How to Make Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken (Recipes Kids Should Know Before Leaving Home)
This recipe is so easy it almost doesn’t feel like a recipe…my favorite kind! We are going to learn how to make shredded salsa chicken in a slower cooker. This recipe is great because it makes a really simple, yet delicious, shredded chicken that you can use for all kinds of things, including tacos, burritos, fajitas, enchiladas, salads, and more. And it really truly only has two ingredients. It’s a magical recipe and therefore one of the Recipes Kids Should Know Before Leaving Home.
Tips when Making Salsa Chicken in a Slow Cooker
There are a few things to keep in mind when using a slow cooker. There are, of course, more slow cooker tips out there, but these are the two that are most important when making salsa chicken:
- Resist the urge to lift the lid while the food is cooking! Every time you lift the lid you add at least 30 minutes (maybe even an hour!) to the cooking time. There’s no need to lift the lid, just let the slow cooker do its job.
- Some people put frozen food into the slow cooker, but this can increase the cooking time by quite a bit and makes knowing how long to cook the recipe tricky. It’s best to just use fresh or thawed meat in the slow cooker.
This recipe makes quite a bit of chicken. I like to freeze half of it to have an even easier meal on hand for a later time. Also, you can use whatever salsa you like for this recipe. Choose a salsa of which that you like the flavor and you’ll be all good!
How to Make Salsa Chicken in the Slow Cooker
This crazy-easy recipe only has two ingredients! The chicken is perfect to use in your recipes for tacos, fajitas, burritos, and salads.
Ingredients
- 3 large or 4 medium-sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fresh or thawed, not frozen)
- 1 16-ounce jar of salsa (select whichever salsa flavor you like! I usually go with a neutral, standard salsa, but you can have fun with the flavors)
Instructions
1. Place the chicken breasts in a slow cooker. Pour the jarred salsa over the chicken, then stir the chicken around just a little bit so there is salsa underneath as well as on top of the chicken.
2. Put on the slow cooker lid, and cook the chicken on HIGH for about 4 hours or on LOW for 6-8 hours (chicken will probably be ready around 6 hours, but you can cook it as long as 8 hours if you need to). Do not open the lid while the chicken is cooking – just open it at the end to check for doneness. You will know the chicken is done when it falls apart very easily when you pierce it with a fork.
3. When the chicken is done cooking, turn off the slow cooker. Carefully remove the chicken breasts one at a time and place on a large plate. Using two forks, pull the chicken apart to shred it, then add the shredded chicken back into the salsa sauce in the slow cooker. Stir around to coat the chicken in the sauce.
4. Serve over salad or as the meat for tacos, fajitas or burritos.
More Easy Dinner Meals Kids Should Learn to Make Before Leaving Home:
1. Teach Your Kids How to Make Bean Chili
2. Teach Your Kids How to Make Salad & Homemade Salad Dressing
3. Teach Your Kids How to Make Vegetable Soup
