Slow cooker cilantro lime chicken
11.18.2011 
My husband and I adore our slow cooker, especially in the winter-time. And guess what? It is winter-time! I had to bust out my fluffy pink driving mittens yesterday morning for the first time since, well, since last May. Last winter was a long, cold one here for us in Minnesota. Hopefully this winter won't be quite so brutal!
To help ease some of the pain involved in facing winter again so soon (it seems), we threw some ingredients into our slow cooker for a comforting, delicious meal. And listen, friends, I have never eaten such tender chicken in my life! I was pretty much able to shred it by just looking at it. And the flavor? Mmmmm, the flavor. Delicious! There is plenty of room to turn up the heat on this recipe, if that's what you prefer, and it's also easy enough to keep it on the mild side. Tailor it to your liking!
In a slow cooker, mix together:
One 24-ounce jar medium or mild salsa
Juice from one lime
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
One 1.25-oz. package taco seasoning
2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (optional)
Add 4-6 boneless chicken breast halves (completely defrosted) to the slow cooker and coat with the salsa mixture. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours.
Serve the chicken with the salsa mixture spooned over the top. If you're feeling crazy, throw a dollup of sour cream on top with some crushed tortilla chips.
This is also delicious as a taco filling or in a taco salad.
Gotta go find my Snuggie!
Click here for a printable recipe!
Reader Comments (161)
berenise: Your crockpot size shouldn't matter. Hope it turns out great!
Megan
I prepared this tonight and it was delicious! It is permanently in my recipe book. Thank you!
So good and full of flavor!! The best part, so simple to make!
My peeps and I at work make something to take in for lunch every other weekend. I have this in my crock pot for tomorrow.....Can't wait to try this and share with the girls!.....
Have it in the crockpot right now. The house is filling up with this wonderful aroma. Can't wait to try
Loved this post! I combined your recipe with another one to create a mash-up on my blog =] Thanks for the inspiration!
www.inspireandindulge.wordpress.com
What if I only have a 16 oz jar of salsa... Should I add water to the crock pot too?
Hi Rachel...Nah, this is a pretty forgiving recipe. Add what salsa you have and I think that should work just fine!
Megan
If you want a variation on this, here's what I do in my small crock pot/slow cooker:
Chop 1/2 onion and 2 cloves garlic set aside
Take three large pieces of chicken and brown them on both sides
Put about 24 oz of canned diced tomatoes
Add a good handful of cilantro
Reserve 1/4 cup of cilantro and the juice of 1 lime ( to be added just before serving)
Add 1/4 cup Raspberry Chipotle sauce (available at Costco, Trader Joes etc--in the aisle with the steak sauces)
Add raspberry chipotle sauce to pot
Add browned chicken and submerge them in the liquid in the pot
Sautéed onions and garlic in regular olive oil (extra virgin and virgin scorch at high temps so don't use them for this)
Add onions and garlic to pot
Season with salt and pepper
Cook the hell out of it and enjoy it when your nose tells you it's done.
The slow cooker should be set on high.
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I found it on pinterest, and it's become a regular addition to our dinner menu. Sometimes we serve it in tortillas, while other times we eat it on rice. No matter what, it's always delicious. Great blog!!!
I do the same thing but all I use is a can of diced tomatos and a can of green chillis and pak of taco seansoning and throw that all in a it is the same soooooo tender and awsome!! I use it for taco filling or on a salad!!
Hi! This looks amazing! Making it tonight! Could you cook this on high for less time?
My daughter got this recipe on Pinterest and made it for a family get to gether last nite! It was FANTASTIC! I cant wait to make it myself! She also made rice with it, added beans, cilantro and lime. She served it with the sour cream and chips as suggested on the recipe. EVERYONE raved about it.
How do get the chicken from staying juicy and not drying out? That's been my problem with the slow cooker lately. :(
Say I'm running out of time and I would like to speed up the cooking process, would I be able to cook it on medium for 4 hours?
Hi Zina! I hope I'm not too late, but yes....you can definitely cook on medium for 4 hours. Hope it turns out great!
Megan
Made this for dinner tonight, it was delicious! I wouldn't change a thing. I decided to make chicken soft tacos with it and when I took the chicken out to shred, it just kept falling apart. Very moist and juicy. So many possibilities with this recipe...chicken nachos, taco salad, enchiladas. Looking forward to making it again. Thanks so much for sharing with us!!!
Megan, I made this recipe for dinner and my husband loved it. As did I. It was amazing. thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Great recipe, thanks for sharing!!
This was delish! I used leftovers to make soup and OMG, new fav!
Awesome! Absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I work pretty long hours and don't have a programmable crockpot. Generally any crockpot meal I make stays in for 10 hours which can lead to dry ingredients. Any recommendations for stretching the time out on this recipe? Frozen chicken? Additional salsa or water? Hoping to try your recipe this week-it looks amazing!
Hi Jen! Hmm, not sure what to suggest. You can give the frozen a try. Hoping for the best for you! Let me know how it goes..
Megan
Just finished getting this into the crock pot! Can't wait to dig into tonight. Thanks for a super simple recipe :)
I make this all the time and tried it with a small beef chuck roast the other night and made shredded beef tacos. It was AMAZING!