Slow-Cooker Chicken Tomatillo Tacos Recipe

By
Jennifer Olvera
Jennifer Olvera is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Jennifer Olvera
Jennifer Olvera is a Chicago-based food writer and cookbook author who has written eight cookbooks and contributed to Serious Eats, the Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, and others.
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Updated April 26, 2019
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Spicy and tangy, salsa-soused chicken thighs meld into a pitch-perfect taco filler, cooked slow and low. . Jennifer Olvera

It's not rocket science that slow-cooked food tastes good—it's given time to build maximum flavor. Fortunately, the effort to prepare it in this case is minimal. Chicken thighs, a forgiving choice, get tender to the point that they're easily shredded. When incorporated into the cooking liquid, there's no need for extra condiments, save cilantro and onions for a bit of brightness on top.

The salsa that serves as the base of this dish incorporates lemon juice instead of lime. I find it works particularly well, but feel free to use the latter in its place if you prefer.

Recipe Details

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tomatillo Tacos Recipe

Active 10 mins
Total 8 hrs
Serves 6 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 3 serrano peppers

  • 1 (28-ounce) can tomatillos, drained, or 15 fresh husked tomatillos broiled until charred

  • 1 large handful cilantro, including stems, plus additional 1/4 cup leaves, chopped for garnish

  • 1 small onion, quartered

  • 3 medium cloves garlic

  • 1 tablespoon fresh juice from 1 lime, plus additional lime wedges for serving

  • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs

  • 1 (4-ounce) can diced jalapeños, preferably fire-roasted, drained

  • Corn tortillas

  • Medium red onion, minced

Directions

  1. Place peppers in a small pot of boiling water and simmer until color goes from bright green to green-gray, about 7 minutes. Drain and transfer to a blender or food processor. Add tomatillos, cilantro, onion, garlic, lime juice, and vinegar. Season with to taste with salt. Blend or puree until just combined but some texture remains.

  2. Place chicken in the bowl of a slow cooker. Add jalapeños and prepared tomatillo mixture. Set to low and cook for eight hours.

  3. Remove chicken thighs from slow cooker and let cool slightly. Discard skin and bones. Shred chicken using two forks, return to slow cooker, and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt. Serve with warm tortillas, chopped red onions, chopped cilantro leaves, and lime wedges.

Special equipment

Blender, slow cooker

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
442Calories
12gFat
55gCarbs
33gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories442
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g16%
Saturated Fat 3g16%
Cholesterol 127mg42%
Sodium 754mg33%
Total Carbohydrate 55g20%
Dietary Fiber 10g35%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 33g
Vitamin C 43mg213%
Calcium 115mg9%
Iron 3mg18%
Potassium 966mg21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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