Slow-Cooker Citrus Chicken Tacos Recipe

chicken tacos

At least weekly, my husband and I crave some form of Mexican food. Having grown up in California where there is a large Mexican culture and food influence, we ate it regularly. Now living in Spain, it can be hard to find good, authentic-Mexican food. We have become accustomed to getting creative in the supermarket so we can create dishes from scratch to find that authentic flavour we love.

We recently experimented with a new recipe for chicken tacos that we put together from ideas and flavours from other recipes we’ve loved in the past. I think you’ll enjoy the tangy citrus flavour of the meat, and feel free to get creative with toppings to your liking. I’ve also included an easy Mexican tortilla recipe if you wish to try your hand at making your own tortillas, we always do!

We own a ‘crock-pot’ slow-cooker, but this can just as easily be done on the stove in a pot on low heat. This creates tender, juicy pull-apart chicken and really seals in the flavours. While handmade tortillas really give this recipe a loving touch, store-bought ones work just fine in a pinch.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings 3

Ingredients

  • 2 Large Chicken Breasts
  • 1 Orange
  • 1 Lime
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Pepper
  • 1 cup Masa harina
  • 1.25 cup Water

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Chicken

  2. Add Onions and Garlic

  3. Add Orange and Lime

  4. Add Spices

  5. Make tortillas. Mix the dough, roll dough into balls and press

  6. Cook tortilas - each should take about 2 minutes

  7. Prepare toppings

  8. Shred the chicken

  9. Build your tacos, dig in and enjoy

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Instructions:

STEP ONE - PREPARE THE CHICKEN

Start with 2 large chicken breasts, I purchased mine with skin still attached for a slightly juicier and more flavourful outcome. Put the chicken breasts in the bottom of the pot and turn your slow-cooker (or burner) on low.

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STEP TWO - ADD ONIONS AND GARLIC

Dice the onion and garlic and add it to the pot. It doesn’t have to be finely diced, larger chunks are fine as well.

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STEP THREE - ADD ORANGE AND LIME

Quarter the orange and lime and squeeze the juice over the chicken. Place the squeezed fruit on top. My orange was larger than normal with a lot of juice, so I only used a half.

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STEP FOUR - ADD SPICES

Add salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and any other spices you might like. Now is also a good time to add a jalapeño to spice it up.

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Now…just wait, and enjoy the aroma as it begins to fill your home. The cook time is flexible, as long as there is enough juice in the pot, your chicken won’t dry out if you cook it longer than 6 hours.

STEP FIVE - MAKE TORTILLAS

About a half hour before the meat is ready, you can start making your tortillas. Or for an easier after-work meal, purchase already made tortillas.

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STEP SIX - MIX THE DOUGH

Mix the masa harina in a bowl with the salt and slowly add the water. (Suggested measurements for tortillas are often on the packaging for the masa harina). Once you’ve made these a couple of times, you won’t need the measurements, you can just feel the texture. The drier the dough, the harder the tortillas are to form and cook. Keep a cup of water nearby, if the dough starts to feel dry, dip your fingers in the water before rolling the dough into a ball.

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STEP SEVEN - ROLL DOUGH INTO BALLS AND PRESS

Separate the dough into small balls.

Here is where a tortilla press can come in handy, but before we had one, we made due with a rolling pin. (Tip: if you don’t have a rolling pin, a wine bottle works just fine). Roll or press your balls into a thin circle. It is helpful to use plastic wrap or wax paper to press out your tortillas as they stick easily. This takes some practice, don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t work perfectly on the first try. You can always form the ball again and roll it out a second time, and the tortillas don’t need to be perfectly round, just perfectly tasty.

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STEP EIGHT - COOK TORTILLAS

Preheat an ungreased frying pan and lightly cook each side of the tortilla. Keep a plate nearby and stack them here as you cook them. There should be some small golden spots, and they may puff up as they cook.  They take about 2 minutes per tortilla.

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STEP NINE - PREPARE TOPPINGS

Prepare your toppings! Some topping ideas include, black beans, cheese, sautéed vegetables, diced raw onion, cilantro, guacamole, rice, salsa…etc.

We love the flavour of the chicken so much that we keep the toppings light adding only diced onion and cilantro with some black beans on the side.

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STEP TEN - SHRED THE CHICKEN

When the chicken is ready, place it on a plate, or on a cutting board and shred it with two forks.

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Now build your tacos, dig in and enjoy!

This recipe can also be made with other types of meat such as pork, beef, or turkey breast. It works well for big parties and is an easy meal to throw together before you walk out the door for work. It can also be modified to be a plate-meal instead of tacos; make a Spanish or Mexican rice, cook beans, and serve it alongside a salad.

If you decide to make this with another type of meat that has more fat; beef or pork, I recommend broiling the meat after step 10. Place the meat on a baking sheet or in a glass pan and put it under the broiler to let it crisp the edges. Broil for about 5 minutes then remove it from the oven. Spoon on a bit of the juices, mix the meat, and continue to broil for about 5 more minutes. It should be browned on the tops but not burnt.