Introduction: NO THAW Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Breasts With Variations
The BEST part of this recipe is that you don't have to brown, or even thaw the chicken breasts, so it's a GREAT "go-to" meal for a rushed day. Just dump everything together, set the slow cooker, and you come home to a yummy meal.
My Daughter shared this recipe with me several years ago. I think she MAY have gotten it from a low carb site, but I've made many changes to it, and I encourage you to do so as well. I will post some of the variations.
Step 1: Step 1: Gather Ingredients
Slow Cooker
INGREDIENTS
1. FROZEN (do NOT thaw) Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts.....as few as 2, or as many as 6 with no change in other amounts
2. 1 Medium size jar of your choice of Salsa (at least 16 oz)
3. 2 Medium (15.5 oz) cans of your choice of beans.......I like Black Beans
OPTIONAL
4. Sour Cream
Step 2: Step 2: Assemble
I always turn my Slow Cooker on to about #4 while I start putting this together, just to give it a head start.
Step 3: Step 3: the Beans
Once I have my Slow Cooker heating I go ahead, and open the beans. Today I used 2 cans of Black Beans, but I have used Pinto Beans, or Navy Beans as well. I have even mixed two kinds.....Beans are GREAT fiber foods, so use your favorite.
Drain the beans IF YOU WANT.....You don't have to at all, OR you could drain, and rinse only 1 can.
Step 4: Step 4: the Chicken
While the beans are draining.....IF you decided to drain them....Put the FROZEN, Skinless, boneless chicken breasts into your slow cooker. As you can see there is no need to even separate them. I repackage the bulk chicken breasts into packages of 2-4 breasts (this was a package of 3). It's much easier than using the ones frozen in the foam packages from the store. I end up breaking those and running them under COLD water to get the foam off.
Step 5: Step 5: Add the Beans
Once you have the chicken in the slow cooker, dump the beans over the top.....DO NOT add any other seasoning....NO SALT, NO PEPPER
Step 6: Step 6: the Salsa
Now dump the jar of your choice of salsa over it all, and you're DONE! Put the lid on your slow cooker. Cook on Medium for at least 6 hours.
DO NOT add any salt or pepper
Once you get home, serve the chicken "as is" or top with sour cream.
OR shred the chicken for burritos, or tacos, and "dress them up" however you want with lettuce, cheese, diced tomatoes
OR shred the chicken and serve over rice with the beans on the side
Step 7: Variations
1. CORN I think the original recipe called for only 1 can of beans, PLUS a can of drained corn. My daughter substituted a small package of frozen corn. I don't care for corn IN dishes all though I love corn alone. So I NEVER use it, and just double the beans.
2. CREAM CHEESE The original recipe said to put a whole 8oz brick of cream cheese on top of the salsa in the slow cooker for the last 10 minutes of cooking.......I never seem to have the cream cheese, but always have sour cream, or Greek Yogurt to searve on top.
3. GRILLED VEGGIES I had a whole bowl of left over grilled veggies (onion, zucchini, bell peppers) that I added to the top for the last 10 minutes of cooking time, just to warm up.
4. RICE Serve over white, or mexican rice
5.TORTILLAS Serve the chicken, beans, and salsa rolled in a flour tortilla, or layer in hard corn tortilla
7 Comments
10 years ago on Introduction
google caribbean sunshine from Oregon, they list all the ingredients on the website, it's fantastic!!! I am a fan of their salsa now.
10 years ago on Introduction
I used the basis of this recipe and created a yummy Caribbean dish. Instead of using tomato style of salsa I used a caribbean style of salsa that is fantastic. I used black beans and the juice they came in and added some rice with the chicken mix. It was absolutely amazing!!!!!!
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Sorry I didn't reply sooner......we've been moving.....UGH
What is in a Caribbean style salsa? That sounds really good
11 years ago on Introduction
I'm just now really getting into slow cooker cooking. Cheap, easy, and hard to mess up. I've been cooking frozen meat and it seems to work great. But I read on some sites that cooking frozen meat in a slow cooker isn't such a good idea because there is a 2-3 window between the frozen and cooking temperature that is perfect for nasty bugs to grow.
But somehow that doesn't seem worse than the way I usually thaw meat, which is to leave it on the counter for a day.
So I keep slow cooking frozen meat. It's almost sinful how easy and delicious slow cooking is.
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
OH NOOOO never thaw food on the counter. Just because you've never gotten sick from doing it that way, that doesn't mean you (or others) won't. My Mom ALWAYS thawed meat that way, but times have changed......when you know better you do better. I'm was an RN and know how deadly it can be to do that.
Check the internal temp of the chicken (with a thermometer) before you serve/eat it. Once your food's internal temp shows it's fully cooked you should be fine. Good thing that the "bugs" are killed with cooking. Most slow cookers tell you to turn the appliance on and sort of pre heat it.
11 years ago on Introduction
Thanks......we really like the leftovers. The chicken is fork tender, and VERY moist
11 years ago on Introduction
The reason you wanna drain the beans is that the beans are easier to digest but the bean juice from a can is not- so avoid gas and drain them babies, also lose some of the salt in the process. And this bloke is RIGHT about setting the slow cooker to HIGH first so that the chicken does not sit for an hour or 2 at a dangerous temperature, growing invisible demons. Chicken- below 40F or above 180F for safety. And THANKS because I can make this without stopping working.