Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken

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This Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken is the perfect meal prep dish to start your week off right! When you have a busy week coming up, throw everything in your crock pot and let it work its magic! Soon you’ll have a juicy, flavorful, and healthy weeknight dinner that you can fix up into a variety of different meals. I love to keep it simple and serve it over rice!

a white bowl of cooked rice with a scoop of slow cooker chicken on top garnished with avocado and herb garnish

Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken

It’s so quick and easy! This slow-cooker southwest chicken is the perfect weeknight meal to prep ahead of time. Throw it all in the cock pot and forget about it until it smells so good that your mouth is watering!

It’s delicious! This dish has beans, salsa, chilies, corn, etc! Pretty much everything you want. The shredded chicken is moist and flavorful since it soaks in all the southwestern seasonings and you can even throw some additional flavors on top when you serve it.

It’s versatile! I usually serve this chicken over rice with some avocado on top. It’s simple and nourishing just like that, but you can also serve just about a million other things with it to keep things fresh as you make it again and again.

What do I serve with slow cooker chicken?

Add a dollop of this chicken to a salad so you can enjoy some fresh greens with your protein!
Make a chicken burrito bowl with your favorite veggies, rice, and whatever else your heart desires!
Eat this chicken with eggs for a wholesome breakfast.
Make a southwest chicken wrap by adding it to a tortilla or leaf of lettuce and rolling it up with your favorite toppings.
Serve it with some fresh peach salsa for a fresh burst of fruity goodness!
Add some homemade guacamole on top!
Mix it into some mac and cheese, because honestly – who wouldn’t love that?

Key Ingredients

This is the perfect set-it-and-forget-it recipe! The ingredients are simple and easy to find – and there’s very minimal prep! Just mince some garlic, chop some onions, and everything gets dumped in your slow cooker!

Chicken breasts: boneless and skinless
Chicken broth: or vegetable broth
Salsa
Black beans: drained and rinsed
Canned corn: drained
Can of diced green chilies
Onion: chopped
Garlic: minced
Seasonings: chili, cumin, and salt
Rice

a couple of bowls full of rice with southwest chicken on top, served with avocado slices and herb garnish

How To Make Slowcooker Chicken

Step 1: Fill Slow Cooker

Add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker – except for the rice – and then cook on low for 6 hours (or high for 4 hours). It’s done once the chicken shreds easily.

Step 2: Shred and Mix

When the chicken is done, remove it from the slow cooker and shred it, then add it back to the pot to mix it together with the other ingredients. Serve it over hot rice and your toppings of choice. Enjoy!

FAQs

Can you put raw chicken in the slow cooker?

Yes, absolutely! When you put your raw chicken right in the slow cooker it’ll wind up cooked to perfection. The nature of a slow cooker means that the heat and seal will cook your chicken through without fear of lingering bacteria.

Should liquid cover the chicken in the slow cooker?

Yes, covering the chicken with liquid and the additional ingredients helps the heat distribute evenly throughout the meat.

Should chicken be on high or low in the slow cooker?

You can cook it on either high or low! You can do high for 4 hours, or low for 6 hours. I personally prefer the low and slow option – it has the added benefit of filling the house with delicious aromas!

More Slow Cooker Recipes to Try

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