chicken taco filling slow cooked to perfection
When I need a quick and simple gluten-free meal on nights I won’t have time to cook, I open up Stephanie O’Dea’s Make It Fast, Cook It Slow
I like to make sure that Joe always has dinner even if I’m not going to be home. Yes, sometimes he eats leftovers and I usually have a meal or two in the freezer. When he’s been traveling a lot, though, a hot, home cooked meal is exactly what he wants. The slow cooker lets me make dinner in 10 minutes – but I never tell him that.
This is my take on Stephanie’s recipe. For all of you that love your slow cooker for it’s convenience and the ability to cook from scratch for your family on those busy nights, put this on your to-make list. And don’t tell anyone how quick and simple it is…they’ll never guess.
Have a favorite slow cooker recipe? I’d love to hear about it.
Other gluten-free slow cooker recipes:
- Chicken Posole Stew from SS&GF
- Moroccan Coconut & Chickpea Soup from Gluten-Free Goddess
- Slow Cooker Applesauce from Gluten-Free by Nature
This recipe was inspired by Make It Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O’Dea.
Ingredients
- 1/2 large onion
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I use organic when I can get them.)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 cups black beans, drained & rinsed (or 1 can of beans)
- 1 cup of your favorite salsa
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika
- 8 – 12 corn tortillas
- shredded romaine lettuce
- light sour cream or yogurt
- shredded cheese
- salsa
- diced tomatoes
- grated carrots and radishes
Instructions
- Use a 4 or 5 quart slow cooker. Slice the onion thinly in moons from end to end. Put the sliced onion in the bottom of the crock.
- If the chicken thighs have lots of fat, cut it of with a sharp chef’s knife. Rub the chicken thighs with salt and pepper then lay them on top of the onions. Put the beans, corn and salsa on top of the chicken, then sprinkle the cumin and paprika across the top. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 – 5 hours, until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
- To toast the corn tortillas, heat a dry pan over high heat. Toast on each side just until they start to color, about 20 seconds per side. Wrap in foil and put in a 200 degree F oven to keep warm.
- Serve tacos with desired toppings or pile it on top of a plate of shredded romaine lettuce and make a taco salad.
Alta
posted on May 16, 2011 at 12:06 pm
Tacos are often my default “No time to cook” dinners! I either use leftover roasted chicken (doing that this week!) or I use the slow cooker for pork or beef. I am glad to see you used only thighs here – they won’t dry out like breasts will. I love chicken thighs in tacos. This sounds good and easy. I’m sure Joe loves it too.
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
May 16th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
@Alta, Yep, thighs are really the best for the slow cooker. Did you notice the great color I got on the tortillas? I always think of you when I toast them…your dry pan works perfectly every time.
Hugs!
Amy
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Alta Reply:
May 16th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
@Amy, I see! They’re great that way, aren’t they? Glad that works for you. Hugs!
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Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen)
posted on May 16, 2011 at 3:46 pm
Since I’m going to be gone this weekend, I should throw something like this together for the boys so they can have quick easy dinners. This looks delicious! I have beans going on my crockpot right now. I love that piece of equipment.
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
May 16th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
@Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen), Me too, Sarena! I have 4 CrockPots…a 6 quart, a 5 quart, a 4 quart, & a little dipper. I’m a mess…but I love them.
[Reply]
Alisa Fleming
posted on May 16, 2011 at 5:15 pm
I do a very similar crockpot recipe for making the chicken for tacos. It is so easy and flavorful!
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Amy Reply:
May 16th, 2011 at 7:26 pm
@Alisa Fleming, I agree! Joe loved it, which always makes me happy. It’s great to be able to throw something quick together and not have to worry about flavor.
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Kristina Vanni
posted on May 16, 2011 at 8:43 pm
These sound great…I was just about to try the Sweet Potato and Black Bean tacos from your cookbook. I am really enjoying it!
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
May 19th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
@Kristina Vanni, You’re so sweet to stop by and say hi, Kristina. I’m glad you’re enjoying my book – I take that as a very high compliment coming from you.
I love the tacos…especially with the carrot & jicima slaw. Have fun!
Hugs,
Amy
[Reply]
Cara
posted on May 16, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Chicken tacos from the crockpot are one of our favorite quick and easy meals!
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Christine
posted on May 17, 2011 at 11:26 am
Yum! I love tacos so much! Now I really need to head to the Mexican food store in town and get some half decent corn tortillas!
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stephanie @ gluten free by nature
posted on May 17, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Amy
wow – look at those tacos. Holy cow! They look so yummy. And how ingenious to make them in the slow cooker. Nothing like having dinner made for you
Thanks for the link love, too. That was so kind of you
Have a wonderful week
Stephanie
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
May 19th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
@stephanie @ gluten free by nature, I love your food, Stephanie. It’s always yummy.
Hugs,
Amy
[Reply]
Becca
posted on May 25, 2011 at 10:05 pm
I have made this twice so far! First time was just for me and the second time for guests and they loved it! Thanks for sharing. It is so good and easy to make. You are the best!
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
June 2nd, 2011 at 8:49 am
@Becca, I think it’s the smoked paprika that makes it so good. We had some earlier this week – and I don’t think anyone would think it came from a CrockPot.
Hugs,
Amy
[Reply]
Stephanie
posted on January 28, 2012 at 11:21 am
I’m just starting this journey and I love your web site. Mexican is our favorite dinner so we have it quite a lot. My favorite economical way to do chicken is to buy a whole chicken and crock pot it or rotisserie it. We have it for dinner. Then I part out the meat and put it in the fridge. The “throw away” stuff stays in the crock and I add water and cook it for another day. There’s my broth and already cooked chicken for other meals. Chicken soup, chicken tacos, chicken sandwiches….
Thanks for ALL your great info!!!!
Steph
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Amy Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 3:33 pm
@Stephanie, Great tip, Stephanie!
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Traci Bowman
posted on February 1, 2012 at 8:15 pm
I made chicken tacos today and my poor shells just feel apart. What a mess,….how do you get your to look so lovely,,,,,maybe I didn’t heat them long enough in the pan. ???
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 3:22 pm
@Traci Bowman, Did your filling have a lot of liquid? If so, that will soak the tortillas and cause them to break. Or, maybe your tortillas weren’t so fresh.
Hugs,
Amy
[Reply]
Traci Bowman Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 4:33 pm
no liquid…and i just bought the corn shells…maybe they were some cheap kind…I don’t know what happened..I think I will just chop them up and make a taco salad! lol
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
February 3rd, 2012 at 9:10 am
@Traci Bowman, I used corn tortillas that are soft and then grilled them in a hot, dry pan. My shells weren’t crispy.
Traci Bowman Reply:
February 4th, 2012 at 1:10 am
The next time i made them i let them cook in the pan longer and it worked out much better! They were’t crispy but they weren’t as soggy as the first time either. so i just had to do some adjusting of the cooking time!
thanks a bunch