Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

These slow cooker chicken tacos are cooked in a crockpot but then thrown in the broiler at the end to get them crispy nice and crispy.

Ah tacos... one of my food loves. From Cuban mojo pulled pork tacos to carne asada tacos to chicken mole tacos, there are just so many combinations out there.

And today just happens to be Taco Tuesday! It may seem like I have a taco recipe every couple of weeks... because I do! Luckily I still have plenty more, so if you like tacos as much as I do there are still more down the road.

Speaking of Taco Tuesday, do you ever wonder how it started? I imagine it's because the day and meal both start with a "T." Doing research I found that Taco John's started it as a promotion in the 1980's and still sends cease-and-desist letters every once in a while to other restaurants that use the promotion. I hope I don't get in trouble!

But today is about slow cooker chicken tacos. There really isn't much better than slow cooker recipes. I love to be able to just throw everything in the crock pot in the morning and set it and forget it.

When it comes to tacos, I like meat with a little crunch so I throw them in the broiler at the end to get them crispy. I hope you give these crispy chicken tacos a try and enjoy!

Jump to:

• Recipe Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Instant Pot Option
• Can I Make this Recipe with Chicken Thighs?
• How Do You Cook Corn Tortillas?
• Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
• Other Taco Recipes
• Slow Cooker Crispy Chicken Tacos

Recipe Ingredients

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - can also use chicken thighs.
• White onion, garlic, lime - adds flavor to the chicken when slow cooked.
• Beer - use a light beer like a Corona or Dos Equis.
• Dice green chilis - gives additional flavor and slight heat to this easy chicken taco recipe.
• Taco seasoning - use store-bought or make your own homemade taco seasoning.
• Corn tortillas - can also use flour tortilla.
• Cheese, avocado, tomatoes, limes, cilantro, etc... - use toppings you like for additional flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Add the chicken, chopped onion, garlic, beer, green chilis, taco seasoning and juice of one lime into a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Shred chicken.
2. Once chicken is cooked, preheat broiler and place rack at top. Grease large baking sheet with cooking spray. Using slotted spoon, transfer shredded chicken to baking sheet and spread throughout in even layer.
3. Place under broiler for about 5 minutes or until edges start to brown. Remove from oven and add ⅓ cup of leftover juice from slow cooker. Broil for additional 5 minutes. Remove again and add ⅓ cup of juice and broil again for 5 minutes. Serve chicken over warm tortillas with desired toppings.

Instant Pot Option

I actually have a similar recipe with my Instant Pot chicken tacos, but if you want to make this specific recipe in an Instant Pot, do as follows:

1. In Instant Pot, add the chicken, onion, garlic, green chilis, taco seasoning, beer and juice of one lime.
2. Close lid and turn vent to "sealing." Set Instant Pot to "poultry" and set for 15 minutes. Allow it to naturally release.
3. Shred chicken and serve on warm tortillas.

Can I Make this Recipe with Chicken Thighs?

Of course! I use chicken breasts because my wife prefers it, but if you're a fan of chicken thighs, it will work great for these slow cooker chicken tacos.

How Do You Cook Corn Tortillas?

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and cook for the tortillas 30 seconds on both side. You can also add a dash of olive oil when cooking them. I like to have a little texture with the crockpot chicken tacos so I always use oil when cooking the tortillas.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• While you can throw frozen chicken in the slow cooker, but I recommend thawing it first before cooking.
• You can replace the beer with chicken stock or even salsa.
• To make the corn tortillas pliable, heat a small skillet over medium heat and cook for 30 seconds on each side. You can also cover the tortillas with a wet paper towel and place in the microwave for 30 seconds.
• Don't skip on toppings for these slow cooker chicken tacos, like avocado, cheese, cilantro and tomatoes.

Other Taco Recipes

• Slow Roasted Pork Carnitas
• Caribbean Shrimp Tacos
• Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
• Corned Beef Tacos
• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
• Grilled Chicken Tacos

If you’ve tried these slow cooker chicken tacos or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.