Crockpot Salsa Chicken

This Crockpot Salsa Chicken is an easy way to get dinner on the table, even when you don’t have time to cook. With less than five minutes of prep and just a few simple ingredients, this recipe is sure to be a family favorite!

For more easy crockpot recipes, be sure to check out my Mississippi Pork Roast, Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup, and Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili.

When schedules get busy, quick and easy meals are a necessity. Even though it’s summer and our schedules and commitments have lessened a bit, I still love easy dinners so that we can spend more time relaxing, playing outside, or hanging out near the water.

Quick, easy, and delicious are the perfect words to describe this Crockpot Salsa Chicken. My mom made this a lot when we were growing up, and we loved eating it as tacos. I make it all the time now, especially on days when I know I won’t have much time to make dinner.

The best thing about Crockpot Salsa Chicken is how quick it is to prep. Just throw some chicken breasts, salsa, seasonings, black beans, and corn into the slow cooker and let it cook on low all day. Once you get home, shred the chicken with a couple of forks, then serve it over soft or hard taco shells with your favorite toppings!

Ingredients for Crockpot Salsa Chicken (See measurements in the recipe card below!)

• chicken breasts
• chunky salsa
• salt
• garlic powder
• cumin
• canned black beans
• frozen corn
• taco toppings, optional

How to Make Crockpot Salsa Chicken – Step by Step

Step 1: Add chicken to crockpot

Place chicken breasts evenly in the bottom of your slow cooker and sprinkle with salt.

Step 2:  Add other ingredients

Pour the salsa over the top of chicken, then sprinkle with garlic powder and cumin. Add the black beans and corn and stir until everything is combined and chicken is well coated.

Step 3: Cook

Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove the lid and shred the chicken with two forks, then mix.

Step 4: Shred chicken and serve

Serve in taco shells, tortillas, lettuce wraps, etc. with you favorite toppings.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken – Tips and Notes

• Make it creamy. For a deliciously creamy version, add a block of cream cheese on top of your ingredients before cooking.
• Salsa Recommendations: Feel free to use your favorite salsa in this recipe. I personally like (and recommend) just using a jarred mild chunky salsa.
• Instant Pot option: You can also make this Crockpot Salsa Chicken recipe in the Instant Pot! See my instructions for this step below.

How to Make Salsa 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 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 manually releasing any remaining pressure.

Can I use chicken thighs?

Yes! Chicken thighs work great in place of chicken breasts. All instructions and cook times remain the same for thighs.

Serving Suggestions

This crockpot salsa chicken tastes great tucked into soft or hard tortillas for tacos, but here are a few other ideas to put your chicken to good use! 

• Homemade nachos: spread your prepared salsa chicken over tortilla chips for homemade nachos.
• Lettuce wraps: for a lighter meal option, stuff large lettuce leaves with salsa chicken.
• Burrito Bowls: serve over rice along with your favorite toppings like Pico de Gallo, Chipotle Guacamole, and more.
• Taquitos: pull out your air fryer and use your salsa chicken to make Air Fryer Taquitos!
• Enchiladas: stuff into tortillas, roll up, and top with green salsa and cheese to make enchiladas.

Storing Leftovers

Store any leftover salsa chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove over low heat, in the microwave, or in your crockpot using the warm setting.

More delicious Taco Recipes You Should Try!

• Crockpot Beef Tacos
• Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Tacos
• Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
• Chicken Taco Casserole
• Slow Cooker Taco Soup

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!