Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken
Make the best chipotle chicken tacos right in the slow cooker! A super easy crock pot recipe for addictive tacos, burritos, bowls, nachos, quesadillas and more.
I love this chicken! It’s juicy, full of smoky chipotle flavor and you just throw everything in a slow cooker and forget about it for four hours. This makes it great for summertime tacos! No need to turn on the oven or stove for this chicken.
But it’s really great any time of year! The ingredients for this recipe are rather simple, which is how I try to keep things around here. Let’s make it!
Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky
Ingredients for slow cooker chipotle chicken
- Chicken breast: as always, mine is from butcher box! Organic, free-range and humanely raised chicken delivered straight to my door!
- Chipotle in adobo (affiliate link): love using chipotle adobo sauce in so many recipes. They give smoky heat and add delicious flavor to meat, chilis, and makes a killer chipotle mayo. Just note: these can be quite spicy and spiciness can vary from brand to brand. If you are sensitive to spice, you may want to use less.
- Onion: I like to thinly slice the onion to keep it a similar shape to the shredded chicken, but you could also chop it. I typically use yellow onion for this recipe but you could really use any onion. Use what you have!
- Garlic: for the ultimate, low-effort recipe, I just smash the cloves using the side of my knife to quickly remove the peel.
- Salt and pepper
- Dried oregano
- Lime juice
- Canned, diced fire-roasted tomatoes
The secret to perfectly tender chicken
I am forever grateful to Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (affiliate link) for teaching me how to never have dry chicken again. All you have to do is sprinkle salt onto the chicken the night before you plan to cook– or even the morning of- and just like that you will end up with tender chicken every time. It’s well worth this extra step, trust me.
Making this chicken in a slow cooker
I use the slow cook setting on my instant pot (affiliate link), which automatically defaults to a 4 hour cooking session. If you don’t have an instant pot, set your slow cooker to the ‘high’ setting and cook for 4 hours.
It’s so easy to make this chicken. Just toss all the ingredients into your crockpot (or instant pot) and forget about it for 4 hours.
Shred the chicken
After the chicken is done cooking, use two forks to shred it, the chicken should shred very easily. It might seem like there’s a lot of liquid but once you shred the chicken it will soak up all that liquid which means juicy, flavorful chicken! A squeeze of lime, if you have it, is the perfect bright flavor to go with the smoky chipotle.
Enjoy slow cooker chipotle chicken with…
This chicken is perfect for tacos which means it would also be wonderful in a burrito. Maybe on top of nachos or in a quesadilla. Even on top of a salad! Basically anywhere! Ooh sandwiches too!
A word of warning
Canned chipotle in adobo can be quite spicy! If you are sensitive to spice, you may want to use half of a can to start with.
I have also found that even certain brands can be more spicy and the spice level can even just vary from can to can. If you plan to enjoy this chicken with cheese, sour cream rice and/or tortillas that might also help tone down the spicy factor a bit.
About Butcher Box
I mentioned earlier in my post that I get my chicken from Butcher Box. But not just my chicken!
Butcher Box is a meat subscription service with a wide selection of meats to choose from. I mix it up from delivery to delivery but always get chicken, and then mix between ground beef (perfect for this ground beef taco bowl recipe!) and steaks, pork chops, bacon, salmon and cod! I’ve even gotten filet mignon and it doesn’t change the flat fee that I am charged for my box.
Please note: I am an affiliate for them, which just means if you decide to sign up, I will receive a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend them because I use this service and truly enjoy it!
Tried this recipe?
If you try this recipe, let me know! I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment/rating below and find me on instagram @thefigjar. Enjoy!
Other tasty chicken recipes
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken
Juicy shredded chicken with addictive flavor! Perfect for tacos, burritos, bowls, nachos, quesadillas and more!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, chicken breast
- 1 cup white or yellow onion (sliced)
- 1 7 oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 3/4 cup (canned) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic (smashed)
- juice from 2 limes (about 2 tbsp)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- If you can, sprinkle chicken lightly with salt the night before you plan to cook.
- Place chicken in slow cooker. Add onions, chipotle peppers, diced tomatoes, garlic cloves, lime juice, dried oregano, salt and pepper. (If you salted the chicken the night before, still add salt at this step). After emptying the can of chipotle, add 1/4 cup of water and swirl it around to loosen the sauce that was left behind, then pour this over the chicken.
- Cook on high for 4 hours.
- Shredded chicken using two forks.
Notes
Notes
- Chipotle peppers in adobe can be very spicy, if you are sensitive to spice, you may want to start with 1/2 of the can first. Of course serving this chicken on tacos with sour cream and cheddar cheese helps balance out the heat 🙂
- You can simplify this recipe by just seasoning with chipotle peppers, onions, garlic, salt and pepper (skipping the lime juice, tomatoes and oregano). You will still have very tasty chicken, these other elements do enhance flavor though!
This chicken is SO amazing. A bit spicy but tender and super flavorful. Will definitely be making this again!
Lol I should probably include a disclaimer that it’s on the spicy side. Glad you liked it though!
I eat real spicy food. This was very good. I did however make the simplified method. Thank you.
Glad to hear you liked it!
This chicken is very flavorful and great to have throughout the week – love this recipe. I have a pretty high spice tolerance and using the whole can of chipotle in adobo was a bit spicy – if you are sensitive to spice I would suggest half the can.
Hi Lauren! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. Glad you love this recipe!
We’re having this in a taco bar for Thanksgiving. I made it ahead and it’s delicious. Thanks Becky!
Hi Philip! I love that idea! Thank you for the review, I’m glad you love it 🙂
I make chicken so much that my family is sick of it. This is so good! My husband even made a taco with this, in a fried tortilla with a cabbage slaw. He even said it was awesome!! Planning to make nachos or a salad with leftovers today. Maybe enchiladas. Possibilities are so versatile! !
Aww I’m so glad to hear! We love this one too!
I love this chicken! I’ve made it several times for get together and also just my family. It turns out great every time!
I’m so glad! Thank you for your review 🙂
If using frozen chicken, would the time be longer ?
Hi Rhonda, yes, it make take a little longer if you start with frozen chicken but probably not too significant. I would just check on it after 4.5 hours and see where it’s at!
I make this in big batches and freeze in freezer bags. As Becky states we use it on nacho chips baked with cheese in oven, tacos, quesdillas, enchiladas etc. So great and easy to have on hand.
I love the oregano in it!
Hi Nathalie! Thank you for your review 🙂 I’m so happy to hear this is a staple in your house <3
Hi! Can you cook on low for 8 hours?
Hi Jen! I haven’t tried it so I’m not 100% sure but it would probably be ok. Of course the main risk is the chicken getting dry. If you salt it ahead of time it will probably help keep it tender longer. Let me know if it works for you!