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Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken Tortilla Bowl – an easy burrito-style Mexican rice bowl that’s easy to make and so delicious! Slow-cooked chicken in a mix of red salsa, salsa verde, and hot sauce. The chicken is then served over bowls of rice with a creamy homemade cilantro lime sauce. Of course, don’t forget to add all your favorite extras. Salty tortilla chips, pickled onion, and avocado are my favorites.
When my brothers and I were in middle school and high school, they would snowboard after school. This called for a second lunch/pre-dinner meal when they got home.
It was at this time when my love of cooking for others began. I’d often make them chicken and cheese quesadillas, which was their favorite (I really should share that recipe with you all!).
Other times, I’d make them burrito bowls, similar to what they would get at Chipotle.
The boys used to really pile their burrito bowls high, mainly with rice, chicken or steak, then salsa, a creamy sauce, and always an extra side of chips.
It’s still fun to make them burrito bowls when they’re back in Colorado.
Which is exactly what I ended up doing a couple of weeks ago when the entire family was visiting. This was the perfect crockpot recipe to make because I could easily feed everyone! Plus, I knew they all would really enjoy this! I doubled the chicken and made three batches of my homemade tortilla chips!
Everything was eaten and very much enjoyed!
Here are the details
Verde Chicken Ingredients
- chicken breasts or thighs – I like thighs best for the crockpot, but I use both breast and thighs since my mom prefers breast meat
- chunky red salsa – I love the Whole Foods 365 salsa. I usually buy the spicy
- salsa verde
- hot sauce – I use Franks
- salted butter
Cilantro Lime Sauce Ingredients
- fresh cilantro
- garlic
- lime juice
- mayo
- honey
Ingredients – for serving
- shredded lettuce – you can also use cabbage
- steamed rice – I like to stir in fresh cilantro
- tortilla chips
- pickled red onion
- avocado
- shredded cheese is delicious
- whatever else you enjoy in a burrito bowl!
Special Tools
You’ll need a crockpot for this recipe. Plus a blender or food processor for the sauce. You can also make the chicken in under 30 minutes in a dutch oven on the stove-top.
Steps
Step 1: mix and cook the chicken
Working inside the bowl of your crockpot, combine all of the ingredients: the chicken, red salsa, salsa verde, hot sauce, butter, and then add about 1/2 cup of water.
Slow-cook the chicken for a few hours. Slow cooking the chicken allows it to easily shred.
Or, as mentioned, cook on the stove.
Step 2: stir and shred the chicken
When the chicken is ready, give it a really good stir. As you’re stirring, the chicken should easily fall apart and shred.
Season the chicken with salt and keep it warm.
Step 3: the sauce
Start with the cilantro, garlic, and lime juice in the food processor. Pulse until the cilantro is finely chopped and almost into a paste.
Using a spoon, mix in the mayo and honey. Don’t blend the mayo in the food processor. If you do, the mayo may “break”, and the sauce will then be too thin.
Season the sauce with salt.
Step 4: create your bowls
Start with finely shredded lettuce on the bottom. Then pile on the rice and the chicken. To the side of the chicken, add plenty of tortilla chips. Then add pickled onions, avocado, and fresh limes. I like to add green onions too.
Then, add whatever other toppings you enjoy. We always add grated cheese to the steamed rice (so it melts). We usually skip the beans, but I know so many of you love them. Add what YOU like! Finish your bowls with a few spoonfuls of the cilantro sauce, plus extra sauce on the side.
This comes together simply. It’s a fun, family dinner for sure!
Looking for other Mexican recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Creamy Jalapeño Verde Sauce
Crispy BBQ Salmon Tacos with Avocado Mango Salsa and Jalapeño Cream
Crispy Jalapeño Cream Cheese Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Sheet Pan Chipotle Salmon Tacos with Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken Tortilla Bowl, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken Tortilla Bowl
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 438 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 2 cups chunky red salsa
- 2 cups salsa verde
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- salt and black pepper
- rice and tortilla chips, for serving
- shredded lettuce, avocado, limes, and green onions, for serving
Cilantro Lime Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 big cup fresh cilantro
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoon honey
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. In the bottom of the crockpot bowl, mix the chicken, red salsa, salsa verge, hot sauce, taco seasoning, butter, and 1/2 cup of water. Season well with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours.2. Remove the lid and stir the chicken until it falls apart and shreds – season with salt. 3. To make the sauce. Add the cilantro, garlic, and lime juice to a blender/food processor. Pulse until chopped. Stir in the mayo and honey – season with salt. 4. Add a big handful of lettuce/cabbage to a bowl. Spoon over the rice. Add a couple spoonfuls of chicken, then chips on the side. Add avocado, onions, and lots of cilantro lime sauce. Enjoy!
Stove
- 1. In a Dutch oven, mix the chicken, red salsa, salsa verde, hot sauce, taco seasoning, and 1/2 cup of water – season well with salt and pepper. Set over medium heat and cook 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily. 2. Stir the chicken until it falls apart and shreds easily – season with salt. 3. To make the sauce. Add the cilantro, garlic, and lime juice to a blender/food processor. Pulse until chopped. Stir in the mayo and honey – season with salt. 4. Add a big handful of lettuce/cabbage to a bowl. Spoon over the rice. Add a couple spoonfuls of chicken and then chips on the side. Add avocado, onions, and lots of cilantro lime sauce. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on February 27, 2025
I really enjoyed this recipe. I made in the Instant Pot and used all week in a variety of recipes. Thought it was easy and flavorful. Made the original recipe and cured my Chipotle craving
Hey Nicole,
Happy Sunday!! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and your comment! XxT
Absolutely delicious – so glad I made this. Whole family loved it!
Hey Elizabeth,
That’s awesome!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Honestly, this recipe is not it. Mayo in the cilantro sauce was a really bad base. Would have been better with sour cream, avocado, or even greek yogurt instead of the mayo. The sauce in the slow cooker makes a great salsa but this dinner was basically salsa & hot sauce with chicken and rice. Skip.
Hi Elle,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xx
This was SO easy to make and SO delicious. My son said: Mommy! This is the best chicken you ever made!!!
Thank you!
Hey Jennifer,
Happy Sunday!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was enjoyed:) x
So I have now tasted this with all the fixings in a bowl. It’s AMAZING.
Thanks so much, Jennifer!
Amazing! Don’t skip making this easy, bursting with flavor recipe! I subbed the mayo for plain greek yogurt. SO good!
Hi Amy,
Happy Sunday!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was enjoyed:) x
We loved this recipe! I love a good crock pot recipe on a busy day. Super easy to put together and the chicken so good . Love the cilantro lime sauce !
Hey Kim,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe, love to hear it was a hit! Have the best weekend:)
Really good! I did the stovetop method. I cheated and use a Taylor Farms Southwest chopped salad for the lettuce/cabbage mix. It comes with a packet of tortilla strips with pumpkin seeds that was great as a topping over the burrito bowls with some avocado chunks. I made your cilantro dressing. Perfection! Just the right combination of flavors all around. Another crowd pleaser!
Hey Leslie,
Wonderful! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed!!
I made this tonight with brown rice and my family loved it! Love how easy it was. The house smelled delicious and they all pretty much licked their bowls. I added a half teaspoon of chili powder because I felt like my taco seasoning needed a little extra punch. The cilantro lime sauce is the perfect topping for this! Thanks for another excellent slow cooker recipe, Tieghan!
Hey Emily,
Thank you so much!! So glad to hear this dish was enjoyed by your family, I appreciate you making it! xx
This looks delicious. Can you tell me how you make your homemade tortillas?
Thanks so much, Carrie! You bet, the recipe is here:
https://fett-weg.today/essentials/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Whoops…forgot to give this deliciousness five stars in my review.
Thanks again, Jeannine:)
This was fantastic! I made it as written…it does create a great deal of liquid…but I liked how it mixed with the other ingredients. As I will most likely freeze a portion, the deliciously spicy liquid will make reheating it just as flavorful. I used a spicy salsa as well as a spicy verde sauce..so good! Thank you for a delicious recipe. 🙂 Have a most lovely day.
Hey Jeannine,
Yay! Love to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! Have the best week:)
Delicious and easy!
Hey Ellen,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! XxT
This was one of our favorite recipes of yours! And we’ve tried a bunch! Made the chicken in the instant pot and it came out perfectly. Topped with fajita peppers, pepper jack cheese, and avocado. The flavors were all so great together. Thank you!!
Hey Amanda,
Yay! Love to hear this:) Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment! Have the best day!!
This is on the meal plan for the week but am hoping to make it dairy free. Can I omit the butter or is it a key ingredient that cannot be omitted? Thank you and love your recipes!
Hi Jan,
You can skip the butter, no big deal:) I hope you love this recipe! Have a great week! xx
I made this recipe as written, and it was a huge hit. The sauce is soooo good!!! This will be added to the rotation! Thank you!!!
Love to hear this, Diego! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and your feedback! Have a wonderful week! xxT