Garlic-lime crockpot chicken tacos are slow-cooked with chili powder, garlic, cumin, oregano, orange juice, and lime juice. They’re topped with homemade pico de gallo, a tangy chili-lime aioli, and crumbled queso fresco.
This crockpot chicken tacos recipe creates amazingly moist shredded chicken with little effort.
If you haven’t tried making slow cooker chicken tacos yet then please go do it now. Cooking the chicken this way makes shredding it so much easier. Trust me, no other method compares.
Because the main taco filling is a set it and forget it type recipe, I have plenty of time left for homemade pico de gallo and my favorite chilli lime aioli. By the time everything is spread on the dinner table it looks like I have spent lots of time in the kitchen.
Try this shredded chicken hack for yourself and impress your dinner guests. We’ll keep how easy it is to prepare between you and me!
Why Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos?
Crockpot shredded chicken tacos are amazing! The chicken breast stays nice and moist and soaks up all the flavor from the spices and sauces.
It surprises me every time how pull-apart soft it becomes. A few scrapes with the fork and the shredding is done.
I have tried other methods for making shredded chicken but this is by far the best. The chicken becomes too dry in the oven and the flavors are less pronounced when cooked on the stove top.
I like making shredded chicken in crockpot for tacos when I know that I will be out all day but still want a satisfying dinner. I throw everything together in the morning before I head out and it is ready for me as soon as I am back home.
This recipe is also perfect for feeding a crowd. I lay out the shredded chicken, pico de gallo, aioli, and tortillas on the table and everyone can assemble their own. Even less work for me!
Garlic-Lime Crockpot Chicken Tacos Ingredients
Chicken Taco Marinade
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (Thighs work too.)
- Chicken Broth
- Orange Juice (Juice of 1 Fresh Orange)
- Lime Juice (Juice of 2 Fresh Limes)
- Chili Powder
- Minced Garlic (or 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder)
- White Vinegar
- Cumin
- Oregano
Pico de Gallo Ingredients
- Roma Tomatoes, diced
- Small Yellow Onion
- Jalapeño, diced
- Fresh Cilantro
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Salt
Tangy Chili-Lime Aioli Ingredients
- Mayo
- Minced Garlic
- Chili Powder
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Salt
Finishing Touches
- Tortilla Shells
- Pico de Gallo
- Avocado Slices or Guacamole
- Queso Fresco
The Juices for Chicken Tacos in Crockpot
You may have noticed a few interesting liquids on the ingredients list. Every single one serves a purpose in preparing this crockpot shredded chicken.
I make these crockpot chicken tacos with chicken broth because it adds much more flavor that plain water. I know that some people say you don’t need to add water or other liquids to a crockpot but you definitely do if you want to prevent drying out and burning.
I also add the juice of one fresh orange to the mix. This not only creates a zesty flavor (together with the lime juice) but it also helps soften the chicken breast. Softer chicken breast means easier shredding.
If there is one ingredient that you could skip it would be the orange juice but trust me, you’ll miss it.
How Long to Cook in a Crockpot?
I give you two options to cook crockpot chicken tacos. It can either be cooked on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-9 hours.
Both will give you amazingly soft stringy chicken so don’t worry too much about the final result. Make your choice depending on your schedule for the day.
What Is in Pico de Gallo?
Pico de gallo goes by many names but the ingredients stay fairly consistent. It is a raw sauce made with fresh diced tomatoes, onions, hot green peppers, lime juice and cilantro. Some variations may include bell peppers, avocado or garlic.
Have you noticed that together these ingredients cover all the colors of the Mexican flag? That is why it is sometimes also called salsa bandera, or flag salsa. Other names it goes by include salsa fresca, salsa mexicana or salsa cruda.
My favorite is still just pico de gallo, though. Translated into English it means rooster’s beak. Where this name comes from, we don’t know, so let’s chalk it up to historical mysteries along with cocktail and sandwich.
Pico de Gallo vs Salsa
Okay, let’s discuss this one, too. A pico de gallo is a salsa but not every salsa is pico de gallo. Are you with me so far?
Salsa, in Spanish, means sauce so understandably there is an endlessly long list of condiments that can be considered a salsa. Pico de gallo is just one of the many ‘sauces’ on the list.
So what is it that makes pico de gallo different? I’ve already mentioned one defining characteristic; the basic ingredients. Since most sauces can be called a salsa, the list of possible ingredients of a salsa is also very long.
Then there are two more important elements for a pico de gallo. These are its texture and its preparation method.
All ingredients are finely diced but not mashed and not cooked, either. It is a raw condiment. Most salsa’s, on the other hand, are liquid and many also cooked before serving.
There you have it. You know it is a pico de gallo by its diced raw ingredients that goes perfectly with almost any authentic Mexican chicken recipe.
The Chili-Lime Aioli
In tex-mex cuisine, sour cream is a standard topping on tacos. For these shredded crockpot chicken tacos I wanted something with a little bit more kick.
Enter chilli-lime aioli! I know we have already had a hype around aioli over mayonnaise but this takes it to a whole other level.
The chilli and lime flavor is also found in both the chicken taco marinade and pico de gallo. This extra layer really amplifies the freshness of this dish.
The garlic adds a smokey hint which is also present in the shredded chicken. It really brings depth to the chilli-lime sauce, much more than a regular sour cream would.
I am very much looking forward to chowing these down on a warm day. Sun in my face, mojito next to my plate. Absolute perfection!
This dish makes me feel like I am on vacation and I don’t even have to leave my backyard. What dish gives you that vacation feeling?
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Garlic-Lime Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
Chicken Taco Marinade
- 2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Thighs work too.
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- ¼ cup Orange Juice, Juice of 1 Fresh Orange
- ¼ cup Lime Juice, Juice of 2 Fresh Limes
- 2 tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic, or 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoon White Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
Pico de Gallo
- 2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
- 1 Small Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 Jalapeño, diced
- 3 Sprigs of Fresh Cilantro, remove the leaves from stems
- Juice from Half a Lime
- Salt to Taste
Tangy Chili-Lime Aioli
- ½ cup Mayo
- 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic, or 1 ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice, Juice of 1 Fresh Lime
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Finishings
- Tortilla Shells
- Pico de Gallo
- Avocado Slices or Guacamole
- Queso Fresco
Instructions
- Mix together all of the seasonings and liquids to make the chicken marinade. Add chicken to the crock pot and pour liquid over top. Place lid on and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-9 hours.
- While it cooks, make the chili-lime aioli and pico de gallo.
- Make the pico de gallo by dicing the tomato and onions into small chunks. Slice the jalapeño in half lengthwise and remove the rib and seeds. Chop into fine pieces. Pull leaves from cilantro stems and place them in a bowl with tomato, onion, and jalapeño. Cut a lime in half and squeeze lime juice over top of the mixture in the bowl. Add salt to season and stir ingredients.
- To make the aioli, whisk together all ingredients in a small dish, set aside.
- Once chicken is done cooking, shred chicken and serve in warm tortilla shells. Top with cheese, pico de gallo, chili-lime aioli, or guacamole.
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