Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Who out there doesn’t love tacos? I don’t mean the greasy yet crunchy tacos with questionable meat sold by what I think is a clown…? Although those tacos are tasty, and have their place in college at 2 AM, they do not compare to soft tacos full of tender, shredded chicken topped with guacamole and a squeeze of fresh lime. Yum!

I’ve talked before about my affinity for slow cookers – flavorful yet simple meals ready for you when you walk in the door. Can’t be beat, right? Wrong! Let’s combine slow cooker simplicity with the deliciousness of tacos!!!

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of boneless, skinless dark meat chicken
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• Juice of two limes
• Optional toppings:
  • cilantro
  • onions
  • fresh lime juice
  • hot sauce
  • guacamole
  • salsa

Directions:

• Place chicken and garlic in your slow cooker (I have this small one – it’s on sale right now!)
• Cover with seasonings
• Squeeze lime juice over chicken (I suggest using a manual juicer to get all the juice and none of the pulp or seeds)
• Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5
• Shred chicken
• Serve on tortillas or lettuce wraps with plenty of toppings, and don’t forget the side of guac and plantain chips!
• Leftover meat will keep covered in the fridge for up to a week – it goes great on a taco salad.

I hope this taco recipe can “spice” up your weekend! For more spicy meals, check out my One Pan Chicken and Shrimp Fajitas, Taco Stuffed Potatoes with Avocado Chipotle Ranch, or Spicy Garlic Chicken Nachos. And if you like slow cooker meals, you may also like my Slow Cooker Potato and Kale Soup, Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Veggies, or Slow Cooker Meatballs – can you tell I use my slow cooker often?! I hope these tasty tacos can help simplify your life, and bring peace knowing that you are feeding your family well. Nothing beats taco night! Go ahead and get another scoop of guacamole…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you, just a small commission for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

Advertisement

Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Veggies

Who doesn’t love a slow cooker meal? Minimal prep, and you come home at the end of the day, the house smells delicious, and dinner is waiting for you – pretty perfect! On one particularly Crazy day, I knew I would need to have a slow cooker meal waiting for us when we got home, and my mind instantly went to pot roast. However, upon perusing the meat section at the store, I realized that beef roast wasn’t in the budget for the week, but saw that pork roast was much more affordable!

My southern mother-in-law has often cooked pork roasts for Sunday dinners, and they are always delicious. So with that southern taste as inspiration, I made my first pork roast, and oh my word! It was delicious! It was so tender that it was literally falling apart, the fatty richness gave it a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs flavor, which was perfect paired with the lighter vegetables; we all cleaned our plates! In fact, after dinner was over, I was cleaning up, turned my back on the table, and next thing I knew, Zemirah had climbed up on a chair, eaten the remaining carrots, and another serving of pork. I urge you to try this simple slow cooker meal – fancy enough for Sunday dinners (Easter dinner maybe? 😉 ), yet simple enough for a weeknight. It’s so good, you’ll have to keep the leftovers hidden from your kids!

Serves about 8.

Ingredients:

• 3.5 lb boneless pork roast
• 8 oz of baby carrots
• 8 oz of sliced mushrooms
• 2 russet potatoes, chopped into one inch pieces
• 1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1.5 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of pepper
• 1 tsp of dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp of dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp of ground mustard
• 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup of chicken stock/bone broth (homemade version here)

Directions:

• Place your prepared veggies in the bottom of your slow cooker (I have this one which is perfect for our little family)
• Place roast atop the veggies
• Season everything, kind of rubbing the seasonings into the roast (don’t worry about getting it too even, the flavors all meld together eventually)
• Add apple cider vinegar and broth on top of everything
• Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5
• Shred pork and serve, top with juices if desired
• Keep leftovers covered in fridge for up to a week

Slow cooker meals are a great way to ensure your family gets a hearty, healthy, and nutritious dinner in even on your long, Crazy days. For more slow cooker meals, check out my Slow Cooker Potato and Kale Soup, Slow Cooker Meatballs, or Spicy Garlic Chicken Nachos. In the same vein, if you have a little more time available for prep, one pan meals are a great way to get a well rounded meal on the table with minimal time or mess. For some easy yet tasty one pan meals, check out my Roasted Chicken with Carrots, Sheet Pan Salmon, or One Pan Chicken and Shrimp Fajitas. I hope you can find some meals that will easily fit into your schedule and make you feel good about feeding your family a healthy meal! Happy Easter, celebrate with family and friends…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you; just a small commission for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

Slow Cooker Potato and Kale Soup

 

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you, just a small pantry fund for me!

Lighter Comfort Food

Everyone has a food that they equate comfort with; these comfort foods are usually warm and heavy, like an emotional blanket in food form. I am not a huge soup lover, but I do enjoy tomato soup and potato soup; both are comfort foods for me. My mom would always make us tomato soup when we were sick as kids, and my husband has even made it for me when I was sick as an adult, too. Potato soup is heavier and richer, but it always tastes so good and is like a warm hug for your belly!

I remember after Zemirah (who is almost two now) was born, my mom and dad came for a very helpful and tiring visit. Before my mom left, she cooked a few meals for us to have in the freezer, and left a Crock-Pot full of simmering potato soup for us to have the night they left. I, of course, cried into my soup bowl that night while trying not to accidentally drip hot soup on the nursing baby in my arms. A week later, my in-laws came out, too, and my ever-thoughtful mother-in-law stocked the fridge and freezer, as well! Guess what one of the meals she made was? Yep. Potato soup! So I’m pretty sure it must be a universal comfort food…or at least it is for new moms.

Like I said above, potato soup is usually pretty heavy and has a lot of cream and/or cheese…but what about the warm hug for your belly?! Well here it is! A dairy free slow cooker potato soup with some healthy greens added to it! Just set it and forget it, then slurp it up a few hours later. I hope it keeps you and your family warm, comforted, and healthy during these chilly months.

Slow Cooker Potato and Kale Soup

Makes about 10 cups.

Ingredients:

• 10-12 large red potatoes, large diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3.5 cups of Chicken Stock (vegetable stock if you follow a vegetarian/vegan diet)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• One cup of chopped kale
• 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk
• Optional toppings:
  • crispy bacon
  • chopped scallions
  • croutons

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients except kale, coconut milk, and toppings in slow cooker
• Cover and cook on high for four hours, or on low for eight hours
• Carefully mash potatoes (I use this potato masher with a nice long handle)
• Add kale and coconut milk
• Cover and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes
• Serve warm with desired toppings
• Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for a week

If you like soup, I hope you check out my Two Bean Turkey Chili, the Chicken Stock I use for both the chili and this potato soup, and don’t forget my Creamy Tomato Basil Soup! All of these recipes are simple, quick, healthy, and delicious; perfect for this busy time of year. I hope you enjoy this potato soup, give your belly a warm hug…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!