Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos – The Original Viral Recipe from Sweet Little Bluebird! Only 4 simple ingredients. Chicken breasts are slow cooked in taco seasoning, Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, then shredded and smothered in velvety, melty Mexican cheese. Serve this insanely delicious chicken in soft or hard shell tacos topped with your favorite taco toppings for an awesome meal the whole family will love.
Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken Tacos
Slow Cooker Quseo Chicken Tacos (The Original Recipe) – Taco night just got cheesy in the best way! These 4-ingredient Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos are bursting with flavor and practically cook themselves. Juicy chicken, creamy queso sauce, taco seasoning, along with and a touch of spice from Rotel tomatoes and chilies will have your family asking for seconds (and thirds!) Plus, they’re super easy to customize with your favorite toppings – Taco Tuesday never looked so good!
More than just tacos! This chicken is perfect for burritos, wraps, and bowls too. Make it your own with your favorite toppings. It’s super easy to adjust and feeds a crowd, plus your slow cooker does all the work! Win-win!
Original post date, January 20, 2019 – Post Updated February 11, 2024
READ RAVE REVIEWS FROM PEOPLE WHO TRIED THIS RECIPE ON PINTEREST (PHOTOS)! Read More Reviews and even More Rave Reviews
Ingredients Needed to Make Crock Pot Queso Chicken Tacos
- boneless skinless chicken breasts,
- taco seasoning
- Rotel (tomatoes with diced green chiles) or salsa
- chicken broth (optional)
- diced green chiles (optional)
- jar of your favorite salsa con queso (or make homemade)
- taco shells and your favorite taco toppings
PLEASE NOTE: If you have limited supplies, you can omit the green chiles and the chicken broth, the chicken will still be tender, flavorful and delicious. If you do not have Rotel, you can substitute with salsa. This recipe is super easy to adapt!
The original recipe was updated with adaptions in 2020, when people were dealing with limited supplies. This recipe is very easy to adapt!
How to Make Queso Chicken Tacos
To make these awesome queso chicken tacos, lightly spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken in a single layer and sprinkle taco seasoning evenly on top. In a medium size bowl, add Rotel, green chiles (optional) and chicken broth (optional), mix well and pour over chicken.
Cook on high for 3–5 hours (adjust cooking time according to how fast/slow your cooker cooks – for some cookers, chicken may be done in 3–4 hours on high).
When ready, drain excess liquid leaving just a smidgen behind (I use a soup ladle), then shred chicken using two forks.
IMPORTANT STEP!! Be sure to remove the majority of the liquid BEFORE adding queso!! Leaving behind too much liquid will result is watery chicken.
Last, spoon queso on top and gently mix with chicken, coating chicken evenly. Cook on low for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with your favorite toppings, enjoy!
My daughter’s favorite for this recipe is white queso…so, so good. Be sure to use your favorite queso!
Frequently Asked Questions:
These tacos are great served with chips and salsa, Mexican corn cake, beans, cilantro lime rice, and more. Don’t forget margaritas!
Rotel is canned diced tomatoes with green chiles. You can use off brand diced tomatoes and green chiles. Salsa is a great substitute!
Yes, boneless skinless thighs work, but I think chicken breasts are best.
Use your favorite! This recipe is super easy to adapt to your taste, using your favorite taco seasoning and queso. You can also use homemade queso.
You can control the heat with the type of queso you use. If you like hot and spicy, use hot queso. If that’s not hot enough, add jalapeños and top tacos with hot sauce.
Want More Easy Mexican Recipes Like This One?
- Cornbread Taco Bake, from The Country Cook, is a must-have in the recipe box!
PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT A SPONSORED POST. I have no affiliation with any of the products shared in this post and recipe.
Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos (Easy 4 Ingredient Recipe)
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ounce packet of favorite taco seasoning or use homemade
- 1 can (10 ounces) Rotel (diced tomatoes and greed chiles) or use salsa
- ¾ cup salsa con queso (use your favorite or use homemade)
Optional Ingredients
- ½ cup chicken broth optional
- 1 can (4 ounces) mild diced green chiles optional
Making Tacos
- taco shells, soft or hard
- favorite taco toppings lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, hot sauce and more
Instructions
- Lightly spray slow-cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place chicken in single layer and sprinkle chicken evenly with taco seasoning. In a medium size bowl add Rotel, green chiles and chicken broth and mix well. Pour evenly over chicken.
- Cook on low for *6 to 8 hours, or on high for *3 to 5 hours. Cooking times may vary depending on your slow cooker, adjust accordingly.
- When ready, drain excess liquids leaving just a smidgen behind (I use a soup ladle), then shred chicken using two forks. DRAIN WELL! IMPORTANT STEP!! Be sure to remove the majority of the liquid BEFORE adding queso!! Leaving behind too much liquid will result is watery chicken.
- Last, spoon queso on top and gently mix with chicken, coating chicken evenly. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve with tortillas (hard or soft shell) and your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to remove most of the liquid BEFORE adding the queso. There are lots of copycat recipes out there that do not remove the excess liquid before adding the queso, resulting in watery chicken.
- *Be sure to adjust cooking time according to how fast or slow your cooker cooks – for some slow cookers, cooking on high, chicken may be ready in 3–4 hours.
- The recipe only calls for 3/4 of a cup of Queso. Depending on the size jar you are using, you may have some leftover. Use the extra queso to top tacos or to dip tortilla chips.
- You can use original Rotel or Rotel hot (or hot salsa) – this recipe is super easy to adapt to your taste if you like things spicy/hot.
Mandi
The only thing I didn’t add was green chilis and it turned out perfect, my husband really loved them. So easy and delicious! Thanks so much, sorry you have to deal with so many people don’t read and ask the same question you have already answered. So sweet of you to respond to them anyway 🙂
Amy Stringer
I’ve seen a few people ask if this can be doubled but can’t find a response and I wonder the same thing! To double would I double all ingredients including chicken as well as the time to cook?
Susan
How long would I cook it on high?
Taylor
Instead of draining it after I shredded the chicken I put a pack of Mexican rice in the crock pot and let it soak up the extra juices then I put in the queso, it turned it great!!
Lynn
Great idea! Was the rice cooked or uncooked? If uncoooked, how long did it take to cook in slow cooker? Thanks!
Taylor
It only took about 10-15 mins for the rice to cook, not as long as I thought it would lol!
JoAnn Brookins
What type of mexican rice? Rice Roni rice?
Ashlee
I have all the ingredients for this but I only have thin sliced chicken breast. Will it still turn out okay as long as I adjust the time? I’ve never used thin breasts in my slow cooker
Jennifer Murray
Hi Taylor!
How much rice did you add and how long did you cook the rice? I made this the other night and my fam loved it so I wanted to make it again but add rice this time.
Thank you!
Jen
Taylor
I added just one pack of Mexican rice from a grocery store and it took 10-15 mins to cook. 🙂
JEN D
Just made this as a request for my moms birthday! It was a hit!! Thank you for sharing this ❤️
Sarah
I accidentally added the queso with the other liquids. Will this mess everything up?
Mary Neumann
Hi Sarah! The chicken will be fine, the queso will just be very thin because it’s cooking with a lot of liquid. If you have queso left over, add it to your tacos as a topping 🙂 Your chicken should still be delicious!
Kellie
This is one of our favorite things to eat. Sometimes we eat in corn tortillas as tacos with a side of Spanish rice then the next day we mix the rice and chicken together and put it in flour tortillas for burritos.
Jeanne C
Can the left overs be frozen?
Mary Neumann
Queso does not freeze well, Jeanne.
Kristin
Where would I find the nutritional information for this recipe?
Mary Neumann
Kristin, I don’t provide nutritional information, here is a well written reason why, from a fellow food blogger over at Southern Bite: https://southernbite.com/heres-why-i-dont-post-nutritional-information-with-my-recipes/
Gg
Very confused on the cheese nowhere within the directions does it indicate the cheese so I just added it to the bowl with the rotel etc. And don’t understand the necessity of draining everything…but we’ll see
Mary Neumann
You missed it GG, it’s in the directions:
When ready, drain excess liquids leaving just a smidgen behind (I use a soup ladle), then shred chicken using two forks. Last, spoon queso on top and gently mix with chicken, coating chicken evenly. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with tortillas (hard or soft shell) and your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!”
Ruth
What is quest?
Lori
So good! This recipe is for Slow Cooker/Crockpot, but I do it in the Instant pot. 10-12 min if chicken breasts are under 2″thick, if over, 15min with a 5 min natural release and the quick release. Serving in low carb tortillas
Donna
wondering how this would turn out using a chuck roast or pork loin?
Jesse
Made this last night with frozen chicken thighs (it’s what I had). It was delicious! We drained just about all the liquid and then added a local white queso. Plenty of leftovers for the next few days.
Megan
How long did you cook It in the crockpot for frozen? I have never put frozen chicken in the crockpot, but wondering if I need to do anything different. Thank you!
Kelley
I COULD REALLY USE SOME CROCK POT RECIPES IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME TO ME ID GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
Erica E
This turned out great! Even my super picky 7-year-old said it was yummy! There was enough chicken for my family of 6 (two adults, 4 kids: ages 13, 10, 7, and 3) to have multiple tacos each, and there are plenty of leftovers.
The juices I took out with the ladle I saved in a glass measuring cup and added some water to reach 2 cups. This, I used in a package of Knorr chicken rice that called for 2 cups of water. I also added a can of black beans (drained) and 3 oz. frozen corn to that rice when there were 4 minutes left of cook time. This made a good side dish to serve with the tacos.
Cindy
Why don’t you put how many servings? I have just read two of your recipes and on both when people left comments asking how many servings they were not answered.
Mary Neumann
Cindy, you will see in the comments I answered this question a few times, “…this can serve 6-8 people depending on how large each serving is and if you do sides. It can go far with sides. I make this for our family of 4.” Servings are tricky, not knowing how large/small portions people like to serve.
Rachel
Have you ever used Frozen chicken breasts before?
Mary Neumann
I have not, Rachel,I would thaw the chicken first. I have found frozen chicken breasts bags tend to have a lot of extra liquid pumped into them, so after the chicken is cooked,before adding the queso,be sure to drain all that extra liquid.
Judy M Wilcox
I have alread cooked and shredded chicken so making it on the stove. Should I adjust the recipe at all doing it this way?