Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

      8 Comments on Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

I want to add more food posts to my blog, and I’ve actually been taking lots of pictures of food since my husband bought me my sweet new Mothers Day gift.  Okay, the truth is, my husband totally missed the mark on Mother’s Day this year.  I actually asked him for a whisk–how hard is that, right?  Four dollars or less on the next trip to Meijers–simple!  Instead, he bought me some chocolate and a mini rose bush.  Which sounds sweet and all, but considering that, a) I was still in my “I can’t get this 5 pounds off!” mode, and b) I kill all vegetation in my possession, those may not have been the best choices.  I whined a bit, and the next day, I was given a Best Buy gift card and permission to buy myself something.

 

 

Score! 🙂  In case you’re not familiar with it, that’s a Canon 50mm prime lens with a maximum 1.8 aperture.  If that’s all Greek to you, just know that it’s a great lens for taking pictures of things like food!

We’ve spent the last month postponing dinner nearly every night so I could first take a picture of whatever we were eating.  And not just a quick picture either…these were the “get the fancy table cloth and go outside” kind of pictures, all done without complaint.   (My family loves me, clearly.)

I had to wait until I had my “new” blog up and running, but now I’m ready to post some recipes! I culled through all my photos tonight, but it seems like each picture is of a food item that is somewhat complex to prepare.  Unfortunately, since I need to be up at 5am to get to the Farmer’s Market at 6am for the official kick-off of strawberry-canning weekend, I don’t have the time to type up one of those more intense recipes.  And yet…I still want to post one.  And then, I came across the world’s easiest recipe!

 

 

I know, I know, you’re like, “Tacos? Seriously? It doesn’t take a culinary arts degree to know how to make tacos.”

Ah…but these are special tacos.  These are the easiest tacos you will ever make. No lie.  In fact, they are what I like to call my “game night” tacos, because they can be ready pretty much when you walk in the door from a 7pm hockey game. 🙂

These tacos have five ingredients and almost no prep work.  Basically, you take 4 chicken breasts (frozen is best, but they can be thawed if that’s what you’ve got on hand) and put them in a crock pot at 7am (or so).  Add 1 packet of taco powder and 2 cups of salsa.  If you’re using thawed chicken, add about 1/2 cup of chicken broth (the frozen ones will have enough moisture on their own).  Put it on low and let it cook all day.  When you get home, shred the chicken (you can do it with 2 forks right in the cooker) and then add a can of corn (drained) and a can of black beans (drained and rinsed).  Cook on high for about 30 minutes or up to 2 hours, depending on how long you have before the children begin to chew on their clothing in desperation. (What? Only my kids do that?) You just basically need to warm the beans and corn.  Serve in taco shells with your favorite toppings, or eat from a bowl like I often do when I’m tired and lazy. 😉

That’s it!  It really is a simple recipe, and if you’re like me, with a husband that works odd shifts, you might get lucky enough to have someone who will shred the chicken and add the corn and beans a couple hours before you get home, so that it’s perfect when you walk in the door.  At least there is some benefit to my husband’s odd work hours. 😛

I realize this isn’t the most impressive recipe for a blog, but it’s a staple in our house, and one I get a lot of requests for once I describe it.  And by golly, what it lacks in elegance, it makes up for in simplicity…and this hockey mom is all about simplicity!

I promise, my next recipe will knock your socks off with its complexity.  Or at the very least, it’ll make you hungry. 😉

Thanks for reading!!

 

 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Makes 14 servings.  Recipe adapted from my friend Michelle.

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (frozen preferrably, but thawed is okay too*)
2 cups of salsa
1 pkg. of taco seasoning
15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can of yellow corn, drained

*If you use thawed chicken breasts, add about 1/2 cup chicken broth

Combine chicken breasts, salsa, taco season, and if using, chicken broth, in crock pot.  Cook all day, covered, on low.   Anywhere from 2 hours to 30 minutes before serving, remove lid to let moisture cook off.  Shred the chicken using two forks and add black beans and corn.  Continue cooking until ready to eat.

Serve in taco shells with sour cream, cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce–you know, all that typical taco stuff!

edited 6/18/13 to add: Oops! I’m still new at this, and I totally forgot to give the Weight Watchers points for it!  Each “serving” to me is basically the ingredients for one taco, and that comes out to be 2 points if you get 14 servings out of it.  Of course, you have to add in the shell, cheese, sour cream, etc.  Or, again–you could just eat out of a bowl like me! 🙂

8 thoughts on “Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

  1. Lorenda

    Oh, I remember those days when my son was playing hockey! Crockpot meals are the best! The fact that it is simple and a staple in your home is what makes it perfect for your blog! I am going to try this soon!
    Lorenda

    Reply
  2. Jenn

    Sometimes less is more, Steph, especially with the pace of our lives nowadays. Sounds like a great standby recipe, thanks for sharing! Do you think your DH can make a side trip to my house to toss in the corn and beans for me?!?!

    Reply
    1. steph Post author

      Thanks, Jenn! It really IS a yummy recipe! I’ll see what I can do about sending Jason over to your place. 😉 xoxo

      Reply
    1. steph Post author

      I live for my slow-cooker with these darn kids’ schedules. Someday it won’t be like this, but for now, it has become a necessary item in my kitchen! Thanks for commenting!

      Reply
  3. Lorenda

    I made this today! Everyone really liked it. We used tortillas and rolled them up.
    I copied the recipe on a recipe card and I wrote:”from That Loud Redhead 6/14/13″. My daughter saw it and asked me if I call one of my friends a loud readhead!!
    Thanks for the recipe! It will be a regular around here now!
    Lorenda

    Reply
    1. steph Post author

      LOL, I love it!! You tell your daughter that I give full approval to call me a loud redhead. There’s just no getting around it, because that’s what I am! 😉

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it–it’s still one of our favorites!! Thanks for letting me know you tried it!

      Reply

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