- STEP 1: Prep
Grab some chicken, a jar of salsa, and cream cheese — that’s all you need! Simple ingredients, big flavor, zero fuss.
- STEP 2: Add Chicken to Crockpot
Spray a large crockpot with nonstick spray. Add 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the bottom of the slow cooker, and season with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- STEP 3: Add Salsa and Cream Cheese
Then pour 24 ounces of chunky salsa over the chicken, and top with 8 ounces of cream cheese.
- STEP 4: Slow Cook
Cook on HIGH for 3½ hours; or on LOW for 6-8 hours. Be sure the chicken is fully cooked through (165°F internal temp).
- STEP 5: Shred the Chicken
Once cooked, stir everything together. Then shred the chicken using 2 forks. Give it another good stir to fully coat the shredded chicken in the creamy salsa mixture.
- STEP 6: Serve
Use the cream cheese salsa chicken as you please. Make tacos, nachos, sandwiches, or serve with rice or pasta. To make tacos, simply scoop the salsa chicken into warmed taco shells, then add additional toppings if you like!
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie
- Calories:345
- Fat:17 g26%
- Saturated Fat:9 g56%
- Trans Fat :0.02 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat :1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat:5 g
- Cholesterol:139 mg46%
- Sodium:1433 mg62%
- Potassium:927 mg26%
- Carbohydrates:10 g3%
- Fiber :2 g8%
- Sugar:6 g7%
- Protein:37 g74%
- Vitamin A :1100 IU22%
- Vitamin C :4 mg5%
- Calcium :77 mg8%
- Iron:1 mg6%
This super creamy salsa chicken has become a family favorite over the years–it has really put my slow cooker to work! And while my Crockpot cooks dinner for me, I get to do basically anything else. Any kind of shredded chicken is super versatile, and this recipe is too. So even though I make this cream cheese chicken all the time, it never gets boring!
One Simple Tip!
Adding cream cheese makes this shredded chicken creamy and tasty! But you can omit the creamed cheese to make a very simple shredded salsa chicken for any occasion.
Instructions
- Spray a large crockpot with nonstick spray.
- Add the chicken to the bottom of the crockpot and top with the salt and pepper.4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,1 teaspoon kosher salt,½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pour salsa over the chicken and then top with the cream cheese.24 ounces chunky salsa,8 ounces cream cheese
- Cook on high for 3½ hours or on low for 6-8, or until chicken is cooked through (165°F internal temp).
- Stir together and then shred chicken with 2 forks (should shred easily).
- Stir again to fully coat in the salsa mixture.
- Use for tacos, nachos, sandwiches, and more!
Notes
*This recipe works best with chunky salsas. I don’t recommend using thinner, more liquid-y styles, which will lead to a runnier mixture.
- Spray your crockpot with a little non-stick oil before adding in your ingredients.
- To cut down on calories, you can use a low fat cream cheese.
- For some heat, add chopped jalapeños or hot sauce for an even spicier dish! Green Chiles would be another great addition for something more mild
Storage: Store leftover Crockpot salsa chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover Crockpot salsa chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The chicken can be eaten cold with a salad or in a sandwich, or reheated in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed through.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe, as the cream cheese tends to change texture once thawed.
