Description
Home cooks find this slow cooker cilantro lime chicken recipe incredibly simple and flavorful. Mexican-inspired chicken emerges tender and zesty, perfect for tacos, salads, or rice bowls you’ll want to devour immediately.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) tomato sauce
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
Instructions
- Preparation: Arrange whole chicken breasts in a single, uniform layer within the slow cooker basin, ensuring full coverage of the pot’s bottom.
- Seasoning: Liberally coat chicken with a dynamic spice blend of chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, ground pepper, and salt, massaging the mixture thoroughly into the meat for maximum flavor infusion.
- Herbal Enhancement: Distribute fresh cilantro leaves generously across the seasoned chicken, creating a vibrant aromatic foundation and adding a bright, herbaceous dimension.
- Citrus Infusion: Stream lime juice evenly over the herbs and spices, allowing the acidic liquid to tenderize and permeate the chicken, enhancing its overall taste profile.
- Sauce Application: Gently pour tomato sauce over the chicken, completely submerging the meat to ensure comprehensive flavor development and moisture retention.
- Slow Cooking: Configure the slow cooker to low temperature for 6-8 hours or high temperature for 3-4 hours, allowing the chicken to gradually transform into tender, easily shreddable meat immersed in a rich, spicy sauce.
- Finishing: Utilize two forks to meticulously shred the chicken directly within the cooking liquid, creating succulent, sauce-saturated meat strands that promise exceptional taste and texture.
- Serving: Present the zesty cilantro lime chicken steaming hot, either independently or accompanied by fluffy rice for a complete, satisfying culinary experience.
Notes
- Maximize Flavor Coating: Ensure every chicken breast is generously and evenly coated with spice blend for maximum taste absorption.
- Slow Cooking Magic: Choose cooking time based on schedule – low and slow (6-8 hours) or quick high-temperature method (3-4 hours) both yield tender, shreddable meat.
- Herb Freshness Tip: Add cilantro just before cooking to preserve vibrant color and maintain bright, fresh flavor profile.
- Sauce Coverage Technique: Pour tomato sauce completely over chicken surface to guarantee even moisture and prevent dry spots during slow cooking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 to 8 hours (low) or 3 to 4 hours
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 670 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg