Jeff and I have made this recipe a couple times now, and each time, we are amazed at how ridiculously easy it is to prepare this dish, and even more amazed at how much flavor is packed into this recipe. We both prefer soft tacos, so we use soft corn tortillas instead of the crunchy taco shells called for in the original recipe.
I came across it on Martha Stewart’s site simply searching the web for slow cooker chicken taco filling recipes. We’re used to grilling chicken for a taco filling, but I wanted a good slow cooker version to simmer all day while we were out with the kids and my niece. I find Martha Stewart’s recipes quite bland, so I assumed this would be suitable for our not-as-crazy-as-us-about-spicy-food kids, and that Jeff and I would need to add hot sauce and crushed red pepper flakes to our plates after we dished up everyone. We were wrong. The chipotles in adobo add a ton of spicy hotness to this dish — not too much for Jeff and I, but we just about killed the kids that night, none of whom could even make it through a single taco. Oh well, more for Jeff and I…
We also opted for a spicy salsa, again working under the assumption the original recipe would not be hot enough. Going with a mild salsa is a way to tone down the heat factor at least a little bit — the chipotles certainly provide enough heat.
Jeff and I froze the leftovers (we had doubled the recipe since we had five big eaters at home that night), and used them another night to make chicken nachos. Man, oh man! Talk about awesome!
I just went on Weight Watchers right after the New Year, so I pulled this fantastic recipe out again for dinner this Monday night since it is so low in Points value and packed with lean protein. Just as with our other slow cooker recipes, it was such a treat to walk into the house after work and be greated by the wonderful smell of chicken and seasonings simmering all day. Because work mornings get a little hectic for us, Jeff and I opted to assemble the entire dish the night before, right into the crock, refridgerating it overnight. In the morning, we put the crock into the cook base, plugged it in, and turned it on low for 8 hours. Simple as that.
Whether you are seeking low-fat, low-calorie meal solutions, or you simply appreciate spicy tasty chicken tacos, you will love this dish!
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6)
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ cup prepared tomato salsa, plus more for serving
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 8 corn tortillas
- Cilantro, shredded cheese, lime wedges, and sour cream, for serving (optional)
- In slow cooker, combine chicken, garlic, salsa, chiles, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Cover; cook on high, 4 hours (or on low, 8 hours).
- Transfer chicken to a serving bowl, and shred, using two forks; moisten with cooking juices. Serve in taco shells, with toppings, if desired.
Made this last night for about the 20th time! My whole family loves it and I always double it to freeze for another meal.
So glad your family likes it!