Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
These Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos are so delicious and simple to make! A five ingredient dump-and-go meal that takes minutes to prepare and cooks all day in the slow cooker!
Since fall is in full swing, that means it’s also crockpot season!
My favorite kind of crockpot meals are the ones that require absolutely zero work aside from throwing everything into the crockpot (like Mississippi Pot Roast) and these Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos fit that bill, y’all!
Five ingredients, dump ’em in, and check back in a few hours. You cannot beat that.
I served up these Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos over some freshly made flour tortillas from H.E.B (the most amazing grocery store I’ve ever set foot in, by the way; God Bless Texas!) then topped them with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, a drizzle of ranch, and even more cilantro!
Yes, hopefully if you’re reading this post you are a fellow cilantro lover, because there is plenty of it in this recipe!
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
- chicken breasts
- taco seasoning
- salsa
- cilantro
- limes
How to Make Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos – Step by Step
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Sprinkle taco seasoning over the top, then cover with salsa, lime juice, and cilantro.
- Place lid on top and cook for four hours on high, or 6-7 hours on low. Remove chicken from crockpot to a separate bowl and shred with two forks. Moisten chicken with small amounts of juice left over from the crockpot until you get the amount of moisture that you like. I used about 1/2 – 3/4 cup juice.
- Serve with taco shells or tortillas, adding on your favorite toppings. I like to use shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, cheese, sour cream, and even a drizzle of ranch dressing. Enjoy!
Tips and Notes
How to make Cilantro Lime Chicken in the Instant Pot
On super busy nights, or when I forget to put everything in the crockpot in time, I like to make this in the Instant Pot. Add 1/2 a cup of chicken broth or water to the bottom of your Instant Pot, then add the rest of the ingredients on top. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. Release any remaining pressure, remove the lid, and shred chicken as directed.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes! Chicken thighs work great in place of chicken thighs. All instructions and cook times remain the same for thighs.
Can I use frozen chicken?
Yes! You can use frozen chicken in either the crockpot or Instant Pot version. You might need to increase the cook time by about 1-2 hours in the slow cooker. For the Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 20 minutes with a 10 minute natural release before releasing any remaining pressure.
Is Cilantro Lime Chicken Gluten Free?
Yes, just make sure you choose a gluten-free taco seasoning. Many of the kinds that you can buy at the store are gluten-free, just double check the labels. You can also make a this homemade taco seasoning.
Can I freeze Cilantro Lime Chicken?
Yes! I like to make a big batch and freeze leftovers. Once your chicken is cooled, add small servings to individual ziplock bags and squeeze out the air. Lay flat and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then reheat on the stove over low heat, or in the microwave.
How to serve Cilantro Lime Chicken
You can serve with hard or soft taco shells, and sprinkle on all of your favorite toppings! Pico, guacamole, cilantro, sour cream, and cheese are some of our favorites.
You can also serve over rice to make cilantro lime chicken burrito bowls, or over mixed salad greens for a cilantro lime chicken salad!
More Delicious Crockpot Recipes
Recipe: Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, (fresh or frozen)
- 1 packet taco seasoning mix, (I use low sodium)
- 1 16 oz jar salsa , (use your favorite; I used a local Texas brand)
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- juice from two limes
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over the top, then cover with salsa, lime juice, and cilantro.
- Place lid on top and cook for four hours on high, or 6-7 hours on low. Remove chicken from crockpot to a separate bowl and shred with two forks. Moisten chicken with small amounts of juice left over from the crockpot until you get the amount of moisture that you like. I used about 1/2 - 3/4 cup juice.
- Serve with taco shells or tortillas, adding on your favorite toppings. I like to use shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, cheese, sour cream, and even a drizzle of ranch dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
- How to make Cilantro Lime Chicken in the Instant Pot: On super busy nights, or when I forget to put everything in the crockpot in time, I like to make this in the Instant Pot. Add 1/2 a cup of chicken broth or water to the bottom of your Instant Pot, then add the rest of the ingredients on top. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. Release any remaining pressure, remove the lid, and shred chicken as directed.
- Using chicken thighs: Chicken thighs work great in place of chicken thighs. All instructions and cook times remain the same for thighs.
- Using frozen chicken: You can use frozen chicken in either the crockpot or Instant Pot version. You might need to increase the cook time by about 1-2 hours in the slow cooker. For the Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 20 minutes with a 10 minute natural release before releasing any remaining pressure.
- Gluten Free: This recipe is gluten free, just make sure you choose a gluten-free taco seasoning. Many of the kinds that you can buy at the store are gluten-free, just double check the labels. You can also make a this homemade taco seasoning.
- Freezing leftovers: I like to make a big batch and freeze leftovers. Once your chicken is cooled, add small servings to individual ziplock bags and squeeze out the air. Lay flat and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then reheat on the stove over low heat, or in the microwave.
- Serving Suggestions: You can serve with hard or soft taco shells, and sprinkle on all of your favorite toppings! Pico, guacamole, cilantro, sour cream, and cheese are some of our favorites. You can also serve over rice to make cilantro lime chicken burrito bowls, or over mixed salad greens for a cilantro lime chicken salad!
Adapted from Allrecipes
This was delicious! I made it last night for my fiance and younger siblings, and all of them loved it! I used my own taco seasoning and omitted the cumin as I generally cannot stand Mexican food, and it was so nice to finally feel included in the taco loving. Taco Tuesday may possibly be a thing in the future.
So glad to hear it, Sarah! I’m glad you can be included in Taco Tuesday now, as well! 🙂
If I wanted to double or tripple the recipe for a larger group of people, would it work in a 6 Qt crockpot?
You could definitely double this and it would fit in the six quart. I’m not positive about tripling it though! You may need an additional crockpot for that.
Just starting to get to taco season in So Cal, so I tried these the other night. Doubled the recipe since we were having friends over, used a pineapple salsa (I like my salsas a bit sweet and mild), and topped with everything you recommended except the ranch – used the new Brianna’s brand cilantro lime salad dressing – and oh man were these a crowd AND cook pleaser. Love a good dump and go crockpot recipe, so I’ll be adding this one to my regular routine for sure!
Thanks so much!
I love the idea of using pineapple salsa! That’s one of my favorites. So glad you’re enjoying the tacos!!
Made this recipe last night and it was delicious! My teenage son loved it, so this will definitely be a repeat meal for us. I used some leftover chicken on a salad for lunch today and it was so good! I love a good slow cooker recipe. Thank you!
Sounds delicious on a salad, Kelly! Glad your family is enjoying it!
Made this the other night since we would be out all day. The house smelled INCREDIBLE when we walked in making my mouth water. The flavors mixed really well, served it in a tortilla with cheese and avocado slices and a side of rice. I had to pass this on to my Mexican Food loving friends it was just that good. Thanks for a great and easy recipe. It’s a keeper!
Yay!!! So glad you enjoyed it, Maria! And thanks for passing it on to your friends!!
Hi Ashlyn!
What do you consider a serving? Is that like 1 taco, or more? I’m throwing my boyfriend a surprise dinner party for his birthday, which just so happens to fall on his favorite day of Taco Tuesday, and we’re having about 30 people show up. We’re having other meats as well, but if I know me and my friends, we’re gonna lean more towards the steak and chicken tacos being made!
Thank you for your input!
I’m so sorry I’m just now getting to your comment, Karen! I’m pregnant and have had a very difficult, sick pregnancy so far. Anyway, I’d say a serving would be about two tacos. I’d probably double or triple the recipe for that many guests depending on how much other food you plan to have also. Did you already have the party for your boyfriend? If so I hope it went well and everyone enjoyed the food and had a great time!
I made this last night and it was fantastic. And ridiculously easy. I made a slaw with cabbage, cilantro, lime and green onion to top off the meat in the tortilla, just for something different. A big hit!. It also makes a lot so that mean freezing for later or an easy dish for a crowd. Thanks so much!
That slaw sound delish! Glad y’all are enjoying it, Jamie!
If I’m using a gourmet salsa that has a good deal of cilantro, should I still use the fresh cilantro? The same amount? Less? Thanks!
Hi Tiffany, sorry for the late response. I’m pregnant and this pregnancy has been a hard one so far. I would say it depends on how much you enjoy cilantro! We love it, so I’d probably stick with the same amount or reduce it just slightly. Hope y’all enjoy these!
I love most of your recept don’t wait to try more…..
So glad you’re enjoying them, Kathy!
SO easy and SO yummy!!! The whole family absolutely loved it. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Glad to hear it, Cassidy!
Have you frozen leftovers before? Just the chicken mixture.
Hi Monica, I haven’t frozen this before, but I don’t see why you couldn’t! Sorry to be responding to your comment so late; I’m pregnant and this pregnancy has been very hard so far. Trying to get caught back up.
Looking forward to trying the recipe. I do wonder what H.E.B your shopping at that you think it is so great. Where I am at Texas it doesn’t even remotely compare to stores in Maryland. Safeway and Wegmans are so much better and I miss them so much. The amount of bugs and dirt on the fresh fruit and vegetables here is astounding. But I will admit I am probably just not a fan of the south and all the bugs in general. Plus, I love snow.
Oh no, so sorry you dealt with a lot of bugs and dirt! I haven’t had those kind of issues with our HEB, thankfully. I will admit though, that we moved here from Hawaii which is bug central, haha, so maybe they don’t bother me as much! I’ve never been to Wegmans but have heard great things. We had Safeway in Hawaii and I did enjoy shopping there. Hope you enjoy the tacos, Heather! PS: sorry for the late response. I’m pregnant but it’s been a sick and challenging one so far. I’m trying to get caught up now on days that I feel better. 🙂
I don’t normally comment on recipes and blogs like this…but I feel the need to this time! I made this, for the first time, like four weeks ago. And I think my husband has requested it every week since. We are military living in Japan, and we crave Mexican food. I try my best to replicate good Mexican meals we used to get in San Diego, but it’s tough. This one is awesome for me because it couldn’t be any easier. And my husband loves it! My two year old son even gets in on the taco action! Thank you sooooo much!
I totally understand your plight with trying to find good Mexican food! We are military as well and just moved from Hawaii a few months ago. I absolutely loved it there but it was almost impossible to find decent Mexican food! So glad to hear that y’all are enjoying this, and I always love hearing from fellow military families! Thanks for leaving your sweet comment and hope y’all enjoy your time in Japan!
We are Military too and are in Texas as well. I’m going to try this tonight. I was wondering if you could use bottled lime juice instead of fresh lime juice and get the same results?
Yes you can definitely use bottled!
Oh my goodness! I’m a military spouse in Japan as well !’
I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS! My family gobbled it up. Instead of taco seasoning, I used Rick Bayless Taco Simmer Sauce kind of randomly with the rest of the ingredients.. We don’t have a slow cooker, so I braised the chicken in our sauteuse pan. The lime and cilantro really add a fresh taste to these tacos. We’ll definitely make them again!
So glad y’all enjoyed it, Susan! I’ve never tried Rick Bayless’ sauce; I’ll have to give it a try!
I’m sure you can but have you ever tried this recipe with a pork loin?
Hi Brandy! I’ve never tried it with a pork loin before but if you do, let me know how it turns out!
I made this a few nights ago and my whole family looked it!! I used Pace salsa and fried the tortillas right before serving, So fridgen delish!!! We used the leftovers to make quesadillas the next day. Now in my regular rotation!
loved… not looked Hahaha
Glad y’all enjoyed it, Andrea!
Yay! Thanks for specifying which salsa you used since Pace is all I have in the pantry!