Deliciously simple this crockpot green chili chicken is the ultimate meal prep recipe. Tender, juicy shredded chicken in a strong, spicy seasoning. This gluten-free weeknight dinner comes together with only 5 main ingredients.
Busy weeknights just got better with this green chili chicken!
It’s a super creamy, flavorful shredded chicken that you can make easily in your slow cooker.
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, we use it for chicken tacos, on top of burrito bowls, or mixed into noodles for a quickie pasta night. No matter how you spin it this slow cooker chicken recipe is one you’ll want to bookmark.
Learn everything you need to know about slow cookers before you start this recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy to make: this gluten-free dinner is a “set it and forget” it meal. Add the main ingredients into your crockpot in the morning and come home to finish it off in just a few minutes.
Meal prep: you can use this crock pot green chile chicken in so many ways to create a new dinner each and every time making is a great way to rock gluten-free meal prep.
Adjustable: this chicken comes with a bit of a kick from the salsa verde. Scale back the spice by adding a little less.
Low carb: easy, healthy, and a wicked protein hit. This green chile chicken is dairy-free, gluten-free, and totally keto (depending on how you serve it).
Ingredients You Need
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: make sure to use boneless chicken breasts as you’ll need to shred them. You can use chicken thighs also but know that much more juice will be given off. The same goes for this 5-ingredient crockpot chicken.
Salsa verde: a potent spice blend you can buy. It’s made with tomatillos (green tomatoes), seasonings, and green chilis to give it a kick of heat.
Salt: you need a hint of it to bring out the flavor from the salsa verde.
Dairy-free cream cheese: regular cream cheese works too. Use whichever brand that suits your personal preferences (I personally like Violife).
Diced green chilis: you buy these in a can at the store (they are what make the dish spicy) or you can chop up some fresh jalapenos yourself. Make sure to only add the seeds of the jalapenos though if you LOVE spice. This slow cooker Chipotle chicken is a great one for spice-lovers too.
How To Make It
Step 1: Add the chicken breasts, salsa verde, and salt to the slow cooker and stir to coat.
Step 2: Cover and cook for 5-6 hours on low.
Step 3: Use a fork to shred the chicken.
Step 4: add the dairy-free cream cheese and green chilis.
Step 5: stir until the cream cheese is melted and everything is mixed.
Step 6: Serve with your favorite toppings
Expert Tips To Make It
Soften the cream cheese before adding it. This way it blends quicker. Also, make sure to use a full-fat one. The light cream cheese blends don’t mix as well.
If you use chicken thighs in place of breasts, know that there will be much more juice released.
In place of salsa verde, you can use plain (regular) salsa instead if you want to scale back on the spiciness of the recipe (this works well for kids!).
Likewise, to eliminate a bit of spice in the shredded chicken, scale down the green chilis.
Store leftover green chili chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freeze the chicken in a freezer-safe bag or container after letting it cool. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat it in the microwave in intervals or in a small pot on the stove over low to medium heat.
How To Serve The Shredded Chicken
The reason that this gluten-free slow cooker chicken makes such a great meal prep recipe is that it can be used for almost everything. Plus it packs a punch of protein. Learn more about the benefits of a high protein diet and why you want to amp it up!
Typically, we use it to make chicken tacos. For that, you’ll want to prep:
- Warm gluten-free tortillas (or keto tortillas if necessary)
- Diced red onion
- Diced bell peppers
- Sliced avocado
- Cashew sour cream
- Lime wedges
Our favorite, however, is to use leftovers and mix them in with gluten-free noodles to make pasta, on top of zucchini noodle bowls, over rice for stir fry, or just on top of my salad for lunch.
My daughter especially loves this crockpot green chili chicken in a quesadilla with extra cheese for lunch or you can learn how to make hard shell tacos for a whole new, tasty dinner.
It’s a flavorful chicken that works with everything.
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Frequently Asked Questions
For the most part green chilis and jalapenos are the same. Both come from the green chile family. Some cooks may use them uniquely in dishes but for everyday cooking, they can be interchanged.
Salsa verde is a spicy salsa made from tomatillos (green tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, lime, and seasonings.
Yes! Let it cool completely and then store it in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. Like this, it will keep for roughly three months. To thaw it, let it sit in the fridge overnight (there may be some extra liquid). Reheat it on the stove over low to medium heat.
Other Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow cooker honey mustard chicken
- Dairy-free Tuscan chicken
- Slow cooker teriyaki chicken
- Slow cooker hunters chicken
Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts sor skinless chicken thighs
- 16 ounce jar salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 8 ounces Dairy-free cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces Diced green chiles
Instructions
- Add the chicken breasts, the jar of salsa, and salt to a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to coat the chicken evenly in the salsa.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork.
- Carefully shred the chicken breasts in the crock pot with two forks.
- Turn to low and add the cream cheese, and green chilis, stir together until cream cheese is melted and everything is mixed well.
- Serve as is, or in warmed tortillas and served with toppings of your choice.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Kari
Thanks for sharing this recipe! My taste buds are forever grateful! ☺️
Love how this is easy to make.
The spice level is just right but if you want more kick, it's pretty easy to adjust.
fitasamamabear
Glad you enjoyed it!
Pearl
The salsa verde and diced green chilis add so much flavor to the chicken. And the chicken was fork-tender. My husband is super impressed with my cooking.
fitasamamabear
Yay!
Tommy
This was my first time using Daiya cream cheese and loved it! The chicken came out great and I'm actually looking forward to the leftovers.
fitasamamabear
I don't use it all the time but it's a nice twist when I do! Glad you liked it.
Maya
I went on adding some sprinkles of chili flakes (was really craving some spicy) - literally the ones I made were devoured by my friends and me! What a bomb
fitasamamabear
Mmm chili flakes make everything better!
Joanna
I loved this with tacos! Very simple too. The flavors are amazing, It was creamy and a bit spicy.
fitasamamabear
Glad you enjoyed it!
Ross
Used dairy-free cream cheese for a lighter version, and it added a nice creaminess to the dish. Loved how versatile it was, served it over cauliflower rice for a complete meal.
fitasamamabear
So happy you liked it!
Yuri
Used regular salsa instead of salsa verde to tone down the spice a bit, and it was perfect. The cream cheese added a nice creaminess to the dish - definitely making this again! Thank you for the tip about softening the cream cheese first, made it so much easier to blend!
fitasamamabear
Ohh perfect! Yep any salsa should work, and that's an easy flavor switch.
Hannah
I'm shocked by how delicious this is! With so few ingredients, I was a little hesitant. But it was awesome! The people at our Super Bowl party LOVED it. Thanks!
fitasamamabear
Simple is key lol
Elizabeth
The chicken is so juicy and the salsa verde adds the perfect kick. Used it in a chicken taco and it was the perfect meal. So simple to make yet so delicious!
fitasamamabear
Happy you liked it!
Sapphire
I made this crockpot green chili chicken for a dinner party last weekend. Everyone loved how tender and flavorful the chicken was and the spice level was just right for my taste. We enjoyed it in quesadillas and it's definitely a perfect meal that I'll be making again and again!
fitasamamabear
Omg in quesadillas, yum!