Categories: Food Made Simple Main Course Recipes

Easy Salsa Chicken

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

 

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. 

Ruth Soukup

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.

View Comments

  • Can you cook and then freeze. Asking for a new widow.

    • Yes Lisa, you can cook it and then freeze. Just be sure to let the chicken cool completely before placing in the freezer.

  • Genius! This is definitely going in my freezer recipe folder! PS, I am really love the academy! :-)

  • Great recipe! I make something similar using salsa verde and a packet of chili/taco seasoning. Williams is my favorite brand of chili seasoning. Can also be made creamier by stirring in a can (or homemade equivalent) of cream of chicken soup before serving. We eat ours over crushed tortilla chips. I learned from a friend who has traveled to Africa as a missionary to top this meal with flaked coconut and chopped pecans, adds some sweetness and crunch and is delicious! We served this meal at a basketball tournament hospitality room and got several people to try the coconut and pecans and loved it

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Ruth Soukup

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