Southwest Chicken
Tender shredded chicken slow cooked all day in taco-seasoned diced tomatoes with red onion, garlic, and cumin — finished with black beans and your favorite toppings. Set it up in the morning and come home to a versatile, bold southwest chicken that works as a chili bowl, over cauliflower rice, in lettuce wraps, or stuffed into peppers all week long.
- Slow Cooker
- 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 3 cans diced tomatoes (14 oz each)
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 packets taco seasoning
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed (see lower-carb tip)
- Toppings
- 1 cup 2% cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
- — plain Greek yogurt (in place of sour cream)
- — sliced avocado (optional)
- — fresh cilantro (optional)
- — sliced jalapeños (optional)
- — lime wedges (optional)
-
1
Load the slow cooker
Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the sliced red onion, minced garlic, all three cans of diced tomatoes with their juice, both packets of taco seasoning, and the cumin. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6–8 hours.
-
2
Shred the chicken
After 6–8 hours the chicken should be completely tender and shred with almost no effort. Remove the breasts and shred using two forks or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir back into the tomato mixture.
-
3
Add the beans & finish
Stir in the drained black beans. Cover and continue cooking on low for 30 minutes until the beans are warmed through and the flavors have melded together. Taste and adjust seasoning — a squeeze of lime juice at this stage brightens everything up.
-
4
Serve
Ladle into bowls and pile on your favorite toppings — shredded cheddar, a dollop of Greek yogurt, sliced avocado, jalapeños, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Or skip the bowl entirely and serve over cauliflower rice, in lettuce wraps, or stuffed into bell pepper halves.
- This chicken goes everywhere: The bold, saucy shredded chicken is incredibly versatile — serve it as a chili bowl, over cauliflower rice, in romaine lettuce wraps, stuffed into bell pepper halves, or alongside our Jicama and Black Bean Salad for a complete southwest spread.
- Lower carb option: Black beans add great fiber and heartiness but also bring more carbs — skip them entirely or replace with diced zucchini stirred in during the last 30 minutes for extra bulk without the extra carbs.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes upgrade: Swap the regular diced tomatoes for fire-roasted diced tomatoes — the smoky, charred flavor adds significant depth to the sauce with zero extra effort.
- Even better the next day: Like all slow cooker recipes, this deepens significantly overnight. Make a big batch, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
- Greek yogurt over sour cream: A generous dollop of plain Greek yogurt is the perfect cool, creamy topping — it's a direct sour cream substitute that adds protein rather than fat.