Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken: 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Meal
A simple, tender, and flavorful slow cooker meal made with just chicken breasts, salsa, and spices. Perfect for busy weeknights and meal prep.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-7 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 12 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 to 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 16-ounce jar of medium or mild salsa
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Place in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker insert.
- Pour the entire jar of salsa over the chicken, ensuring it covers the meat as much as possible.
- Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper evenly over the chicken and salsa. Gently rub spices into the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
- Once chicken is fork-tender (internal temperature 165°F), shred the meat using two forks directly in the pot.
- Stir shredded chicken back into the salsa sauce to coat thoroughly. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to absorb flavors.
- Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro or lime juice if desired.
Notes
Pat chicken dry before seasoning to help spices adhere. Taste salsa before adding salt as brands vary in sodium content. Avoid lifting the lid frequently during cooking. For thicker sauce, leave lid off for last 30 minutes or use a cornstarch slurry. Can be made with frozen chicken by increasing cook time to 8-9 hours on LOW.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup of chicken and
- Calories: 275
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 5
- Saturated Fat: 1.5
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 45
Keywords: slow cooker, crockpot, salsa chicken, easy dinner, meal prep, gluten-free, low-carb, weeknight dinner