Description
This creamy and cheesy Crockpot Salsa Chicken is an effortless and delicious dinner perfect for busy weeknights. Tender chicken breasts slow-cooked in a flavorful blend of salsa, cream cheese, sour cream, shredded cheese, and taco seasoning create a rich and savory dish that’s perfect for tacos, sandwiches, or serving with your favorite sides. The recipe requires minimal prep and delivers a comforting Mexican-inspired meal that the whole family will love.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 24-ounce jar mild red salsa
- 1 8-ounce brick cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 1-ounce package taco seasoning
- 2 ½ pounds chicken breasts (3-4 breasts)
Optional Ingredients For Tacos
- Hard or soft taco shells
- Cilantro
- Additional sour cream
- Diced avocado
- Diced tomato
- Additional Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, shredded
- Shredded lettuce
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: In the bowl of a 6-8 quart crockpot, add the salsa, softened cream cheese, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning. Stir together until the mixture is mostly smooth; some clumps of cream cheese are okay as they will melt during cooking.
- Add Chicken: Place the chicken breasts into the creamy salsa mixture, nestling them so they are mostly covered. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken to ensure each piece is well-coated in flavor.
- Cook: Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and is tender enough to shred easily.
- Shred Chicken: Using two forks, shred the chicken directly in the crockpot, mixing it well with the creamy salsa sauce.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve warm. Enjoy on its own or build tacos or sandwiches using hard or soft taco shells, avocado, tomato, shredded lettuce, sour cream, cheese, and lime wedges as desired.
Notes
- The cream cheese does not need to be melted or fully blended before cooking; it will melt inside the crockpot.
- Internal temperature of chicken should reach 165°F for safe consumption.
- For thicker sauce, you can remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking to allow liquid to reduce.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days and reheat nicely for quick meals.
- To make spicier, use medium or hot salsa and add extra taco seasoning or chili powder.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
