For the first six months of our marriage I bought many, many bags of chicken breast.
I would buy a big bag from the grocery store, use it up within a week, and go back for more. I eyed the chicken thighs that were so much cheaper but I did not know how to deal with them. So I stuck to the simple, boneless chicken breast. No mess. No fuss.
I was missing out.
Chicken thighs are incredibly inexpensive here. I frequently pick them up for 99 cents a pound at our local grocery store. Buying eight big chicken thighs for $2-$3 always feels like a steal! But before I began making this recipe I was averse to thighs. They seemed greasy, and hard to use compared to the bags of trimmed, skinned, and frozen white meat I was used to.
However, one day I was having a friend come over who was gluten-free, and I racked my brain for what I could serve her. I finally decided on chicken tacos, but I didn’t have time to run to the store to buy all the necessary ingredients (namely, chicken breast) so I pulled out the freezer burnt package of chicken thighs that had been sitting in the back of our freezer for months, threw in a can of tomatoes and green chilis, and hoped for the best.
What emerged out of this conglomeration of leftover ingredients was the best tasting tacos I believe I have ever had! Hubs and I promptly decided we would start our own Taco Tuesday, and we have eaten this same recipe every week for the last three months. We haven’t ever grown tired of it. Something about eating these little tacos packed with cilantro, sour cream, Tapatio sauce, cheese, and guacamole with lime squeezed on top combined with the tangy meat is just incredibly satisfying…my mouth is watering as I am writing this.
The tacos are just that good.
Speaking of which, I need to get my chicken thighs thrown into the slow cooker (it is Tuesday, after all) so I better go! Enjoy!
- 5 Chicken thighs
- Can of Tomatoes (8 ounce)
- Can of Green Chilis (4 ounce)
- Taco Seasoning
- Place chicken thighs in slow cooker, and pour the tomatoes and chilis on top.
- Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
- Once they are cooked, use a fork to peel off and discard the skin/bones then shred the chicken, and heavily season with taco seasoning. Stir until combined.
- Serve on warm corn tortillas with plenty of sour cream, shredded cheese, lime juice, tapatio sauce, cilantro, and homemade guacamole.
- Enjoy!
Yum! I had the same dilemma with chicken thighs. But Mitch loves them–and they are SO much cheaper. We often buy them (though I still like chicken breasts a lot). I like the sound of this recipe! I used to make salsa chicken–I would just toss chicken breast and salsa into the crockpot (very similar to your recipe). But we learned that we often needed to add more taco seasoning, like in your recipe. Lately we have been well-stocked on Tilapia, so we are eating a lot of fish tacos. Mitch makes the best fish tacos with a verde sauce: tomatillos, avocado, cilantro, salt, and lime juice. YUM! I think I am adding chicken tacos to the menu plan for next week . . .
Mmm. Fish tacos sound so good! Thank you for the recipe! I am going to have to put that on our menu as well. 🙂 I could eat tacos every single day. There are so many variations!
YUM! Adding to my list of recipes to make! My husband would love this.
Enjoy!!
I love shredded chicken! It’s so versatile and can be used for salads, soups, tacos, and so many other things. These tacos look delicious.
LiveLifeWell,
Allison
Thanks for stopping by! Shredded chicken is the best.
Looks like a delicious and easy recipe!
Thanks for reading!
These looks so delicious and it sounds so easy! I’ll definitely be making them for dinner sometime next week. 🙂
xo Brie
http://www.sophistifunkblog.com
Enjoy!
OMG Definitely trying this! I never touched chicken thighs until I started using my slow cooker and now I love them! Thanks for the share!
– Rachel | http://www.theconfusedmillennial.com
Glad you enjoy chicken thighs too!! They are so easy to make with the slow cooker!
Yum, these look great! Chicken thighs are my go-to because they have so much more flavour and they can stand up to all sorts of cooking. I’m so jealous you can get them so cheap! This is a great, easy recipe that I’ll definitely be trying 🙂
That’s a big compliment coming from you! Your recipes are SO good!!
NICE! These look delicious. I love my slow cooker…and Mexican food so this is definitely one I’ll have to pin and save for later! Thanks for sharing!
xoxo – Kathryn
Down-Home Damsel
Thanks for sharing!
This looks amazing! Definitely planning to use this next time I’m in charge of dinner! Thanks for sharing!
Peace, Sarah
simplysarahs.blogspot.com
Thanks for reading!
Mm mmmmm. Looks and sounds so delicious…I think I might have to give these a try! And the fact that they can be made in the slow cooker is a big plus.
Emma | http://www.creativexplorations.com
If you do try it, let me know what you think!
Bethie, I’m so glad you discovered how good (and cheap!) chicken thighs are! You have all the Americans who only know how to eat the white meat of the chicken to thank for that. What a perfect recipe—it can go into the crock-pot, it’s fast, easy, uses just a few ingreds, and sounds tasty, too! Score! (Nice pictures, too!)
Thanks Mom! My cooking skills have really gotten better since I graduated college and have had more time to try new things. 🙂 Chicken thighs are the best!