Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
Your entire family will love these Crock Pot Chicken Tacos! Easy shredded chicken is combined with cheese, layered in a tortilla and baked to perfection!
You will love these shredded chicken tacos made easy in the slow cooker. The crockpot chicken is full of flavor from the garlic, enchilada sauce, and taco seasoning. Combine that with the melty cheddar cheese and your favorite tortilla, then bake for 10 minutes! The result is a tender, spicy chicken and melty cheese with a perfectly crispy taco shell. These will give your favorite restaurant a serious run for their money!
This versatile recipe is so easy to make perfect according to your own preferences, it’s great for parties and big family meals. The chicken taco meat is great in flour tortillas, corn tortillas, even on taco salad or nachos! Grab your favorite taco toppings and get ready for an amazing dinner!
Ingredients in Shredded Chicken Tacos
As always, here is a quick overview of the ingredients used in our baked chicken tacos. Find exact measurements in the printable recipe card.
- Boneless chicken breasts – fresh or frozen. You can also use chicken thighs or tenderloins if you prefer.
- Onion and Garlic – These aromatics add tons of flavor to this dish! Dice your onion (yellow or white will work) and mince your garlic.
- Taco seasoning, Enchilada sauce, and Salsa – Feel free to use store-bought packet or homemade taco seasoning. The sauce and salsa combine with the juices from the chicken to make an incredible sauce coating every bite of chicken.
- Tortillas – I used street taco size because I love all the crispy texture on the edges! You can use flour, corn, low carb, gluten-free, or your preferred tortilla in any size you prefer.
- Enchilada sauce, Spray oil, and shredded cheese – These help make the tortillas wonderfully crispy in the oven.
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
Chicken Taco Filling
- 2 pounds chicken breast
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1 ounce package taco seasoning
- 1 cup enchilada sauce, if using a 10 ounce can of enchilada sauce you need the remaining 2 ounces for the shells so reserve
- 1 cup salsa
For the Tacos
- 24 Street Taco size tortillas, corn, flour or low carb
- 1/4 cup enchilada sauce
- Olive oil spray
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Spray the bottom of a slow cooker with cooking oil. Place the chicken, onion, garlic, taco seasoning, enchilada sauce and salsa in a slow cooker. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for up to 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.
- When cooked through remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred. Add back to the slow cooker and toss to coat.
- To make the tacos: preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lay the tortillas on a large baking sheet and lightly brush with the enchilada sauce and spray with the cooking oil. Flip the tortillas (oil and enchilada side down) pop in the oven for 3 minutes.
- Remove the tortillas from the oven and working quickly evenly spread the cheese and chicken on one side of the tortilla and fold over. Place the tacos back in the oven and bake 5-6 minutes, flip and bake an additional 5 minutes if needed. (Remember, bake these how YOU like them. We love crispy tortillas, if you want a softer texture they will not need to cook as long.)
Notes
How do I make this shredded chicken for tacos?
This easy shredded chicken recipe is a true set it and forget it meal. Add your chicken, onion, garlic, taco seasoning, enchilada sauce and salsa to a greased slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. When your chicken is fully cooked, shred with two forks and place back in the slow cooker to coat in the sauce. That’s it! To make things even easier, you can shred the chicken using a hand mixer!
Baked Chicken Tacos
Now, onto the tacos! To make these tacos, preheat your oven to 425 and place your tortillas on a large baking sheet. Add some enchilada sauce and spray with oil. Flip the tortillas over so that the enchilada and oil side is facing downward and bake for 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and add your cheese and chicken to one half of the tortilla and then fold over.
You’ll want to do this fairly quickly – the tortilla will set if it’s allowed to cool for too long. Add back to the oven and bake for 5-6 more minutes, then flip. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, if wanted. We prefer crispy tortillas in our house, but if you prefer a softer texture then you will not need to cook for quite as long. I highly recommend this method even when making ground beef tacos — That crispy crunch is so good!
What should I serve with these Chicken Tacos in the Crock Pot?
Feel free to add all your favorite taco toppings like chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, or a squeeze of lime juice! Next, pair them with amazing side dishes like Seasoned Black Beans, Instant Pot Mexican Rice, or Slow Cooker Bean Dip. If you like a little kick, add a drizzle of this Jalapeno Ranch Dip. For low-carb options, try a side of this delicious Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice and these Zucchini Tortillas.
Storage and Reheating Suggestions
Allow your leftovers to cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. If you want to meal prep, I recommend you freeze the shredded chicken by itself (in a freezer ziplock bag with plenty of the sauce) for 3-6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake your tacos fresh for the best texture.
To reheat already made tacos, place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until warmed through (10-15 minutes). The air fryer is another great way to get them crispy, try about 325 for 3-5 minutes!
Can this be converted to make in the Instant Pot??
Hi Donna, yes. Chicken in the instant pot is 6 minutes per pound. Then allow the machine to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
These are AMAZING if you make your own mini taco shells from shredded cheese too!