Salsa Verde Chicken

This 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.

Salsa Verde Chicken with jalapeños in the slow cooker

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 , salsa verde , chili powder , paprika , cumin with labels to make Salsa Verde Chicken

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.

adding seasoning to chicken to make Salsa Verde Chicken

adding salsa verde to chicken in crockpot to make Salsa Verde Chicken

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.

taking a spoonful of Salsa Verde Chickenout of the crockpot

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

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image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

5 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

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.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

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