This slow cooker Mexican shredded chicken with salsa verde is a flavorful dish made by slow-cooking chicken breasts in a zesty blend of green tomatillo salsa, garlic, and spices. The shredded chicken absorbs the delicious flavors, making it perfect for tacos, burritos, or serving over rice.
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Why My Family Loves This Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Easy: It’s an easy way to enjoy rich, Mexican flavors and ingredients with minimal effort. Thank you slow cooker.
- Full of flavor: The chicken takes on the rich, zesty seasoning (just like these Greek style chicken thighs), making it irresistibly tender and delicious.
- Flexible: It can be used in a variety of ways—tacos, burritos, salads, or over rice (my favorite way)--making it suitable for different tastes and meal plans. Whether for a quick weeknight dinner or meal prepping, it's a convenient choice.
Whenever I see tomatillos at the supermarket or farmers' market, I have to grab a few and make this for dinner because it's a family favorite. You can check out more simple tomatillo recipes here. I also make this green hot sauce and these halibut tacos with tomatillos.
Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken Ingredients
- tomatillos - Tomatillos have a bright, tangy flavor and taste a little less sweet than ripe tomatoes. They have a husk that needs to be removed but I usually find them pre-husked at the grocery store.
- Anaheim peppers - Anaheim peppers are fairly large for a hot pepper and mild in spice so the heat in this dish will be gentle. If you like it spicy, leave the seeds in or add a couple of jalapeños instead.
- white onion - You can substitute with yellow onion if needed.
- cilantro - You're going to need quite a bit of cilantro for the salsa mixture.
- lime juice - Freshly squeezed.
- large chicken breasts - When it comes to picking chicken breast, check the color: they should be pale pink with little to no discoloration. The meat should feel firm and smooth to the touch. Stay away from chicken that feels slimy or sticky!
- chicken broth - The chicken breasts will be slow-cooked in the broth so they are nice and tender for shredding.
- agave nectar - Or another sweetener like sugar. This can be left out if you prefer.
- canned kidney beans - Drained and rinsed well.
- uncooked rice - I use white rice.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
How to Make It
Step 1. Blend the Salsa Verde Ingredients. Add the tomatillos, Anaheim peppers, onion, cilantro, garlic, cumin, chili powder and lime juice to a blender. Blend until smooth (it’s okay if you want to leave it a bit chunky). Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Step 2. Cook. Add the chicken breasts, chicken broth, sugar, kidney beans and tomatillo mixture to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours.
Chef's Note: Make sure the chicken breasts are fully cooked to 165°F. They should shred easily.
Step 3. Shred the Chicken. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Shred it using 2 forks and return it to the slow cooker. Check the seasoning and add some more salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
Step 4. Cook the Rice. Cook the rice according to package instructions.
Step 5. Serve. Serve the shredded chicken with the salsa verde over the rice.
Chef's Note: If adding to tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc. you can drain the chicken from the liquid before serving (but reserve it to keep leftovers moist). I don't like to waste any of the delicious, flavorful liquid so consider using it for tomatillo soup.
Joss' Tips
- Keep it Moist: If you're making tacos, burritos or quesadillas, to prevent dryness, keep the shredded chicken in the cooking liquid until serving.
- Make Extra: Shredded chicken freezes well, so consider making a larger batch to reheat for future meals. I love to freeze individual portions for my husband, who takes it on the road.
- Use Two Forks: The classic method of shredding is to use two forks to pull the chicken apart. Leave them in bigger chunks because once you get mixing it into the salsa, it tends to break apart even further and can become more on the stringy side.
Mexican Shredded Chicken FAQs
Shredded chicken and pulled chicken are essentially the same thing; the terms are often used interchangeably. Both involve cooking the meat until it's tender and then either "shredding" or "pulling" it apart. Shredded/pulled chicken is great for sandwiches, soups, pizzas, tacos, enchiladas, casseroles and more.
You can store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a pot on the stove over medium heat.
Absolutely! The shredded chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
Yes, store it in the sauce it was cooked in to keep it moist.
It is best to shred it when it's still warm. It will be easier to pull the chicken apart.
More Flavorful Mexican Food and Drink to Try
If you tried this Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
Ingredients
- 12 ounces tomatillos - husked, cleaned and quartered - approximately 2 ½ cups
- 2 Anaheim peppers - seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 cup white onion - chopped
- 1 cup cilantro - chopped
- 4 garlic cloves - peeled
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons lime juice - freshly squeezed
- 4 large chicken breasts
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1-2 tablespoons agave nectar - or sugar
- 1 can kidney beans - about 19 ounces, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups uncooked rice
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- For the salsa verde (green tomatillo salsa): Add the tomatillos, Anaheim peppers, onion, cilantro, garlic, cumin, chili powder and lime juice to a blender. Blend until smooth (it’s okay if you want to leave it a bit chunky). Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add the chicken breasts, chicken broth, sugar, kidney beans and tomatillo mixture to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours (make sure the chicken breasts are fully cooked).
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Shred it using 2 forks and return it to the slow cooker. Check the seasoning and add some more salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- Cook the rice according to package instructions.
- Serve the shredded chicken with the salsa verde over the rice.
Equipment
Notes
- You can store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat in a pot on the stove over medium heat.
- The shredded chicken can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
- If adding to tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc. you can drain the chicken from the liquid before serving (but reserve it to keep leftovers moist). I don't like to waste any of the delicious, flavorful liquid so consider using it for tomatillo soup.
- The classic method of shredding is to use two forks to pull the chicken apart. Leave them in bigger chunks because once you get mixing it into the salsa, it tends to break apart even further and can become more on the stringy side.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Joss Dyckson says
This is one of my favorite family dinners. It's delicious and easy to make!