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.
Shay
This is AMAZING!!!
Brandie Benson
Made this for dinner tonight we liked it I’m not a big shredded chicken fan so next time I might use diced chicken and make it on the stove this time I followed the directions here but left out the chicken broth used some butter on top and used pace picante sauce mild and no green chilies I will make it again and I only used a half package of taco seasoning
Lisa Terry
Excellent recipe. Made this for a church dinner and it was hit! I cooked some cornbread with Mexican corn in it to go with this. It was excellent!
Erica
How many tacos does this make?
Mary Neumann
Erica, sorry I missed your question, 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.
Lee De Haro
I make this to place atop sopes when I make them. Whenever my husband wants sopes for dinner , this is the perfect meat for me to serve on them because I can let this cook low all day and do it’s thing and then I have less cooking and prepping to do other than making the sopes. It really makes it a much easier process.
Sherry Kiefer
This is one of our favorite meals used as topping for nachos. I dont even add the cheese to the entire crockpot. You can drizzle the cheese over your nachos and add your favorite toppings ( peppers, onions, olives, sour cream) So yummy!!
Traci
We devoured this recipe tonight for dinner! I don’t know how many times I heard “Omg! This is SO good”! Lolol. Cooked 3 large breasts for 14 minutes on high in the IP- came out perfect!!! Thank you!! Definitely a keeper!!!!
Melissa
Can this recipe be doubled? Wondering if the chicken would take about the same time to cook or need to cook longer ?
Pat
Can these be made in an Instant Pot? If so, how do I do it?? Thank you in advance!
Coffeemom
Can this be made in an instapot?
Lauren E
Can this be frozen?
Amy W
Have you ever tried freezing the ingredients as a freezer meal? The ingredients look like they would all freeze well.
Julie
Making this today! I have always done a simpler form with just taco seasoning and chicken broth, but I’m excited about this new (to me) take on it. Yum!
Lisa Brown
How many people does this feed?
Faith Risher
I made this and left tout the green chilies and did not add the broth and there was plenty of juices glowing in it. I used a pack of chicken tenders and they cooked in about 3 hrs. I served on soft shells with avocado salsa from a jar(Tostado”s) and mexican style rice. Family loved it!
Anne
How many does this serve?
Lee
Serving to my husband who is used to traditional Mexican cooking and meats for the tortillas but he does like this he knows I try. I do at least make him homemade corn tortilla, something easier that I learned from my mother in law, to help him enjoy his tacos.
Sandy
You’re right about it being adaptable! I only had a block of white queso so I melted that into the chicken while it was hot. Turned out great! I left out the diced green chilis because my husband can be sensitive to heat and only used half the packet of taco seasoning. When I make it again, I’ll probably do it the same way because we were very pleased with it. Then again, I know I can simply work with what I have in the house. 🙂
Nancy M
Also a good way to use leftover rotisserie chicken.
Daniel
Nutritional fact value chart ?
Mary Hall
Can this filling be frozen?
susan kirk
Can i use frozen chicken breasts?
Kayla
Well I wasn’t paying attention to the instructions and put the whole jar of cheese in there. It’s still awesome, just extra cheesy.
Jessica
How many calories per serving?
Shene
I only have bone in chicken breast and my husband asked for this again for tonight. Do you think I could use them and pick out the bones when I shred them. Should I change cooking tim. First recipe that my husband ever asked for a repeat
Chevie
I don’t like green Chili’s or Rotel is it okay just add the chicken broth and the taco seasoning and add the queso and later?
Mary Neumann
Sure, Chevie, it would work, just the taco seasoning for flavor.
Billy Joe Crapse
Can you use the white queso instead?
Mary Neumann
Yes – use your favorite brand or make homemade – easy to adapt using what you like.
Joanie King
Can you double this recipe?