Slow Cooker Santa Fe Chicken is a hearty, flavor-packed dinner with tender chicken, beans, corn, and bold Southwest flavors. Everything cooks into a saucy mixture perfect for bowls, tacos, or scooping up with homemade tortilla chips. It is simple to prep, family-friendly, and ideal for busy nights when you want comforting food.
Recipe at a glance (TL;DR)
- Prep time: 10 min
- Cook time: 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high
- Main Ingredients: Chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, corn, beans, chilis, jalapenos, and spices
- Servings: 6
- Difficulty level: Lazy! No cutting involved (assuming you buy pre-cut onions)
- Best for: Busy weeknights, meal prep, feeding a hungry crowd, and whenever you want a scoopable meal.
Jump to:
- Why Make This Dish in the Slow Cooker?
- Ingredient shopping list
- 🎥Watch how to make it
- Step-by-step visual instructions
- Serving ideas
- What substitutions can I make in Santa Fe Chicken?
- How should I store leftovers?
- Expert tips for making the best slow cooker chicken.
- More Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
Why I love this recipe
There is something about meals that can be scooped with chips. Serve the ingredients in this dish separately, and the kids will balk. Serve this dish as a scoopable bowl (all the same ingredients), and it disappears.
I love making this recipe because it is fun, versatile, and no one ever complains. You can serve it in tortilla bowls one week and with homemade chips the next, making you a hero twice!
If your family loves scoopable meals, try my Crustless Pizza.
Why Make This Dish in the Slow Cooker?
- Hands-free cooking. This is the ultimate dump-and-go chicken dinner. Once you put the lid on your slow cooker, just walk away. No need to check in.
- Deeper flavor development. Slow cooking tomatoes, corn, beans, and seasonings allows the flavors time to infuse into the chicken
- Perfect for large batches and meal prep - This crockpot chicken and beans dish stores and reheats beautifully.
🎥Watch a video showing how to make it
Ingredient shopping list
The following are the ingredients you'll need to make this Santa Fe chicken dish. Full quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
Protein
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Produce
- Onion - diced
- Garlic - minced
- Jalapenos - canned, chopped, without brine
Spices and Seasonings
- Garlic Powder
- Onion powder
- Cumin
- Dried Cilantro
- Salt and Black Pepper - to taste
Pantry Items
- Fire-Roasted Tomatoes - with garlic if possible
- Black Beans - canned beans, rinsed and drained
- Chopped Green Chilies - I use mild
- Corn - canned, drained
🎥Watch how to make it
Preparing your slow cooker
- Lightly coat your slow cooker with a non-stick spray, oil, or butter before cooking
- Avocado oil and olive oil are both great choices for this recipe
- Use a slow cooker liner for the easiest cleanup (always an optional step)
Step-by-step visual instructions
- Place chicken breasts into a well-greased slow cooker
- Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Using two forks shred chicken and stir back into the remaining ingredients in your slow cooker
- Serve directly out of your slow cooker,
If you love this recipe...
Please let me know in the comment section below!
If you love this recipe...
Please let me know in the comment section below!
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Serving ideas
This slow cooker Santa Fe chicken is a full one-pot meal. However, it is great:
- In bowls with rice, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese
- Scooped up by homemade tortilla chips
- Wrapped up in soft or crunchy taco shells
- Topped with cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro
- Wrapped in large lettuce leaves for a fresh, crunchy option
- Topped with red pepper flakes for added heat.
What substitutions can I make in Santa Fe Chicken?
- Boneless, skinless thighs work well in this healthy family dinner and will produce more tender results. For a different take on healthier chicken thighs, try Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew.
- Replace black beans with kidney or pinto beans for a similar flavor and texture. You can also omit the beans completely for a lower-carb option.
- Frozen corn works perfectly in place of canned. Fire-roasted corn is a delicious option that adds a touch of sweetness to this one-pot Mexican-inspired meal.
- Use prepared Mexican seasoning blend in place of the individual spices and jalapenos.
- To dial up the heat, use an entire can of hot jalapenos. For less intense heat, use pickled jalapenos.
How should I store leftovers?
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days in an airtight container or zipper-top bag. Alternatively, freeze them for up to 3 months.
Frozen leftovers should be allowed to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before gently reheating in the microwave.
Expert tips for making the best slow cooker chicken.
- Use a silicone or wooden spoon when mixing in your slow cooker to avoid scratching.
- Chicken is considered safe to eat when it reaches 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to confirm.
- When possible, I like to shred the chicken right in the slow cooker. Using silicone forks to shred ensures that I don't scratch the non-stick surface. This tactic is especially great when making chicken soups like my Chicken & Barley Soup.
- In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine!
- Always double-check to ensure your slow cooker is on and plugged in. Coming home to a cold slow cooker is the worst!
Lazy Tip
Pre-cut onions are a great time and tear-saving shortcut. They can be purchased pre-cut in the fresh produce section, the frozen vegetable section, or in jars.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases and affiliate links at no additional cost to you.
Tools I love
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases and affiliate links at no additional cost to you.
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Santa Fe Chicken
(Click on the stars to leave a rating)
Print Pin Rate SaveAll nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- cutting board and knife
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 3 smaller breasts.
- 2 14 oz cans fire-roasted tomatoes with garlic undrained - use all juices
- 14 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
- 14 oz can corn kernels drained
- 1 cup onion diced
- 7 oz can green chilis chopped
- 2 tablespoon canned jalapeno diced (fresh would work too)
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon dried cilantro
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- optional toppings: shredded cheese*, sliced green onion, diced tomatoes, freshly sliced jalapenos, sour cream, fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Place 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts into a well-greased slow cooker
- Add 2 14 oz cans fire-roasted tomatoes with garlic, 14 oz can black beans, 14 oz can corn kernels, 1 cup onion, 7 oz can green chilis, 2 tablespoon canned jalapeno, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon dried cilantro, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder and stir to combine
- Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Remove cooked chicken and shred it using two forks.
- Add shredded chicken in to the slow cooker and stir well to fully combine
- Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed
- Serve over rice, in tortillas, in bowls, or with tortilla chips
- Add topping of choice and enjoy!
Final Step
If you love this recipe, please let everyone know by giving it a star rating and leaving a comment. This will help my business to grow and allow me to keep on testing and sharing free recipes with you.😊
Video
Notes
- Make it even easier by swapping out all seasonings 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite Tex-Mex seasoning
- Note that nutritional information does not include toppings or any items you may serve it with.
- For a spicier chicken, use hot canned jalapenos or fresh jalapenos. For a milder dish, go with pickled jalapenos or reduce the amount included.
Nutrition
All nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
Check out my latest on Instagram
Leave a Reply