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slow cooker salsa chicken tacos served with salsa and topped with lettuce and crumbled cheese

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken Tacos

Slow cooker salsa chicken tacos make the perfect meal. The chicken is perfectly tender and so flavorful. These salsa tacos are simple, yet tasty. All you need is some corn tortillas, shredded chicken, chili powder for some added heat, shredded lettuce, and crumbled queso fresco and you got yourself a nice no fuss easy meal.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 16 tacos

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb chicken (I like using thighs or breast)
  • 16oz jar of mild salsa
  • 3 minced garlic cloves
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground onion
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder (for extra spicy) (optional)

For the tacos

  • 16 Corn tortillas
  • 3 Cups Shredded lettuce
  • ⅓ cup Chopped white onion
  • 2 cups Crumbled queso fresco (Mexican cheese or any cheese will do)
  • mild salsa (optional)

Instructions
 

  • In a 4 to 6 quart crock-pot combine chicken, minced garlic, salt, onion powder and chili powder. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8hrs or on high heat for about 5hrs
  • Let the chicken cool off and shred with a fork

For the tacos:

  • Soft tacos: Spray olive oil onto a flat pan over medium-high heat, warming the tortilla for about a minute to give it a lightly brown color to them. Add shredded chicken and toppings to your tortillas and enjoy!
  • Fried tacos: ¼ cup of vegetable oil or canola oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Add corn tortilla and add about 2 tablespoons for shredded salsa chicken on top. You can add about one to two tablespoons of shredded mozzarella on top of the chicken for some cheesiness. Using kitchen tongs fold one side over. Heat both sides until both sides are golden brown about 5 minutes and transfer to a dish on top of paper towels to drain the excess oil. Continue cooking in batches - this recipe makes about 16-18 tacos
  • Add toppings on top, chopped onion, shredded lettuce, crumbled queso fresco and more salsa on top and serve. *

Notes

*You can replace the queso fresco (Mexican cheese) with shredded mozzarella 
Want to use the Instant Pot instead?
If you don't have a slow cooker or want to make these salsa chicken tacos quickly you can definitely use an instant pot. Similar to this instant pot shredded chicken recipe for instructions. All you need to do is add all the ingredients to the instant pot and let the instant pot do its magic. Cook on high for 10 minutes and natural release for another ten minutes.
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @espressomykitchen on Instagram