I’ve said it once (Ok, I’ve said it multiple times), but you can never have too many easy dinners on hand. As a college student, I am constantly in search of the easiest, cheapest, and yummiest ways to feed myself.
Recently, my mom reminded me of a two-ingredient recipe of hers that was an absolute favorite of mine growing up. I was shocked that I had forgotten about it because it really couldn’t be easier (or more delicious). Truly, if there was only one recipe I could take back to school this year, it would be this one.
As someone who is just learning how to make individual meals—and is generally wary of meal prepping—this recipe is the perfect go-to. It’s basically foolproof to put together, and because it is so versatile, I am more than happy to eat it multiple times a week.
How To Make My Mom’s 2-Ingredient Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
This recipe for salsa chicken is so delicious, it’s hard to tell that it has only two ingredients. It has so much flavor! How is something this easy so delicious?
The answer lies in a jar of salsa, some chicken breasts, and a slow cooker. All my mom does to prepare her salsa chicken is throw the chicken and a jar of salsa in her CrockPot and let it cook on low all day.
Her salsa of choice is grocery store classic Pace Picante—nothing fancy. Really, any salsa will work for this dish. This recipe would also work really well with a salsa verde. Or, it would be a great way to use up leftover homemade salsa. I recommend sticking with blended salsas to make sure your chicken gets as juicy as possible.
While it should be ready in a minimum of two hours, my mom lets it cook for up to six hours during the day so she doesn’t have to worry about it. Once the chicken is finished cooking, she takes it out and shreds it. It’s that easy!
I understand skepticism around simple slow cooker meals. There is even a running joke on TikTok that there is nothing worse than coming home and realizing your dinner is coming from a slow cooker. But this joke never made sense to anyone in my house. Whenever my sister or I saw the CrockPot on the counter, it always meant we were getting salsa chicken—and that was always good news.
What To Do with Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
Emily Lichty
If anyone is skeptical about too much meal prepping, it’s me. No matter how hard I try, I always get bored of what I made after a couple of days and struggle to eat the same thing too many times in a row. Thankfully, this chicken is so versatile that I could eat it for multiple days without getting sick of it.
When my mom makes this recipe for our family, she uses it most frequently for chicken tacos—which includes another of my favorite mom hacks.
Instead of using store-bought taco shells or plain tortillas, my mom fries corn tortillas in a pan with some olive oil. Frying them in a pan adds a little bit of crispiness but still keeps them soft. When topped with cheese, sour cream, and lettuce, there really isn’t anything better. And it’s so easy!
But there are so many possibilities beyond chicken tacos for this delicious 2-ingredient dish. Shredded salsa chicken is also great in salads, in baked potatoes, on rice, in soup, or as stuffing for enchiladas. See what I mean when I say this recipe is the only one you’ll ever need?
I really can’t rave about my mom’s recipe more, so, you are just going to have to try it for yourself and see. I promise you’ll be hooked.
