Tender, flavourful slow-cooker chicken with beet and cabbage slaw, cherry tomato pico de gallo, avocado, and homemade salsa verde. Seriously so good!
Mexican food – I could literally eat it every single day. In reality, I eat it about once a week. While there are a few good Mexican restaurants near my apartment, Mexican-inspired cuisine is usually my go-to for a low-key night at home. These slow-cooker chicken tacos are awesome to throw together and forget about for a few hours. With fresh, simple ingredients, these tacos are healthy and flavourful, albeit messy!
Mexican-inspired cuisine introduced me to my love for cooking. When I was a young teenager, my family rented a house in Manzanillo, Mexico for a few weeks. I had been to Mexico before, but only to the all inclusive resorts that are so often people’s only experience in Mexico. But, staying away from the resort scene, we had the most amazing time exploring Mexican cuisine through throwing together ingredients we collected on daily trips to the town market. This trip opened my eyes to how you can explore a culture through food! I came home with a constant craving for Mexican flavours and a love of cooking travel-inspired cuisine.
Slow-cooker Pulled Chicken Tacos with Salsa Verde
Ingredients
Slow-Cooker Pulled Chicken
- 1 kg chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
- 1 white onion
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can rinsed black beans (or 1 cup dried)
- 1.5 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground chilli pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
Salsa Verde
- 4-5 medium sized tomatillos
- 1/2 lime
- 1 jalapeño
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Tacos
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1/2 head of green cabbage
- 1 medium beet
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatos
- 1 small red onion
- 1 jalapeño
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 lime
- salt and pepper
Directions
- Slow cooker pulled chicken: Dump chopped onion, chicken thighs, canned tomatoes, beans and spices in slow cooker, turn it on high, and leave it alone for 3 hours (or 6 hours on low). After three hours, use two forks to shred chicken. Remove lid and leave cooker on high for 30-40mins to reduce liquid.
- Meanwhile, finely chop tomatillos and jalapeño. Add to small saucepan with apple cider vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 15mins, or until tomatillos are soft. Blend with hand blender (or regular blender, just be careful to release steam regularly or you will have a mess on your hands!)
- Prepare pico de gallo. Chop up tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Squeeze half lime (save half for garnish wedges), and salt and pepper to taste.
- Chop beets and cabbage into very thin strips and combine. Slice avocado and set aside.
- Heat corn tortillas in a hot pan or wrapped in moist paper towel in the microwave.
- Assemble tacos with all components in whatever order you choose and enjoy with lots of napkins on hand!
Tip: The slow-cooker chicken freezes like a dream! Make ahead of time, or save a portion for later!
Enjoy my friends!
