Description
This Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken is an easy and quick dinner idea for busy nights and meal prep. Boneless chicken breast cooks low and slow with lime juice, cilantro and salsa verde until it turns tender enough to shred. It’s simple, healthy and one of the best ideas for tacos, bowls, salads or a weeknight dinner that still feels fresh and bright.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large pieces, about 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 cup salsa verde
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped, plus 2 tablespoons for serving fresh cilantro leaves
- 3 cloves minced fresh garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 small pepper seeded and finely diced fresh jalapeño pepper
- 8 small tortillas yellow corn tortillas
Instructions
- Set the slow cooker to low heat at 200°F. Place 2 boneless skinless chicken breast pieces in the bottom and pour in salsa verde, fresh lime juice and extra virgin olive oil. Use tongs to turn each piece 3 times so the green sauce touches every side. Sprinkle on fresh garlic cloves, ground cumin, smoked paprika, fine sea salt, ground black pepper and fresh jalapeño pepper. Cook for 10 minutes with the lid on before checking that the sauce has started to loosen around the edges. You’ll smell lime and garlic right away. Skip the coating and the top of the chicken dries before the center turns tender.
- Keep the slow cooker on low heat at 200°F for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. At hour 2, lift and rotate each chicken breast once with tongs so the thicker ends sit in the saucier corners. The chicken turns pale and the salsa verde darkens slightly while small bubbles collect near the edges. The thickest part should reach 165°F. Go past 4 hours and lean chicken breast can turn stringy instead of juicy. (I used to cook it all day. The flavor was fine, but the texture got dry.)
- Keep the slow cooker on warm at 165°F after the chicken reaches 165°F inside. Use two forks to pull the 2 chicken breasts into uneven shreds right in the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the shreds through the pan juices with a folding motion from the edges toward the center. The sauce should cling in glossy green streaks and the meat should look moist but not soupy. Stop too soon and the middle stays chunky, but shred too long and the chicken turns mushy.
- Turn the slow cooker off and let the shredded chicken rest at 155°F to 160°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Fold in 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves with a soft scooping motion so the herbs stay visible instead of disappearing. The chicken should look glossy and green-flecked while the sauce settles into the shreds. You’ll smell fresh cilantro more than cooked garlic now. Skip the rest and the juices run onto the plate instead of staying tucked in the chicken.
- Warm 8 yellow corn tortillas to 150°F for 30 to 45 seconds so they bend without cracking. Spoon the chicken into the center of each tortilla with some pieces leaning over the edges and a little sauce showing underneath. Finish with the remaining 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves and serve within 5 minutes. The chicken should look juicy with uneven shreds, light green sauce and a few darker edges from the spices. Wait too long and the tortillas soak through at the fold.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Don’t lift the lid often because every peek drops the heat and can add 15 to 20 minutes to the cook time.
- Use an instant read thermometer and stop at 165°F so the chicken stays juicy.
- Fold cilantro in after cooking because heat dulls the fresh flavor fast.
- Save a little cooking liquid for reheating so the shredded chicken doesn’t dry out.
Storage: Store leftover Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid before reheating so the shreds stay moist. Freeze cooled chicken for up to 3 months in a flat freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm gently at 300°F for 12 to 15 minutes or in a covered skillet over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (of 4)
- Calories: 601
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 10003mg
- Fat: 37g
- Carbohydrates: 67g
- Fiber: 22g
- Cholesterol: 22mg