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Home » Recipes » Shredded Chicken

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos: Pulled and Shredded

Published: Feb 21, 2019 · Modified: Aug 27, 2020 by Bowl Me Over · 35 Comments

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos are easy to make, flavorful and delicious! If you love a great slow cooker meal, you need to make this today!
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Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos that are easy to make, tender, flavorful and delicious! Have a fiesta at home with shredded chicken that's perfect for great meals like burritos, tacos, soup or salad!  Make this shredded chicken and you'll enjoy a different meal every night of the week! 

Love this meal? Be sure to try slow cooker al pastor tacos next!

A white platter filled with slow cooker chicken tacos on flour tortillas topped with cabbage, tomatoes and sliced radishes.

Chicken Tacos are easy to make in your crock pot!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

You guys love great Mexican food, right? Of course, you do, because you're following my blog!

I always say Fresno serves up the BEST Mexican food and I've made it a point to share my favorites with you! Authentic Posole or Green Chili Chicken Posole - pick your favorite! There's the BEST Enchilada Sauce or Baja Fish Tacos - YUM!

Today I'm going to have you grab your slow cooker because it's fiesta time! This meal starts with chicken tacos and is fabulous! But leftovers? Just as good. No boring leftovers here, right? We'll repurpose leftovers into two new meals - this is great food.

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos on a white platter.

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos are a family favorite!

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos

Grocery List for Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

  • boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • picante sauce
  • chicken broth
  • onion chopped
  • cilantro minced
  • cumin
  • garlic powder
  • bay leaf
  • salt
  • pepper
  • tortillas

What are the best toppings for tacos?

In Fresno, we keep it simple: cabbage, white onion and radishes - but there are many toppings you can add!

  • cabbage
  • lettuce
  • shredded cheese
  • diced tomatoes
  • olives
  • jalapenos
  • sliced radishes
  • minced cilantro
  • salsa
  • sour cream

Are corn or flour tortillas the best for tacos?

  • Use your favorite, it's really your personal preference! If I use corn tortillas I always toast them over a flame first. Flour tortillas are heated to make them more pliable. My favorite for tacos are always street taco shells.
  • These shells topped with beef, chicken or pork are traditionally served with cabbage, white onions and radishes - delicious!

Pulled or shredded chicken, is there a difference?

You've seen it before, right? Some recipes say pulled chicken tacos, the next one says shredded chicken tacos. But is there a difference between shredded and pulled? Not really, the terms are interchangeable.

How long to cook Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos?

  • It will take 6 hours on high or 8-10 ten hours on low in the crockpot for tender shredded chicken.
A white bowl filled Slow Cooker Chicken Taco meat with

What's your favorite topping for tacos?

Steps to make Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

  1. Add the chicken to the slow cooker.
  2. Top with the spices, chicken stock and picante sauce. 
  3. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high 6 hours.
  4. When the meat is tender, remove it from the slow cooker (save the liquid in the slow cooker - this is important!)
  5. Shred the meat with two forks.
  6. Save 3 cups of the shredded meat for meals two and three.
  7. Pile the tacos high with meat on corn or flour tortillas with your favorite toppings.
  8. Depending on the size of the tacos, you'll get 8-10 large tacos or 12-16 small tacos from this meal. 

This is the beginnings of a great fiesta! Take the chicken meat out of the sauce.

  • Take 1 ½ cups of the shredded meat & put it back in the slow cooker.
  • Put an additional 1 ½ cups of meat in another container for the third meal. Turn off the slow cooker, let everything cool and tuck it into the refrigerator for meals two & three. (I'll send you these recipes later this week)  Keep  refrigerated or freeze to enjoy at a later time.

With the remaining chicken (you'll have 4-5 cups of chicken meat), it's time to make some tacos! 

Chop up some cabbage or lettuce, cilantro, onions, tomatoes - whatever toppings you put on your taco. I also added sour cream mixed with a chipotle chili. For the shell, I like using the small street taco tortillas, but use what you like; flour soft shell, crunchy corn shell, whatever you enjoy most on taco night! 

These are seriously good and easy! Slow cooked, moist and delicious, these are perfect for a weeknight meal or a party - everybody loves a great taco! 

Don't forget the containers in the refrigerator! I'll be sending additional emails with recipes for an AMAZING Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup and Chimichangas! Three meals in one? Yes! This will make your weeknight cooking easier!

  • Slow Cooker Meal Two: Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Slow Cooker Meal Three: Chimichangas!

For more shredded chicken recipes be sure and try:

  • Crockpot Chicken and Gravy
  • Crock Pot Ranch Chicken
  • Crockpot Crack Chicken

A few more of my favorite easy Mexican Food meals to enjoy!

  • Homemade Barbacoa Beef Tacos
  • 30 Minute Skinny Taco Salad Bowl
  • Homemade Taco Seasoning
  • Dirty Rice Black Bean Tacos

Some of the items below contain affiliate links; I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. However, I only promote things that I love and think you will love, too. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.

Street Taco Tortillas - not all stores carry street taco tortillas but you can grab them online!

Love this recipe? Please leave a comment with a five-star rating below, or pop me a note. I love hearing from you! If you make this, be sure to tag me on Instagram @bowl_me_over or #bowlmeover – thank you for supporting the blog, trying and sharing my recipes!

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos on a white platter.
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5 from 11 votes

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos: Pulled or Shredded

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos are easy to make, flavorful and delicious! If you love a great slow cooker meal, you need to make this today!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time8 hrs
Total Time8 hrs 15 mins
Course: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 10 -12 Tacos
Calories: 186kcal
Author: Deb Clark
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 16 oz jar picante sauce
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro minced
  • 2 ½ teaspoons cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • For the tacos - tortillas cabbage, sliced tomatoes, jalepnos and salsa

I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

  • Add all of the chicken and onion to the slow cooker. Sprinkle with the cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and top with picante sauce and chicken stock. 
  • Set heat to low, cover with lid and cook for 8-10 hours.
  • When the meat is tender, remove it from the slow cooker (save the liquid in the slow cooker - for the next meal) and shred the meat with two forks. You'll have about 8 cups of shredded chicken.
  • For tacos simply pile the meat on corn or flour tortillas with your favorite toppings; cabbage, salsa or pico de gallo, sour cream and jalapenos. 
  • Use the toppings that you like best! You'll have the meal on your table in 30 minutes. Flavorful, but not too spicy, this is an easy weeknight meal!

Nutrition

Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 952mg | Potassium: 552mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Vitamin C: 6.7mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1.8mg
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This post has been updated from Feb. 8th, 2015 to improve the reader experience.

More Chicken and Turkey Recipes

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About Bowl Me Over

Welcome to Bowl Me Over! My name is Debra and I send warm greetings from sunny California. I am a serious foodie – I’ve been known as the go-to girl in our family for years, catering weddings and anniversary parties. In the summer I help cook mountains of food for our family reunions. Often times things I create end up in a bowl, hence the name Bowl Me Over! Let's stay connected, you can email me at [email protected] and find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathy

    February 28, 2019 at 9:23 am

    5 stars
    There is nothing better than a good taco and these chicken tacos are pure perfection! I love them and I am making them this weekend!

    Reply
  2. michele

    February 27, 2019 at 11:31 am

    5 stars
    I never think to make slow cooker chicken for tacos and ILOVE how good it is. Your recipe calls for everything I happen to already have in my kitchen so Im pretty excited that I'll be having it for dinner tonight! Thanks

    Reply
  3. Jennifer A Stewart

    February 26, 2019 at 2:55 pm

    5 stars
    I love chicken in the slow cooker and made a double batch so I could have tacos and burritos!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      February 27, 2019 at 10:55 am

      YOu're a gal after my own heart! So smart!!

      Reply
  4. Angela

    February 25, 2019 at 6:30 am

    5 stars
    Wow, what's not to love about this! We love doing taco nights here and this recipe sounds great with the ease of the slow cooker and all that deliciousness!

    Reply
  5. Amy Nash

    February 24, 2019 at 9:35 pm

    5 stars
    These were so, so good! I love how easy they were to make also! So much that we are making them again this week!

    Reply
  6. Sandra Shaffer

    February 24, 2019 at 7:58 pm

    5 stars
    That shredded chicken looks delicious and not only perfect for tacos, but great in burritos, enchiladas or tostadas! It's time to put my slow cooker to work!

    Reply
  7. Michaela Kenkel

    February 24, 2019 at 2:56 pm

    5 stars
    That chicken is perfectly done!! Secondly -- WHY have I never put radishes on my tacos?!?!?! I am so trying that!!

    Reply
  8. Brandi Burgess

    February 23, 2019 at 6:47 pm

    5 stars
    Just added this to our menu for next week!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      February 24, 2019 at 11:35 am

      Wonderful, enjoy Brandi!

      Reply
  9. Julie Menghini

    February 23, 2019 at 2:29 pm

    5 stars
    We just love tacos and making the meat like this makes it versatile for so many other recipes. I think I like chicken in tacos more than the standard ground beef too!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      February 24, 2019 at 11:36 am

      Most definitely, you can use the meat for so many meals! Thanks Julie!

      Reply
  10. Liza

    February 23, 2019 at 10:44 am

    Loving this recipe so much! It's easy and so yummy!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      February 24, 2019 at 11:37 am

      Tacos are one of our favorite meals, enjoy Liza!

      Reply
  11. michaela

    May 13, 2016 at 8:19 am

    5 stars
    You had me a tacos ... then reeled me in the rest of the way at slow cooker!! Love these!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      May 13, 2016 at 11:01 am

      Gotta love a great slow cooker meal! 😀

      Reply
  12. Nettie

    February 20, 2015 at 7:00 pm

    These look amazing! Nettie

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      February 22, 2015 at 6:49 am

      Thank you Nettie, I hope you give them a try!

      Reply
  13. Linda (Meal Planning Maven)

    February 10, 2015 at 8:12 am

    Oh my these look sooooo good! Plus they are so fun and easy to make...fantastic Debra!!

    Reply
  14. Patricia @ Grab a Plate

    February 09, 2015 at 2:11 pm

    Love all your flavors in this! Sounds so tasty. I really need to use my slow cooker more -- this is a great way to put it to use!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      February 09, 2015 at 4:19 pm

      Same thing here Patricia! I'm not sure why I don't utilize it more! Thanks so much for stopping by, much appreciated!!!

      Reply
  15. Nicole Neverman

    February 09, 2015 at 12:17 pm

    These chicken tacos sound like a fantastic dinner idea! I love using the slow cooker so this is great 🙂

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      February 10, 2015 at 9:55 am

      Awesome Nicole - give them a try and let me know what you think! Thanks so much for stopping by!!!

      Reply
  16. Sandi Gaertner (@sandigtweets)

    February 09, 2015 at 8:55 am

    I love all of the options you have with this versatile taco meat recipe. I need to use my slow cooker more often for all of our busy nights.

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      February 09, 2015 at 10:05 am

      Thanks Sandi,me too! The slow cooker is such an easy option.

      Reply
  17. Loriann

    February 09, 2015 at 8:05 am

    Looks delicious! I love crockpot meals!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      February 09, 2015 at 10:06 am

      Thanks Loriann!

      Reply
  18. Michelle

    February 08, 2015 at 3:27 pm

    Great idea....and thrifty...would be good to make on Sunday and have enough for 2 more dinners.

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      February 27, 2019 at 11:02 am

      Thank you Michelle!

      Reply
  19. [email protected] easy as Apple Pie

    February 08, 2015 at 12:33 pm

    These chicken tacos look super delicious!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      February 08, 2015 at 3:30 pm

      Yes, super delicious and super easy, haha! Gotta love that!!

      Reply
  20. Lois

    February 08, 2015 at 10:50 am

    Such a great idea. Thank You. Will be trying it very soon.

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      February 08, 2015 at 3:30 pm

      Thank you, please let me know what you think Lois!

      Reply

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