Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Why you will love it

• Ten minutes of hands on time, then walk away until dinner.

• The chicken shreds with two forks, no knife skills, no technique.

• Two pounds of chicken feeds six, which makes it one of the cheapest dinners on the site.

• Mild for kids as written, and adults can add their own hot sauce at the table.

• It freezes beautifully, so double the batch and stash half for a no effort week.

Tips

• Thighs shred juicier, but breasts work. If you use breasts, start checking at 3 hours, they are safe and shreddable sooner, and they dry out if they sit too long.

• Cook on low instead if your day is longer: 7 to 8 hours on low gives the same result. Both clocks are honest, pick the one that matches your schedule.

• Shred the chicken in the insert, not in a separate bowl, so it soaks the sauce back up instead of sitting dry on a plate.

• Freeze half the batch on day one. It keeps the flavor and thaws into an easy second dinner.

• Want crispy taco filling? Spread a scoop of the shredded chicken in a hot dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes until the edges crisp, then build your taco.

Swaps and variations

• Breasts instead of thighs: the shred comes out slightly leaner and a bit drier. Pull them as soon as they shred easily, and do not let them swim the full 4 hours if they finish at 3.

• Store bought taco seasoning: swap the whole spice list for 2 tbsp of a packet or a jarred blend. Check the label for wheat if you need gluten free, some blends sneak it in.

• Burrito bowls instead of tacos: skip the tortillas and serve the chicken over rice with the lime and cilantro. Same flavor, fork dinner, and it packs for lunch.

What to serve

• A five minute slaw: bagged coleslaw mix, the juice of half a lime, and a pinch of salt, tossed and done.

• A scoop of white rice cooked with our stove top rice method, if you have big appetites at the table.

• Tortilla chips and the same salsa you cooked with, zero extra effort.

Storage and reheating