Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken

Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken Recipe, with BONUS Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe (This post contains affiliate links)

As a busy stay at home mom, I LOVE using my slow cooker. I turn it on in the mid-morning, add my ingredients, and by evening dinner is ready to go!

Who loves Mexican food? We do! This delicious slow cooker Mexican chicken recipe is easy and can be adapted to complete a variety of meals.

The flavor-packed, kicked up chicken is perfect for tacos, burrito bowls, lettuce wraps, or simply over a bed of rice.

Want to have Mexican tonight? Give this slow cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken recipe a try!

Tip: For SUPER easy clean-up, try slow cooker liners! They’re made to go right in the slow cooker to help avoid baked-in food that can be hard to clean.

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Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 10- oz. cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes & green chilies undrained
• 2 15- oz. cans black beans rinsed and drained
• 3-4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 small jalapeno pepper finely diced
• 1½ T. hickory-flavored liquid smoke
• 2 t. ground cumin
• 1 T. chili powder
• 1 t. smoked paprika
• 2 t. dried oregano
• 1 t. cayenne pepper
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• ¼ c. fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

1. Add chicken thighs to bottom of a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker. 

2. Top with fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, garlic, jalapeno pepper, liquid smoke, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Stir to combine, making sure the chicken thighs are submerged in the liquid. 

3. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. 

4. 30 minutes before it's done cooking, remove the lid and shred the chicken while in the slow cooker with two forks. Stir to combine shredded chicken with other ingredients. Cover and cook for remaining 30 minutes to allow chicken to absorb the flavors. 

5. Add cilantro and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.

Optional flavor boost: Want to brighten the flavors up a tad? Try adding lime juice! I’m sure you have some available for your margarita, right?

Before you’re ready to eat, remove the slow cooker lid and squeeze fresh lime juice into the chicken.

That’s it! Super easy, right?

How to Serve Mexican Shredded Chicken

My family LOVES tacos, so I put the Mexican shredded chicken in either hard or soft taco shells and add avocado, fresh salsa, shredded lettuce, and a dollop of sour cream.

Don’t want to eat taco shells? Try using full leaves of lettuce as a wrap for a healthier alternative.

You can even serve it over rice. You can use white or brown rice, or even Mexican rice if you prefer.

Want to change things up? Try Cilantro-Lime Rice!

BONUS: Cilantro-Lime Rice Recipe

Why have boring rice when you can have rice with extraordinary flavor? By adding a few fresh ingredients, you can have a tasty rice that compliments the slow cooker Mexican chicken recipe above!

This recipe uses lime and cilantro to take your rice to the next level.

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Cilantro-Lime Rice Recipe

Why have boring rice when you can have rice with extraordinary flavor? By adding a few fresh ingredients, you can have a tasty rice that compliments any Mexican inspired dish!

This recipe uses lime and cilantro to take your rice to the next level. 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

• 3 cup cooked rice white, or brown rice
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp. lime zest
• 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare rice according to package directions.  

2. Fluff cooked rice with a fork and stir in fresh lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro until blended. 

3. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and serve immediately. 

Recipe Notes

*How long it takes to cook depends on if you are cooking instant rice or not. 

How Would You Make It?

Would you do anything differently with this recipe? How would you adapt this for your family?

Share with me in a comment below! I’d love to know what you think.