DinnerCountSlow-Cooker Chicken Tacos
This taco night needs almost no work at dinnertime. Chicken breasts go into the slow cooker after lunch with salsa, taco seasoning, and a little broth. By dinner they shred with a fork right in their juices. Warm the taco shells, and set out the cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream so everyone can build their own. It feeds six.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- Chicken breasts2 lb
- Taco seasoning packet2 packets (1 oz)
- Salsa1 cup
- Chicken broth½ cup
- Hard taco shells12 shells
- Shredded cheese1 cup
- Lettuce¼ head
- Tomato1 each
- Sour cream½ cup
How Much to Make for 2, 4, 6, or 8
For 2 people, you’ll need ⅔ lb chicken breasts, 4 hard taco shells, and ⅓ cup shredded cheese.
For 4 people, you’ll need 1⅓ lb chicken breasts, 8 hard taco shells, and ⅔ cup shredded cheese.
For 6 people, you’ll need 2 lb chicken breasts, 12 hard taco shells, and 1 cup shredded cheese.
For 8 people, you’ll need 2⅔ lb chicken breasts, 16 hard taco shells, and 1⅓ cups shredded cheese.
| Ingredient | For 2 | For 4 | For 6 | For 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breasts | ⅔ lb | 1⅓ lb | 2 lb | 2⅔ lb |
| Taco seasoning packet | about ⅔ of a 1 oz packet | 1½ packets (1 oz) | 2 packets (1 oz) | 2½ packets (1 oz) |
| Salsa | ⅓ cup | ⅔ cup | 1 cup | 1⅓ cups |
| Chicken broth | 2½ tbsp | ⅓ cup | ½ cup | ⅔ cup |
| Hard taco shells | 4 shells | 8 shells | 12 shells | 16 shells |
| Shredded cheese | ⅓ cup | ⅔ cup | 1 cup | 1⅓ cups |
| Lettuce | ¼ head | ¼ head | ¼ head | ⅓ head |
| Tomato | ⅓ each | ⅔ each | 1 each | 1⅓ each |
| Sour cream | 2½ tbsp | ⅓ cup | ½ cup | ⅔ cup |
The amounts are rounded to what you can measure at home. Pounds are rounded to the nearest quarter or third, cups to the marks on a measuring cup, and spoons to real measuring spoons. An egg stays whole. Because of the rounding, some amounts are the same at two sizes.
- For 2: This recipe is written for 6 adult-size portions. You are cooking about 2 adult portions, which is roughly 0.3 times the recipe. A slow cooker does not work well with less than about 4 cups. Make the full recipe and keep the rest, which freezes well.
In DinnerCount, this recipe is sized to exactly who’s home tonight, whether that is a hungry teenager, a toddler, or a guest.
Open this recipe in DinnerCount for free
Forty recipes are free to read and cook, sized to your household. You don’t need an account or a card.
Steps
- Thaw the chicken completely before you put it in the slow cooker. Thaw it in the refrigerator starting the day before, or seal it in a leak-proof bag, sink it in cold tap water, and change the water every 30 minutes. If you thaw it in water, start cooking as soon as it is thawed. Never thaw it on the counter. A slow cooker cannot safely cook meat from frozen.
- Set the chicken breasts in the slow cooker and sprinkle the taco seasoning over them. Pour the salsa and the broth over the top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. Start checking at the short end, because boneless chicken dries out if it cooks too long. The chicken is done when it reads 165°F on a thermometer in the thickest part and shreds easily. If it is not there yet, cover it, cook 30 minutes more, and check again. Shred it with two forks right in its juices, and stir.
- Warm the taco shells in the oven, following the directions on the box. Shred the lettuce and chop the tomato.
- Set out the shells, chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream so everyone can build their own tacos.
Good to Know
- Contains Milk, Wheat. This comes from the ingredient names, so it is not a complete list. The ingredient names do not show what is inside a jar, a mix, or a sauce, and formulas change. For an allergy or intolerance, read the package every time, and never decide from this line.
- 🌡 Chicken: cook to 165°F at the thickest part, the USDA minimum for poultry. A thermometer is the test, and color is not.
- 🌶 Mild heat from taco or fajita seasoning, salsa. For younger or sensitive eaters: Buy a mild packet, or use two thirds of it. Buy the mild jar, because the heat depends on the jar you buy.
