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3 days ago
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Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by AdpathwayThis Salsa Verde Chicken is a set-it-and-forget-it favorite that’s big on flavor and easy to make! Chicken simmers in a salsa verde sauce until perfectly tender. Just pile it into tacos, spoon it over rice, or grab the chips and dig in.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Salsa Verde Chicken
Flavor: This salsa verde chicken is tangy, smoky, and just a little bit spicy.
Why Make It: The slow cooker does all the work with no browning step needed.
Serving Suggestions: Around here, the avocado, shredded cheese, and extra squeeze of lime are always the first toppings to disappear! Serve it in tacos, burritos, rice bowls, salads, quesadillas, or spooned over cilantro lime rice for an easy dinner everyone will love.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: Chicken breasts are lean and easy to shred, while chicken thighs make a great swap for a richer flavor and extra tenderness.
- Seasoning: A blend of cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika adds warm, smoky flavor and just the right touch of earthy spice to complement the salsa verde.
- Salsa Verde: Salsa verde is the star of this recipe, so use one you love. Thicker varieties make a richer sauce while thinner salsas create a little extra cooking liquid.
Serving & Toppings
Salsa verde chicken is especially good served in warm tortillas for tacos or spooned over rice for an easy bowl.
Cilantro, sour cream, avocado, shredded cheese, lettuce, and jalapeños all make perfect optional toppings to finish this dish. Mix and match to add freshness, creaminess, crunch, or a little extra heat.
How to Make Chicken Salsa Verde
- Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker and season.
- Spoon salsa verde over the chicken.
- Cover and cook (full recipe below).
- Shred the chicken right in the slow cooker and stir it into the sauce.
- For Even Cooking: Use chicken breasts that are similar in size.
- Just Enough Salsa: Start with enough salsa verde to coat the chicken well, then add extra at the end if you want it saucier.
- Check the Chicken: Do this early, near the end of the cook time, since lean breasts can dry out if overcooked.
- Shredding the Chicken: Shred directly in the slow cooker so it soaks up all the flavorful sauce.
- For Tacos: Let the shredded chicken sit in the sauce for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- For More Heat: Add jalapeños or choose a spicy salsa verde instead of adding lots of extra dry spice.
- For the Instant Pot: Pressure cook on high for about 15 minutes, then shred and stir back into the sauce.
Save It for Later
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the slow cooker with a splash of extra salsa verde if needed to loosen it up.
Taco Night Favorites
Did you enjoy this Salsa Verde Chicken Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
5 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
- ▢ 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 6 ounces each
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ▢ ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ▢ 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa verde store-bought or homemade
Optional for serving
- ▢ 1 lime cut into wedges
- ▢ toppings as desired see notes
Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a 4qt or 6qt slow cooker. Sprinkle with cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika and salt.
Pour the salsa verde over the chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, or until the chicken is fully cooked and shreds easily.
Once the chicken is done, use two forks to shred it directly in the slow cooker. Stir the shredded chicken into the salsa mixture.
Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.
Optional Toppings: cilantro, sour cream, avocado, shredded cheese, or lettuce
This chicken is great for tacos, burritos, or bowls over rice.
Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used in place of breasts.
Feel free to adjust the spice level by adding diced jalapeños.
For a quicker version, you can cook the chicken in the Instant Pot for about 15 minutes on high pressure.
The amount of liquid in the slow cooker can vary depending on the chicken and the salsa verde brand. I recommend adding the desired sauce to the chicken. The remaining sauce can be spooned over rice if desired.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Calories: 137 | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 284mg | Potassium: 452mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 186IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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About the author
Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
See more posts by Holly
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