Shredded Chicken Tacos Recipe

If you LOVE tacos like I do, you’ll love this slow cooker shredded chicken tacos. The flavors meld while chicken thighs cook in the crockpot, making a seasoned and juicy chicken perfect for serving in tacos!

Shredded Chicken Tacos Recipe

I love making these shredded chicken tacos because they’re so darn versatile. You can wrap the chicken in soft taco shells, use the chicken mixture to make burrito bowls, or assemble taco salads for easy lunch meal prep.

I’ll be honest – meal planning is not nearly as difficult when you have tacos at least once each week. So many of us love a good taco Tuesday, and this is one more easy recipe to add to your list!

Ingredients for Shredded Chicken Tacos

We could just put chicken and taco seasoning in the crockpot and call it a day, but a few pantry additions up the flavor level on our Mexican chicken. You’ll need:

• boneless skinless chicken thighs – for best results, I recommend using chicken thighs instead of skinless chicken breasts. I find that they stay juicer in the slow cooker and they’re a little richer. I always thought I didn’t like dark meat, but in this recipe, I absolutely do!
• olive oil
• homemade taco seasoning or your favorite packet of taco seasoning – this has many of the seasonings we need like chili powder and cumin. It’s an easy shortcut to take along the way.
• spices – to jazz things up a little, we’re adding dried parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and a little salt and pepper.

To make chicken tacos as a freezer meal

Place your spices and chicken thighs in a gallon sized zipper food bag. (What I really want to say here is put them in a big freezer safe ziplock).

Make sure all the spices get mixed together in the chicken. I do this by letting out any excess air and seal the bag. Then I kind of mush everything around gently to distribute the seasonings.

I do believe “mush” is the technical term Martha Stewart would use…

Anyway, lay the bag flat in your freezer to make into a freezer meal. To thaw, simply let the bag defrost in your refrigerator.

I like to place a kitchen towel under mine to catch any frost or condensation as it thaws.

All you’ve got to do on cooking day is thaw them in advance, dump them in the slow cooker and let the taco love simmer alllll day long.

What to serve with shredded chicken tacos

Now, let’s talk toppings.

In our house, shredded cheese, sour cream and some salsa are a must, hands down.

Next up, we love guacamole. In fact we love guacamole so much that our four year old legitimately asked if we could plant guacamole in the garden this year.

Oh yes, he truly is my child!!!

Lettuce? Sure!  Diced red onions? Count me in!

A squeeze of lime? Absolutely!

Cilantro lime rice, black beans or vegetarian refried beans and mild pico de gallo are all great on the side.

How to store leftovers

Place any leftovers in a sealed container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.

So if you LOVE chicken, and you LOVE tacos, you’ve gotta make these – pronto!

I recommend serving these ranch chicken tacos up with a side of vegetarian refried beans. 

And maybe a margarita. Mmmmmm!

Other recipes you’ll enjoy:

Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

Taco Bar Checklist (for us taco Tuesday lovers)

Homemade Taco Seasoning

If you make my chicken taco recipe for taco night, I hope you’ll leave a recipe review or comment below.

What to Serve with Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken Tacos

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

Vegetarian Refried Beans

Shared on Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck