Fiesta Chicken (Crockpot)
This easy Fiesta Chicken is an easy delicious Mexican meal with only 5 ingredients! Great for tacos, burritos, salads, or over rice. This meal is made with chicken breast, cream cheese, black beans, and corn that can be thrown in the slow cooker and forgotten about. I may earn commissions for purchases made through links on this post.
SLOW COOKER FIESTA CHICKEN RECIPE
Cinco De Mayo is around the corner and for those of you who want an awesome Mexican dish I really love my copycat Cafe Rio meal. I recently made it for Bunko and everyone asked for the recipe…but once I emailed them the recipe a lot of them said, “Whoa I had no idea this meal was so much work!”
I agree it is a lot of chopping and blending but it’s a meal that I have made so many times it’s second nature to me now.
So here is another meal for my friends who don’t like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and is still full of amazing flavors. This is filed under my Super Easy Recipes that I send to my friends just starting out cooking or newly married.
I realize it’s not a looker but the taste makes up for it. I literally timed myself and I had the whole meal ready to go in three minutes…and I was taking my time. You can even throw in the chicken frozen.
There are only five ingredients: chicken, corn, black beans, salsa, and cream cheese. I served this with leftover Cilantro Lime Rice but it’s great rolled up in a tortilla too.
INGREDIENTS
- BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS – chicken thighs can be used as well. If you have leftover rotisserie chicken you can just stir that in at the end.
- CANNED CORN
- BLACK BEANS
- SALSA
- TACO SEASONING – This isn’t required but I add it sometimes for extra flavor.
- CREAM CHEESE
Just this past Sunday my whole family was in the car waiting for me to go to church as I was throwing the last couple of ingredients in the crockpot for this meal. As I opened the jar of salsa it EXPLODED all over me.
It was in my hair, on my neck…and necklace, and all over my white blouse. I hurried and changed clothes, wiped my neck and tried to carefully wash it out of my hair without completely ruining my curled locks.
Satisfied with my quick clean up I jumped into the passenger side of the car and John took a whiff and said, “Umm…did you just eat chips and salsa?”
Great. I guess my clean up wasn’t good enough and we were already too far on our way to turn back. Nothing like having people wonder why they are craving Mexican food while sitting next to you in church. Awesome.
HOW TO SERVE
OTHER CROCKPOT CHICKEN RECIPES
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Crockpot Italian Chicken
- Buffalo Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
- Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan
- Crockpot Butter Chicken
- Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
- Mom’s White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken
Fiesta Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen or thawed, (around 1.5 lbs)
- 1 (15 1/2 ounce can) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce can) corn, drained
- 1 (15 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, (optional)
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
Instructions
- Take 4 frozen, yes, frozen (or thawed), boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot. Add the black beans, corn, salsa, and taco seasoning if using. Keep in crock pot on low for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked. Once it is cooked, take it out and shred it. Return shredded chicken to the crockpot.
- Add the cream cheese (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 hour. It may look at little strange at this point. Don't worry. Stir in the cream cheese.
- Serve over rice or in warm flour tortillas.
Notes
This looks so good- its okay to put chicken in straight from the freezer?
Yes totally
Delicious and very easy to make! I’ve used so many recipes from your site!
Thank you very much!
Thank you so much Kim!
25 stars
Haha
I love this recipe so simple, so versatile you can serve is rice, tortilla, or mix in pasta. My only changes are I add rotel instead of salsa and a packet of taco seasoning as well! Have been making this for years! A plus is freezes well :)!
Made this for the first time and it is so delicious. I love how many different meals you can make with it, great for weeknight dinners. I used Onion and Chive cream cheese along with some taco seasoning, came out great!
Yay! great to hear!
Wonderful recipe! The only thing I did differently was I marinated the chicken breast’s overnight with a Mexican dry rub to give the chicken a little more flavor. Otherwise it was great!
Thank yOU!
I’ve made this before and love it. Any low carb suggestions to serve with this rather than tortilla, chips, rice, etc?
I mean cauliflower rice would be great. I know it sounds weird but you could do steam broccoli.
This is sooo good! My family and I love this! Super fast and easy and tastes great! We added chili powder and cumin. Thanks for sharing!!
So glad you liked it!
This is sooo good! My family and I live this! Super fast and easy and tastes great! We add chili powder and cumin. Thanks for sharing!!
I’ve been making this exact recipe for 12 years. It’s my middle child’s favorite meal, so we’ve always called it “Anjali chicken” 😂 Always a hit with guests too!
Aw that makes me smile.
I also add homemade taco seasoning to mine. My daughter likes to put hers on top of chips! We make guac to add to it 😂
Yum!
I LOVE your recipes!!! I’m ALWAYS trying to find something new and exciting to do with my chicken!!!@
Lisa E❤
Thanks Lisa!
Does yours come out watery? Do you serve with a slotted spoon? Thanks!
It should be saucy but not watery. Did you use a really thin salsa?
I made this tonight and all three kids loved it, so I’d say that is a big win! Thanks for the easy, yummy recipe.
Thank you! We love it!
Awesome!!
Thank you!
I have made this for Years, changing it very little, because my family has typical Midweterner’s aversion to spices, and this is so mild but tasty! All I ever add is a small can of green chillies and use 1/2 the cream cheese. I have passed this on to more than one “non cooking” friend upon request. They thank you as well! The Crock-Pot Queen
Really. This is as good as good gets. As directions say, I dumped it all in a crock pot (frozen chicken!). Later shredded and added the cream cheese. OMGoodness!!! So easy! SO GOOD. Makes a huge amount (I had large size chicken breasts and only used 3). My husband couldn’t leave it alone and ate more the next day. I had very little left for freezer. Husband preferred on rice, I prefer tortilla shell. Topped with a little cheddar cheese and dollop of Greek yogurt. Man this was good!
Sorry I forgot to put in the star rating.
A big 5 star of course!!
Jo
Awesome! Thank you!
I make this every Sunday. I use a can of hot Rotel tomatoes instead of salsa and sprinkle half a packet of McCormick Hot Taco seasoning on my chicken and then sprinkle the other half on top of the cream cheese, beans, and corn. I tried a Spicy ranch packet once and we didn’t care for it but the taco seasoning is perfect for us.
Awesome!
I made this on Monday and we had it again last night. Yummy, but I still have some leftover. Any suggestions? Can I add stuff to make something else? It’s so good I do not want to freeze it. There’s got to be something else to do with it.
It’s great rolled up in tortillas!
Love love love this! ….and my name’s Kim.
Thank you! Nice to meet you!
I make this!!! I use canned diced tomatoes with green chiles instead of salsa,and throw a packet of dry ranch seasoning on top of the cream cheese! DELISH!!!
I should try the ranch sometime.
I want to make this for a get together I am hosting. There will be one person coming that is allergic to corn. Do you thick I could make it without the corn, mix in the cream cheese, take out some for her, and then add the corn into the remainder? I know long question. Just wanting to figure out how to make this and still love on her.
Christy!!! Do you think I can make this in an instapot?
Definitely!
How long in instant pot?
Since you really only have to worry about the chicken being cooked, I would go 20 mins.
Really awesome, thank you!
You’re welcome!
I loved it, using my homemade salsa. I don’t like too much of even medium spice so my husband added on top his own hot sauce. It was a little runny so I added the rice right into the mixture while I shredded the chicken. Then placed the chicken on top of the mixture with rice while it cooked (instant rice as I’m not a good cook at all). I would love to try this over lime rice but I’ll have to find a recipe. Thanks again, this was my first recipe of yours that I’ve tried and I am impressed! I love the simplicity!
Thank you!
I cannot stand canned corn. Will the recipe come out okay if I added frozen corn instead?
Otherwise, I am looking forward to making this dish!
Thank you
You can totally use frozen!
Is there an easy way to print your recipe without all the ads? I’d love to add this to my recipe book.
Yes! If you push the print button there will be no ads on the printed version.
Hi! I used to make this all the time but a couple of years ago I became a vegetarian. I used to adore this meal! Do you think there is anyway to make this vegetarian? Maybe with Quinoa or something? Do you have any suggestions? That would be so lovely!
I think quinoa would be great but I haven’t tried it.
Has anyone added taco seasoning to this? If sof, how was it?
I think taco seasoning would be stellar!
I made this today and it was delicious! Two thumbs up! So easy and tasty. Thank you
When you add the cream cheese do you turn the crock pot off or just leave it on? Sounds yummy, thx!
You could do either one. It’s hot enough that you could turn it off and stir it in or speed it up with the crockpot on.
If you are using thawed out chicken do you still cook it for 4-5 hours on low? Can you cook this on high for thawed chicken, if so how many hours do you think you should cook it on high?
I would still cook it on high for about 3-4 hours. You definitely want it done.
I would like to do this on a weekday and would have to leave it in the crock pot for about 10 hours…assuming this would be a problem or would it still turn out okay? (CLEARLY not a chef here…my husband usually does all the cooking! 🙂 )
It might be kind of dry after ten hours. Honestly. I’ve let it cook that long before (not on purpose) and it was fine but not super ideal.
How many servings does this make? Looks great!
Rae,
I would say about 4-6 servings.
This is a wonderfully awesome recipe. I actually almost hate to admit this but I ate several tastings and I mean Tastings with a capital- before it was actually ready to serve. I loved it that much! I will definitely make this again and will offer this as a great recipe when friends remark that they don’t know what to serve for dinner. Would even be a great meal to take to someone along with tortillas, etc. thanks,,,,
I made a double batch of this and took half to a friend for dinner. They said they liked it and I know my family loved it, too. I even snuck the cream cheese past my husband (who hates the stuff). Definitely a repeater!
i’ve made this a few times and it’s seriously my favorite meal. i love it! so easy too.
I added the the cream cheese at the beginning on accident and it turned out wonderful. So if you are not home for the last 1/2 hour than you can do this way also.
Love this. Great recipe!
I have this cooking in our crockpot now, and it smells delicious! We were working outside earlier, and every time I’d walk in the house, the smell was so yummy! Can’t wait to try it.
made this tonight using fat free cream cheese. it was awesome, hearty and incredibly easy! my bf loved it. thanks for the recipe. i’ll definitely be making it again.
We are making this dish tonight along with the rice. It smells wonderful! Thanks for your super fun recipes.. love them!
@Anonymous,
You can cook this on high for 3-4 hours depending on how fast your slow cooker cooks.
Can this be cooked on high in a few hours? Looks yummy!
Hi! I am not much of a cook and made a decision in my mind that I will learn. I ran across your blog and realized how easy and simple your recipes were to follow. I am so excited because this was my first crockpot meal and it turned out awesome!!! I am so thankful for this recipe. It tasted really good too.
Thanks for the easy recipe! By the way, I love reading all your posts… that IS a compliment! lol I love how you are so relatable, and don’t hide it! 🙂 Makes me feel like I’m hearing from my sister or an old friend, one of those few people that aren’t afraid to be honest and laugh at themselves! It brightens my day, so thanks! 🙂
@amandachap,
I don’t see why you couldn’t use thighs. Sounds yummy!
Hey ladies may I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this recipe! It is so easy and so delicious. Huge hit with my whole family of 7.
Christy, made this for dinner tonight and LOVED it! Thanks for the yummy recipe. My meal plans are set for the rest of the month and they are all recipes I’ve wanted to try out from your site!
I think this would work with pork but might take a little longer to cook!
Love this tasty dish but was wondering would it maybe work for pork as well?
@Anonymous,
I’ve never tried enchiladas but I would imagine they would be good. We often wrap them up in a tortilla as a burrito!
Would this be a good filling for enchiladas? Wrapped up with enchilada sauce over the top?
@Anonymous,
I actually think you could keep the cooking time the same if you double up. The crockpot usually takes care of making sure everything cooks evenly.
Thanks,
Christy
Hello Christi,
If I want to double up on this recipe, how much longer shall I cook the chicken?
Please advise. Thanks!
Thanks for this recipe! It was delicious!!!
I posted this on my blog:
http://ashleyscrafts.blogspot.com/2010/09/crockpot-fiesta-chicken.html
Tried this with the Cilantro Lime Rice. Cafe Rio’s was always too Lime-y so I was able to tame it down. The Fiesta Chicken was great warmed up over a salad the next day!
We loved this over your Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice.
That totally made me laugh! Too funny! Thanks for the great recipe, I’ll be trying it soon!
Thanks Christy for the dish. I made it tonight and actually didn’t ruin it. So easy someone who has actually screwed up frozen pizza (I put it in the oven upside down) could get this recipe right! My husband thanks you.
Thank you, thank you for all of your yummy recipes. I LOVE your blog and come here often to find something yummy for dinner. Your food is always so pretty and your photography looks great. Keep you the good work!! Again, thanks for sharing your delicious meals, they are AMAZING!!
I’m a big fan of crockpot meals lately….I think we’ll try this one for dinner tonight!!
Mexican restaurants may have been crowded after church that Sunday! 🙂 The recipe sounds yummy!!
this looks so yummy… and i love the story.
i can just picture JD saying something like that… of course making me feel really self conscious the entire 3 hours of church! nice husbands… nice!
This sounds so easy and delicious! Can’t wait to make it 🙂