Incredible flavor. Incredibly tender. Fantastic aroma. This slow cooker Mexican chicken has knocked my long-time easy go-to beef taco mixture off the podium and replaced it at #1. And rightfully so.
This is the perfect mixture for tacos, nachos, burritos, chimichangas, you name it. Anything. Heck you can throw it on a bun and serve it as a sandwich. Or add it to a grilled cheese sandwich for something totally different.
I prefer using fire-roasted green chiles and tomatoes in dishes like this slow cooker Mexican chicken. The roasting adds so much more flavor to the vegetables. I leave it up to you if you want to drain the tomatoes. I added the juices in since I wanted to make sure the chicken stayed very moist. You can keep the juices and actually eat this as a soup. Just add some cheese and tortilla strips, and maybe a dollop of sour cream.
Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup hot salsa
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 4 ounce fire-roasted chopped green chilies
- 2 14 1/2 ounce fire-roasted diced tomatoes drained or not
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- Hot sauce to taste
Instructions
- Rub the chicken with the oil and place into a slow cooker set on low.
- In a large bowl stir together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the chicken and cover.
- Cook for 7 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Carefully remove chicken (it should be falling apart tender at this point) to a cutting board and shred or chop as desired.
- Return to the slow cooker and cook another hour, stirring occasionally.
- Depending on the dish, you may want to drain the chicken before using.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.