Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken | 7 Simple Ingredients (+Video)

This amazing crockpot salsa chicken comes together super fast! You’ll add pantry staples like beans, salsa, and corn to chicken and fresh cilantro for an easy meal bursting with flavor.

My family loves anything that remotely resembles Mexican food.

• Slow Cooker Carnitas? The best thing since sliced bread (which is saying a lot, since they’ll devour a loaf of No-Knead Artisan Bread in one sitting!).
• Restaurant-Style Salsa? I’ve never bought salsa since I first made this recipe years ago.
• Crockpot salsa chicken? My go-to taco night dish when the pantry looks sparse and the grocery budget doesn’t reset for a few more days.

Yes, we love home-cooked Mexican food! By the way, when I say Mexican food, it’s not really. I’ve never been formally trained in Mexican cuisine. I’ve never been formally trained in any cuisine, for that matter…

BUT I know that when I combine chicken in a crock pot with salsa, corn, black beans, and garbanzo beans for this salsa chicken, the family never complains about dinner.

WHY MAKE CROCKPOT SALSA CHICKEN

Your family will love this chicken with salsa in the crockpot meal, too!

• Frugal. One of the main components of this meal is beans, a frugal favorite!
• Uses mostly pantry staples. Besides beans, you’ll also use salsa and corn from the pantry.
• Works with any cut of chicken. From chicken breasts to thighs to drumsticks, use whatever you have. Even shredded chicken!
• Freezer-friendly. This is one of my favorite meals to meal prep for the freezer because it’s so easy!
• And of course, it’s full of delicious zesty flavor with just the right amount of heat.

CHICKEN CROCK POT SALSA INGREDIENTS

You only need 7 ingredients for this simple chicken crock pot salsa recipe!

• Garbanzo Beans. Aka chickpeas. You’ll need 1 ½ cups, which is equivalent to one can.
• Black Beans. Just like the garbanzo beans, you’ll need the equivalent of one can. I like to cook a big batch of dried beans (it’s cheaper!) and use some of the extra for Black Bean Brownies.
• Corn. Use canned corn to keep this a pantry-focused meal, or go with frozen corn or corn cut right off the cob.
• Red Salsa. You can use this Homemade Restaurant-Style Salsa or just throw all of those salsa ingredients in the slow cooker. Kick up the heat with a hot salsa if you like things spicy!
• Salsa Verde. Using two types of salsa gives an extra depth to the flavor. Try my Salsa Verde Recipe and use any extra in Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas.
• Chicken. Use whatever cut you have – chicken breast and boneless skinless chicken thighs are the easiest to shred at the end of the cooking time, but you can use bone-in chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks if that’s what you have.
• Cilantro. Using chopped herbs makes the whole dish taste fresh (even though you made it from the pantry). If you’re not a cilantro fan, you can leave this out. If you like cilantro, garnish your finished salsa chicken with even more!

I don’t usually add any more seasoning, but you can add taco seasoning, or a blend of salt, chili powder, onion powders, cumin, and garlic powder for an additional kick.

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HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER SALSA WITH CHICKEN

This crock pot chicken recipe is SO easy to make! Here are the instructions:

Step 1. Place all ingredients in a large slow cooker* and place the lid on top. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Step 2. Shred chicken with a fork and serve salsa with chicken over rice, Homemade Cornbread, or tucked into Homemade Tortillas. Garnish with fresh lime juice, additional cilantro, and your favorite taco toppings (shredded cheddar cheese is a must)!

Note: I have this 6-quart slow cooker, and this recipe fits with room to spare. I don’t recommend using a slow cooker any smaller than 4 quarts for this crock pot chicken recipe.

EASY SALSA CHICKEN IN SLOW COOKER TIPS

1. It’s kind of messy.

Like, everything just kind of mixes up together when it’s cooked in the slow cooker. That’s fairly typical of a slow cooker recipe, but just a heads up since not ALL the pictures don’t necessarily show that. (Messy pictures aren’t as nice to look at.)

2. Boneless chicken is easier.

You can really use any cut of chicken in this recipe. However, I do suggest skinless and boneless since you’ll be shredding up the meat once it cooks. In the pictures, I used thighs, but boneless, skinless chicken breasts work too.

The chicken releases some liquid as it cooks, so combined with the liquid of the salsa, it’s going to look like there’s too much when it’s finished cooking. But by the time you finish shredding the chicken, you’ll have a sauce that nicely coats everything, perfect for spooning onto your plate.

If you only have cooked, shredded chicken on hand, add that close to the end of cooking to sop up all the good juices.

3. Save money and use ingredients in multiple recipes.

My Homemade Tortilla Soup Recipe uses garbanzo beans and black beans, as well as red salsa.

Spinach and Chicken Enchiladas use salsa verde and sour cream, which isn’t an official ingredient in salsa chicken, but I always dollop some on top.

By repeating the same ingredients in different meals, it’s easy to stock up on sales, and I never worry about how I will use up what I have.

Stocking up on sales is one of the concepts I teach in my eCourse, Grocery Budget Bootcamp. Enrollment is currently closed, but for more tips on lowering your grocery bill, check out the FREE Fight Inflation Workshop. These three video sessions focus on saving money on groceries NOW, despite the rising cost of food. Find out more here.

SERVE WITH CHICKEN CROCKPOT SALSA RECIPE

The very best way to serve this salsa chicken recipe is scooped over Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread. Something about the cornbread mopping up the juices from this recipe is just heaven in your mouth.

However, I typically serve crock pot salsa chicken with rice because it’s easy to make and I always have it on hand.

You can also add a side of refried beans to stretch the meal even further. My favorite Refried Beans Recipe also cooks in the slow cooker, so if you want to make those as your side dish, you’ll have to cook them the day before.

Leftovers are delicious tucked into a Homemade Flour Tortilla with some shredded cheese and sour cream! Or make salsa chicken nachos with tortilla chips. Yum! Plus, since it’s not EXACTLY the same thing as dinner, leftover haters need not complain.

TRACKING MACROS FOR SALSA ON CHICKEN

Mexican food and tacos are one of my favorite types of meals to eat, not only because of the flavor, but also because they’re so versatile when I’m tracking my macros. I can make salsa chicken fit with whatever I need!

This salsa chicken already has plenty of protein from the chicken and the beans. Having that protein along with the carbs I usually serve this with (the cornbread or rice) helps keep my blood sugar stable.

What about fat? A dab of sour cream, a sprinkle of cheese, and a touch of avocado will all add healthy fats to your plate. On the flip side, if you need a lower-fat meal, the salsas in this crock pot chicken recipe provide plenty of flavor, so you won’t be missing out if you need to skip the higher-fat condiments!

Watching your carbs? Enjoy cornbread (or flour tortillas, or rice) in moderation, and fill your plate with fresh veggies. Salsa chicken plus taco toppings like diced tomatoes, avocado, and lime crema on a big pile of shredded lettuce makes a yummy taco salad.

Need more high-protein dinner ideas? Check out these High Protein Dinner Ideas. Each one has 40g+ per serving!

CHICKEN – SALSA RECIPE FAQS

MORE CROCK POT CHICKEN RECIPES

FREEZER-FRIENDLY DUMP AND COOK DINNERS

This salsa chicken is PERFECT for the freezer – dump everything in a gallon freezer-safe bag and seal it up! When you need dinner, dump it into the slow cooker! This is exactly why I included it in my Freezer Cooking Meal Plan, along with 4 more super easy dinner recipes:

With this meal plan, you will have 10 dinners ready in just ONE hour!

WATCH HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER SALSA CHICKEN