Fiesta Crockpot Chicken

5 from 3 votes

An easy crock pot chicken recipe that includes zesty Rotel tomatoes, corn, and black beans in a creamy Ranch sauce!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword crockpot fiesta chicken, fiesta chicken crock pot, fiesta crockpot chicken

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 10

Servings people

Calories 408kcal

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.25 ounce) can corn, not drained
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, not drained
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
1 (1 ounce) packet Ranch seasoning mix (such as Hidden Valley brand)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried chives
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon onion powder
4 ounces (half of a block) cream cheese, diced into small cubes and softened at room temperature
Optional, for serving: tortillas or taco shells, rice, baked potatoes, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, avocado or guacamole, sour cream, chopped onion, fresh cilantro, sliced green onions

In a large slow cooker, combine chicken, black beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, garlic, Ranch seasoning, chili powder, chives, cumin, paprika, and onion powder. Cover and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 4-6 hours on LOW or about 2-3 hours on HIGH.
Shred the chicken with two forks.
Add the cream cheese to the slow cooker. Whisk gently for a few minutes, just until the cream cheese melts and smoothly incorporates into the sauce, about 3-5 minutes.
Serve over rice, in taco shells or tortillas, on salad, in baked potatoes, or on its own with tortilla chips for scooping. Garnish with optional toppings.

A slow cooker is designed to cook raw meat, so it’s perfectly safe to use uncooked chicken in this recipe. That said, food safety experts advise against adding frozen raw chicken to the Crock Pot. The frozen meat takes too long to come to a safe temperature, allowing for the potential growth of harmful bacteria. Always thaw your meat in the fridge overnight before adding it to a Crock Pot.

There’s no need to add extra liquid to the slow cooker. The tomatoes and corn include juices, while the chicken releases additional liquid as it cooks. The lid keeps the condensation in the Crock Pot, so adding too much additional liquid can result in diluted, watered-down sauce. Instead, this fiesta chicken stays creamy and flavorful!

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 2 hours (and are sometimes ready in just 1 ½ hours). 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.

Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature and dice into cubes before stirring it into the pot. This will help the cheese melt smoothly into the sauce.