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
Hi Ashlyn,
I live in Texas too. I was not born & raised here and I miss the 4 seasons as I’m from PA. I sure do love Tex-Mex food and that is bountiful here in Texas and I also love to shop at HEB grocery store.
I will be making this dish today. I love anything with lime and especially cilantro. I’m also going to make a Cilantro Lime Rice dish to go with it.
Thank your husband for serving. My daughter serves in the Marines. God Bless them!
Thank you for sharing this recipe and I love how quickly it’s put together.
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Sandi! Always nice to hear from other military families, too. Thank you to your daughter for her service, too! Hope you enjoyed your dinner!
How did you calculate the servings? I’m trying to make for a party this weekend. Is the 8 servings, two taco per person??
Hi Jessica, I’d say two per person. It makes a lot!
Hello!! I have made this several times in vacation and we love it!! I am currently at the beach again with my family. Unfortunately there is no crockpot. Any suggestions for maybe trying the recipe in the oven?!!
Hi Sara! I’ve never tried it in the oven so I’m really not sure! It shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes to cook, I wouldn’t think. The only issue I could foresee is that the flavor might not be as developed as it is when made in the crockpot, though. Have a great beach trip!
Is the cilantro in your images cooked? Or did you add some additional fresh for the photography?
A couple of the photos are all of the ingredients before I cooked them. I do add a bit more after it’s cooked too. I love cilantro. 🙂
YumI cannot wait to try this. If you like this have you ever tried cilantro lime and cyanine compound butter on corn on the Cobb?
Hi Suz! No I’ve never tried that before! Mmm!!
Love this recipe – have made it multiple times and it’s always a hit! Have you tried this in an Instant Pot and if so what settings did you use? Thank you!
Hi Rachel! I haven’t tried this in the Instant Pot yet, but I need to! I would think with fresh chicken breasts 10 minutes over manual high pressure should be sufficient, and then a quick release. I would add some chicken broth to the pot, probably 3/4 cup. Let me know if you try it!
Awesome and quick prep! I used chicken breast 4lbs no bones. Followed all the steps, only two changes I used Pace chunky salsa didnt have time to run for my favorite fresh salsa and I added diced green chilies. Its a little high on the sodium this way but will work that out later. Took about 4hrs on high. I peeked on it once. I’m rarely excited about recipes and often let down but this was great.
Husband, child and mother in law approved!
I’m so thrilled to hear it was a winner for y’all! Thank you for taking the time to comment and let me know!
Loved this with chicken thigh meat.
Can’t wait to try these. Where did you get those shells? I’m thinking that just changing up the shells might give Taco Tuesday a new twist. Thx!
They are fresh-made tortillas from H-E-B!
So excited to try this recipe! Can I put the chicken in Frozen or do I need to thaw first?
Hi Kayla! You can do them frozen as well.
Tried this for the first time tonight and it was delicious! Instead of drizzling ranch on it, I mixed Greek yogurt, avocado, ranch dip dry mix, and lime juice together to spread on a tortilla and then added the cilantro lime chicken on top of it. Very good combination!
This sounds really good. I am sensitive to night shades so I can’t have tomatoes, potatoes or peppers, among other things. I can make my own night shades free seasoning to replace the taco seasoning but was wondering if there was something you would suggest I use to replace the salsa?
Hi Mandy, can you have pineapple? I was thinking a pineapple salsa might work here.
Would say something like rice added would be ok? Or as pinch of cumin or a pinch of chili pepper spice? Yay or nay. Just playing a bit. We’re making it tonite… can’t wait!!! I’m NOT a cook at all but I think even I can pull it off. Thanks, I could eat Mexican every night!!!
Hi Debi! Feel free to add or adjust spices to your liking! And I’ve never tried it with rice before in the crockpot. If you do, let me know how it goes!
If I make this with fresh (not frozen) chicken but kept the amounts of everything the same, how long on low would you recommend cooking it for?
Hi Leigh Ann, the time is the same!
This is super delicious! I ended using all the leftover sauce so I just dumped it right back into the crock pot after shredding. 🙂
I will be making these for my soldier to come home to tonight! He will love it!!
Enjoy!!
I’m trying this out for the first time I was at H-E-B (I live in San Antonio.) and they had a great deal on a 6 quart Crock-Pot. I also just so happened to pick up Mark’s salsa.
My question is about halving the recipe. I don’t need to make it for four — just my six year old and me. I added half the chicken, salsa, seasonings, etc., But was worried there wouldn’t be enough liquid in the Crock-Pot. I added a little water to help with that.
Should I be concerned about the cooking time being different for less chicken, or are there any other changes you would suggest?
Hi Steven! We visited San Antonio this past summer and loved the area! I especially loved the Riverwalk; so pretty! Anyway, I would keep the cooking time the same, even though you’re using less chicken. How did it turn out?