It’s no secret that we LOVE quick & easy freezer meals around here, especially ones that use budget-friendly chicken! Believe it or not, this tender, juicy, flavor-packed Easy Salsa Chicken might just be our easiest recipe yet. It’s got just 5 basic ingredients, whips up in minutes, then goes straight from the freezer to the crockpot to the table, all while tasting like you spent hours slaving away in the kitchen!

To make it as part of a freezer cooking day, just split the sauce & chicken into multiple bags, then throw it right into the freezer–no cooking required!

You can use any type of chicken but my family much prefers the boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which are a darker, juicier meat and also tend to be cheaper than the boneless skinless breasts.

Assemble your ingredients: Boneless skinless chicken breasts , chunky salsa, softened butter and crushed red pepper flakes.

Here is what you need:

4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
2 32oz. jars of chunky salsa
2 tablespoons softened butter
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
1 can black beans (optional; cooking day only)
cooked rice  (optional; cooking day only)
fajita shells (optional; cooking day only)
1 8oz.bag shredded cheddar cheese (optional: for cooking day only)
 
Combine salsa, butter and red pepper flakes in large bowl.
 
Step 1: Whisk together salsa, butter, and red pepper flakes. (Note: If using chicken thighs omit the butter.)

Cut chicken breasts in halves then place into bowl.

Step 2: Cut chicken breasts in half and then divide into 2 gallon size freezer bags (be sure to label bags first!) Then divide salsa mixture into bags over chicken; freeze until needed.

Place chicken and salsa mixture directly into slow cooker.

Step 3: On cooking day, place frozen chicken directly into crock pot. Cook on high 4-5 hours, or on low 5-6 hours.

Shred cooked salsa chicken on plate with two forks.

Step 4: Once cooked; shred chicken and place back into crock pot.

Add black beans to salsa mixture in crock pot.

Step 5: Optional! If desired, rinse black beans and then add to crock pot.

Serve salsa chicken in tortillas topped with shredded cheese.

Step 6: Serve in fajita shells, over rice and with cheese or sour cream if desired.

 

Print

Easy Salsa Chicken

This super simple chicken recipe cooks in the crockpot for a delicious meal with little to no cleanup!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Easy Salsa Chicken
Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 7 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 2 32 oz. jars of chunky salsa
  • 2 tablespoons  softened butter
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 can black beans optional; cooking day only
  • cooked rice optional: for cooking day only
  • fajita shells optional; cooking day only
  • 1 8 oz.bag shredded cheddar cheese optional: for cooking day only

Instructions

  1. Whisk together salsa, butter, and red pepper flakes. (Note: If using chicken thighs omit the butter.)

  2. Cut chicken breasts in half and then divide into 2 gallon size freezer bags (be sure to label bags first!) Then divide salsa mixture into bags over chicken; freeze until needed.
  3. On cooking day, place frozen chicken directly into crockpot. Cook on high 4-5 hours, or on low 5-6 hours.
  4. Once cooked shred chicken and place back into crockpot.
  5. Optional! If desired, rinse black beans and then add to crock pot.
  6. Serve in fajita shells, over rice and with cheese or sour cream if desired.

Recipe Notes

If using chicken breasts you will need to adjust the cooking time. 

Easy Salsa Chicken | Food Made Simple | Freezer Cooking | Main Course Meat | Chicken Recipe | Simple Salsa Chicken Recipe

Ruth Soukup

Ruth Soukup

Founder at Living Well Spending Less
Ruth Soukup is dedicated to helping people everywhere create a life they love by follwing their dreams and achieving their biggest goals. She is the host of the wildly popular Do It Scared podcast, as well as the founder of Living Well Spending Less® and Elite Blog Academy®. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of six books, including Do It Scared®: Finding the Courage to Face Your Fears, Overcome Obstacles, and Create a Life You Love, which was the inspiration for this book. She lives in Florida with her husband Chuck, and 2 daughters Maggie & Annie.
Ruth Soukup

TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR HOME LIFE

Ever feel like you just can't keep up? Our Living Well Starter Guide will show you how to start streamlining your life in just 3 simple steps. It's a game changer--get it free for a limited time!


If you love this resource, be sure to check out our digital library of helpful tools and resources for cleaning faster, taking control of your budget, organizing your schedule, and getting food on the table easier than ever before.