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This Salsa Verde Chicken can be made in the slow cooker OR Instant Pot! Either way, it’s amazing! You guys know I am all about the simple and delicious meals … well this one is no exception. There are only 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and the result is AMAZING! Perfect for a crowd, meal prep for the week, or just dinner on those busy weeknights. The flavor and quality is going to be directly related to the kind of salsa verde you use. I actually have an awesome roasted salsa verde recipe on the blog already (an oldie but a goodie), but feel free to go grab something from the grocery store. There are lots of amazing options, most of which I have found are actually Whole30/Paleo.
Looking for More Recipes Like This?
If you love a good slow cooker chicken recipe as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- shallots – love the flavor that it brings, but you can also use a yellow onion.
- chicken breasts – feel free to use another cut of chicken, if you prefer, like chicken tenderloins or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- salsa verde – absolutely love this green salsa that can be found at your local grocery store or make your own roasted salsa verde!
How To Make Salsa Verde Chicken In An Instant Pot
How To Make Salsa Verde Chicken In A Slow Cooker
Is Salsa Verde Chicken Spicy?
That really depends on the salsa verde you use! Most of the salsa verde recipes I have tried are very mild, but just taste them before using! Here is a fun article from The Kitchn highlighting a couple store-bought salsa brands if you want to get inspired!
Best Ways To Serve Salsa Verde Chicken
No matter how you serve it, it will be delicious! Here are a few of our favorite ways:
- Rice Bowls with your white rice or brown rice (use cauliflower rice if Whole30/Paleo) and top with avocado, fresh cilantro, chopped red onion, shredded cheese, black beans and sour cream. Option to level up the flavor with a cilantro lime rice!
- Tacos – we love using our favorite Siete tortillas to make the best chicken tacos on Taco Tuesday!
- Enchiladas – option to wrap up the chicken in tortillas and make some green chicken enchiladas!
Store, Freeze, & Reheat
- Refrigerator: cooked, shredded chicken can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or return to the slow cooker on the warm setting until warmed through.
- Freeze before cooking: Sauté the garlic and shallots, transfer to a freezer safe container with the chicken and salsa verde. Freeze for up to 3 months. Either thaw overnight in the fridge & then follow the slow cooker instructions or place the frozen chicken directly in the Instant Pot with some water or broth and cook on high pressure for 10-12 minutes. Frozen chicken can also be placed in the slow cooker, but you will need to increase the cook time.
- Freeze after cooking: Option to freeze the chicken & salsa mixture after cooking for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat.
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- What is salsa verde sauce made of? In our homemade salsa verde, we use traditional tomatillos, onion, shallot, jalapeño, poblano pepper, Anaheim pepper, garlic, cilantro, and some lime juice!
- Can I double the ingredients for a larger batch? Absolutely! Simply click the 2x or 3x button on the recipe card to adjust for a larger crowd.
Other Slow Cooker Recipes You Might Like
Made this recipe and loved it?!
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Salsa Verde Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Slow Cooker & Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Description
Our Salsa Verde Chicken recipe is a quick and delicious meal that is so easy to meal prep! Perfect for making into rice bowls, tacos, or enchiladas!
Ingredients
- 1–2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (sub avocado oil)
- 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 2.25 pounds)
- 14–16oz salsa verde (homemade or store-bought)
- Rice Bowl Serving Ingredients: cooked rice, diced red onion, avocado, sour cream, cilantro and lime wedges
- Taco Serving Ingredients: tortilla of choice, diced red onion, avocado, sour cream, cilantro and lime wedges
Instructions
Slow Cooker:
- Sauté: Bring a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and add oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add shallots and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir, while allowing them to cook, about 2 minutes.
- Slow Cooker: Scrape shallots and garlic into crock pot. Add chicken breasts and pour salsa verde on top. Cover and cook on High for 3-4 hours or on Low for 6-8 hours.
- Shred + Serve: Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to slow cooker, toss and serve any way you want.
Instant Pot:
- Sauté: Set to Sauté Function. Once hot, add oil and allow to coat the bottom of the pot. Add shallots and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir and allow to cook, about 1-2 minutes.
- Chicken + Salsa: Turn off Sauté Function. Add chicken and then pour the salsa verde over top. Move the chicken around, so each piece is fully coated.
- Cook: Seal the lid on top and then cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes. Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes and then manually release.
- Shred + Serve: Remove chicken from the Instant Pot and set onto a plate or cutting board. Use forks to shred the chicken and then return it to the pot. Mix the shredded chicken back into the salsa verde mixture. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Notes
- Instant Pot: Always follow your Instant Pot directions for use.
- Serving Suggestions: make a salsa verde chicken rice bowl, tacos or use the chicken to make salsa verde chicken enchiladas!
- Whole30/Paleo: just check the ingredients on store-bought salsa verde. Or make our homemade roasted salsa verde!
- Nutrition Facts: the provided estimated nutrition facts does NOT include serving suggestions ingredients (i.e. sour cream, tortillas, rice, etc).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 shredded chicken breast
- Calories: 55
- Sugar: 1.9 g
- Sodium: 599.5 mg
- Fat: 2.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.9 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 10.3 mg
Stefanie T says
My go to slow cooker meal. I’ve made this countless times, and it’s great every time. I serve over rice with cilantro, avocado, sour cream, and a sprinkle of cotijia cheese. Easy with minimal ingredients.
Leslie Rich says
I can’t wait to try your recipes a long with thank you and Happy Thanksgiving 🍁 2023.
Erin says
Thank you so much, Leslie!
Patti S says
I made this in my Instant Pot and it was so easy. I love having leftovers to use for lunches the rest of the week.
Erin says
Thanks, Patti!
Jess says
This was so crazy good! I subbed shallots for onions and used chicken tenderloins instead of breasts. Cooked them in my Ninja Foodi on high pressure for 3 minutes with a 6 minute natural release and they were perfect! I ate mine over brown rice with avocado. I can’t wait for the leftovers!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Jess! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review!
Danielle says
Love this recipe! So easy and can be used for multiple recipes.
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Danielle! And thanks for taking the time to leave a review + feedback!
Laura says
I made this in the slow cooker with boneless skinless chicken thighs (low for 6hrs) The texture of the meat was great and tasted even better the next day.
Katie says
We made this for dinner last night and used the chicken for tacos with avocado, onion, and lime! Super easy and juicy, and lots of leftovers! This will definitely become a go-to for us.
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed it, Katie! And thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!
Erica says
I used chicken breasts one time and it came out a bit dry, so this time I used chicken thighs and it was amazing! Same cook time. The thighs got a bit caramelized too on the bottom. Maybe I need to add more salsa on the bottom of the pan and then add the chicken on top. But delicious and easy for meal prep!
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed it, Erica! And yes, if your slow cooker runs hot adding the salsa on the bottom can help! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!
Jen says
I made this for dinner last night. It was very easy and quick to put together. The chicken is tender and perfect for tacos or in a bowl or salad.
The salsa verde I chose was very mild, but the addition of red onion and cilantro really enhanced the flavor. Leftovers for lunch were even better.
I will definitely make it again.
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Jen! And thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review and feedback – I appreciate it!
Carly says
This is just so tasty!! I’ve made it twice now. Adding the extra lime and cilantro to the chicken after cooking is a game changer. Made it into burrito bowls and made a little homemade guac=YUM! Guac stepped it up a notch! Love your recipes!! Love from another Minnesota gal 🙂
Erin says
Aw thank you so much, Carly! That makes my day to hear 🙂 And so happy you love this recipe – it is a favorite of mine as well!
Meagan says
Made this recipe for the first time last night for some meal prep and wow, it’s amazing! I used it in a rice bowl tonight, but I think tomorrow will be tacos or a taco salad. That’s the best part about it-it’s versatile, which makes it easy to use for meal prep! This will likely become a staple for me because it’s also crazy easy to make!
Erin says
Thank you so much, Meagan!! I appreciate the feedback 🙂
Lisa Mer says
I have this recipe on repeat! So good!
Erin says
That makes me so happy to hear, Lisa! Thank you!!
Courtney says
One of my favorites!
Erin says
Thanks, Courtney! This is a family favorite in our house too 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time leave your feedback – it is so appreciated!
Kath says
Is it possible to make this with chicken thigh instead of chicken breast?
Erin says
Hi Kath! Oh my gosh YES! You could definitely sub out the chicken breast for chicken thighs!
Jessica says
Thank you for the inspiration. Dinner was fantastic! I love healthy Instant Pot recipes. Thank you!
Erin says
Thanks, Jessica! I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback – I really appreciate it!
Alexandria @ The Foreign Fork says
I just got an instant pot, so I’m always on the lookout for a great instant pot recipe. This looks so yummy and definitely like something I can tackle without much experience. Thanks for sharing!
Erin says
Yay!! Yes, this recipe is totally perfect for a novice Instant Pot owner! Can’t wait for you to try it! 🙂