This Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken is one of the easiest family dinners you can make. With just 2 ingredients and a few minutes of preparation, you get tender, juicy shredded chicken that is perfect for tacos, rice bowls, nachos and meal prep.
Chicken breasts and salsa go straight into the slow cooker with no browning or chopping needed. Once cooked, simply shred the chicken and stir it back through the salsa.
It is high in protein, easy to adapt and a brilliant healthier fakeaway option when you are craving Mexican-inspired food without ordering a takeaway.
This might be the easiest slow cooker recipe we have! It is hands-off and perfect for busy days. I can put everything into the slow cooker earlier in the day and then let everyone build their own tacos or bowls at dinner time, which always goes down well in our house.
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 15 December 2014 and was fully retested in October 2026 to check the cooking time and ingredient quantities. The original recipe still worked well, but I've expanded the instructions, tips and FAQs.
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Jump to:
- Why You'll Love It
- Recipe Overview
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
- What is the Best Salsa for Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken?
- How to Stop Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken Being Watery
- Variations
- What to Serve with Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
- Storage
- Dannii's Top Tips
- Troubleshooting Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
- Recipe
- Feedback
Why You'll Love It
- Just 2 ingredients - You only need chicken breasts and salsa for the basic recipe.
- Minimal preparation - There is no chopping, browning or pre-cooking needed.
- High in protein - Each serving has around 33 grams of protein.
- Family friendly - Use a mild salsa for children, then add extra chilli or jalapeños to individual portions.
- Perfect for a fakeaway night - Serve it with tortillas, rice, guacamole and your favourite Mexican-inspired toppings.
- Really versatile - Use the shredded chicken in tacos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, nachos, salads or baked potatoes.
- Great for meal prep - It stores and freezes well, so one batch can be used for several meals.
- Easy to adapt - Change the salsa, use chicken thighs or add beans, corn or extra spices.
Recipe Overview
- Flavour: Fresh, tomatoey and mildly spiced, depending on the salsa you use.
- Texture: Tender, juicy shredded chicken coated in salsa.
- Difficulty: Very easy - just 2 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep.
- Cooking time: 4 hours on HIGH or 6 hours on LOW.
- Best for: Easy family dinners, tacos, burrito bowls, nachos and meal prep.
- Protein: Around 33g per serving.
- Make ahead: Keeps well in the fridge and is freezer-friendly.
- Easy to adapt: Change the salsa, use chicken thighs or add beans, vegetables or extra spice.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken breast - We use 600g/21oz of boneless, skinless chicken breast. It is lean, high in protein and shreds really well once slow cooked.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can also be used. They have a slightly richer flavour and are more forgiving if they cook for a little longer.
Make sure chicken is fully thawed before putting it into the slow cooker. - Salsa - Because there are only two main ingredients, the salsa is responsible for most of the flavour, so use one that you genuinely enjoy eating.
We usually use our homemade Restaurant Style Salsa, but a good-quality jar of store-bought salsa makes this an even quicker dinner.
A thick or chunky salsa works especially well because chicken releases liquid as it cooks. Very thin salsa can make the finished shredded chicken a little watery.
Choose mild, medium or hot salsa depending on how spicy you want the finished chicken to be. Remember that the salsa flavour becomes slightly diluted as the chicken releases its juices. - Fresh coriander (cilantro) - You can leave this out, but I find it adds lots of extra freshness.
More ways to adapt this salsa chicken can be found in the Variations section below.
How to Make Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
- Add everything to the slow cooker: Put the chicken breasts into the slow cooker and pour the salsa over them and add fresh coriander (if using).
- Coat and cook: Turn the chicken so it is well coated in the salsa. Put the lid on and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
- Check: Check that the chicken is completely cooked through. It should reach an internal temperature of 75°C/165°F.
- Shred the chicken: Use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker.
- Mix it all together: Stir the shredded chicken through the salsa and cooking juices, then serve with your favourite sides and toppings.
What is the Best Salsa for Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken?
This is one recipe where the quality of the salsa really does make a difference. You can use homemade or store bought, but I recommend choosing a salsa with plenty of flavour and a fairly thick consistency.
Restaurant-style salsa, chunky tomato salsa and smoky salsa all work well.
For a family meal, I usually stick with mild or medium salsa and put jalapeños, chilli sauce and extra chilli flakes on the table. That way everyone can adjust the heat themselves rather than making the entire meal too spicy.
You can also use salsa verde for a tangier version made with green chillies and tomatillos.
If your salsa is very thin, use slightly less of the cooking liquid when you mix everything together after shredding.
How to Stop Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken Being Watery
Don't worry if there looks like there is quite a lot of liquid in the slow cooker when you first take the lid off. Chicken naturally releases liquid as it cooks, and some brands of salsa contain much more liquid than others.
Once the chicken has been shredded and stirred back into the salsa, it will absorb some of that liquid.
If it is still too watery for how you want to serve it, remove some of the cooking liquid before mixing the shredded chicken back in. Add a little of it back at a time until the chicken is as saucy as you like.
This is particularly useful when using the salsa chicken in tacos, burritos or quesadillas, where you don't want the filling making the tortillas soggy.
Using a thicker salsa to begin with will also help.
Variations
One of the reasons we make this recipe so often is that the basic chicken and salsa mixture is so easy to change.
Make it spicy - Use a hot salsa or add chopped jalapeños, chilli flakes or a little chipotle paste. You could also mix in some of our homemade fajita seasoning if you want more smoky Mexican-inspired flavour.
Make it creamy - Once the chicken has been cooked and shredded, stir through a little cream cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt. Do this at the end rather than adding yogurt at the beginning, as dairy can separate during long slow cooking.
Add vegetables - Diced bell peppers, onion or sweetcorn can all be added if you want to bulk the recipe out. If adding sweetcorn, I prefer to stir it through towards the end so it keeps some texture.
Add beans - Black beans or pinto beans are an easy way to make this even more filling. Drain and rinse canned beans before adding them. You can stir them through the shredded chicken towards the end of cooking just long enough to heat through.
Use chicken thighs - Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work really well in this salsa chicken recipe too. They have a richer flavour and are less likely to dry out if they cook a little longer.
Use salsa verde - Swap the tomato salsa for salsa verde to make slow cooker salsa verde chicken. It gives the chicken a fresh, tangy flavour and is especially good in tacos and burrito bowls.
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
The best thing about this shredded salsa chicken is that it can turn into a completely different dinner depending on what you serve it with.
For an easy family taco night, put the chicken on the table with warm tortillas, shredded lettuce, avocado, grated cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt and lime wedges. Add our Best Guacamole Recipe and Pico de Gallo so everyone can build their own tacos.
For something a little more filling, serve the chicken over Cilantro Lime Rice or Spanish Rice with sweetcorn, black beans and avocado to make an easy burrito bowl.
You can also pile the shredded chicken onto our Baked Tortilla Chips or Air Fryer Tortilla Chips, add a little cheese and turn it into easy salsa chicken nachos.
We also like it served on an Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato, tucked into quesadillas, rolled into enchiladas or spooned over a big salad.
Leftovers are ideal for lunch the next day too. Add them to a wrap with lettuce and avocado or make a quick rice bowl.
Storage
Store: Allow leftovers to cool and transfer them to an airtight container. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Salsa chicken freezes really well. Once completely cooled, portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze for up to 2 months.
Freezing it in individual portions means you can defrost exactly what you need for quick lunches or dinners.
You can also prepare the uncooked chicken and salsa as a freezer meal. Put them together in a freezer-safe bag, freeze and then defrost thoroughly in the refrigerator before adding to the slow cooker.
Defrost: Defrost frozen salsa chicken overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Reheat in a saucepan or microwave until piping hot all the way through. Adding a spoonful of salsa before reheating can help keep the chicken moist.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Use a salsa that you already know you like, as it provides most of the flavour.
- A thick or chunky salsa will give you a less watery finished dish.
- Don't add extra stock or water - the chicken releases plenty of liquid as it cooks.
- Cooking times can vary between slow cookers and with the thickness of the chicken breasts.
- Check the chicken with a food thermometer; it should reach 75°C/165°F.
- Shred the chicken while it is still hot, then stir it back through the salsa and juices.
- If there is too much liquid, remove some before mixing the shredded chicken back in.
- Use mild salsa for a family-friendly version and put extra chilli on the table.
- Add a squeeze of lime just before serving to brighten all the flavours.
- Make a double batch if your slow cooker is large enough and freeze some for another dinner.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The salsa chicken is too watery | The chicken has released lots of liquid or the salsa was quite thin. | Shred the chicken first, then remove some of the excess liquid before mixing everything together. Add a little back until it reaches the consistency you want. |
| The chicken is dry | It has cooked for too long or the chicken breasts were particularly small or thin. | Slow cookers vary, so check the chicken towards the end of the cooking time and remove it once cooked through and tender. |
| The chicken won't shred easily | The breasts may be particularly thick and need a little longer. | Continue cooking until the chicken is tender enough to pull apart easily, checking that it is completely cooked through. |
| The chicken tastes a little bland | The salsa was mild or didn't have much flavour, which can become diluted as the chicken releases liquid. | Use a flavourful salsa and finish with lime juice, fresh coriander or a little fajita seasoning. |
| The finished chicken is too spicy | The salsa was hotter than expected. | Stir through a little Greek yogurt or sour cream when serving and pair it with rice, avocado or other mild toppings. |
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Raw chicken should be completely thawed before it goes into the slow cooker.
I find it easiest to move the chicken from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before so it is ready to use the following day.
Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work really well and have a slightly richer flavour.
They are also more forgiving than chicken breasts if they cook for a little longer.
Chicken releases liquid during slow cooking, and some salsas are naturally thinner than others.
Shred the chicken first and stir it through the juices. If it is still too wet, remove some of the liquid before mixing everything together.
Using a thicker salsa next time will also help.
The chicken should be tender enough to pull apart easily with two forks.
For accuracy, check the thickest part with a food thermometer. Cooked chicken should reach 75°C/165°F.
No. We usually shred it because the chicken absorbs more of the salsa and it is easier to use in tacos, bowls and nachos. If you prefer, you can serve the chicken breasts whole instead. Just check they are completely cooked through and have reached 75°C/165°F in the thickest part.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
If you've tried this Crockpot Salsa Chicken recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy and use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 600 g (1 ⅓ lb) of Chicken breast
- 400 g (1 ½ cups) of Salsa
- Fresh coriander (cilantro) - chopped; optional
Instructions
- Add everything to the slow cooker: Put the chicken breasts into the slow cooker and pour the salsa over them and add fresh coriander (if using).
- Coat and cook: Turn the chicken so it is well coated in the salsa. Put the lid on and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
- Check: Check that the chicken is completely cooked through. It should reach an internal temperature of 75°C/165°F.
- Shred the chicken: Use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker.
- Mix it all together: Stir the shredded chicken through the salsa and cooking juices, then serve with your favourite sides and toppings.
Recipe Notes
- Use a salsa that you already know you like, as it provides most of the flavour.
- A thick or chunky salsa will give you a less watery finished dish.
- Don't add extra stock or water - the chicken releases plenty of liquid as it cooks.
- Cooking times can vary between slow cookers and with the thickness of the chicken breasts.
- Check the chicken with a food thermometer; it should reach 75°C/165°F.
- Shred the chicken while it is still hot, then stir it back through the salsa and juices.
- If there is too much liquid, remove some before mixing the shredded chicken back in.
- Use mild salsa for a family-friendly version and put extra chilli on the table.
- Add a squeeze of lime just before serving to brighten all the flavours.
- Make a double batch if your slow cooker is large enough and freeze some for another dinner.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
What a delicious way to serve chicken! I love that it can be made in a slow cooker too!
kim says
Love this recipe! It was so easy, yet had so much flavor! I will definitely be making again!
Farah Abumaizar says
This looks so easy, healthy, flavourful and delicious! What a perfect lazy day recipe. Thanks for this!
Elizabeth says
Boom, and just like that dinner is served! My kids are going to LOVE this!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
2 ingredients?? I am definitely making this once I find chicken in the grocery stores!
Bry says
Such a fab and easy idea!! Bookmarking this to try over the weekend to have with tacos!! Thanks xx
Carrie Robinson says
I just love how easy & simple this is to make! :)
Kim says
Meals don't get much easier than this, do they. I really like that you are not one of those blogs with overly complicated recipes. I mean, who has the time for that?
Kathy @ Olives & Garlic says
You're right, this might be one of the simplest recipes I've ever seen. Would love it on some tacos.