Chipotle Chicken Tacos (Slow Cooker Recipe)
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Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tacos recipe is loaded with spicy, juicy shredded chicken. This hands-off recipe makes dinner easy and delicious!
This post has been upgraded from 4/25/16 to improve our readers’ experience. No changes were made to the delicious recipe.
Crockpot Chipotle Chicken Tacos start with a simple paste that infuses into a delicious juicy shredded chicken taco recipe with a kick!
I don’t use a slow cooker nearly as much as I should. It’s an easy way to plan dinner when you don’t have a lot of hands-on time. That isn’t the only reason, it’s a great way to infuse flavors.
The only tacos that I knew how to make were with ground beef seasoned with a spice packet called taco seasoning. I
t was a quick meal and we loved them. That is until we had a taste of what Chipotle Chicken Tacos tasted like.
We loved going out and trying other Mexican dishes. At the time we had no clue what was in them. So when I started making a lot of our own shredded chicken tacos at home, we wanted a flavorful spice combination.
We wanted to infuse the meat with flavor, not boil it. This chipotle taco recipe was the way to go!
Chipotle Taco Seasoning FAQ’s
| What is Chipotle? Chipotle is a jalapeno pepper that has been smoked. The Aztecs found that the jalapeno doesn’t dry as well as other peppers because of its thicker walls so they smoked them as a way to preserve them. |
| Is Chipotle spicier than a jalapeno? Generally yes because Chipotle is made using a red, fully ripened jalapeno. |
| What is adobo? Adobo can have separate meanings. We’re referring to the spicy sauce that’s intensely red due to paprika. This chipotle marinated in this sauce is called Chipotle in Adobe sauce and is what’s used here. |
This Chipotle Chicken Taco recipe is spicy enough for my tastes.
That isn’t the case with John. I swear he has a cast-iron stomach. The heat in these tacos comes from Chipotle Chilies in Adobo. The heat can be adjusted according to your tastes.
How do you make the chipotle paste for this Easy Chicken Taco Slow Cooker recipe?
Combine Chipotle peppers with spices, onion, and cilantro and then blend into a paste using a blender or food processor.
The can of Chipotle in Adobe sauce contains about 12 chipotle peppers. This chipotle tacos recipe uses 3 chilis in the shredded chicken taco meat.
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When we make the Chipotle paste, we’ll double it and freeze what we don’t use so the rest of the can doesn’t go to waste.
It also speeds up the time it takes the next time we want to make these tacos.
We’ll put some in the refrigerator so ole cast-iron stomach can smear more on his Shredded Chicken Tacos.
Pro tips:
- If you like avocado in tacos or sandwiches, mash them into a spread. I find that it helps keep all of your goodies in the taco shell or sandwich. Sliced avocado tends to slide right out taking the remaining ingredients with it.
- Cut the carbs and pice it on a taco salad!
- Using slow-cooker shredded chicken makes meal prep easy on a busy day. And, it will not heat up the kitchen making it perfect for a summer day.
- Shredded chicken recipes can feed a crowd so are perfect for entertaining. Set up a taco bar!
We still love a good ground beef taco but no longer use that little packet of seasoning. Our Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe is so much better and we always have a big jar of it mixed up.
Garnishes for Chipotle Chicken Tacos:
- Diced Tomato
- Green onion (mild compared to some other varieties)
- Chopped cilantro
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream
- Shredded cabbage or lettuce
What to Serve with Shredded Chicken Tacos
Making a south of the border meal can’t be easier or more delicious when served with Tomatillo Rice, Charro Beans or our easy Black Beans. Don’t forget our Perfect Margarita and for dessert, our Frozen Margarita Pie is a must!
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, take a look at our Instant Pot Pork Tacos, Ground Chicken Taco Salad, and our Beef Birria Tacos! Definitely check out all of our Mexican-inspired recipes HERE.
What is your favorite taco recipe? We do love a great taco, so please share in the comments below!
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Chipotle Chicken Tacos (Slow Cooker Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts skinless and boneless
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- 6 Taco shells
Chipotle Paste
- 3 Chipotle Chilies in Adobo
- 3 tbsp olive oil vegetable or canola is fine too
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp diced onion
- ¼ cup Fresh cilantro I use the stems for the paste and the leaves for garnish
- 1 tbsp chile powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- Zest of one lime optional
Suggested Garnishes Shredded cabbage or lettuce, avocado, cheese, green onions, tomatoes, lime, and cilantro.
Instructions
- Add chicken to the slow cooker.
- Combine paste ingredients and process in a blender or food processor until thick paste forms.
- Mix the paste with the chicken.
- Pour chicken broth (or water) over the chicken
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or up to 8 hours on low. Shred chicken with two forks. Allow the shredded chicken to sit in the liquid until the liquid is absorbed.
- Serve with taco garnishes of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
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My family loved this chicken. I used canned chipotle adoba peppers and Italian oregano. It was delicious. You won’t use an entire can of peppers. The remaining can be frozen. I’ll be making this again soon.
Thank you, Lisa! I’m so glad it worked for you. You can freeze the rest of the peppers.
This was so delicious! I want to make these tacos every week.
Thank you, Suzanne! You’re so sweet to let me know that you liked them!
Tacos were out of sight
Thank you Al! This is one of my favorite recipes too! I appreciate you leaving me a note letting me know that you tried them.
I really enjoyed this recipe. I made a couple of small changes to make it spicier, but otherwise I thought it was fab !
Thank you so much for your wonderful comments and great rating!
This CROCKPOT CHIPOTLE CHICKEN TACOS is so perfect for taco tuesday!!!! YUM!
Thank you, Deanna!
Taco Tuesday never looked so good!! Seriously drooling over here!!
Thank you! I love easy recipes like this one!
I am all about tacos even if it isn’t Tuesday! I think we should have tacos for every day of the week. A crock pot makes it even better!
Thank you! What did we ever do without that trusty crockpot?
I could easily eat tacos once a week if they looked like this! So delicious looking and packed with flavor.
Thank you Christie! I love easy make it and forget it recipes.