Between busy work weeks, endless errands, and juggling family life, cooking from scratch sometimes feels impossible. But this slow cooker Mexican chicken recipe is your new weeknight hero. It's the kind of meal that practically cooks itself while you get on with life and then rewards you with juicy, shredded chicken bursting with flavour.
TL;DR
- Serves 8 making it ideal for chicken batch-prep and freezer friendly for 3-6 months.
- Meal prep: Suggested serving with rice
- Fridge: Store for 4 days, separate from rice or on opposite sides of container
- Reheating: 1 minute intervals in microwave until heated through (approx. 3 minutes)
- Customise by serving with rice, on burritos, fajitas; and adjust spice with use of chilli's and salsa.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Meal prep friendly. Serve with rice (cooked in the last half hour) for balanced lunches all week.
Mexican-inspired. With flavours like salsa and jalapenos, it's an easy way to bring the Mexican vibes like my taco soup with black beans or Mexican vegetable fritters.
Slow cooker. It's a true "set and forget" meal like my slow cooker satay chicken and slow cooker massaman beef.
Ingredients and substitutions
Chicken breast. I quite often choose chicken breast for meal preps because it's lean and affordable. I also prefer it in the slow cooker as the shredding allows for the flavour to attach better.
Medium salsa. I recommend using at least a medium option as the slow cooker can remove a lot of flavour. Medium ends up being mild (and kid-friendly without the jalapenos) and I found mild just ends up being really bland and watery.
When looking for salsas, have a look at the ingredients list and avoid ones with lots of water (near the beginning of the ingredients).
I tried this recipe with tinned tomatoes and passata and they aren't as great. I definitely recommend the salsa.
Tomato paste. Concentrates flavour and adds body without introducing extra water.
Don't substitute with tinned tomatoes or passata or you won't have the same intensity.
Jalapenos. Optional, but they bring back the flavour that slow cookers sometimes mute. Drain well.
You can swap for fresh chillis for more of a kick.
Mexican seasoning. I have my own homemade mix of Mexican flavours which makes it easily customisable, but you can use any type of taco or Mexican seasoning from the supermarket.
I do recommend looking at the ingredients and making sure it doesn't have added "filler" ingredients as this will decrease flavour.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity.
How to make slow cooker Mexican chicken
Step 1: If your slow cooker has a sear function, brown them first for extra flavour. Otherwise, do this quickly in a pan then transfer to the slow cooker.
This is optional, but it does help make it more flavourful.
Step 2: Add salsa, tomato paste, and jalapenos into the slow cooker with the chicken. Stir well.
Cover and cook on Low for 4-6 hours or High for 2-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and pulls apart easily.
Step 3: About 30 minutes before serving, shred the chicken using two forks
Step 4: Stir in black beans, corn, bell peppers/capsicums and lemon juice. Add the lid back on until serving (you can even turn the slow cooker off at this stage).
Step 5: Spoon over rice, in wraps, or as a burrito bowl with your favourite toppings.
My Top Tips
Drain tins well. Water from corn or beans dilutes your sauce so make sure to drain any excess liquid first.
Taste after shredding. That's when you can adjust salt, heat, or acidity.
Meal prepping slow cooker chicken
This recipe is built for meal prep. When portioning, keep the chicken and rice separate (or at least on opposite sides of the container) to stop the rice from getting soggy.
It can be stored in the fridge for 4 days in airtight containers and microwaved on one minute intervals (for approx. 3 minutes) until reheated.
I usually add a small container of guacamole on the side so it can be removed before reheating.
Freezing Mexican chicken
The chicken mixture freezes well for up to 3 months. You can freeze in freezer-safe containers, souper cubes (like pictured) or ziplock bags.
If you want to freeze the rice, do this separate to the Mexican chicken as rice can absorb excess moisture and turn mushy once thawed.
If you need to freeze them together, add the rice on top of the chicken mixture for a better texture (still not optimal, but better than being mixed together).
Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
What can I serve with shredded chicken?
I have a number of Mexican-inspired recipes you can mix-and-match this slow cooker chicken with.
Instead of grilling chicken, add this to my burrito bowls. You can replace the beef mince in my beef taco soup or even use it instead of the Mexican tofu in my potato nachos.
To make life really simple, just grab a wrap from your cupboard and make burritos or enchiladas. You can even use mini wraps for tacos or fajitas, or just spoon this over some pasta.
This one batch of chicken can be mix-and-matched with a number of different options to keep it interesting all week without any extra effort.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
It's mild-medium. Jalapenos bring gentle heat, but you can skip them or add extra if you like more spice.
Definitely - it'll still be flavourful. You can bulk it out with extra peppers or diced zucchini instead.
Other bulk chicken recipes you'll love
Or, you can have a browse through my bulk chicken recipes for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken with Black Beans and Corn
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.25 kg (2 ½ lb) chicken breast
- 300 g (1 cups) salsa, medium, see note 1
- 130 g (½ cups) tomato paste
- 90 g (1 cups) jalapenos, see note 2
- 10 g (2 tablespoon) Mexican seasoning, store-bought or homemade
- 3 bell peppers / capsicum, approx.3
- 2 red onion, approx.2
- 300 g (1 ½ cups) corn, approx.1 tin, drained + rinsed
- 250 g (1 ½ cups) black beans, approx.1 tin, drained + rinsed
- 400 g (2 cups) rice, note, this will be enough for the 8 serves. Adjust if needed.
- 60 ml (¼ cups) lemon juice, approx. approx.1
Instructions
Slow cook
- If your slow cooker has a sear function, brown 1.25 kg (2 ½ lb) chicken breast first for extra flavour. Otherwise, do this quickly in a pan and then transfer. This is optional, but it does help make it more flavourful.
- Add 300 g (1 cups) salsa, 130 g (½ cups) tomato paste, 90 g (1 cups) jalapenos, 10 g (2 tablespoon) Mexican seasoning into the slow cooker with the chicken. Stir well.
- Cover and cook on Low for 4-6 hours or High for 2-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and pulls apart easily.
- About 30 minutes before serving, shred the chicken using two forks
Prepare extras
- Dice: 3 bell peppers / capsicum, 2 red onion and add into the slow cooker.
- Drain well: 300 g (1 ½ cups) corn, 250 g (1 ½ cups) black beans and stir into the chicken with 60 ml (¼ cups) lemon juice. Taste and adjust.
- Add the lid back on until serving (you can even turn the slow cooker off at this stage).
- Prepare 400 g (2 cups) rice as per your preferences or follow my tips and tricks.
- Once rice is cooked, spoon mixture over and add your favourite toppings.
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