Easy Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken – Loaded with salsa verde and delicious tomatoes, this healthy crock pot chicken is incredibly flavorful and extremely easy to make. Just place it all in the crock pot and walk away.
CROCK POT SALSA VERDE CHICKEN
Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken is chicken breasts baked in tomatillo salsa verde sauce, mixed with tomatoes and onions. Salsa Verde Chicken around here is also known as, “Dump & Go” chicken dinner!
BTW, Hallo Hallo, lovelies! Smile BIG – it’s Sunday Fundaaaay! Don’t EVEN think about manic Monday… not yet. You can, but not until 7 pm tonight, when you start to remember all the things you have to get done before Monday arrives. Coo’?
These easy “dump and go” dinners are life changing. Because, it literally takes 7-ish minutes to prep dinner and the rest is done by our Crock Pot crock pot.
Sidenote: IS that why it’s called a crock pot? Because of the brand?? HA!
I’m just kidding! Of course I knew that! It’s like that whole Kleenex by Kleenex thing.
HOW TO MAKE SALSA VERDE CHICKEN IN THE CROCK POT
Salsa Chicken – not verde – is probably the first dish I ever made in a slow cooker. It really couldn’t have been easier; I poured a jar of salsa into the crock pot, arranged some chicken on top of that, and 4 hours later, din din was served.
AND I looked like I totally knew what I was doing in a room with knives and food-type ingredients.
After that successful recipe, I moved onto bigger things, like dumping salsa on top of beef and peppers inside the crock pot and calling it Beef Fajitas! Always livin’ on the edge. 😃
I also make this Verde Chicken and it’s a favorite for Sunday dinners, parties, and gamedays.
- First, you want to add some chicken breasts to the insert of your slow cooker.
- Then, add in onions, plus a can of diced roasted tomatoes on top, followed by couple cups of salsa verde, cumin, chili powder, and garlic.
- Set to cook for 4 hours on HIGH, or 6 hours on LOW.
- When finished, remove chicken from the slow cooker, shred it, then stir it back into the sauce, and serve.
So now here we are salsa verde-ing our chicken, getting all that amaze-maze flavor that you would the traditional way, but much easier and maybe even more flavorful. ME LIKEY.
And it’s creations like this that make me feel like a dinner-hero.
HOW TO STORE SHREDDED CHICKEN
- Store completely cooled shredded chicken in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- To freeze, store shredded chicken in ziploc bags or airtight containers and keep in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.
ENJOY!
Easy Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5-ounces) roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 cups salsa verde (I use Herdez Salsa Verde)
- 1/2 tablespoon (or to taste) ground cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon (or to taste) chili powder
- chopped parsley or cilantro, for garnish
- jalapeno rings, for garnish
Instructions
- Lightly spray the crock with cooking spray.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place chicken in the crock pot.
- Arrange onions and garlic over chicken breasts.
- Add tomatoes, salsa verde, cumin, and chili powder; stir everything around to combine.
- Cover and cook for 3.5 to 4 hours on HIGH, or 5 to 6 hours on LOW.
- Remove cover and transfer chicken breasts to a cutting board; using two forks, shred the chicken.*
- Stir shredded chicken back into the crock pot.
- Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
- Top with fresh parsley or cilantro and jalapeno rings.
- Serve in tacos, over salads, and/or rice.
Notes
**You can serve this with flour tortillas, sandwich bread, and/or burger buns.
Or, serve it as is.
***Place leftovers in a container with a lid and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days.
WW Freestyle Points: 0
Want To Save This Recipe?
RECIPE ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 25th, 2015; UPDATED RECIPE AND POST ON JANUARY 29th, 2020.
30 Min
Freezer Friendly
Instant Pot
Beef
I LOVE this recipe! Can you cook in an insta pot? If so, how long? Thank you!
Hi!
I have not tested this recipe in the IP so I can’t say for certain. However, if I was going to try it, I’d go ahead with this method:
Add onions, garlic, tomatoes, salsa verde, cumin, and chili powder to the IP; stir everything around to combine. You might want to add a little bit of chicken broth, too, just to avoid the “burn notice”. It shouldn’t burn because there’s plenty of liquid, but I get the burn notice on my IP even when there IS plenty of liquid. 🤷♀️
Then, place a trivet inside the Instant Pot and arrange the chicken breasts on top of the trivet in one single layer.
Close pot, set valve to sealing, select HIGH pressure and set the timer to 6 minutes.
When the 6 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes; then, release any remaining pressure.
Remove chicken from pot and shred it. Stir it back in the pot with the sauce, and serve.
Could I cut all of the ingredients in half to make a smaller sized meal??
hi I emailed but I can’t find a reply… I was wondering if I could have the original recipe please? I was going to share it with a coworker and the new picture caught my eye. I’ve made the original recipe probably at least a dozen times and LOVE IT but this is not the recipe I know and love (i’m sure its great, but we don’t like jalapenos & i’d rather used powdered garlic as per the original) please respond 🙂 thanks!!
Hi! Yes, the jalapenos are just for garnish – so totally optional – and for the garlic, you want to use about 3/4-teaspoon and up to 1-teaspoon of garlic powder. That’s pretty much the only differences in the recipe. It needed a little update. 😊
What is a serving size in cups or oz?
Looks delicious! Do you happen to remember the total weight of the chicken was? Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, didn’t know what to estimate? Thanks!
Hi! I almost always get chicken breasts that are around 4-ounces each… so, I’d say there’s a total of about 24-ounces in that crock pot. 😊
Can i use canned green enchilada sauce instead of the salsa verde?
Hi! Yep, that sauce will also work.
Can you do this in the insta pot?
Love this recipe! Can a portion of it be frozen to be eaten later?
You can shred chicken or pork with a mixer. Faster and easier. Great recipe. I will fix.
Can I add a can of black beans and a can of sweet corn to the recipe
Sure!! I think that’s an awesome idea. Just drain the beans and corn, and rinse them well before adding those in.
Can I make this with boneless skinless chicken thighs? Would that change anything?
hello, can i cook this in the crockpot for 9 hours or is that too much? i’m going to try to put it on when i’m at work. Thanks!
Get a timer and plug your slow cooker into it, and set the start time to a little later!
This is one of my favorite recipes! I’m planning on doubling it for a get together coming up. Should I increase the cooking time?
Hi!
I also love this recipe, especially for a crowd!
It may take a bit longer to cook, since the extra mass will take a bit longer to heat up, but I wouldn’t add more than 30 minutes. If you can, check the internal temperature of the cooked chicken, which should be at least 165F. I hope this helps.
It was good!
I have made a similar dish for years, 4 boneless chicken breasts, 1 large jar salsa, 1 cream cheese. Cook chicken 4 hours in crock pot, drain broth, shred chichen, add salsa and cream cheese and cook another hour or so. Delicious!
I love your recipe!! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi there. I have become a lover of my pressure cooker and I’m going to try this recipe in there today. Have you heard from anyone in a reply that has used a pressure cooker for this? I will try to post back after I make it and let you know how it turns out and possibly give you some time recommendations in case someone else wants to try it in a pressure cooker. Thanks for the wonderful looking recipe.
What are the crockpot times if the chicken is frozen?
Hi!
On LOW, it should take about 6 hours.
Hi – Two things:
1) Can you be more specific about the weight of chicken you used? I used three giant boneless skinless chicken breasts equal to a little over 3lbs. Just wondering how to translate the nutrition facts because I have way more than 4 servings! Or maybe I don’t?? How many cups did you equate to a serving?
2) I drained over two cups of liquid from the finished product. Is that normal? Please help a Crock-Pot newbie!
Other notes: Flavors we’re good and recipe is simple and quick! Will enjoy this again!
Thank you!
Hi! Wow, those are some big chicken breasts! haha So, one uncooked chicken breast of 4 ounces is 1 serving. You probably have about 10 to 12 servings there. Did you drain before shredding the chicken? You don’t want to drain the liquid because after you shred the chicken and stir it back in the pot, it all comes together and is not runny/soupy at all. I hope this helps! Let me know. 🙂
For the can of tomatoes, do you drain them or just dump the entire contents in? Thanks! Will be trying this recipe for the first time 🙂
Hi! Yep, just dump it all in. 😀
Oh! What can I say about this! Easy Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken is so tasty. The ingredients amount are less and instruction is also so easy to make.I will make it very soon by following your step. Thank you 🙂
This is such a flavorful chicken dish
I love how there are so many possibilities with this recipe. Taco filling, sandwiches, quesadillas…and lots more. Such a great weeknight recipe!
I LOVE this! Looks so delicious!
can I use bone in chicken breast to make this salsa chicken?
Hi Sandy! Yes, absolutely. Bone-in chicken does take a bit more time to cook so just make sure that it’s cooked through before shredding it.
One of my favorite crockpots!! Super easy and super yummy!! We eat it by itself with some shredded cheese in top and black beans. I’m trying it over shredded lettuce tonight. Thanks for the receipe
HI Lauren!! Very very happy to know that you like this recipe!! THANK YOU! Happy Holidays!
How much is one serving? Do you have it in cups or ounces? Thank you!
Does anyone know how to convert this to the 21 Day Fix?
So gonna make this today looks really delicious thanks for the recipe 🙂 oh quick question can i throw the chicken in frozen
HI Ashley! I haven’t put frozen chicken in a crock pot, but I know many do, so it might work. I think the only thing to consider would be the extra liquid you might end up with because of the extra water.
Made this for dinner tonight. We nailed it! I made yellow saffron rice and black beans which complimented the chicken salsa verde too. Compliments galore for me. Thank you.
I followed the rescipe for the most part- I went with corn and black bean salsa because it’s my favorite and added “fajita” seasoning to give it a more Mexican style, and it turned out awesome! Had it with cilantro rice and shredded cheese 🙂 – I will say it looked a bit “soupy” at first , but once I broke up the chicken it all mixed together to be a good ratio. I also I let it cook for the last 30 min with the lid off to evaporate any water and thicken it up. Easiest dinner I’ve ever made tastes great too !
Hi Kate! Pairing it with cilantro rice sounds SO delicious!! Very happy you enjoyed it, too, thank you!!
I read your blog about the salsa Verde chicken and I am going to follow you just because of your grammar commentary. I hate when people say “should of” too. It drives me completely bonkers! Thank you so much for calling attention to that! It seems like people just are using the “wonder spelling” that was used in first grade instead of thinking about what they’re trying to say! And, you’re really funny.
Just wanted to leave a note to say it turned out great!! It turned out a little soupy- my chicken to salsa ratio must have been off- but the soup is DELICIOUS! Thanks for the easy & awesome idea!
Hi! How big is one serving? Are you able to convert it to cups or ounces?
Good Morning! Could you tell me how many servings this makes, and if the nurtritional information stated is per serving or for all? Many thanks!
Hi Laney! This serves about 4 to 5 people, unless my husband is eating, then it serves 2. 😉 The nutritional info is per serving. I am trying to use a different recipe card for my website so that’s the reason for some of the missing information. 🙂 I’ll have it fixed soon enough, I hope! Have a great Sunday!
I added a can of no salt added super sweet corn and a can of diced green chilies! Super delicious, makes it kinda spicy but with a sweet after taste. Yummy! Thanks!
That sounds so good!! I’m taking note of those chilies.
Very happy to know that you enjoyed it! Thank you!!
Hello! Quick question. Approximately how many ounces or pounds of chicken do you use for this recipe? I notice it says 6 breasts but one breast where I live is generally 8-10 ounces. Thanks!
Hi Cassandra! Oh wow, that’s big!! 😀
This recipe is for chicken breasts that are around 4 ounces each, or 24 ounces all together.
That was gonna be my question! I buy chicken breasts exclusively from Zaycon, and they average over a pound for each breast half!
My 3 chicken breasts weigh 2.85lbs all together so should i just use half? Good thing i read the comments before I put 6 of those in the crock pot!
I would think a can of Rotel instead of plain tomatoes would kick it up (a bit) without having to find chiles! (Depending on region) I use them in SO much!
IDo you think I could do it in the oven and if so, what temp and for how long? Thank you.
Hi Anna!! I would say to cook it at 350F in the oven for about 1 hour, or until internal temp of chicken is at least 165F. Do everything else the same way – season chicken breasts and transfer to a lightly greased baking dish. Add salsa verde, chopped tomatoes; stir well to combine, cover and cook. Hope that helps. If you have a minute, let me know how it goes. Have a great weekend ahead!
Hello silly question here. I am currently remodeling so have no oven for the time being. Can I put raw chicken in the crock pot? Is that safe?
Hi Danielle! Yep, it’s perfectly safe. I almost always do that. 😀
I have this in the Crockpot right now and can’t wait to give it a try! Is it spicy at all? I tend to prefer a bit of a kick – how do you think green chiles would work with this recipe?
Hi Megan! There’s some spice to it, but not a lot, so adding some chiles would totally kick it up a notch.
Hi! Any chance I could cook it on low for 8 hours? Or stovetop? Look forward to making this
Looks more ROJA than VERDE – but it is going into the ‘CROCKPOT” TOMORROW. Is it rather soupy?
Yes, I Should have, not shouldah..
In case I dont get back – Have a wonderful Orthodox New Year…
Hi Janet! It’s moist, not too soupy, and not dry at all… once you stir it all together at the end, it’s kinda perfect. 😉
Happy New Year to you and to yours!! xo
Your recipes never disappoint and they always end up looking like what you posted. Don’t say, “Don’t everyone’s?” because they don’t. 🙂
I love your salsa verde chicken and even more that you popped it in the slow cooker and forgot it.
Oh you are the best!! And, thank you so, so much for the kind words! It means a whole lot to me. xoxo
I’m so glad you mentioned it. “Should of” makes me insane!!! This crock pot chicken, though…..looks fabulous! I can think of so many ways to use it!
You know I’m a sucker for easy slow cooker recipes! This one would be a hit with the boys!
I seriously want to make every single thing that you post. This salsa verde chicken sounds like something I need in my life ASAP!
I’m definitely all over this one…as soon as I get a new crockpot. Mine is no longer working and I haven’t had time to get a new one 🙁 I really love easy dinners, especially when they include Mexican flavors.
I can just never get enough slow cooker recipes in my life! This chicken sounds so incredible — perfect for tacos or rice or pizza or anything!
Dump and go dinners are the best kinds. Lately, I’ve been using my slow cooker more than I ever have before. I’ll need to add this recipe to my list to make, it looks and sounds so good!
I am always looking for new slow cooker ideas, especially for chicken (which is the favorite protein in my house). This sounds so flavorful – YUM!