Serve an easy, homemade chipotle chicken bowl with this simple Crock Pot recipe! Instead of a burrito bowl with rice, you can also use the flavorful shredded chicken in tacos, on salad, or with nachos. Load it up with all of your favorite toppings!
Table of Contents
- Is Chipotle chicken thighs or breast?
- Ingredients for a Chipotle Chicken Bowl
- How to Make Chipotle Chicken in the Crock Pot
- How To Keep Chicken From Drying Out in the Crockpot
- What comes on the chicken bowl at Chipotle?
- Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl Serving Suggestions
- Preparation and Storage
- Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Chipotle Chicken Bowl Recipe
- Crock Pot Chipotle Chicken Bowl Recipe
Whether you serve it in burrito bowls over rice, in tacos, quesadillas, nachos, or on a salad, this chipotle chicken recipe is sure to be a hit with the whole family! It’s a simple dump-and-run meal that simmers in the slow cooker on your busiest days. The dish tastes slightly spicy, tangy, sweet, and a lot like the delicious chicken from Chipotle…but even better!
Is Chipotle chicken thighs or breast?
The chicken sold at Chipotle restaurants consists of seasoned boneless, skinless thighs that are grilled on a flat-top grill. When you make chipotle chicken in your slow cooker at home, you can use either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs — whichever you prefer. We typically use the dark meat thighs, since they’re more flavorful, and they stay tender and juicy in the Crock Pot.
Ingredients for a Chipotle Chicken Bowl
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for our favorite slow cooker chipotle chicken recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Onion: savory aromatics that infuse the meat with flavor as it cooks.
- Salsa: look for a “thick and chunky” style salsa, so that it doesn’t water-down the sauce. We use mild salsa since the chipotle chiles are spicy, but you can use any variety that you like.
- Honey: just a hint of sweetness to balance the salty and spicy notes. Brown sugar would also work fine.
- Soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce: for salty, savory, umami flavor.
- Fresh lime juice: for a bright, acidic note.
- Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: they give the chicken its name! Chipotle peppers are very spicy, so add more if you’d like to kick it up a notch. This amount yields a relatively mild dish.
- Kosher salt, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and dried oregano: seasonings that flavor the meat.
- Chicken: either boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breast will work, so pick your favorite.
How to Make Chipotle Chicken in the Crock Pot
It doesn’t get much easier than a Crock Pot chicken dinner! There’s nothing to stir or fiddle with, and when the meat is done it will be fall-apart tender and juicy. I’ve included the detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Stir together the onion, salsa, chipotle peppers, and other sauce ingredients in a slow cooker.
- Add the chicken and toss to coat.
- Cover and cook for 1-2 hours on HIGH or 3-4 hours on LOW.
- Shred the chicken with two forks, and stir it back into the sauce.
How To Keep Chicken From Drying Out in the Crockpot
The key to maintaining moist, tender, and juicy chicken in the slow cooker is not overcooking the meat. This often requires less time than you expect! Chicken will be perfect when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature (which is why the recipe gives you general time ranges, rather than exact cooking times). Since my slow cooker tends to cook at a relatively high temperature, I find that the meal is best when cooked on HIGH for about 1 hour or on LOW for about 2 hours. Just get familiar with your pot and adjust accordingly.
What comes on the chicken bowl at Chipotle?
It wouldn’t be a Chipotle chicken bowl without all of the delicious toppings! At the restaurant, a burrito bowl with grilled meat or sofritas might include any of the following: white or brown rice, beans, corn salsa, fajita veggies, guac, salsa, queso blanco, sour cream, or cheese.
The best part about making this recipe at home is that you can customize each individual bowl with whatever you like. Here are some suggested toppings, but feel free to get creative!
- Rice
- Shredded iceberg lettuce or chopped romaine lettuce
- Black beans or pinto beans
- Corn
- Shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese or cotija cheese
- Pickled red onions or sliced green onions
- Salsa
- Pico de gallo or chopped tomatoes
- Guacamole or diced avocado
- Sour cream
- Chopped cilantro
- Jalapeño peppers
- Lime wedges or freshly-squeezed lime juice
Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl Serving Suggestions
There are so many different ways to use the shredded chipotle chicken. A burrito bowl (just like at Chipotle restaurants) is a classic option, but you might also like the meat stuffed into tortillas for chipotle chicken tacos, piled high on top of a salad, or used in quesadillas, nachos, burritos, or enchiladas. Here are some sides to pair with the zesty chicken:
- Mexican rice, white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or cilantro-lime rice
- Corn or flour tortillas
- Tortilla chips
- Ranch Style Beans or seasoned black beans
- Corn and Black Bean Salad
- Pico de Gallo
- Queso
- 7-Layer Bean Dip
- Mexican cornbread
Preparation and Storage
Leftover chipotle chicken will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It’s a great, versatile option for meal prep!
How to Freeze
Allow the cooked chicken to cool to room temperature. Package in an airtight container or in a large Ziploc freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen chicken in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
How to Reheat
Place the chicken and sauce in a saucepan. Cover and warm over low heat, just until heated through. You can also warm individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until they reach the desired temperature.
Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe Variations
- Using such a small amount of chipotle peppers keeps this dish family-friendly and relatively mild. If you like a spicier pot of chicken, use even more of the chipotles from the can.
- Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, depending on your preference. Chicken thighs tend to stay more moist and juicy in the slow cooker than the white meat chicken breast, but either option works fine!
- Add canned beans or corn to bulk up the chipotle chicken.
- Double all of the ingredients to prepare extra chicken and feed a larger group.
Tips for the Best Chipotle Chicken Bowl Recipe
- You do not need to add any extra liquid to the Crock Pot. The juices from the salsa, onion, lime juice, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, as well as the condensation from the slow cooker, should be more than enough liquid by the end. You don’t want to water-down the sauce.
- Be careful not to overcook your chicken. I find that the chicken breast or thighs have the best texture when cooked in my slow cooker on HIGH for about 1 hour. That keeps them moist and juicy, and prevents them from drying out. The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Also remember — every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature (which is why the recipe gives you general time ranges, rather than exact times). Just get familiar with your pot and adjust accordingly.
More Crock Pot Chicken Recipes to Try
Crock Pot Chicken Gyros
3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Crock Pot Chicken Cheesesteak Recipe
3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Creamy Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Looking for even more ideas? Check out this collection of 20+ Favorite Crock Pot Chicken Recipes!
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Crock Pot Chipotle Chicken Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 (16 ounce) jar mild thick and chunky salsa
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or boneless, skinless chicken breast
- For serving: cooked white or brown rice, shredded iceberg lettuce, black beans or pinto beans, shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, pickled red onion, pico de gallo, or guacamole
Instructions
- In a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker, stir together onion, salsa, honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, chipotle chiles, salt, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano.
- Add chicken and toss to coat.
- Cover and cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 1-2 hours on HIGH or 3-4 hours on LOW.
- Remove chicken and shred with forks. Stir the chicken back into the cooking juices.
- Assemble individual bowls with desired ingredients (such as rice, lettuce, beans, cheese, salsa, and guacamole), adding the shredded chicken on top.
Notes
- You do not need to add any extra liquid to the Crock Pot. The juices from the salsa, onion, lime juice, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, as well as the condensation from the slow cooker, should be more than enough liquid by the end. You don’t want to water-down the sauce.
- Be careful not to overcook your chicken. I find that the chicken breast or thighs have the best texture when cooked in my slow cooker on HIGH for about 1 hour. That keeps them moist and juicy, and prevents them from drying out. The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Also remember — every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature (which is why the recipe gives you general time ranges, rather than exact times). Just get familiar with your pot and adjust accordingly.
Delicious and versatile! I ate it over rice (with all of the fixings), my kids put in tortillas, and my husband said we definitely need to make this again!
Thank you, Kathryn! We’re so glad the whole family enjoyed it.
Ok YUM!! You figured out the secret to juicy crockpot chicken, OMG! I slow cooked on high for about 1.5 hours (kept checking after an hour and right when the chicken hit 165 I turned it off) and WHEEEW! Flavor is incredible. I didn’t have the chipotle peppers but I used medium salsa and added a few shakes of chili powder. This one’s a keeper!
Thank you, Jennifer! We’re so glad it turned out well for you.
I picked this recipe because it was a quick throw in the crock pot meal. It turned out fine but very spicy. Definitely need to reduce the amount of spice. It was actually too spicy for us to eat but that’s on me, should have reduced the amount of peppers. Ended up being a vegetarian meal with all the side fixings.