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
I have been using HEBs fresh medium salsa (in the produce department) for a lot of my Mexican recipes and it has been the perfect combination of tomato, onion, cilantro and spice! Ground meat and diced potatoes in broth with that salsa is the perfect picadillo soup. Much easier than dicing all the ingredients separately for a quick dinner.
I will definitely try the cilantro lime chicken recipe soon. Thanks and I hope you are loving Texas!
This recipe has turned into one of my all time favorites to make because not only is it delicious, it’s SUPER easy to make! 10/10 recommend
Can you use fresh salsa?
Sure!
This looks absolutely delicious and perfect for a get together with my friends! , Thank you sooooo much for this wonderful recipe!
It’s been a while since I’ve made these, but I will definitely be making them more often. They were delicious and so easy. I followed the recipe exactly and used low cab flour tortillas.
Hello!
Does this taco meat freezes well?
Hi Monica! I haven’t frozen it before, but I think it would work just fine!
This was amazing!!! This meal is now a family staple in my house. The tacos are incredibly easy to make, and taste so so good. We used the fajita taco shells, and also made some cilantro lime rice to go with the chicken as a topping. Definitely recommend to anyone with a hungry belly.
Great recipe that’s very easy to make. We made this for a Cinco De Mayo celebration at our house and we had a lot of compliments on how good it was. Will definitely keep this in our rotation.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was sooooooo good!!!!!
I added some black beans and corn to it also!!!
The cilantro and lime mixed well together
Hi, Do you think I could make these in our Instapot on the slow cooker setting?
Hi! I haven’t tried it like that before, but if the heat is similar to the regular slow cooker it should work. Let me know if you try it!
if I use frozen chicken do I thaw it before putting in the crock pot?
You don’t have to!
Made this as part of a taco bar we had for our small group from Church. It was simple and delicious. Will definitely make it again. Used black bean and corn salsa. Just right. The extra liquid makes a great topping for rice to have as a side.
What kind of taco seasoning did you use? Was it just normal taco seasoning or specifically for chicken tacos?
Just normal taco seasoning.
I have always used regular taco seasoning. I tried taco seasoning for chicken which was a dollar more and i couldn’t tell a difference. I accidentally used the chicken taco seasoning on beef I couldn’t tell a difference. I was paranoid because I was feeding guests that evening, No one said anything so I asked them to be honest no one said anything tasted bad or weird one thought it tasted better than his *wife’s cooking. So I just use regular Taco seasoning for every thing. But thats me. I hope i helped you. *I had his wife’s cooking. I suggested he buy her a few different cook books and mark which ones he likes. They had only been married for 6 months.
These taco are so delicious and super easy…
I’ve made these tacos twice and my boyfriend and I LOVE them! I just had a quick question, for the calories count, is the 154 calories just the chicken or is that with the actual hard or soft taco shell included?
Hi Kelsey, glad y’all are enjoying this! And the calorie count is just for the chicken; no toppings or shells.
Love this recipe, love the site…but any way to not make us scroll forever just to find the recipe? The shots of the food are nice, but 9 advertisements and 4 huge pictures of the chicken are a bit over the top…
I agree!