Slow-Cooker Cheesy Salsa Chicken

Name: Slow-Cooker Cheesy Salsa Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 jar (16 oz) Old El Paso™ medium salsa OR Muir Glen™ organic medium salsa; 1 1/2 lbs uncooked chicken breast, diced; Salt, to taste; 2 cups Mexican-style cheese; 2 cups cooked Mexican rice; Fresh cilantro for garnish (Optional)

25 Ratings

16 Comments

Cheesy chicken and rice with cilantro on dinner plate

Prep 5 min
Total 4 hr 0 min
Servings 4

When you’re craving Mexican but refuse to leave the house to get it (much less spending all day in the kitchen preparing it), we say let your slow cooker make it for you. The salsa and chicken gets dumped in the slow cooker to simmer and then 30 minutes before serving, you sprinkle on the cheese. This four-ingredient cheesy slow-cooker chicken preps in minutes and tastes like the spicy, comforting, delicious Mexican food you love from your favorite restaurant. MORE+ LESS-

By Cheeky Kitchen

Updated July 2, 2019

Ingredients

jar (16 oz) Old El Paso™ medium salsa OR Muir Glen™ organic medium salsa

1 1/2

lbs uncooked chicken breast, diced

Salt, to taste

cups Mexican-style cheese

cups cooked Mexican rice

Fresh cilantro for garnish (Optional)

Steps

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1

Begin by gathering your ingredients.
2

Pour salsa in the bottom of 3-4 quart slow cooker. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Place lid on slow cooker and cook, covered, for 3-5 hours on high or for 4-6 hours on low.
3

Thirty minutes before serving, open slow cooker and sprinkle cheese over the chicken.
4

Cover tightly and cook for an additional 30 minutes with the slow cooker on high, until the cheese is melty and the salsa is bubbling. (Note: Keep the lid tightly sealed to keep the cheese from drying out or overcooking.)
5

Serve chicken over rice. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

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Expert Tips

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray to make cleanup easier.
Look for shredded Mexican cheese blends where you’d find the Cheddar cheese—they’re a mix of cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, and sometimes a sprinkle of a mild chili powder.
Cooking times may vary depending on size, shape and age of slow cooker. Be sure to use the size of slow cooker called for in the recipe and fill two-thirds to three-fourths full, but being half full will also work.
In addition to the fresh cilantro, top with chopped avocado, green onions and tomatoes.
This slow-cooker salsa chicken makes a tasty tortilla filling or can be topped with cilantro and sour cream and served alongside tortilla chips.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories: 660
Calories from Fat: 290

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 32g; 49%
Saturated Fat 15g 73% Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol: 205mg; 69%
Sodium: 1510mg; 63%
Potassium: 730mg; 21%
Total Carbohydrate: 29g; 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 10% Sugars 8g
Protein: 65g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 25%; 25%
Vitamin C: 15%; 15%
Calcium: 45%; 45%
Iron: 20%; 20%

Exchanges:

1 1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 6 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 2 High-Fat Meat; 2 1/2 Fat;

Carbohydrate Choice

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

Let your slow cooker do the work with this super quick and easy cheesy chicken dinner smothered in salsa. Four ingredients. Crazy cheesy. And salsa. This is a chicken dinner that makes itself – in your slow cooker! I’ve got a mad crush lately on four-ingredient dinners. They sound like such an impossible thing – seems like most cookbooks make meals look like a 12-ingredient list of shenanigans is required even for basic recipes. Alas. This lil' darling takes just four ingredients: Salsa. Chicken. Cheese. Rice. We love you. Enjoy!