My slow cooker chicken tacos are tender, full of flavor, and best of all, almost completely hands off. Just toss all the ingredients into the crockpot and let dinner cook itself!

Slow cooker chicken tacos on a platter with tomatoes.

Slow cooker chicken tacos are probably one of the easiest, hassle-free meals we have on the entire site. This chicken taco meat is a true dump and go recipe with absolutely no babysitting required.

You get super tender chicken, that’s moist, easy to shred, and packed with flavor. All you need to do is grab your preferred taco shells, chips, or tortillas, and add your favorite toppings.

While we love using this seasoned chicken for tacos, it’s fantastic in tucked into a batch of baked chicken taquitos. You can also use to piled high on a bed of crispy tortilla chips and make easy crockpot chicken nachos, or use it in a our King Ranch chicken casserole.

How to make slow cooker chicken tacos

Here’s a quick rundown giving you a visual of how I make this recipe. The list of ingredients and their amounts is further down the page.

Chicken breasts and broth in a slow cooker. — 1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker, then top with chicken broth.

Top down view of uncooked chicken breasts, seasonings, and broth in a slow cooker. — 2. Add the salsa, onion, taco sauce, minced garlic, tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, pepper, chipotle, smoked paprika, and cayenne.

Top down view of a slow cooker with cooked chicken breasts in broth. — 3. Cover, and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

Top down view of shredded chicken in broth in a slow cooker. — 4. After the chicken cooks, uncover, and shred using two forks. Place it into tortillas, and add your favorite toppings.

Crockpot chicken taco meat tips

About the salsa: If you don’t want the salsa, just leave it out. Or, swap it with a can or two of Rotel.
For the broth: Use low-sodium broth to help control the saltiness especially if you decide to swap out the spices with a packet of store bought taco seasoning.
Spice level: Use any variety salsa you like (mild, medium, or hot), and adjust any of the seasonings to your tastes.
About the liquid amount: You don’t have to use all 32 ounces of broth, but it gives you plenty of liquid for storing any leftover shredded chicken. You can go with 1-2 cups if that’s what you have available.

Storage

Store any leftover chicken with its cooking liquid in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Close up of slow cooker chicken tacos with toppings in a toasted tortillas.

Common Questions

How do you slow cook chicken without drying it out?

Try to avoid cooking chicken on high heat if possible. Although, high can be used in a pinch. The low heat setting is the better option.

Additionally, chicken with a higher fat content is less likely to dry out than chicken with a lower fat content. Chicken thighs are a great choice if you enjoy that cut. They do take a little longer to cook than chicken breasts, but as the fat breaks down it keeps the chicken meat nice and moist.

You’ll also notice we use a decent amount of broth. That gives the chicken plenty of liquid to hang out in and soak up. You’ll have leftover cooking liquid, too, which is great for storing cooked chicken in.

Can you use taco seasoning in place of the spices?

Yes, regular 1 ounce packet of store bought seasoning or homemade taco seasoning can be used in place of the spices.

More Taco Recipes to Love

Slow Cooker Beef Taco Meat
Taco Casserole with Corn Chips
Pancakes and Sausage Breakfast Tacos
Instant Pot Shredded Beef Tacos
Chorizo Tacos