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This Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken is one of those recipes where you toss everything in, walk away, and come back to a kitchen that smells so incredible your family will think you’ve been cooking all day. We’re talking about tender, juicy, perfectly spiced shredded chicken swimming in a sweet and savory pineapple salsa verde sauce that is just perfect. You have to taste it.
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It works in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, Cafe Rio-style salads, or honestly just on its own with a good side of guacamole and a fork. It is endlessly versatile and absolutely delicious, and I need you to make it as soon as possible.
This Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Pineapple Mexican Shredded Chicken is definitely one of my new favorites, but it’s also a result of being totally lazy, so ya know, there’s that too.
I’m just being totally honest with you. I was feeling a bit worn out and needed a quick and easy chicken recipe. Oh, and because I know some of you are Instant Pot people and some of you are slow cooker people, I’ve got you covered both ways. No matter which you reach for, this Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken delivers every single time.
Ingredients For Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
Here’s the thing about this Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken, the ingredient list is short, but every single one of these things is pulling its weight in a big way. Here’s what you’ll need and why it matters:
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best.
- Salsa Verde: Brings a bright, tangy, slightly spicy base that makes this chicken taste like it came from your favorite Mexican restaurant. Use whichever brand and heat level your family loves best!
- Crushed Pineapple: Don’t skip this! The pineapple adds the most wonderful subtle sweetness that balances the heat of the salsa verde and makes this sauce completely unique and totally addictive.
- Heavy Cream: This is what gives the sauce that rich, slightly creamy finish that ties everything together beautifully. It also helps the sauce thicken up during the long slow cooker cook time.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes: These add a deep, smoky, slightly sweet tomato flavor that takes the sauce to a whole new level. Fire-roasted makes all the difference here, so do not swap them out for regular canned tomatoes if you can help it!
- Coriander, Smoked Paprika, and Cumin: This trio of spices is the warm, smoky, slightly earthy backbone of the whole dish.
- Salt: Simple, but essential!
That’s the whole list! Simple, pantry-friendly ingredients that come together into something that tastes like you worked way harder than you did. You’ll find the exact measurements in the recipe card below!
How to Make Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
This might be the easiest part of the whole post to write, because making this Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken is genuinely as simple as it gets. Ready? Here we go:
Crock Pot Instructions:
- Add:. Toss all of the ingredients into your slow cooker and give everything a good stir to combine. You want it all evenly mixed so nothing sticks to the bottom. The flavors will get well acquainted right from the start.
- Cook: Place the lid on and cook on low heat for 3 hours. Walk away! Go do literally anything else. The crockpot has got this.
- Shred:. After 3 hours, remove the chicken breasts and shred them on a cutting board using two forks. Place the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and let it cook for one more hour. This will allow it to soak up all that incredible sauce.
- Serve: Pile it into tacos, spoon it over rice, stuff it into burritos. The possibilities are truly endless.
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Drain: Before adding anything to the Instant Pot, drain the excess liquid off of the salsa verde and crushed pineapple. This keeps things from getting too watery since the Instant Pot doesn’t have the long cook time to reduce things down.
- Add: Place all of the ingredients into the Instant Pot, stir to combine, place the lid on, and set the valve to seal.
- Cook: Set to manual high pressure for 10 minutes. That’s it!
- Shred: Remove the chicken, shred it on a cutting board, then return it to the Instant Pot and toss with the sauce before serving.
And if you haven’t seen our Instant Pot Cheat Sheet, go check it out!
Whether you go the slow cooker route or reach for the Instant Pot, this Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken could not be easier to pull off. You’ll have a dinner table full of very happy people. That’s my kind of recipe!
Substitutions and Variations
- Tomatillo Salsa Swap: Salsa verde and tomatillo salsa are essentially the same thing. Use whichever you love and whatever heat level works for your family: mild, medium, or hot all work beautifully here!
- Frozen Chicken: In a pinch, you can use frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot! Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes with a natural release. Just know that frozen chicken releases extra water, so for the best flavor, drain off the excess liquid after cooking. Then, add the remaining ingredients, and cook for another 5 minutes to let everything come together.
- Spice It Up: Love bold flavor? You can customize the spice blend on this Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken all you want! Try adding chili powder, adobo, cilantro, cayenne, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, or a pinch of Mexican oregano to take things in a different direction.
- Make It Dairy Free: If you need to skip the heavy cream, you can leave it out entirely. The sauce will be thinner but still absolutely delicious. You can also swap for coconut milk.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
This Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken is a dream to make ahead! In fact, the flavor gets even better the next day as the chicken sits and soaks up all that sauce! Let it cool completely and store in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, making it perfect for meal prepping tacos, burrito bowls, and easy lunches all week long.
To reheat, simply warm it in a skillet over medium-low heat or microwave covered in 1-2 minute increments, stirring in between. It also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat when you’re ready to go!
What To Eat With Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
This chicken is so versatile that the hardest part is deciding what to serve alongside it! Our Cilantro Lime Rice is the perfect bright and buttery base, and a scoop of our Mexican Black Beans on the side makes it feel like a full restaurant-worthy meal right at home.
For corn lovers, our One Skillet Creamed Mexican Street Corn is sweet, creamy, and ready in just 10 minutes. Round it all out with our Spanish Rice, and you have a Mexican feast the whole family will absolutely love!
Once you make this Slow Cooker Pineapple Mexican Chicken, I promise it is going to become one of those recipes you come back to again and again. The combination of sweet pineapple, tangy salsa verde, fire-roasted tomatoes, and warm spices creates a sauce so good you will want to put it on everything.
More Crock Pot Recipes:
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
- Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken
- Crock Pot Cafe Rio Chicken
- Slow Cooker Smothered BBQ Beef
- All our CROCKPOT and SLOW COOKER recipes here!
Watch How to Make This Recipe…
Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Breasts, Boneless Skinless
- 16 Ounce Salsa Verde, La Victoria Chunky
- 8 Ounce Pineapple, Crushed
- 1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes, 14.5 oz
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ teaspoon Coriander, Ground
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cumin, Ground
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions
- In a slow cooker or crockpot set to low heat, add all of the ingredients, stirring to combine.4 Chicken Breasts, 16 Ounce Salsa Verde, 8 Ounce Pineapple, ½ Cup Heavy Cream, ¼ teaspoon Coriander, ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika, 1 teaspoon Cumin, Salt to taste, 1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- Place the lid on and allow to cook for 3 hours. Remove the chicken and shred it on a cutting board. Place back in the slow cooker for 1 more hour.
- Serve!
Instant Pot Instructions
- Drain the liquid off of the salsa and pineapple so there isn’t too much in the instant pot.16 Ounce Salsa Verde, 8 Ounce Pineapple
- In an instant pot, add all of the ingredients, stirring to combine.4 Chicken Breasts, 16 Ounce Salsa Verde, 8 Ounce Pineapple, ½ Cup Heavy Cream, ¼ teaspoon Coriander, ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika, 1 teaspoon Cumin, Salt to taste, 1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- Place the lid on, setting the valve to seal and turn the instant pot on to manual high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken and shred it on a cutting board. Place back in the instant pot and toss with the sauce.
- Serve
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do you think this would still be good if I used green enchilada sauce instead of green salsa?
Hi Jeanette! Yes, it would be delicious!
This recipe sounds delicious! Quick question….when cooking in the InstaPot, after the 10 minutes on high pressure, do we quick release or natural release? I’m learning to use my InstaPot so I’m following directions carefully.
Thanks!
Hi Ruth! Either one works just great!
Can this be frozen or will the cream separate?
Hi Carrie! This recipe freezes great!
hi, this sounds amazing. I have to avoid dairy, is there something else I could use in place of the heavy cream? I use Kite Hill Cream Cheese some times as it is free of dairy
Would that work do you think?
thanks
Grace
Hi Grace! Yes that would be delicious! Regular unsweetened almond milk would also work. I hope you enjoy it!
i haven’t made this yet-but you drain the liquid off the salsa? this seems strange to me. please help.
Yes, just for making it in the Instant Pot. It will have a little too much liquid in it if it’s not drained. If you cook it in the slow cooker, then you don’t need to drain them. It will thicken up through the long cook time.
I’ve made this is a few times and it’s always good, and so easy! Most of the time we do tacos, but putting it on tostadas tonight. I make it in my regular slow cooker and it comes out great.
I love how versatile it is! I’m so glad you like it!!
Could you use something in place of the heavy cream? I can’t have dairy…
Yes, try unsweetened almond milk!