Chicken tacos, chicken enchiladas, chicken quesadillas, chicken rice bowls, chicken taco salads….any and all of these can be made using this simple recipe!

I honestly have no idea where the original recipe came from, but I saw it on Pinterest recently. I hate when you click on a pin and it doesn’t lead you to a link. Does that drive anyone else crazy? Just me? Ok. I digress….

I ate (read: devoured) this salad yesterday for dinner after a glorious 4 mile run.

Outside.

Because here in the south it was nearly 70F with beautiful blue skies..

This was the first outside run I’ve had in about a month and a half. I expected it to be miserable, but you know what? it wasn’t. It was wonderful, rejuvenating, and almost relaxing. All the weight lifting I’ve been doing in the gym has really helped my leg strength and speed increase without investing many miles. I do have to admit I had forgotten how much I love running outside though!

Ok, back to the recipe.

The next time you want to make something of the Mexican variety using chicken as your meat of choice, throw some chicken breasts (thawed or frozen!) in the crock pot with taco seasoning and a jar of salsa. Cook it on low for 5-6 hours (could be more like 6-8 hours, depending on your crock pot) or on high for 3-4 hours.

Here is another Pinterest tip I learned and use frequently: when your chicken is cooked thoroughly, put it in the stand of your kitchen aid mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn it on a low speed and it will shred your chicken breast PERFECTLY. I was never very successful at shredding chicken with two forks, and this saves me so much time and energy! Trust me, I was skeptical at first too, but it works like a charm. See this post for more detailed directions.

Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken 

Ingredients:

• 1-2 lbs chicken breasts
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• 1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning (or make your own, which is what I prefer. Recipe coming soon!)
• 1 16 oz. jar of salsa

1) Spray your crock pot with Pam. (This is a tip I learned this year from a coworker and it really does save you so much time on clean up!)

2) Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and taco seasoning.

3) Pour salsa to cover the chicken.

4) Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

5) Shred chicken with two forks or in the stand mixer. Add some of the salsa back to the chicken to make it moist and flavorful. Serve with your favorite Mexican dish!

Nutritional Information Per 1/2 cup Serving (Makes 8 servings if you use 2 lbs): 147 Calories; 1g Fat; 27g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Fiber; 66mg Cholesterol; 505mg Sodium.