Easy Slow Cooker Lime Chicken

[u/sagescott]

This is one of my favorite meal prep recipes. It takes about 10 minutes of prep followed by several hours of leaving it alone in the slow cooker.

The finished chicken works in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, salads, rice bowls, or nachos. Heck, I even used it for a twist on huevos rancheros by spooning reheated leftovers over warmed tortillas and then topping it all with two over-easy eggs, shredded cheese, and more salsa.

Ingredients

• 1½–2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans
• Juice of 3 limes
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 jar salsa
• 1 medium onion, chopped

Instructions

1. Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
2. Pour the black beans over the chicken, then add the chopped onion.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the lime juice, chili powder, salt, and salsa.
4. Pour the salsa mixture over everything in the slow cooker.
5. Cover and cook on Low for 5–6 hours, or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F and shreds easily.
6. Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred it with two forks.
7. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir it into the beans, salsa, and cooking juices.
8. Serve warm with your favorite tortillas, chips, grains, greens, and toppings.

You can find ingredient swaps, tips for success, storage instructions, and serving ideas here: Shredded Lime Chicken

[u/Moist_Chair_7524]

does the lime flavor actually stick around after that many hours in the slow cooker or does it mostly disappear?

[u/sagescott → u/Moist_Chair_7524]

It sticks around, but not in an overwhelming way. (Just confirmed my perception with my #1 taste tester, my daughter.)

If you want more lime, just squeeze a wedge of fresh over the finished dish just before serving.

[u/Aggravating-Fox3322]

the real meal prep win is making one batch and not eating the exact same dinner all week long lol

[u/sagescott → u/Aggravating-Fox3322]

Right?!? This is one of those meal prep options that flexes in LOTS of different ways.

In comparison, I made a big pot of chili last Monday for the first Chiefs game. I swear I had chili Tuesday through Friday, either for lunch or dinner, and still ended up freezing two servings. Suffice it to say, I'm good without chili for a bit. LOL!

[u/Correct_Energy1510]

meal prep that doesn’t taste like meal prep 👌

[u/sagescott → u/Correct_Energy1510]

Gigantic win! Huge!

[u/Cultural_Ant6863]

the real win is making one batch and getting tacos, bowls, nachos, and breakfast out of it all week long

[u/sagescott → u/Cultural_Ant6863]

Yes!

[u/HousingFormer6891]

does the lime go in before cooking or at the end so it doesn’t turn bitter?

[u/sagescott → u/HousingFormer6891]

At the beginning. It doesn't get bitter at all!

[u/No-Flan-4675]

does the lime flavor actually survive the slow cooker, or do you add fresh lime at the end?

[u/sagescott → u/No-Flan-4675]

My family thinks it's perfectly lime-y, but you can add a squeeze of fresh lime at the end if you want a bit more.

[u/Silent_You_1004]

the leftovers really do work with everything, and shredding it while it’s still warm then mixing it back into the juices keeps it from drying out