healthy crock pot chicken recipes - slow cooker ranch chicken tacos — Makes: *10-12 Servings*
Per Serving: *17g Protein | 145 Cal*

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I don’t know about you, but there’s just something about slow cooker recipes that makes me feel so accomplished. I planned ahead, gathered my ingredients, prepped everything, popped it in the slow cooker, and now I have a delicious, healthy, and satisfying meal without scrambling to cook after a busy work day. What's not to love about that? If you're on the hunt for easy slow cooker chicken recipes, you've got to try today's recipe.

These Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken Tacos are ideal for feeding a crowd for gameday, meal-prepping, or just making an easy, no-fuss dinner that the whole family may actually enjoy (gasp). The slow cooker does all the work here, leaving you with tender, juicy chicken that’s perfectly seasoned and ready to tuck into tortillas, lettuce wraps, or serve over rice as a bowl.

Great for busy weeknights or your next gameday party, these ranch chicken tacos are going to be a total hit!

Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken Tacos Recipe

Easy and Effortless: The slow cooker is really the workhorse of this recipe (the best part, if you ask me), so it’s ideal for days when you just don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.
Big on Protein: Whether you’re trying to hit a specific protein goal or just want an easy way to get a little more in your day, these tacos are the answer. Each taco contains 17g of protein, so they keep you feeling full for longer.
Make It Your Own: From creamy avocado, to crisp & crunchy lettuce, to spicy jalapeños, and beyond, you can completely customize these tacos with your favorite toppings. A healthy dinner everyone will love? Win-win.
Great for Meal Prepping: Taco filling is always going to be a meal prep win. Make it at the beginning of the week and have tacos, wraps, or bowls for days.

healthy crock pot chicken recipes - ranch chicken tacos (close-up photo)

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer!)
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup chicken broth (you can also use chicken stock or bone broth if you'd prefer)
2 tablespoons green chiles (from a 4 oz can)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 packet taco seasoning (I used Siete, but feel free to use your favorite store-bought brand or make your own)
¼ cup ranch seasoning (Trader Joe’s or your favorite brand)

Instructions

Add the Chicken to the Slow Cooker and Season: Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker, then add the lime juice, chicken broth (or stock), green chiles, garlic, taco seasoning, and ranch seasoning on top of the chicken. Give it a good stir to combine.
Cook the Chicken: Turn on the slow cooker and cook the chicken for 3-4 hours on high heat or 6-7 hours on low heat. The chicken should be cooked all the way through and easy to shred with a fork.
Shred the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to shred the chicken. Once it’s fully shredded, add it back into the slow cooker and toss in the delicious “sauce.”

Nutrition Information (Per Taco - Makes 10-12 Servings)

Calories: 145
Protein: 17g
Carbs: 7g
Fat: 5g

How to Assemble Your Tacos

When you’re ready to serve the tacos, here’s what you’ll need to do:

Warm the tortillas: You can serve this chicken in corn tortillas, flour tortillas, whole wheat tortillas, grain-free tortillas, or even lettuce wraps. If you’re using tortillas (of any kind!), heat them in a dry pan on the stove top or wrapped in a damp paper towel in the microwave until they’re warmed through and pliable.
Prep the toppings: Ready the toppings in little dishes (or piles on a cutting board). You can top these tacos with your favorite toppings. Consider using a little shredded cheese, pico de gallo, diced onion, pickled or fresh jalapeños, sour cream or Greek yogurt, fresh cilantro, avocado, shredded lettuce or cabbage, and lime juice.

Each tacho should be about: 2 oz of shredded chicken, ½ oz shredded cheese, 1 tablespoon of pico de gallo, a few thin avocado slices, and shredded lettuce.

Swaps & Substitutions

Make it creamy: Add about ¼ cup of Greek yogurt or light sour cream after you shred the chicken.
Make it spicy: Like more spice? Add hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes or use a spicy chili for extra flavor.
Make it lower carb: Tuck the chicken into lettuce wraps or serve it over cauliflower rice for a low-carb taco bowl.

FAQs

Check your seasoning blends to make sure they’re gluten-free and then make sure to choose corn or grain-free tortillas if you want to serve tacos, or serve the chicken in lettuce wraps or over cauliflower rice.
Store the shredded chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
These tacos are an entire meal all on their own, especially if you add tons of toppings, but if you want to stretch the taco filling or just feel like you’d like to add a little something more, serve the chicken as the main course and consider whipping up some black beans, an easy corn salad, some white or brown rice, a side salad, or roasted veggies like zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers. Delish!
Most store-bought ranch seasoning blends contain powdered buttermilk, which (of course) isn’t dairy-free. If you need to make a dairy-free version, you can leave out the ranch seasoning (although that would be a shame), or you can make your own using this DF ranch seasoning recipe from our pals at The Kitchn.
Do you have an Instant Pot or another multi-cooker? While the Instant Pot is best known for being a pressure cooker, it also has a slow cooker feature, so you can make this healthy meal in the appliance if you already have it at home!

Whether you’re looking for an easy and delicious dinner, something to make for a crowd, or a meal prep winner, these ranch chicken tacos are just what you need. Switch them up based on taste preferences, dietary needs, or what you have on hand and everyone will be happy. After all, who doesn’t love tacos?