Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Bowls with Cilantro Lime Rice
Slow cooker chicken taco bowls with cilantro lime rice a super yummy and easy recipe Easy to make in the slow cooker and dinner is ready when you are
Slow cooker chicken taco bowls with cilantro lime rice a super yummy and easy recipe Easy to make in the slow cooker and dinner is ready when you are
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn drained
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 1/2 lb chicken (i used 4 frozen chicken breasts)
- 1 cup fresh salsa
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (more to taste)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
- 1/2 lime juiced (about 1/2 tb)
- optional toppings: avocado (salsa sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro)
- 1 cup uncooked white long rice
- juice and zest 1 large lime
- 1 14 oz can chicken broth
- â¾ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
- Carbohydrate 12.3297341666679 g
- Cholesterol 10.1677083376937 mg
- Fat 4.4641858349783 g
- Fiber 1.72906250949701 g
- Protein 2.10598250001724 g
- Saturated Fat 2.52348604270844 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (222g)
- Sodium 447.641000012016 mg
- Sugar 10.6006716571709 g
- Trans Fat 0.315654083448487 g
- Calories 88 calories
Step-by-step
- Place chicken in a large crock pot and pour water and salsa over the chicken.
- Next add in chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic, lime juice, black beans and corn.
- Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4, or until chicken easily shreds.
- Is using fresh chicken it should only take 3 hours on high and 4-6 on low.
- Make the rice: In a skillet melt butter with rice.
- Add the chicken broth and the rest of the ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
- Add more chili powder and salt if desired.
- Serve chicken over rice.
- Optional: top with cheese, avocados, sour cream and serve with tortilla chips.
Using frozen chicken breast in a slow cooker requires extending cooking times by at least two hours on low to ensure the interior reaches a safe thermal threshold without drying out the exterior. Fresh chicken releases moisture faster during the initial heating phase, creating a more concentrated cooking liquid when combined with salsa and spices.
Balancing Fresh and Preserved Elements
Preserved components like canned black beans and corn bring a reliable starch and structural integrity that fresh summer produce cannot replicate once subjected to long heat cycles. Canned beans retain their shape under hours of simmering, whereas fresh beans would disintegrate completely. Meanwhile, fresh lime juice and cilantro added at the very end preserve bright volatile aromatic oils that would otherwise degrade during prolonged heating.
- Rice turning out mushy? Toast the grains in melted butter just until translucent before adding broth to seal the starch granules.
- Chicken tasting watery? Drain excess liquid from canned corn and black beans thoroughly before layering them into the crock pot.
- Herbs losing potency? Fold chopped cilantro into the rice off the heat rather than boiling it in the liquid.
