Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken
Tender shredded chicken cooked in a creamy, ranch- and salsa-flavored sauce with corn, black beans, and green chiles. Serve in warmed tortillas and top with queso fresco, crema, cilantro, and lime.
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoonground cumin
- 1 teaspoonsmoked paprika regular paprika may be substituted
- 1 teaspoonchili powder use 2 to 3 teaspoons for a spicier dish
- 1 teaspoononion powder
- 1 teaspoongarlic powder
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- 1 to 2 tablespoonsolive oil
- 2 poundsboneless skinless chicken breasts*
- 1 cupreduced sodium chicken broth or water
- 8 ouncesbrick-style full-fat cream cheese cubed and softened to room temp**
- one 1.1 ounce packet dry fiesta ranch seasoning mix or your favorite flavor of ranch seasoning mix
- 12 ouncesred salsa***
- 15 ouncescanned corn drained well (frozen or freshly shaved corn may also be used)
- 15 ouncescanned black beans drained and rinsed (I use reduced sodium beans)
- 7 ouncescanned diced green chiles do not drain
- 10 corn tortillas or flour tortillas, if serving as tacos
- Queso fresco or Mexican shredded cheese blend
- Mexican crema or sour cream thinned with milk
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt; stir to make the spice rub.
- Drizzle the chicken breasts with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil. Rub the spice mixture evenly over both sides of each chicken breast, pressing the rub onto the meat so it adheres.
- Place the seasoned chicken breasts in a large 7- to 8‑quart slow cooker in a single layer. Pour 1 cup reduced‑sodium chicken broth (or water) into the slow cooker around the chicken (not directly over the rubbed surfaces). Cover and cook on HIGH for about 3 hours, or until the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F on an instant‑read thermometer.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board. Shred the chicken with two forks, or place it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low until shredded. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
- Add the cubed, softened cream cheese, the 1.1‑ounce packet dry fiesta ranch seasoning mix, 12 ounces salsa, 15 ounces drained canned corn, 15 ounces drained and rinsed black beans, and the 7 ounces canned diced green chiles (do not drain the chiles). Stir thoroughly to combine and to break up the cream cheese into the mixture.
- Cover and continue to cook until heated through and bubbly: cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours, or on HIGH for about 1 hour. Stir once or twice during this time to ensure even heating.
- To serve: spoon the fiesta chicken into warmed tortillas (use the 10 corn or flour tortillas). To soften tortillas, wrap them in a kitchen towel and microwave about 30 seconds, or warm/blister them in a dry skillet about 30 seconds per side. Top as desired with queso fresco or Mexican shredded cheese, Mexican crema (or sour cream thinned with milk), cilantro, and lime wedges.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheat gently on low heat until warmed through.
Equipment
- 1 Large Bowl
- 1 (7-8 Quart) Slow Cooker
Notes
Notes
*You need two pounds of chicken for this recipe and if you are buying the very large boneless skinless chicken breasts from your butcher that are about 1 pound each, you may want to consider pounding them a bit thinner or even slicing them in half. Thinner chicken cooks faster and for me, that’s always better.
If you’re buying the two pounds of chicken as 4 or 5 breasts, then no need to concern yourself with pounding or halving.
**
Don’t use reduced fat cream cheese or any type of “lite” cream cheese
. It is made with more water, rather than fat, and your fiesta chicken mixture could be soupy if you use a lite cream cheese product rather than full fat.
***If you want thicker and chunkier fiesta chicken, use a
thicker and chunkier sals
a – perhaps one with bean and corn in it, too. I am not a fan of thinner Mexican restaurant-style salsa for this recipe and prefer salsa with a chunkier texture. But it's up to you. You can use red or green salsa although visually, and for me the taste,
red salsa is preferred.
*You need two pounds of chicken for this recipe and if you are buying the very large boneless skinless chicken breasts from your butcher that are about 1 pound each, you may want to consider pounding them a bit thinner or even slicing them in half. Thinner chicken cooks faster and for me, that’s always better.
If you’re buying the two pounds of chicken as 4 or 5 breasts, then no need to concern yourself with pounding or halving.
**
Don’t use reduced fat cream cheese or any type of “lite” cream cheese
. It is made with more water, rather than fat, and your fiesta chicken mixture could be soupy if you use a lite cream cheese product rather than full fat.
***If you want thicker and chunkier fiesta chicken, use a
thicker and chunkier sals
a – perhaps one with bean and corn in it, too. I am not a fan of thinner Mexican restaurant-style salsa for this recipe and prefer salsa with a chunkier texture. But it's up to you. You can use red or green salsa although visually, and for me the taste,
red salsa is preferred.