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This Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded 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!
Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Recipe:
This Mexican chicken is so versatile and can be used in salads, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or quesadillas. The options are endless!
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.
Add ingredients into crock pot: skinless chicken breast, diced green chiles, diced tomatoes, red onion, white wine vinegar, lime juice, and seasonings. Stir and toss well until combined.
Cook: Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken breast shred easily with a fork.
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.
Serve: Place chicken back into the slow cooker and toss with the juices. Use tongs or a slotted spoon when serving the chicken.
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!
Cook: Secure the lid and set the steam valve knob to “sealing”. Cook on manual high pressure for 15 minutes.
Prep the rest of the ingredients while chicken is cooking. Make hard tacos, soft tacos, burritos, or a taco salad. The possibilities are endless!
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.
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.)
TIPS AND VARIATIONS
Substitute boneless chicken breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs.
To use frozen chicken breastsin 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.
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
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs
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.
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.
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 breastsin 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.
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!
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.
Do you add the 1/2 chicken broth as well! It wasn’t included in the instructions
Do you have recommended instructions for using the Instant pot instead of a slow cooker? Thanks!
Do you add the chicken broth with all the other ingredients or after you have shredded it and returned to crock-pot? Thanks! 🙂
Add it with all the other ingredients 🙂
Hello just curious how big the serving size is for the nutrition facts listed above? Thank you!
Hello!
Roughly 5(oz)! Just added it to post 🙂
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!
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.