Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken

This delicious recipe is everything! Creamy, flavorful (can be spicy if you like), and amazing! It can be served in many different and creative ways because it goes with just about everything.

This dump-and-go classic will quickly become your favorite way to serve crockpot chicken. It involves almost no prep work. There is nothing to brown in advance, no cutting board is needed and only one pot is involved. Crock pot nirvana!

📝Shopping list

To make this easy salsa verde chicken recipe you will need these simple ingredients:

• Chicken breasts - Boneless, skinless chicken is easiest.
• Green salsa (salsa verde)
• Cumin
• Garlic powder
• Cream cheese

🥣How to make crock pot salsa verde chicken

Start by spraying the bottom of your slow cooker with a non-stick spray of choice. An olive oil sprayer works well for this. Place chicken breasts and all other ingredients except cream cheese into the bowl of your slow cooker. Cook on low heat setting.

After it is cooked through, remove and shred chicken. Return it to your slow cooker and stir it into the sauce. Keep your chicken mixture on the warm setting until it is almost time to serve.

15 minutes prior to serving, cut your cream cheese into cubes and toss it into your slow cooker. Place cover back on slow cooker and allow cream cheese to melt. Just prior to serving, give it all a good stir to fully mix.

🍽Serving suggestions

There are so many different ways to serve this delicious dish. Each one is better than the last. Wrapping it up in corn tortillas with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and onions is a start. It can also star as the main ingredient in burrito bowls or slow cooker chicken tacos.

If you prefer to keep it simple, serve on top of a bed of black beans, white or brown rice, cauliflower rice or cilantro lime rice. Another favorite of the whole family is to serve with a big bag of tortilla chips. You can scoop it up like a dip!

This easy chicken recipe is also beyond delicious served in lettuce wraps. Both Romain lettuce and iceberg lettuce leaves work well for this. It also makes an amazing filling for a hollowed-out red bell pepper.

Finally, it makes a great topping for loaded nachos!

Some favorite toppings to serve on this delicious chicken :

Shredded cheddar cheese

Freshly chopped green chilies

Light sour cream

Greek yogurt

Hot sauce

A squeeze of fresh lime juice

Chopped fresh cilantro

Storing leftovers

Leftovers are rare but do happen on occasion. They should be stored in an airtight container or bag. Leftovers will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator and 3-4 months in the freezer. The easiest way to reheat leftovers is to let them defrost in the refrigerator and then quickly reheat in the microwave.

↔️Substitutions

Chicken thighs can be used in the place of breasts for this dish. You can also swap out the bottle of salsa verde for a traditional red salsa. To dial up the heat in this dish, use a hot salsa verde sauce.

If you prefer to keep things dairy-free (or lower in calories), the cream cheese in this dish can be omitted.

😉Hints & hacks

1. All slow cookers are different and may have a slightly different cook time. Using a meat thermometer is the easiest way to confirm that chicken is fully cooked. Chicken is considered safe to serve once it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
2. I generally use two forks to shred chicken. A hand mixer also works well as does a potato masher.
3. You can use either a prepared jar of salsa verde or your own salsa verde recipe for this slow cooker recipe.
4. Store leftovers in individual serving-sized containers for easy grab and go future meals on a busy day.
5. I am a huge fan of slow cooker liners. They are a great help with this particular recipe. If you use a liner, you can skip spraying your slow cooker with non-stick spray.
6. In the market for a slow cooker? I love mine!