Sealing” position.
• Step 2: Select “Poultry” or “High Pressure” setting then use the +/- buttons to adjust the cooking time up or down to 14-16 minutes (depending on how thick your chicken breasts are).
• Step 3: When cooking time is up, allow pressure to release naturally for 10-15 minutes before releasing any residual steam.
• Step 4: Carefully remove the lid once all steam has been released and shred the chicken with two forks right in the pot. If the meat seems watery, select the “Sauté” setting and cook for 5-8 minutes or until liquid has reduced.
• Step 5: Serve chicken taco meat in a lettuce wrap, gluten-free tortilla, or on a bed of greens, top with cilantro, and add desired toppings.

Confused about poultry labeling? Check this post out to learn all about how to choose the best chicken in the grocery store. 

How to make these Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos Whole30?

This recipe makes for a great Whole30 meal! Instead of wrapping the chicken in a tortilla, try a lettuce wrap or serving it bowl-style over cauliflower rice or a bed of greens. Both are great options for turning this into a scrumptious Whole30 meal. You’ll want to hold the cheese and sour cream as well. Instead, you can top your taco with guacamole, fresh salsa, and cilantro.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco toppings and serving ideas

Taco ’bout the possibilities! It’s all about the toppings. Yes, these crockpot shredded chicken tacos are delicious all on their own, but when you think of the fact that you could literally have a different version every night based on toppings alone, it’s positively mind-blowing, right?

We love setting up a taco bar with both family and guests. Not only do we feel as though our “adulting” game is on point, but it also looks impressive to onlookers. It has become a challenge to see just how many toppings we can offer! Don’t worry, with only five minutes of prep work before you set it and forget it in the slow cooker (or Instant Pot), you’ll have time to get them all in order.

Ideas for serving include:

• In lettuce wraps
• Over a bed of greens
• Over cauliflower rice or over white rice
• Wrapped in a tortilla (soft or hard)
• Over a baked sweet potato like we do with our Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken.

Ideas of toppings include:

• Fresh chopped veggies of choice (our personal favorites are peppers, onion, and tomatoes)
• Fresh cilantro
• Olives
• Sliced Avocado (or mashed to make Homemade Guacamole!)
• Hot sauce
• Fresh salsa
• A squeeze of fresh lime
• Cheese* and sour cream* (*not Whole30 compatible).

Looking for guidance with meal planning? Check out Real Plans, a highly customizable online meal planning service that includes over 300 of our very own recipes.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos are always a good idea!

Budget-friendly, freezer-friendly, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, we highly recommend doubling the recipe so you can be prepared for just about anything – consider it your emergency taco meal kit.

Whether meetings run late, surprise visitors show up, or heck, you just don’t feel like cooking, you’ll never regret this deliciously proactive move.

How to Freeze the Shredded Chicken:

Prepare the Crockpot Chicken Tacos as described, and then shred. Allow the shredded chicken to completely cool, and then transfer it to a glass airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

You can also portion the shredded chicken out into individual servings. This way you can easily pull out exactly the amount you need when it is time to serve!

How to Reheat the Shredded Chicken:

If you remember ahead of time, you can pull the chicken out of the freezer to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using it. But honestly, this is real life and we aren’t always going to remember! Here are some ways you can reheat the chicken from frozen:

To reheat on the stove: Transfer the frozen chicken to a pan. Heat it over medium heat, breaking it apart as it thaws. It’s ready to serve when it’s hot.

To reheat in a slow cooker: Transfer the shredded chicken block to a Crockpot. Reheat on “high” for a few hours until it’s hot.

To reheat in the instant pot: Transfer the shredded chicken block to an Instant Pot. Using the sauté setting, break the chicken apart as it thaws. This should take about 5 minutes. Then place the lid on the Instant Pot and switch the valve to sealing. Select the steam function and set the time for 5 minutes. Once the time is up, release the pressure and check to see if it’s heated through. If not you can either add more time or use the sauté function again to finish heating through.

Other Mexican-inspired recipes you’ll love!

• Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa
• Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
• Healthy Taco Hotdish
• Tex-Mex Sweet Potato Hash

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Let's Get Cookin'

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

These Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos are always a good idea. Serve in a lettuce wrap, gluten-free tortilla, or on a bed of greens and top with a multitude of toppings for a weeknight meal win every time. Instructions for both Slow Cooker and Instant Pot.

• Author: The Real Food Dietitians
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Total Time: 4 hours 10 mins
• Yield: 8 serving 1x
• Category: Slow Cooker - Whole 30 - Paleo

Print Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 12 reviews

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 2 lbs. chicken breast or thighs (we recommend 1 lb. of each)
• 1 cup salsa of choice
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp. ground cumin*
• 2 tsp. chili powder*
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. ground coriander* (optional but recommended)
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper* (more for more heat)
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

*May substitute our homemade taco seasoning or a pre-made one of your choice.

For serving:

• Salad greens or Butter leaf lettuce
• Fresh chopped veggies of choice, fresh cilantro, olives, avocado, hot sauce, fresh salsa, lime wedge, etc. cheese** and sour cream**
• Optional: gluten-free tortilla** (we like organic corn tortillas or grain-free)

**not Whole30 compatible

Instructions

Slow Cooker Directions

1. Place all of the chicken ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours.
2. Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Return to slow cooker and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.
3. Serve chicken taco meat in a lettuce wrap, gluten-free tortilla or on a bed of greens, top with cilantro, and add desired toppings.

Instant Pot Directions

1. Place all chicken ingredients into the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. Lock the lid in place and flip the vent valve to the “Sealing” position.
2. Select the “Poultry” or “High Pressure” setting then use the +/- buttons to adjust the cooking time up or down to 14-16 minutes (depending on how thick your chicken breasts are).
3. When cooking time is up, allow pressure to release naturally for 10-15 minutes before releasing any residual steam.
4. Carefully remove the lid once all steam has been released and shred the chicken with two forks right in the pot. If the meat seems watery, select the “Saute” setting and cook for 5-8 minutes or until liquid is reduced.
5. Serve chicken taco meat in a lettuce wrap, gluten-free tortilla or on a bed of greens, top with cilantro, and add desired toppings.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe (chicken only)
• Calories: 140
• Sugar: 1 g
• Sodium: 300 mg
• Fat: 3 g
• Carbohydrates: 4 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Protein: 26 g

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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter. 

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

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