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My mom home-schooled me and my brother. For home economics, and possibly her sanity, in my teen years it became one of my chores to cook dinner for our family once a week. I started out following recipes and learning from mom, but it didn't take long before I got the itch to start creating my own recipes. Some of those recipes were epic disasters and my family deserves a medal for choking those meals down. However, one of the first recipes that "stuck" and we've been making ever since was slow cooker chipotle chicken.

Slow cooker chipotle chicken satisfies the desire for meal-prepped shredded chicken with Tex-Mex flair. Once you've made this chicken it can be used in a wide variety of recipes, tacos, nachos, and soups. The shredded chicken also freezes well and can be used immediately or saved for later.

How to make slow cooker chipotle chicken

This recipe is incredibly simple to make! Take a whole chicken and rinse it off. You can leave the neck and giblets in or remove them (I will often remove the giblets to save myself the trouble later, but leave the neck to get just a little extra meat off the bird). Place the chicken in your slow cooker and top with all remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours.

The hardest part of this slow cooker chipotle chicken recipe is boning the chicken. I like to remove my chicken from the slow cooker and let it cool before boning. Impatience has led me to bone hot chickens before and it is a more painful experience than necessary. Wait until the chicken has cooled and then feel like a domestic god or goddess for boning your own chicken, without torturing the nerve endings on your fingers. Once you've shredded the chicken and it is clean of bones, skin, and gristle, add a bit of the remaining broth and salsa/onion mixture to the meat to keep it moist while storing.

I like to take an extra step at the end and strain all of the remaining juices in my slow cooker. I freeze it and save for later so I have the makings of a spicy tortilla soup broth ready at any time.

Tips and tricks

Slow Cooker

The slow cooker of choice for many home cooks is the Crock-Pot. I have used knock-off brands and the real deal and honestly I think they both work great. The Instant Pot has a slow cook setting that will also allow you to make this recipe.

Whole Chicken

It doesn't matter greatly whether the chicken you use for this recipe is fresh or frozen. Do let the chicken thaw before cooking if it was frozen, but it doesn't have to be completely thawed. The main advantage to having the chicken completely thawed is that it makes removing the neck and/or giblets much easier if you choose to do so. Aim for a 5-6lb chicken.

Salsa

It doesn't matter a bit what kind of salsa you choose for this recipe, though I would stick with a red salsa. Mild, medium, or hot, it really is up to you! I used a mild salsa because it is what I had in the fridge and is a little more toddler-friendly.

How to serve

This chicken is extremely versatile. It can go right back in the broth and become the base for tortilla soup. The chicken is delicious on tacos, nachos, and this morning I used to it to make a quesadilla for my husband's lunch. It will soon be featured in one of our favorite enchilada recipes here on the blog. Use the chicken to make a delicious burrito bowl or taco casserole.

The Recipe

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, rinsed
4 chipotle peppers, diced
3 tsp adobo sauce
1 small onion, diced
3/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano

1. Add chicken to slow cooker, top with all remaining ingredients.
2. Set for 8 hours on low.
3. Remove and cool chicken.
4. Bone and shred chicken.
5. Store with some remaining broth and salsa/onion mixture to keep moist.