Allow me to introduce you to your new best friend, Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken. This right here is perfectly seasoned, perfectly juicy restaurant quality taco chicken, and it's about to change your life and your meal plan for the better.
Jump to:
- Why The Slow Cooker?
- Key Ingredients
- How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken in the Crockpot
- What to Serve with Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
- Can I make This a Freezer Meal?
- Is the Chicken Spicy?
- How Can I Make This Recipe Spicier?
- Is Cilantro Lime Chicken Healthy?
- Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Ratings
Look, friends, there are two things I need to tell you about this recipe for cilantro lime chicken:
(1) It's cooked in the slow cooker and takes, like, 10 minutes to prep. Maybe 15 if you have a toddler hanging onto your feet, or you're rocking some morning coffee while you prep, or you just DGAF and feel like takin' it easy. NO SHAME.
(2) It's the best freaking taco chicken you'll ever cook. Yes, truly. My husband declared it such, and given that he is a taco connoisseur of the highest level, I'm just going to take him at his word. And for what it's worth, I totally agree with his assessment, but sometimes third party validation is necessary, especially when donning titles like "best" and "restaurant quality". (For the sake of comparison, he ranks it above this recipe for shredded crockpot chicken tacos, which was the previous reigning champ in our house!).
(3) I lied, three things. You will gladly eat this chicken for days, and so will your children. If mine did, yours will too! Therefore, your future self will thank you if you just double up on the sauce, pour it over some extra chicken, and tuck that little miracle into the freezer for safe-keeping.
Seriously, you will adore this easy slow cooker recipe for all of the aforementioned reasons, and also because you are smart. And you like really real, really delicious food.
Why The Slow Cooker?
Cilantro and lime. Lime and cilantro. It's one of the most natural pairings in the world, and we are big fans. We love cilantro lime chicken grilled, baked, and stuffed into tacos. We love a lil' bed of cilantro lime cauliflower rice to serve with said chicken.
But you know what we love more? Foolproof. Convenience.
Marinated and grilled cilantro lime chicken is tasty. But it also takes time, and chicken breasts can be...touchy. Chicken breasts are one of the most popular cuts of meat, but I often find them dry and bland unless they've been properly brined or marinated.
Enter the magic of the slow cooker, which solves our dry chicken problem with ease and elegance (see crockpot salsa chicken and slow cooker chicken tinga for more proof!).
Chicken breasts are slow cooked in a slightly spicy sauce until juicy and infused with flavor. Lime juice and salt tenderize the chicken as it cooks, and the result is restaurant-quality cilantro lime chicken that is so ridiculously easy to make you'll be dreaming up ways to eat it monthly! (Don't worry, we've got suggestions!).
Key Ingredients
- Olive Oil: to keep the chicken moist, and a bit of flavor in the form of a healthy fat.
- Lime Juice: fresh is best! Plan on juicing 2-3 limes.
- Jalapeno: with or without seeds; keep the seeds for a spicier chicken, or leave 'em out for flavor without the kick.
- Garlic: it just makes everything better!
- Cumin and Paprika: for depth and a smoky bite.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: boneless chicken breasts transform into incredibly tender bites in the slow cooker. We love 'em!
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken in the Crockpot
Allow your crockpot to transform boring, and often dry, boneless skinless chicken breasts into an easy, healthy, and incredibly flavorful dinner. Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken cooks low and slow in a blend of spices for deeply infused flavor and incredibly tender meat. Stuff into tacos, serve in bowls, make burritos and salads...the possibilities are endless.
- Make the crock pot sauce. Combine olive oil, lime juice, chicken broth, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper in a food processor and blend until very smooth.
- Pat the chicken dry, then arrange in a single, even layer in the bottom of the crock pot; pour the sauce over the chicken.
- Seal the crockpot, then cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6 hours. The chicken will be very, very tender.
- Shred the chicken right in the pot using two works, then add the cilantro. Toss the chicken, sauce, and cilantro until well combined. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Cilantro Lime Chicken
This cilantro lime chicken is a weeknight workhorse, and there are so many ways to stuff it into your face. Here are my faves:
- Stuff it into a taco and top with queso fresco and avocado - no other fancy slaws or garnishes necessary!
- With Mexican green rice and/or Instant Pot Pinto beans.
- Make a low carb/keto bowl with Mexican cauliflower rice, avocado, and cojita cheese.
- Alongside Mexican street corn salad.
- Make an epic cilantro lime chicken salad - shredded romaine, chopped tomatoes, grilled bell peppers, cilantro lime chicken, and cilantro lime vinaigrette. WHOAH.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
Yes. They may take closer to 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low to become tender enough to shred. Do make sure they're boneless and skinless, and do make sure you trim any large fat deposits first.
Can I make This a Freezer Meal?
Yes, definitely and totally encouraged. Place the chicken breasts into a gallon sized freezer bag, pour the marinade over the chicken, press out the air, and seal. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, dump into the crock pot, and cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours.
Is the Chicken Spicy?
Honestly, not really! The instructions call for seeding the jalapeno, which removes most of the heat. It has a kick, but it won't leave your mouth on fire.
How Can I Make This Recipe Spicier?
Keep some of the seeds from the jalapeno, double the jalapeno, and/or add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
Is Cilantro Lime Chicken Healthy?
Y'all know I'm not a fan of the term "healthy", so let's just say that this recipe is most definitely clean. No processed ingredients, no sugar or additives - just a very short list of tasty whole foods. It's also low carb, Whole30, and gluten free, so if any one of those dietary persuasions is your thing, you're totally covered. We eat this for days and days on a Whole30 - it's that good!
Did you make this Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken? I'd love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
Description
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the chicken broth, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, jalapeno, salt, cumin, paprika, and pepper into a food processor. Blend until the garlic and jalapeno are pulverized and the sauce is well incorporated. (See Note 2)
- Lay the chicken in a single layer in the crockpot. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours, until the chicken is very tender and easily pulls with the tines of a fork.
- Using two forks, shred the chicken right in the pot. Add the cilantro, then toss until well combined. Serve warm, right away. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Note 1. If you prefer spicier chicken, keep the jalapeno seeds and/or double the jalapenos. You may also want to add up to 1 teaspoon chili powder to the sauce.
- Note 2. If you don't have a food processor, finely chop the jalapeno and garlic, then whisk all ingredients until emulsified (very well combined).
Nicole Perperas
Excellent and extremely flavorful! I used smoked paprika instead of regular and it was delicious.
Randa Lejeane Waller
This was so good my family loved it !!!
Krissy
My whole family loves this recipe! We made cilantro rice to go with it and make rice bowls!! It’s a family favorite!
julie
I've made this twice and it is so delicious!
Laura
I have made this so many times. It is excellent! I have found that if I am prepping everything the night before, do not mix the sauce with the chicken overnight. I think the lime juice must "cook" the chicken and it ends up with a weird texture. Just keep the sauce separate and pour over the chicken in the morning right before you turn on the slow cooker and it will be perfect. Amazing!!
Nicole
I made this for my husband and me this past week - really easy to follow recipe, I did not change one thing. Only used 1TB of Salt, (not 2), and this did not take 8 hours to cook for 2IBS of boneless chicken breasts. Not sure if the 8 hour direction was meant for frozen and/or bone-in? Put mine in at 10:37am and it was done at 4:30pm - we had to keep the slow cooker on warm for a while. I kept the seeds in the jalapeño, but something was still missing. Maybe chili powder? In the end, this needed some additional flavor.
Pam Thrasher
This was delicious! Great flavors. Wouldn't change a thing.
Linzay
Found this recipe a year ago and we make it every single week! We love ours over rice or as tacos.
Tanny
Made this recipe tonight. The flavor wasn't bad, and it smelled delightful. The chicken was a bit dry. After cooking for 5.5 hours, the thermometer was reading at 190/200°F. I probably would check in at 4 hours, if I tried this again. Will try some others on the site.
sw
my kids love it, they get so excited when I tell them we're having chicken tacos for dinner!
JW
How many pounds of chicken do you think you can fit in a pressure cooker? In my meal prep I eat 8lbs of chicken a week so I'm wanting to do this in bulk. Not sure I can do that all in one batch?
Sally
So easy and delicious! Always a hit! Makes fantastic burrito bowls as well as tacos!
Moya Dunham Nash
My husband does not like chicken because most of the time chicken is dried out. This is not your traditional dried out chicken.
Our daughter made this recipe for our grandson’s wedding because it is his favorite recipe. She shared the recipe with us and now I make it. My husband loves it and asks for it! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Amber Owens
This is seriously a staple at our home! We LOVE this chicken! The jalepeno is just a slight kick but I just eliminate it when I have a spicy sensitive person over - which isn't often because what, why are we friends? 😛 Thanks for the great recipe!
Brenda
This is delish! I tweaked a wee bit…added onion, and was out of if cumin, so used my homemade chili seasoning, and added more cilantro (because cilantro is awesome!). I see myself making this A LOT. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Margo C
Most delicious and easy to make. This is the perfect meal to meal prep with for the work week!
Dawn
2022 and still LOVING this. It is a great thing to serve a large group so when my whole family gathers it is great and easy to make. I have doubled and even trippled the recipe and even had two crock pots going at once. Everyone begs to take left overs home. When i make two pots i always make one hotter than the other for the heat lovers. Before covid I even took it to work when we didba taco pot luck and was asked to always bring it. It makes fantastic chicken nachos too!
Pal
I don’t have a crockpot. But I do have instant pot. Can I make this in instant pot ?
Julia
I love, love love it! I also made cauliflower rice with cilantro and lime so good! It’s a keeper for me
Mary
Turned out great. I don’t like jalapeños so I substituted green chilies and added Cajun seasoning. Served with rice that had black beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic and cilantro in it. Served with lime wedges.
Leftovers will be used for tacos.
Shelby
We love this recipe so much we served it at our wedding!
Barbara Dean
Delicious! Chicken is tender and juicy. Flavor is amazing!
Effortless recipe!
Amanda C.
Made this recipe tonight for dinner. Everyone loved it!
Melissa
If I double the recipe, does that change the amount of time it needs to cook in the slow cooker?
Danielle Esposti
Nope! I have doubled the recipe often and it doesn't take any longer to cook.
D
Just made today and the flavors are amazing! We created bowls with this chicken, leftover rice, black beans, tomato’s and slices of avocados. It was perfect for Mexican Tuesday's!