These Salsa Verde Tacos require just 10 minutes of hands on prep work! Perfect for busy weeknights!
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Tacos — the tangy sweet and spicy flavor of this chicken is out of this world! Pile it in seasoned taco shells, and you have some serious can’t-stop-eating-deliciousness that couldn’t be any easier!
Thank you Flatout Flatbread for sponsoring this Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken post. All opinions are my own.
SALSA VERDE CHICKEN RECIPE VIDEO
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos
I have a love obsession with salsa verde. From my 3-Ingredient Salsa Verde Chicken to my creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas smothered in a luscious, white sauce infuses with sour cream, green chiles and salsa verde to my Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas. These enchiladas are unlike many of the recipes out there by the same name that use heavy cream. Instead, my recipe combines extra honey and lime with extra salsa verde for an explosion of flavor that equals my husband’s favorite enchiladas. Ever.
As I started thinking about those enchiladas, I started obsessing about them. I needed that fiesta of flavors — in my mouth. But we’ve been having a heat wave around here and when its extra hot, I love my slow cooker just as much as I love my grill. So in went chicken, salsa verde, honey, lime, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, etc…
And out came Crockpot salsa verde chicken tacos without even breaking a sweat (at least from cooking). And barely raising a finger.
After you shred your chicken, it will seem like there is a ton of juice/liquid let, but let the shredded chicken soak in the salsa verde honey lime bath for 20-30 minutes more and you will be amazed at how much deliciousness it drinks up. And even more amazed when the chicken enters your mouth.
Now as much as you will want to devour this Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken plain, it is perfect to stuff in burritos, chimichangas and enchiladas and pile on nachos, tostadas and salads -— but my favorite way to devour slow cooker salsa verde chicken is in Tacos with pico de gallo, guacamole and a side of Cilantro Lime Rice or Mexican Style Rice!
But these aren’t just any tacos, these are mini taco shells made of guilt-free Flatout Foldit Ancient Grains Flatbread that get brushed with the seasoned juices from your slow cooker then hung on the oven rungs and baked to golden crispy taco perfection (see video of technique HERE, and start dreaming of the seasoned taco shell possibilities! BBQ Sauce, Pesto, Buffalo Sauce, etc.). The shells are hearty, crispy on the outside while still tender on the inside, perfect to cocoon Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken piled high with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, sour cream. And perfect to eat 5 in one sitting. At least.
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken. For the most delicious, easy “dump and run” meal. For your tangy, sweet and spicy chicken cravings. For your otherworldly delicious taco cravings. For you. With love.
Ingredients in Salsa Verde Tacos
These slow cooker chicken tacos have a simple ingredients list:
- Chicken breasts: I prefer using boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe.
- Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Salsa verde: You can use your favorite store-bought salsa verde, or you can make it yourself.
- Honey: Balances out the spices perfectly.
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed in best, but bottled will work in a pinch.
- Spices: I flavored the slow cooker salsa verde chicken with chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Flatout FolidIt Flatbread: The base of the tacos.
- Taco toppings: Use your favorite toppings, like cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, hot sauce, and so on!
How to Make Salsa Verde Tacos
- Rub chicken breasts with olive oil and place in the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Add all of the remaining Slow Cooker ingredients.
- Cook on high for 2-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours or until chicken is tender enough to shred.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board, and let rest 5 minutes before shredding.
- Return shredded chicken and let cook on low for an additional 20-30 minutes to absorb some of the liquid/juices.
- Season the Foldit Flatbread Taco Shells (detailed instructions in the recipe card below).
- Stuff taco shells with chicken and top with desired taco toppings.
Tips for Making Salsa Verde Tacos
- For spicier tacos, add extra hot sauce and / or cayenne pepper to the chicken.
- I highly recommend using boneless chicken breasts to make these easy chicken tacos. Boneless chicken breasts are easier to shred and you won’t have to worry about chomping down on any bones.
- The original recipe stated 1/2 cup honey, so if you have made this recipe previous to 2/22/2017 and thought it was perfect, that is the amount you used. This was too sweet for some, so I have adjusted it to 1/3-1/2. You can start with 1/3 cup and add more to taste if desired.
Recipe Variations to Try
- Sweeten it up: with additional honey.
- Spice it up: add additional chili powder or chipotle chili powder to taste.
- Make taco salad: Instead making salsa verde tacos, you could use this chicken to make taco salads or burrito bowls.
Can I Prep Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken in Advance?
Yes! You can make the recipe as instructed, then chill for up to 5 days. You can reheat big batches in your slow cooker if you plan on serving this to friends and family — or if you simply want to meal prep for the week ahead!
HOW TO STORE & REHEAT Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken
This slow cooker salsa verde chicken recipe makes fantastic leftovers as it reheats beautifully and stays tender, juicy and saucy for days!
- How to store: store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Taco toppings should be stored in separate containers.
- How to reheat on the stove: heat a skillet over medium heat on the stove. Once hot, add the chicken, reduce to medium low and continue to cook and stir occasionally until warmed through. You may need to add a splash of water for saucier chicken.
- Reheating in microwave: transfer chicken to a microwave-safe plate. Heated on high for 90 seconds, stir then continue to cook at 30-second intervals as needed until heated through.
CAN I FREEZE Salsa Verde Chicken?
Yes! This Crockpot salsa verde chicken recipe freezes very well. To freeze:
- Let chicken cool completely.
- Transfer chicken to either a large freezer size bag or divide into smaller size bags. Alternatively, transfer to airtight container(s).
- Press air out of the freezer bag, seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months.
- When ready to eat, defrost chicken in the refrigerator.
- Heat on the stove until warmed through.
What to Serve with Salsa Verde Tacos
Slow cooker chicken tacos are a spectacular main event that don’t need much by the way of sides. I love serving them with grilled corn, watermelon, and cilantro lime rice.
These easy chicken tacos are also fabulous with:
- Chips and salsa. Every Mexican recipe needs chips and salsa! Up your salsa game with homemade salsa, grilled corn salsa, pineapple salsa, mango salsa, or avocado corn salsa.
- Rice: is a must in my book for any taco recipe. We love serving these tacos with cilantro lime rice, Mexican rice, or avocado rice. You can also serve with quinoa, or low carb cauliflower rice.
- Salads: Mexican salad, southwest salad, corn salad, or southwest orzo salad.
- Veggies: I HIGHLY encourage you to go with authentic elote (Mexican Grilled Street Corn) – you will not regret it! Other alternatives include baked asparagus, roasted broccoli, roasted potatoes, roasted cauliflower.
- Fruit: Pina colada fruit salad, fruit salad with honey lime vinaigrette, grape salad, summer fruit salad, watermelon salad, or caramelized grilled pineapple.
- Carbs: corn casserole is AMAZING or add some green chiles and or/ jalapenos to my sweet cornbread recipe and watch it disappear (one of my all-time favorite recipes I bring to everything!). Mexican Street Fries are also a favorite that disappear in a flash.
Looking for more crockpot chicken recipes?
- Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
- Slow Cooker Fiesta Ranch Cream Cheese Chicken
- Slow Cooker Pineapple Salsa Chicken
- Slow Cooker Fajita Chicken
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
- Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Chicken
- Asian Sweet Chili Sesame Chicken
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken
Looking for More Easy Taco Recipes?
- Turkey Tacos
- Tacos Al Pastor
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos
- Chili Lime Chicken Tacos
- Baja Fish Tacos
- Blackened Fish Tacos
- Baked Fiesta Ranch Chicken Tacos
- Honey Chipotle Chicken Tacos
- and on and on…
Want to try these Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken (Tacos)?
Pin it to your CHICKEN, MEXICAN or SLOW COOKER Board to SAVE for later!
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©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com

Prep Time | 10 minutes |
Cook Time | 240 minutes |
Servings | -24 mini tacos* |
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup mild salsa verde (I use Herdez in the jar)
- 1/3-1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Hot sauce to taste
- 1-2 packages Flatout FolidIt Flatbread Ancient Grains***
- Monterrey Jack Cheese
- lettuce
- Tomatoes
- cilantro
- Avocadoes
- sour cream
Ingredients Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken
Tacos
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- Rub chicken breasts with olive oil and place in the bottom of your slow cooker. Add all of the remaining Slow Cooker ingredients except for the hot sauce. Cook on high for 2-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours or until chicken is tender enough to shred.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board, and let rest 5 minutes before shredding (there will be a lot of liquid remaining). Return shredded chicken and let cook on low for an additional 20-30 minutes to absorb some of the liquid/juices. Drain excess liquid before serving or use tongs to remove shredded chicken. Taste and add more honey for sweeter, lime for more tang, hot sauce for spicier.
- To make Seasoned Flatout FolidIt Flatbread Taco Shells, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut each FoldIt in half and lightly brush with Salsa Verde Honey Lime juices from slow cooker on one side. Hang each cut FoldIt in half over individual oven rungs so they from a taco shell and bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 10-12 minutes or until edges are crisp. Remove and let cool for 1 minute. (See video on how to bake shells).
- Stuff taco shells with chicken and top with desired taco toppings.
*The original recipe stated 1/2 cup honey, so if you have made this recipe previous to 2/22/2017 and thought it was perfect, that is the amount you used. This was too sweet for some, so I have adjusted it to 1/3-1/2. You can start with 1/3 cup and add more to taste if desired.
**This chicken is a little on the spicy side due to the salsa verde but I think its perfect for most people. If you want it very kid friendly, then I would recommend reducing the salsa verde to 1/2 cup, honey to 1/4 cup lime juice to 1/4 cup. Then adjust to taste.
**This recipe makes enough for 2 packages Flatout FoldIt Flatbread (24 mini tacos) but you can just make one package (12 mini tacos) if you prefer.
©Carlsbad Cravings Original

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Debbie says
Absolutely delicious!!!! We made quesadillas and dipped in extra salsa Verde, guacamole, and sour cream. Definitely a keeper – thank you!
Jen says
Thank you so much Debbie and your quesadillas with all the goods has me drooling!
Shannara Suazo says
Medium or high in a slow-cooker and for how long?? this looks soo good!
Jen says
In step 1: Cook on high for 2-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours or until chicken is tender enough to shred.
Jenny says
I’m sorry if you’ve answered this before but can you please explain why you always put olive oil on your chicken before puting it in the crock pot? Is it to keep it from sticking or another reason? TIA!
Jen says
It protects it from heat and helps keeps it moist.
Valerie says
I might be missing it but the first step says to add all ingredients to slow cooker except salsa. And then I never see where you add the salsa. But the pic shows it in the crock pot at the beginning. I’m confused! Lol
Jen says
Hi Valerie, it says to add all the ingredients except the hot sauce. You’ll want to add the hot sauce to taste at the end of cooking. Enjoy!
Jeanette Thompson says
I made this last night. I used thighs instead because that’s what we prefer (and because I used thighs, I skipped the olive oil step). The meat shredded perfectly and it was a really tasty dish. Perfect for tacos. My husband really loved it.
I didn’t add hot sauce at the end so everyone could add their own to taste to their tacos and I think that ended up being a good move. My husband loves more than I do and I love more than my mother does, LOL.
I will definitely be making this again.
Jen says
Thanks so much Jeanette, I’m so happy you all loved them! Hot sauce is always a winning condiment at our house!
Faith Maupin says
Awesome recipe! Made these yesterday – delicious! We love all of your recipes, and this one surely did not disappoint. Thank you
Jen says
You’re so welcome Faith! Thanks for making my recipes and taking the time to comment! xo
Liza Andre says
By “hot sauce” you mean the salsa verde, correct? It is confusing since the image shows it added with the raw chicken at the beginning. So cook chicken with spices and add salsa verde at the very end before you pull it out? Just hoping it will be moist enough…
Jen says
Hi Liza, no by hot sauce I mean cayenne hot sauce like tapatio or Franks hot sauce – add to taste at the end.
Christy Dukes says
I’ve made this recipe at least 2 dozen times and it is on the top of my list for having company over because it’s so easy and everyone loves it. My guests always ask for the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Jen says
Thanks for your awesome comment Christy and for making my day! I’m so pleased this recipe is a repeat favorite!
Patty says
I have made this delicious chicken several times, and my family loves it. It is so satisfying. I have a picky teen ager in the house, and he absolutely loves this dish! Thank you. I have to try another one of your recipes soon.
Jen says
Thank you for taking the time to comment Patty! I’m thrilled this crockpot chicken is a hit with everyone! I hope you have fun exploring my other recipes!
Sherry says
Any suggestions for making this with pressure in the Instant Pot? This sounds delicious and right up my alley
Jen says
Hi Sherry, I’m sorry but I haven’t tried it yet in an instant pot. Good luck!
Wendy says
I use the meat setting for 10 mins then a soup setting for 30 and it’s perfect.
Jen says
Thanks Wendy!
Chastity says
This chicken is soooo good!! Your recipes are always so flavorful! This even got better the day after I made them. So quick and easy, thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!!
Jen says
Thank you so much for your kind comment Chastity! I so appreciate you sharing how much you’re enjoying my recipes!
claudia m mitson says
Hi, love this recipe! And it seems pretty healthy to me. Is it possible to get the nutritional information?
Jen says
Thanks Caudia, I’m so happy it’s a favorite! You can calculate nutritional info at: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
sarah says
This chicken is a go-to at our house. I make a big batch and freeze leftovers for another time. We use in tacos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, and over nachos. Kids and adults enjoy it. I don’t add any hot sauce while cooking, but my husband sometimes adds some at the table. Thanks for such a great and versatile recipe. I think your trick of rubbing the chicken with oil before cooking is genius, it really does make a difference.
Jen says
Hi Sarah, I’m thrilled this salsa verde chicken is your go to and I love hearing all the different ways you use it, thank you!
Brianna says
I just wanted to say that this is my go-to recipe when guests come to visit. Every single time they ask for my recipe, and I have to send them this link. Spot on, thank you for making me look like a magical taco chef!
Jen says
Thanks so much Brianna! I’m honored this is a favorite go-to recipe!
Jennifer says
I made this recipe exactly as stated. It was unbelievably juicy and packed with flavor. I absolutely love the combination of honey and lime, who knew? Thank you for sharing!
Jen says
You’re so welcome Jennifer. I’m so pleased it was a hit!
Kristen says
This chicken is absolutely delicious! I recently had to go gluten and dairy free, and this chicken has so much flavor that I didn’t miss my usual taco toppings! I just topped with tomatoes, lettuce, and avocado, and the combo was perfect. This recipe is a keeper – thank you!
Jen says
You’re so welcome Kristen, I’m so pleased it’s new favorite!
Cameron W says
I am so happy to finally be leaving a comment. This recipe is AMAZING and I suggest it to anyone when they’re asking me for an easy crock pot recipe. Its SO easy and so delicious. Always my go to. Making it tomorrow!
Jen says
Thanks so much for the awesome review Cameron! I love hearing it’s a repeat favorite!