Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos
Cheesy shredded chicken with just the right amount of spice, Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos are my go-to dinner that my kids just devour!
Taco Tuesday is no joke in our house. It’s a tradition that started years ago for us, and it’s one of my favorite nights of the week. But, sometimes I don’t have tons of time to make an extravagant Mexican meal.
That’s when I pull out this Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos recipe! Put five simple ingredients into your crockpot, set it, and forget it. Serve it up with soft taco shells and some Mexican rice and you’ve got yourself a delicious family meal that was super easy to make!
SLOW COOKER QUESO CHICKEN TACOS
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It’s no secret that we LOVE Mexican food in our house. Cheesy nachos, spicy meat, salsa, guacamole…I mean, what’s not to love, right? The only thing I love more than having Mexican food for dinner is having an EASY meal for dinner.
That’s why so many of my favorite family meals come from my crock pot or my instant pot. When I figured out that I could make my favorite food (chicken tacos) in the crock pot, I was SOLD.
Queso chicken in a slow cooker is by far one of the tastiest dinners I’ve ever made and is definitely the easiest dinner I’ve ever made. This slow cooker queso chicken is super versatile too. My boys love eating it as chicken tacos, my husband loves to sprinkle the shredded chicken on top of nachos, and I love using it as a topping on a salad or over a bed of rice!
Queso Chicken Ingredients
Queso – I am a huge fan of queso dip. That’s why for these chicken con queso tacos, I grab a jar of my favorite queso dip from the grocery store and dump it right into the slow cooker!
Taco seasoning – while you can definitely use a store-bought packet of taco seasoning, I recommend using homemade taco seasoning. It’s super easy to make and it’s made with all-natural ingredients. I always have a batch made up in my pantry! You’ll use 2 tablespoons of homemade seasoning vs two packets of store-bought.
Rotel Tomatoes – every good taco has some tomatoes and these diced tomatoes add the perfect flavor to these slow cooker queso chicken tacos! Rotel with lime juice would also be a great option for this recipe!
How to Make Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos
You’ll want your chicken cooked and shredded before you begin making this recipe. I’ll typically throw my chicken in the slow cooker in the morning with some chicken broth for 4-6 hours to get it cooked and ready! (I’m sharing how I make crock pot chicken breasts in the recipe card so you can do this too.)
About an hour and a half before you want to serve your queso chicken tacos, get prepping:
- Start by shredding your cooked chicken and place it in the slow cooker.
- Add in your taco seasoning, queso, and Rotel, and give it all a good mix. You want all the chicken to be coated evenly for optimum flavor!
- Next, turn your slow cooker to high and let your queso chicken cook for 1.5 hours.
- After an hour of cooking time, look and see if the chicken needs a little broth. If it looks dry, add about 1/2 cup of broth so your chicken mixture is creamy.
- You’ll know your slow cooker queso chicken is ready when the sauce is bubbling!
- Now it’s time to assemble the tacos! Grab a flour tortilla and fill with about 1/4 cup queso chicken and top with the toppings of your choice
One of the best things about queso chicken tacos is that everyone can individualize their tacos however they want! My husband loves adding spicy jalapeno slices to his. My sons add even more shredded cheese and some shredded lettuce. I love topping my tacos with some more diced tomatoes and a squeeze of lime juice!
How long should you cook chicken in the crock pot?
I’ve found that for the initial cooking of the chicken for queso chicken tacos, you should cook your chicken on LOW for 4-6 hours in the crock pot. You want your chicken to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F to be considered fully cooked.
You might be worried about drying out your chicken by cooking it on high for another hour and a half to finish up your queso chicken tacos. But, don’t worry! All those other ingredients (like the queso and Rotel tomatoes) will help to keep your shredded chicken moist and perfect.
Looking for some more easy weeknight dinners? Try out some of these other Real Housemoms recipes!
- Crock Pot Cheesy Broccoli Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Taco Soup
- Crock Pot Crack Chicken
- Cheesy BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
- Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- more DINNER recipes…
Tools used to make this Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos recipe
Crock Pot: I use my crock pot at least once a week… definitely an appliance every kitchen should have!
Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
Queso Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (see note)
- 2 ounces taco seasoning (2 packets)
- 14 ounces Rotel tomatoes (do not drain!)
- 1 cup pre-made queso dip
- ½ cup chicken broth
Tacos
- 10 soft taco flour tortillas
- Iceberg lettuce shredded
- Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- Tomato chopped
- Jalapeno pepper sliced
- Lime cut into wedges
Instructions
Crock Pot Chicken Breasts
- Add chicken breasts, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/4 cup chicken broth to a slow cooker.
- Cover and cook for 4 to 6 hours on LOW.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, use two forks to shredded the chicken. (You can do this right in your slow cooker or on a plate.) Continue as directed below.
Queso Chicken
- Add cooked & shredded chicken to the slow cooker along with the taco seasoning, Rotel tomatoes, and queso dip. Stir everything together.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Check the chicken after 1 hour. If it seems a little dry, pour in the broth. You want the finished chicken to be nice and creamy!
- Once the cooking time is up, stir everything together.
Tacos
- To make your tacos, add some queso chicken onto and flour tortilla. Top with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and jalapeno. Serve immediately.
Wow….. thanks for that. I checked everything and it said cook time an hour and 45 min so 2 hours before our get together I see it says to cook the chicken 4-6 hours on low. Smfh