Crock Pot Chicken Taco Bowls (Feeds a Crowd + Freezer Meal)
Looking for a simple, flavorful, gluten-free dinner that feeds a crowd? These Crock Pot Chicken Taco Bowls are the perfect solution. Tender shredded chicken slow-cooks all day with black beans, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, and zesty taco seasoning, then gets piled over rice with all your favorite taco toppings. It’s a true dump-and-go slow cooker recipe — about 10 minutes of prep — that’s made for busy weeknights, game days, and potlucks. Double it like I do and you’ve got a built-in freezer meal for later.
This easy Crock Pot Chicken Taco Bowls recipe is endlessly versatile: swap the protein, dial the heat up or down, serve it as a burrito bowl, taco salad, or low-carb lettuce bowl. If you love a Chipotle-style burrito bowl, this slow cooker version has become a favorite in my house — and it might just become one in yours.
This easy Crock Pot Chicken Taco Bowls recipe that can feed a crowd and is gluten-free. This recipe will be your version of your favorite burrito bowl, as it has become a favorite for my family. The great thing about this recipe is how versatile it can be to make and use. Round out the spread with a Mexican zucchini and yellow squash skillet.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Effortless Preparation: Set it and forget it—let your slow cooker do the work.
- Versatile Ingredients: Customize with your favorite toppings and sides.
- Gluten-Free: Naturally gluten-free, making it suitable for various dietary needs.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: Leftovers are great for tacos, salads, or burrito bowls.
Ingredients
- ½ cup taco seasoning (or 2-3 seasoning packets)Crock Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
- 1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chilies)
- 2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (4 oz) green chilies
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 bag (16 oz) frozen corn
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
The basics of the recipe are a pound to a pound and a half of meat, which I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but can easily have breasts, beef, or pork roast substituted. Rotel, canned tomatoes, green chiles, black beans, corn, and taco seasoning. If you don’t like corn or chiles, they can easily be left out. I also doubled this recipe, so I started with three pounds of chicken thighs.
I smashed and peeled five garlic cloves after I placed the chicken thighs in the bottom of the crock pot. Then I began pouring in the rest of the ingredients.
Since I used three pounds of chicken, I poured one can of Rotel and two 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes over the chicken.
Then I poured over one 4-ounce can of green chiles and one can of black beans. Since I was making this for a crowd, I didn’t double the beans or chiles in case someone didn’t like beans or chiles it would be easier for them to pick them out.
I poured a 16-ounce bag of frozen corn over top, followed by a 1/2 cup of taco seasoning. Usually, I buy my seasoning in bulk. This would be about 2-3 envelopes of taco seasoning.
Then stir the ingredients up, leaving the chicken settled on the bottom of the crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
At this point, you want to break up the meat. Use a large spoon or fork to stir up the ingredients and shred the chicken apart.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the chicken mixture over rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. Top with your favorite taco toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes, salsa, avocado slices, and fresh cilantro. For a low-carb option, serve over a bed of lettuce or in lettuce wraps.
At this point, you can eat or let it set on low till you are ready to eat. If it starts to get a little dry, just add chicken broth or water to keep it moist. This will give you time to cook the rice and prep the toppings. Use the same toppings you would for your tacos.
Here are some of my toppings. I also had lettuce, cheese, and avocados I cut right before eating so they would wouldn’t brown.
To make the bowls, just layer rice, followed by the chicken, and then your toppings.
On a low carb diet? No problem! Just use lettuce as your base and make a chicken taco salad.
Serving low-carb? Try these low-carb taco stuffed peppers too.
Tips and Variations
- Freezer Meal: Combine all ingredients in a freezer-safe bag and freeze. When ready to cook, thaw overnight and follow cooking instructions.How to Use Leftover Taco Chicken Meat
- Protein Options: Substitute chicken with beef or pork — this crock pot smoked pork chile verde is another reader favorite if you’re in a Mexican-food mood.
- Spice Level: Adjust the heat by choosing mild or hot Rotel and green chilies.
- Make Ahead: Prepare ingredients the night before and store in the refrigerator for a quick morning assembly. Or freeze the chicken to pull out later on.
Leftover Ideas
Leftover chicken taco meat is incredibly versatile:
- Quesadillas: Use as a filling for cheesy quesadillas.
- Enchiladas: Turn it into enchiladas by filling tortillas and covering in red sauce, green sauces or cheese sauce.
- Soup: Add more chicken broth to the chicken mixture and make it into this low-carb chicken tortilla soup.
- Tacos: Fill taco shells with the mixture, or try them in these taco sticks for a fun handheld version.
- Salads: Use the easy taco salad recipe with the warm chicken mixture for a hearty salad.
- Burritos: Wrap in a tortilla with rice and beans for a quick burrito.
Mexican Food Recipes:
Crock Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb chicken breasts and/or thighs turkey breast, beef or pork roasts can be substituted
- 2-3 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
- 1 can Rotel
- 1 can can diced tomatoes 14.5 ounces
- 1 can green chiles 4 ounces
- 1 can black beans 14 ounces
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning 1 envelope
- rice for four servings
- taco toppings cheese, veggies, sour cream, etc
Instructions
- Place chicken on the bottom of the crock pot and put garlic cloves on top of chicken.
- Pour remaining ingredients over the top and stir together leaving chicken settled on the bottom. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Stir ingredients and shred chicken. Eat immediately or continue to cook on low adding water if liquids begin to evaporate.
- Cook rice according to package directions and build bowls by layering rice, then chicken mixture and top with vegetables, cheese, sour cream or other ingredients you would typically put on tacos.
Nutrition
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This is a very nice chicken dish. Would you be happy to link it in to my Chicken Edition of Food on Friday? This is the link . I found you via Melt in Your Mouth Monday.
I love all the colors and the simplicity of this recipe. Please share it on my foodie friday party today. I am going to add your party to my list…
Thanks for hosting! Those taco bowls look amazing!
I hope you enjoy the homemade pesto recipe I linked up this week!
Thanks for hosting! I shared a recipe for a salmon wrap on my calcium site.