American
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
Chicken breasts, salsa, and a few spices cook until the meat shreds with a fork. It is a base for tacos or rice, and the lid stays on until the time is up.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 4 hr
- Total
- 4 hr 10 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- You put it in and leave the lid alone.
- Salsa is the liquid and the seasoning.
- Low or high, both times are written.
- It shreds into more meals than one dinner.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Rough grocery estimate for the full recipe: about $10–$15 at a typical US supermarket. Prices vary by store, region, and season.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Put the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with the salt, cumin, and chili powder. Pour the salsa and garlic over the top.
- 2
Cover. Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours 30 minutes. Do not lift the lid in the first 2 hours on low, or the first 90 minutes on high.
- 3
The chicken should reach 165°F and pull apart with a fork. If it is still firm, cover and cook 30 minutes more.
- 4
Shred the chicken in the pot with two forks and stir it into the salsa juices.
- 5
Stir in the lime juice. Taste before you add more salt.
Pro tips
- Breasts dry out if they cook all day. Use the 4-hour low time, not 8 hours.
- If you only have thighs, they can go 5 hours on low and stay juicier. Still check 165°F.
- The juices are the sauce. Do not drain them off before you shred.
Easy substitutions
- Chicken breast
- Boneless thighs
- Salsa
- Crushed tomatoes plus 1 tsp cumin
- Chili powder
- A milder paprika if you want less heat
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze up to 2 months.
Reheating
Warm in a saucepan over medium-low with a splash of water, or microwave until steaming. Frozen portions thaw overnight in the fridge first.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 230
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Budget friendly · Slow Cooker · Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Lower-Carb, High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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