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January 30, 2020

Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Chicken (Whole30, Paleo)

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This Slow cooker Shredded Mexican Chicken is easy to make and full of flavor! Just dump the ingredients in the crock pot or instant pot, and make tender juicy chicken for tacos, burritos, or salads. Whole30, Paleo, and gluten free too!

Shredded chicken in slow cooker

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

  • This Mexican chicken is so versatile and can be used in salads, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or quesadillas. The options are endless!
  • It’s loaded with flavors, but so easy to make just like my Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas or Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef Barbacoa.
  • It’s naturally Paleo, and Whole30. The taco seasoning doesn’t contain any artificial ingredients, natural flavors, sugar, vegetable oil like traditional taco seasoning mix.
  • This recipe is perfect to meal prep! Make it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • It’s so easy to make in the slow cooker or Instant Pot if you are short on time. Less than 5 minutes to prepare, and the slow cooker or instant pot will do the rest!

How To Make Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Chicken

Chicken breast, mexican seasoning, diced green chiles, diced tomatoes, and diced red onion in slow cooker
  1. Add ingredients into crock pot: chicken breast, diced green chiles, diced tomatoes, red onion, white wine vinegar, lime juice, and seasonings. Stir and toss well until combined.
  2. Cook: Cover and cook on low for 4 or until chicken breast shred easily with a fork.
  3. Shred: transfer chicken to a large plate or platter. Shred the chicken using two forks, or place the chicken into the bowl of your stand mixer and shred on medium speed.
  4. Serve: Place chicken back into the slow cooker and toss with the juices. Use tongs or a slotted spoon when serving the chicken.
Shredded mexican chicken garnished with cilantro and sliced limes on cutting board

How To Make Mexican Shredded Chicken In the Instant Pot

If you’re short on time, use your Instant Pot and have juicy shredded chicken in under 30 minutes!

  1. Add ingredients into Instant Pot: chicken breast, diced green chiles, diced tomatoes, red onion, white wine vinegar, lime juice, and seasonings. Stir well until combined.
  2. Cook: Secure the lid and set the steam valve knob to “sealing”. Cook on manual high pressure for 15 minutes.
  3. Prep the rest of the ingredients while chicken is cooking. Make hard tacos, soft tacos, burritos, or a taco salad. The possibilities are endless!
  4. Shred: Once the timer goes off, release the pressure nozzle carefully. Remove the lid and transfer chicken to a large plate using tongs. Shred the chicken using two forks.
  5. Serve warm. If you want to store the chicken in the Instant Pot, I recommend getting this nifty instant pot lid. (Make sure it fits the size of your instant pot.)
Shredded Mexican Chicken on cutting board with lime wedges

TIPS AND VARIATIONS

  • Substitute boneless chicken breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs.
  • To use frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 10-15 minutes. The size of your chicken breasts DO matter. The thicker the chicken breasts, the longer you need to cook them in the Instant Pot. If your chicken is not fully cooked (it doesn’t shred easily, or it hasn’t reached 165 degrees) place the lid back on the Instant Pot and cook on manual (high pressure) for 5 minutes at a time until your chicken shreds easily.
  • If you are short on time, use 2 tablespoons or 2 packets of taco seasoning, instead of all the spices in the recipe card. I recommend Siete Taco Seasonings.
  • Cook chicken in the slow cooker on low for 4 – 4 1/2 hours or on high for 3 hours. I don’t recommend longer because the chicken may dry out. Chicken is fully cooked when reached a temperature of 165 degrees, or when easily shredded.

OTHER MEXICAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE:

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Shredded Mexican Chicken Garnished with Cilantro and sliced limes on cutting board on top of white background

Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Chicken (Whole30, Paleo)

  • Author: Abbey Blackwell
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

This slow cooker shredded Mexican chicken is easy to make and full of flavor! Just dump the ingredients in the crock pot or instant pot, and make tender juicy chicken for tacos, burritos, or salads. Whole30, Paleo, and gluten free too!

Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. In a 4-6 quart slow cooker, add chicken breasts, diced tomatoes, diced green chiles, red onion, white wine vinegar, lime juice, and seasonings. Stir well until combined.
  2. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 4-5 hours, or high heat setting for 3, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
  3. Remove chicken from the slow cooker to a plate or cutting board. Shred the chicken with 2 forks or a hand mixer. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes longer. Serve warm.

Equipment

Notes

  • Substitute chicken breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs.
  • Cook chicken in the slow cooker on low for 4 – 4 1/2 hours or on high for 3 hours. I don’t recommend longer because the chicken may dry out. Chicken is fully cooked when reached a temperature of 165 degrees, or when easily shredded.
  • To use frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 10-15 minutes. The size of your chicken breasts DO matter. The thicker the chicken breasts, the longer you need to cook them in the Instant Pot. If your chicken is not fully cooked (it doesn’t shred easily, or it hasn’t reached 165 degrees) place the lid back on the Instant Pot and cook on manual (high pressure) for 5 minutes at a time until your chicken shreds easily.
  • If you are short on time, use 2 tablespoons or 2 packets of taco seasoning, instead of all the spices in the recipe card. I recommend Siete Taco Seasonings.
  • Storage- store in a glass food storage container for up to 5 days. Freeze up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. Make sure to thaw in the fridge before reheating.
  • Serve- serve shredded Mexican chicken as filling for salads, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or quesadillas.
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Keywords: slow cooker mexican shredded chicken, shredded chicken slow cooker mexican, shredded chicken tacos recipe, instant pot mexican chicken

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Hi, I’m Abbey! Certified Training and Nutrition Coach. Of course, I’m a foodie as well, and I love to show others how GOOD healthy eating can taste. Here you’ll find fitness & nutrition content specific to weight loss, as well as easy, real food recipes. I’d love to get to know you!

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  1. Just wondering how many this recipe serves. Also, what you would do for a larger family, around 6-7 people in regards to cook time and amount of chicken. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hello, the recipe serves 4-6 people. If you’re to serve a larger family I would definitely double the recipe. If you have any leftovers just store them in the fridge and reheat the following day.

      Reply

  3. Do you add the chicken broth with all the other ingredients or after you have shredded it and returned to crock-pot? Thanks! 🙂

    Reply