Salsa Verde Chicken (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot)

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Shredding Salsa Verde Chicken - Close Up

Salsa Verde Chicken is a quick, easy, and flavorful protein made in the slow cooker with pantry ingredients! Great for meal prep and freezer cooking.

Welcome to the first post for Mexican May on the blog! In this post, I am sharing the recipe for one of my favorite proteins to meal prep, and I make this at least once a month (if not more often). Flavorful slow cooker chicken does not have to be hard!

When giving friends and family new meal prep ideas, Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken is one of the first recipes I always recommend because it is quick to prepare, has a short amount of ingredients, and most importantly, it tastes delicious!

Plus, this is great for a low-carb diet because it is a quick way to add flavor and protein to your meals. Per serving, there are only 3 g of net carbs and 23 g of protein.

Only 8 ingredients (6 if you don’t include S&P)!

Close Up of Salsa Verde Chicken with Crockpot in Background

This salsa verde chicken recipe calls for chicken, salsa verde, and spices (onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper). That’s it! Everything is added to the slow cooker and cooked for a few hours until the meat is tender and can be easily shredded with a fork.

All of the ingredients, except for the chicken, can be kept in your pantry for whenever you need a quick protein that cooks while you are at work or running errands.

Coming home to the smell of this slow cooker chicken cooking is absolutely divine. Is there anything better than cooked food you didn’t have to slave over all day?

Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde is Spanish for “green sauce”, and it is made from tomatillos, onion, jalapeƱos , lime, and cilantro. If you’ve never had a a tomatillo before, they have a tart, sweet, fruity, and slightly herbal flavor.

Salsa Verde Varieties

To keep preparation easy, use store bought salsa verde which can be found near the other salsas and enchilada sauces. As an alternative, you can prepare your own too which is also very easy and delicious!

My preferred brand of salsa verde is Herdez, but there are several delicious varieties that can be used.

Herdez’s Mild Salsa Verde is a great option for people who do not like very spicy food. It is mild but still has tons of flavor from the ingredients. When I meal prep, I usually use this variety of salsa verde because it won’t be too overpowering in whatever I end up using it for.

Herdez’s Medium Roasted Salsa Verde is also delicious and provides a slightly spicier and more complex flavor. I love using this when I know I will be making quesadillas or burritos with the chicken.

Slow Cooker Chicken Meal Prep

If I am making this salsa verde chicken for meal prep, I will let the chicken cool to room temperature after it is prepared. Once the chicken is cooled, I portion the chicken and the sauce into individual servings sizes in plastic baggies and freeze them. When ready to use it, microwave the chicken in the baggie for about a minute and a half. Then, you can continue using it in whatever recipe you are making.

Feel free to double or triple the recipe and freeze for quick and easy protein. Be sure to label the outside of your plastic baggies with the name of the food and the date it was prepared.

Prepared chicken should last up to a week in the fridge, and I’ve used prepared and frozen salsa verde chicken for up to three months.

Uses for Salsa Verde Chicken

Shredding Salsa Verde Chicken

There are so many uses for this slow cooker salsa verde chicken:

I love this recipe, and I know you will too! If you make this recipe, send me a picture on Instagram, or leave me a comment below with your favorite way to eat it!

Also be sure to check out these recipes: Slow Cooker Queso Chicken and Copycat Cafe Rio Chicken (Slow Cooker).

Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken

Quick, easy, and flavorful protein made in the slow cooker with pantry ingredients! Great for meal prep and freezer cooking. 
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Slow Cooker
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 133kcal
Author Clean Fingers Laynie

Ingredients

  • 32 oz Chicken Breast (Skinless, Boneless) about 4 chicken breasts
  • 1 tsp Cumin, Ground
  • 2 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Pepper
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 16 oz Salsa Verde Herdez

Instructions

  • Place chicken in the bottom of slow cooker (or instant pot) and sprinkle cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning on top of the chicken.
    Raw Chicken in Crockpot with Spices and Salsa Verde
  • Pour Salsa Verde on top of chicken.

Slow-Cooker Instructions:

  • Cook chicken on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 2 hours. 

Instant Pot Instructions

  • Close the instant pot with the lid, and set the valve to sealing. Cook on HIGH pressure for 20 minutes. Wait at least 5-10 minutes before quick releasing the pressure, or naturally release the pressure.

After Cooking Instructions

  • Remove the chicken and place on cutting board. Shred chicken with two forks. 
    Shredding Salsa Verde Chicken
  • Return chicken to liquid and stir to rehydrate chicken. 
  • Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

Estimated Nutrition, Per Serving: Fat 3Ā g,Ā Carbohydrate 3Ā g,Ā Dietary Fiber 0Ā g,Ā Protein 23Ā g,Ā Sodium 1343Ā mg
Ā 
Note: Prepared chicken will last about a week in the fridge or for 3 months if frozen.Ā 

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