Crockpot Chicken Tacos are packed with flavor and incredibly easy to make—just toss everything in the slow cooker and let it do the work!
Check out other slow cooker hits: Salsa Chicken, Crockpot Cajun Chicken, and Crockpot Chicken Stew.
The Best Crockpot Chicken Tacos
If I’m hosting or need a quick and easy weeknight dinner that everyone will love, tacos are always my go-to. But I’m simplifying things even more by prepping the meat in the slow cooker for an even easier take on tacos.
This dish is truly a dump-and-go dinner: just toss all the ingredients into the crockpot, let it cook, shred the meat, and stuff it into a tortilla with your favorite toppings. And the best part? It’s just as delicious the next day, making it perfect for meal prep!
Crockpot Chicken Taco Ingredients
- Ranch seasoning: Hidden Valley Ranch is my top pick for its great flavor.
- Taco seasonings: A mix of chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic, and onion powder for a flavorful blend!
- Salt and pepper: Adjust to taste, depending on the saltiness of the ranch mix.
- Chicken broth: Swanson chicken broth is my fave choice for this recipe.
- Chicken thighs: Boneless, skinless for the most tender and flavorful meat.
How To Make Crockpot Chicken Tacos
- Mix seasonings: Combine spices and broth in a crockpot.
- Add chicken: Coat chicken thighs in mixture; lay flat.
- Cook: On high for 3-5 hours or low for 4-6 hours until shred-able.
- Shred chicken: Remove, discard fat, shred meat with two forks.
- Finish: Return chicken to pot, stir, and adjust seasoning.
- Serve: Enjoy in tortillas with your favorite toppings.
How To Use This Chicken
- Tacos: Corn or flour tortillas with your favorite toppings and sauce.
- Burritos or wraps: Rolled up with rice and beans.
- Quesadillas: Sandwiched with lots of cheese.
- Salads: Topped on greens with cilantro-lime dressing.
- Rice bowls: Over rice with veggies and sauce.
- Nachos: Layered on chips with melted cheese.
- Sliders: Small rolls for mini chicken sandwiches.
- Enchiladas: Rolled in tortillas and baked with sauce.
Storage
Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: In an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze in a sealed container or bag up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Thaw if frozen, then microwave or heat on the stove until warm.
More Favorite Crockpot Recipes:
- Crack Chicken Chili dump and go
- Crockpot Roast with the best gravy sauce
- French Dip Sandwich with super tender meat
- Buffalo Chicken Chili perfect for game-day
- Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork crowd pleaser
Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Crockpot Chicken Tacos: Full of flavor and super easy: just dump in a slow cooker and go!
Equipment
- 6 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pkt. ranch seasoning (Hidden Valley Ranch — Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon each: ground cumin and paprika
- ½ teaspoon each: dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Note 2)
- Optional, for serving: tortillas, sharp Cheddar, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, lime, sour cream, guac or avocado, cilantro-lime sauce (Note 3)
Instructions
- PREP: Spray a large (6-quart) slow cooker with cooking spray.
- SLOW COOKER: Combine all seasonings and chicken broth in a slow cooker. Whisk well to combine. Using tongs, add in chicken thighs and flip around to coat in liquid. Arrange the thighs flat in a single layer with the smooth side down.
- COOK: Cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours or on low for 4-6 hours–until the chicken can be easily shredded.
- SHRED CHICKEN: Turn off the slow cooker. Remove the chicken, discard any fat, and shred the meat using two forks or dice it with a knife.
- FINISHING: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir gently. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- MAKE TACOS: Serve the chicken in charred corn or flour tortillas (See Note 4) topped with your choice of guacamole or avocado, lettuce, shredded cheddar, lime, cilantro, sour cream, and cilantro-lime sauce.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Ranch Seasoning Mix: After testing various brands, Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning stands out for its flavor. Others either lack flavor or are too salty.
Note 2: Chicken: We prefer chicken thighs for flavor tenderness, but chicken breasts can be used in a pinch. If using breasts, cut each into three even pieces and monitor closely during cooking to prevent drying out.
Note 3: Serving suggestions: Tacos are our favorite way to use this meat, but here are some other ideas:
- Burritos or wraps: Rolled up with rice and beans.
- Quesadillas: Sandwiched with lots of cheese.
- Salads: Topped on greens with cilantro-lime dressing.
- Rice bowls: Over rice with veggies and sauce.
- Nachos: Layered on chips with melted cheese.
- Sliders: Small buns for mini chicken sandwiches.
- Enchiladas: Rolled in tortillas and baked with sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 1357mg | Potassium: 489mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 1241IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have a question I’m still learning about portion control, but it says 4 servings, so how many tacos per person?
Hey Shelby, I totally understand—it can be confusing! There isn’t a set number of tacos; instead, the recipe makes 4 servings of the chicken filling. If you divide the filling into 4 portions and use each portion in a taco, that would be your serving size.
Hi! I’m hoping to make this for someone with a dairy allergy- could I make a homemade ranch seasoning substitute? I know you said Hidden Valley is the best so wasn’t sure if you have a recipe for ranch seasoning that would work instead
I don’t have a recipe that is dairy-free but if you have a preferred dairy free ranch seasoning that will work just fine, hidden valley is my favorite but any brand will work!
We can’t use ranch powder since long covid. Suggestion on substitution? Could it simply be omitted?
This sounds delicious! Do you have directions for making it in the instant pot?
Hey Sarah! Here you go: Once everything is set in the Instant Pot, select the “manual” or “pressure cook” function and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Once cook time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Once 5 minutes is up, carefully hit the release button to let out the remaining pressure and steam. Enjoy!
Thank you! I can’t wait to try it.
Hope you love! 🙂
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. EXCELLENT
FOOD. YOUR GIFTED!! JOHN.
SO thrilled to hear this! Thank so much John!