Short on time? This easy crockpot chicken recipe is one of the simplest recipes you’ll ever make! Plus it’s also delicious, filling and inexpensive. No wonder it’s a favorite!
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This Creamy Crockpot Mexican Chicken is one of my absolute favorite recipes ever! It’s probably the easiest recipe I make, it tastes amazing, and it makes enough that we usually can enjoy it for a second meal too. The only bad thing I can think of is that it isn’t exactly the most beautiful dish you’ve ever seen. But hey, you can’t have everything!
We usually eat this Mexican Chicken in tortillas and if I do that, I often will stir some cooked rice into it just to give it more substance and stretch it a bit further. But we also have eaten it over rice and a couple of times when I was out of tortillas, we put it on top of toast.
You could also treat it like taco meat and eat it with corn chips and lettuce. Really, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed any way that you try it. It’s a favorite here, even with our children who are slowly becoming somewhat picky eaters!
Easy Crockpot Chicken Recipe
Creamy Crockpot Mexican Chicken
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups salsa
- 1 can corn, drained (opt.)
- 8 oz. cream cheese
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
- cooked rice
- tortillas
- shredded cheese
Instructions
- Put chicken, black beans, salsa and corn into crockpot and place cream cheese on top. Cover.
- Cook on high for 2 ½ to 3 hours.
- Shred chicken (I love using my favorite kitchen scissors for this) and serve over cooked rice or use as tortilla filling. (If using as a tortilla filling, I often still use rice, but just mix it into the chicken mixture at the end of the cooking time.)
- Top with shredded cheese if desired.
Notes
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Saira says
Torturing myself by looking at this delicious dish, as I can’t eat any of it (on an elimination diet for my newborn). Thanks for sharing though! I found you through Thrifty Thursday.
Mila says
I don’t care if it looks pretty or not. Quick, easy and yummy is all I am looking for. Pinned this to my “chicken” board. Look forward to exploring your blog, Lydia!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Mila, sounds like this recipe will be perfect for you! I’m actually making it for our dinner tonight. Thanks for pinning!
Oh and I don’t usually care that much either if a recipe isn’t beautiful, but I probably think about it more as a blogger. I was trying to figure out how to get a picture of this dish that looked as good as it really is, and I struggled. 🙂
Bijee says
This is finds be on the menu for next week!!! It looks delicious!!!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
I hope you enjoy it, Bijee!
Debbie says
Thank you for sharing, I;m definitely going to try it for my family! Not sure what’s Mexican about it though, it’s more Southwest or Tex-Mex!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
It’s such a great easy dinner, Debbie! And yes, you are right, it probably isn’t truly Mexican. Still good though! 🙂
Elise @frugalfarmwife.com says
This looks like a perfect summer dinner. My kids would love it!
Thanks for sharing on Waste Not Want Not Wednesday!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
It’s a winner all around- frugal, easy to make and delicious!
Natalya says
made this today, but for time reasons just cooked on low for 7 hrs. one of the easiest recipes I’ve made and pretty tasty! Next time I will try adding some cumin and chili powder, may be a jalapeño for extra kick. I used a mix of chix breasts and thighs and I think pinto beans would work great in this as well. Plan on eating this as burritos wrapped in the awesome partially made tortillas from Costco!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Natalya, so glad to know you enjoyed it! And thanks for sharing the cooking time for the low setting. It’s always nice to have more options to work with different schedules. 🙂 I think pinto beans would be tasty too and yes, definitely spice it up to your taste. I sometimes add extra seasoning too, although my kids much prefer it without. 😉
Jennifer says
Thank you for the comment..i was wondering how long I could cook this on low so I could make it while I was at work lol
Maureen says
I am planning on making this tomorrow. What would be the perfect timing to do this on low during the day? Is 7 hours, per comment, just right? Thanks.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Maureen, I’ve never done it that way, so I can’t say for sure. But according to the comment Natalya left, it apparently worked perfectly for her. Hope you enjoy it!
Heather Vance says
do you cook the chicken first?
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Heather, no, the chicken should be raw. Makes it so super simple!
Heather says
thank you!!!!
Miranda says
add the chicken into crockpot raw?
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Miranda, yes! If it’s frozen, just make sure it is totally thawed. It couldn’t be easier, right?
Kelly says
Even if it’s frozen, it’s fine, just adjust cooking time.
Celeste says
Suggestion on something I could use to replace the salsa? We have an onion allergy in the family.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
You could probably use Rotel or even just canned diced tomatoes. But if you do that, it’s going to be a lot more bland, so then you’ll probably want to add some more seasonings. I would probably just make it without any extra seasoning and then season to taste before you serve it. Hope that helps!
Stephanie says
I would think if you were just using canned tomatoes that maybe a packet of taco seasoning might be a great way to add flavour?
ThriftyFrugalMom says
I’m sure that would work great, Stephanie!
carolyn says
Had me at black beans and cream cheese. I would use brown rice or a mixture of the rice and quinoa. I definitely be making this soon. Glad I found this recipe!!,???
ThriftyFrugalMom says
You pretty much can’t go wrong when there is cream cheese involved, can you? 🙂 And quinoa would work great for this, Carolyn! I hope you love the recipe as much as we have.
Corrie says
Trying this tonight! My husband and children are looking forward to dinner! I’ve opted to cook rice separate and add into bowls as serving.
It’s in the crockpot as I type 🙂
Thanks for posting this very easy recipe! It took a total of 10 minutes to gather and dump ingredients into the crockpot!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
You are very welcome, Corrie! I love when dinner is this easy. 🙂 Hope you all enjoyed it as much as we do!
Jodee says
Anyone have the nutritional info?
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Jodee, if you want the nutritional info of a recipe, there are lots of free online tools that you can use to easily get that for you. One that I like to use is this one. Simply copy and paste the ingredients of this recipe (or any recipe) into the “Ingredients” spot and then click “Analyze Recipe” and you should have the info you need.
Heather D. says
Just wanted to say thank you for the recipe, it was really good. I added some jalapeños and used my favorite salsa, it was really great with queso fresco and pickled onions. I’m thinking it would also make a good enchilada filling – next time I’ll make a double batch!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Ah, I like the idea of using it as an enchilada filling! That would be yummy!
Rena says
Do you think I could cut this recipe in half and it would work the same?
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Absolutely! Should work fine and be just as delicious.
Jessica says
This may seem like a silly question, but how many frozen chicken breast should I thaw for this recipe? I can’t weigh it since they’re frozen. Thanks in advance!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
No, that’s not really a silly question, Jessica, but I’m not entirely sure because it varies so much on the size of the breast or thigh. But I would say roughly 2 to 3 pieces. If you have a tiny bit more or less, it’s not going to make a huge difference. Hope that helps!
Jessica says
That helps a lot, thank you so much for your quick reply!
Kendra Childs-Jones says
I made this for dinner tonight. AMAZING!!!!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Yay, so glad you loved it, Kendra! 🙂
Jenn says
Is this with frozen chicken and if not should I double the time?
ThriftyFrugalMom says
The recipe is for thawed chicken. If you are using frozen, I’m not sure what to tell you as far as the cooking time since I’ve never done that. Enjoy!
Kyris says
When do you add the beans in? I assume with the chicken at the beginning but it doesn’t say.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Oh dear…thanks for letting me know that! Yes, you add them with the other ingredients. I recently switched the recipe over to this printable recipe card and edited the instruction a bit to make it more clear and in the process must have missed that key detail. I appreciate you letting me know!
Alyssa Perez says
Do you think using fat free cream cheese would work for this recipe? It’s all I have and I’m trying to avoid a trip to the store for a single item!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
It should work just fine! I have often used the Neufchâtel cheese, which is basically lower fat cream cheese, and it’s just as delicious as ever.
Cath says
Yum yum yum!!!! Thank you for this super easy and incredibly delicious recipe.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
So glad that you enjoyed it, Cath! Hearing that always makes my day. 🙂
Cbailey says
I’ve made this and LOVE IT! Soooooo good. I REALLY wanted make it tonight and just realized i dont have black beans, I wonder if anyone has tried refried black beans or if it would work or be good w refried instead..or what i could substitute for black beans.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Oh shucks! I hate when I go to make something and then discover I don’t have all the ingredients. You could probably substitute another kind of bean such as kidney, pinto or even navy or great northern without it affecting the taste too much. I’m not sure the flavors would work super well with refried beans, but I doubt it would be awful either. 🙂 If you do end up trying refried beans, I would wait and mix them in at the end or even just heat them up and add them since I think that they might get burnt and tend to stick to the Crockpot insert if you mixed them in at the beginning. Of course, you could always just leave the beans out altogether too! You might miss them a bit, but it should still be tasty! If you do try refried beans, I’d love to know how it worked out and if you liked the taste…because now you have me curious! 😉
Cbailey says
I opted against refried this time, maybe next time! Do you think the black beans would cook enough if I throw them in the last hour. My hubby is bringing some home for now and I want to add them the last hour. What do you think?
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Well, if they are canned beans, they are already technically cooked, so really you just need them to get hot so they taste right with everything else and aren’t cold. I think one hour would be enough to heat them well, but if you want to be doubly sure, you could always heat them a bit on the stovetop or in the microwave before you add them.
Can you tell that I do this kind of improvisation way too often? 🙂
Maggie Unzueta says
This looks incredibly delicious. Yum!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
We think it is! 🙂
McKenzie Schumpert says
How many people does this serve?
ThriftyFrugalMom says
It makes quite a bit. When I serve it as a tortilla filling I’d say it serves at least 10 people. If you are going to eat it over rice, it would probably serve more.
Jenni says
Thank you for sharing! How many does this serve?
ThriftyFrugalMom says
It makes quite a bit, Jenni. When I serve it as a tortilla filling I’d say it serves at least 10 people. If you are going to eat it over rice, it would probably serve more.
Celia says
I’ve made this a few times, and everyone loves it! The first time I made it my fiance was looking in the crockpot like “what the heck” but once he took a bite he was hooked. Definitely recommend it. It’s so fast and easy to make, especially for those crazy busy days and you know you won’t have a whole lot of time to cook.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
The part about your fiance looking into the crockpot made me laugh. It really doesn’t look that pretty or amazing does it? But we all know that looks can be deceiving of course! So glad you all enjoyed it!
Kat says
So good! The cream cheese really makes it yummy. We put it in large tortillas and made burritos. My 11 year old stepson even liked it!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Yes, that cream cheese adds so much deliciousness! So glad that you all enjoyed it! 🙂
Kayla Cawley says
I was wondering if you think I could make this without the crock pot? I have a husband who is not interested in the 3 hour time commitment tonight! How exactly would you go about doing it if you think it’s a possibility! I sort of have an IdeA of how I’d like to accomplish thus but I’d like to hear your 2 cents as well 🙂 thank you!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
I’m sorry, Kayla, for not replying more promptly! We were on vacation and I took a bit of a break from blogging just to relax and enjoy my family. Yes, I’m sure you could make this without a crockpot. I’d probably just do it on the stovetop and cook up the chicken, then add the rest of the ingredients except for the cream cheese and cook it a bit. Add in the cream cheese and stir until melted. I’d love to know if you tried it and how it worked!
Tiffany says
Have you tried doing this in an Instant Pot? I work all day and never think ahead to set up the crock pot before going to work.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
I get that, Tiffany! I work from home and believe it or not, I struggle with the same thing. I keep thinking of trying to convert this for the IP but so far have not gotten it done. I think it would be doable, but you would need to add at least one cup of water or broth when you cook it and wait to add the cream cheese until after everything else is cooked and the pot is done pressuring. It also might be a tad more liquidy because of the added liquid so it might need a bit of simmer time at the end too. Hmmm…now you make me really want to try it! 🙂
Tabitha says
This recipe is SO good!! Iit was a huge hit at my house! The only thing i added eas a third cup of sliced jalapenos from a jar, chopped for a little heat and i didn’t have 2 cans of black beans so i did use one black bean and one pinto bean. Making it again tonight for dinner, thanks for sharing!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
So glad you enjoyed it, Tabitha! And love how you adjusted the recipe to work with what you had. I’m sure the jalapenos would be delicious! My kiddos aren’t big on super spicy though, so I guess I won’t get the chance to try it with those!
Stephanie Gruninger says
Are you able to freeze this recipe?
Lydia Beiler says
Yes, you can! It is a little more soupy once it defrosts but I’ve done it often. Sometimes if I have cooked rice on hand, I will add a little to absorb some of the liquid.
Laughing gummy bear says
Hi. So I have a question. Does this recipe look work on low for a longer cook time? Thanks for your help.
Lydia Beiler says
Good question! I’ve never done it but as a rule of thumb for crockpot recipes, 1 hr. on high equals 2 to 2 1/2 hrs. on low. So if you did this on low for 7 to 7 1/2 or 8 hours, I would think that it would be fine. If you give it a try, I’d love to know how it works out!