Easy Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken with Black Beans
This is the easiest slow cooker salsa chicken with black beans recipe ever! Just 4 ingredients. Serve this slow cooker salsa chicken on rice or in tortillas with your favorite taco toppings. You could even make shredded chicken and black bean nachos!
Why, hello! And happy Friday!
That? That’s a piece of my heart right there. Mhm. Slow cooker salsa chicken is going to be on the menu every week now. It’s got a piece of my heart (if you’re reading this sweetie, it’s wayyy smaller than your piece. Like wayy.)
CONFESSION: this is the best thing i’ve ever cooked. That. Is. Right. And ironically, it didn’t even involve me doing any actual cooking. Go figure? It involves just throwing ingredients into a crockpot and 30 seconds worth of shredding chicken. Bam!
So how is it humanly possible that FOUR ingredients can make something so delicious? I don’t even know. What I do know, is that we didn’t even mind the leftovers. In fact, we’ll probably be making this at least one a week. In large batches!
Just four ingredients stand between you and the perfect crockpot Mexican shredded chicken. Unless you don’t have a crockpot. In that case, just go! Go now! Get you one. I won’t leave you hanging. If you don’t have a slow cooker, this recipe can be made in a dutch oven as well. Just add a teaspoon or so of oil at the base of the pot before proceeding with the recipe.
To make the most amazing meal ever, just defrost a few boneless skinless chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs would be great too. Just nothing with bones, it would be quite irritating to have to fish them all out before shredding.
Toss a total of 1lb. of chicken, 2 cups of salsa, a 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes into the crock pot and let it cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7 – 8. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, add a can of drained and rinsed black beans. Adjust salt to preference. BADA BING, BADA BOOM. That’s it.
Put it on a bed of rice. Give it a good twist of a lime wedge. It’s unnatural how much I love a good squeeze of lime.
Let me also tell you that this recipe doubles easily and cooks itself in the same amount of time (4 hours on high and 6 – 7 on low).
If you’re not a rice person, serve yourself this warm, saucy slow cooker salsa chicken in a big ol’ burrito. With smashed up avocados. Maybe a mini dollop of sour cream? Mouth watering. Stomach growling.
On second thought, I will also expect you to serve yourself this salsa chicken over tortilla chips. With melted cheese and jalapeños. Yes, that would definitely make you my friend.
Slow Cooker Salsa Chickens with Black Beans
This is the easiest slow cooker salsa chicken with black beans recipe ever! Just 4 ingredients. Serve this slow cooker salsa chicken on rice or in tortillas with your favorite taco toppings. You could even make shredded chicken and black bean nachos!
Ingredients
- 1lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breast or thighs
- 2 cups restaurant style salsa (I used the fire roasted variety)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- salt to preference
Garnishes:
- avocado + lime wedges + Sour cream + Shredded cheese + Nacho cheese
Serve with:
- Rice/Tortillas
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cover with salsa add the red pepper flakes. Coat all the chicken pieces with the salsa. Toss to do so.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 7-8 hours), or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the black beans and stir to mix. Adjust salt to preferece. Serve immediately over rice, tortillas, or tortilla chips. Dress with avocados, lime wedges, and sour cream if you'd like.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. (Salsa chicken and black beans also freezes well.)
Notes
Recipe doubles easily and cooks in the same amount of time.
If I were doing this in a Dutch oven, how long would I cook it for and at what temperature, please?
Hi Irene,
To make it in a Dutch oven, add a couple teaspoons of oil at the base of the pot before adding the ingredients called for on the recipe list. You would need to prepare this on the stove on medium-low heat for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. If you have access liquid in the pot, remove the lid and crank the heat up for a few minutes to help the process along. And remember to add the beans in just the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Hello!
This sounds delicious! What do you think bout subbing chicken for firm tofu? Also, what exactly is restaurant style salsa? I want to make sure I get this right!
Hi Mikael,
I’m not to sure about adding firm tofu as it might cook-down a bit in the slow cooker. I haven’t done it before myself so not too sure on the results. I feel the acid in the salsa may breakdown the tofu too much during the cooking time. If you do try making it with tofu, i’d love to hear your results. 🙂
Restaurant style salsa tastes more ‘authentic’. It’s the stuff they serve in Mexican restaurants. If your local grocery store doesn’t carry it, you can just substitute regular salsa or make it yourself using my recipe (http://littlespicejar.com/restaurant-style-fire-roasted-salsa/)
Can I freeze this recipe after cooking?
Hi, I haven’t tried freezing it myself but, yes I think it should be fine for freezing up to 1-2 months.
Could I use frozen chicken? Or do I need to defrost first?
I’d just defrosting the chicken first, not sure if the chicken will cook evenly if added in frozen.
I’m making with frozen chicken breast. I’m going to be cooking on low for 8 hours though. Shoulds be fine. All other recipes I’ve made turned out fine. Just make sure to shred the chicken 1-2 hours before.
Just made this for dinner. It was AMAZING. I rolled it up in a burrito shell w/ a little cheese, then topped it w/ a little more cheese black olives and a little of the sauce from the meat. Definitely a new favorite. Thank you!
Awesome recipe for low carb eaters. I’m going to eat it with all the suggested fixings minus the rice, or tortilla! I do have some low carb high fiber burrito shells if I want to make a quesadilla. Can’t wait!
I stuffed peppers with this and it was AMAZING