Slow Cooker Tortilla Chicken Stew Recipe
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This slow cooker tortilla chicken stew cooks all day while you work!
This stew is quick and easy to toss together. You can prep it the night before and simply store it in the fridge in your slow cooker’s removable crock. Then when you leave in the morning, just put the crock into the heating element and head out the door. Dinner will be waiting when you arrive home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s easy, hands-off cooking thanks to the use of a slow cooker.
- It’s easily adaptable to many different dietary needs.
- It’s great for meal prep or for making freezer meals.
- Cooks all day while you’re gone at work.
What To Serve With This Slow Cooker Tortilla Chicken Stew
Classic Garnishes
- Crispy tortilla strips
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Avocado slices or diced avocado
- Fresh lime wedges
For Extra Texture And Flavor
- Diced, raw, red onion or scallions
- Sliced, raw jalapeños
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Charred or roasted corn kernels
For A Creative Twist
- Diced tomatoes or pico de gallo
- Cotija cheese
- Hot sauce or salsa
- Diced, raw bell peppers
- Chopped green chiles
Serving Suggestions
Here are some ideas for ways to serve this stew:
Classic bowls – Individual bowls with any of the garnishes listed above.
With a side of bread – Try cornbread, sourdough, or dinner rolls.
Over brown rice – Or any grain you prefer such as quinoa.
With tortilla chips – Either use chips to dip or crush them on top of the stew.
In bread bowls – Grab a whole grain loaf of bread, hollow it out, and ladle in the stew to serve.
As a topping – Put this over baked potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Family-Style – Set up a “bar” of toppings and serve this from a big pot where everyone can fill their own bowls and top their own stew the way they like best.
Over Zoodles or Pasta – Pour this over pasta or zoodles and mix well to serve.
With a side salad – A green side salad goes great with this stew.
In wraps or tacos – You may need to strain off any excess liquid, but once you do, this goes really well in wraps and tacos.
FAQs
Can I make this stew in an Instant Pot instead of a slow cooker?
Yes, you can You’ll want to layer everything into the IP, close the lid and vent, and then press the Manual button and set the timer for 12 minutes on high pressure. When done, do a natural release for at least 10 minutes. After that, you can do a quick release. Remove the lid, shred the chicken by stirring, and serve with your favorite garnishes.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
You can assemble everything and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days before cooking.
How can I adjust the spice level?
To reduce any spiciness, reduce or omit the jalapeñpos and use a mild salsa. To increase the spiciness, add as many jalapeños as you’d like to add to make it extra spice, or use a spicy salsa.
What type of tortillas should I use for the strips?
For this recipe, you’ll want corn tortillas. Flour tortillas won’t work well here.
How do I thicken the stew if it’s too watery?
If you end up with too much liquid in your stew, simply cook it down for a while longer with the lid off in either your slow cooker or Instant Pot. Cook it down until it reaches the consistency you prefer.
About The Ingredients
Raw chicken breasts – Boneless and skinless.
Salsa – I used Salsa Authentica from Trader Joe’s. But you can use your favorite. Opt for one with no added sugar.
Frozen corn – No added sugar.
Frozen, mixed bell peppers – Also found at Trader Joe’s.
Corn tortillas – Ripped or shredded by hand.
Garnishes – Pick your favorite.
How To Make Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Stew
Gather and measure all ingredients.
Place the chicken in the bottom of the pot, and pour everything else over it. (Cover and store in the fridge overnight if prepping ahead of time.) Place pot/insert in your slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Note that the tortillas will not look very pretty after cooking. But they do add a nice flavor.
When cooking is finished, simply use a wooden spoon to stir everything up and break apart the chicken. Serve garnished with some sliced, black olives and/or a dab of plain yogurt.
Storage
Store this in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.
Freezing
This freezes well for up to 4 months if packed well.
Reheating
Reheat in a pot on the stovetop, in a microwave, or in a slow cooker on low heat.
More Healthy Crock Pot Meals
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Slow Cooker Tortilla Chicken Stew Recipe
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (5 ½ quarts or larger)
Ingredients
- 1½ lb. raw chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 12 oz. jar of your favorite salsa (I used Salsa Authentica from Trader Joe's)
- 1 lb. frozen corn (thawed)
- 1 lb. frozen, mixed bell peppers (also found at Trader Joe's)
- 3 standard-sized corn tortillas (ripped or shredded by hand)
- olives and plain yogurt for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Gather and measure all ingredients.
- Place the chicken in the bottom of the pot, and pour everything else over it. (Cover and store in the fridge overnight if prepping ahead of time.) Place pot/insert in your slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.Note that the tortillas will not look very pretty after cooking. But they do add a nice flavor.
- When cooking is finished, simply use a wooden spoon to stir everything up and break apart the chicken. Serve garnished with some sliced, black olives and/or a dab of plain yogurt.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe from the Gracious Pantry archives, originally published 8/30/13.
Oh you are speaking my language with this recipe! YUM!
LWYD – Hope you enjoy it!
I just got my first slow cooker and I am so excited to try out your recipes! What size slow cooker do you use for the recipes? Mine is a 3 quart. Im wondering if I should use half of what this calls for? Thanks!
Sarah – You should be okay with a 3 quart. You may have to adjust cooking times a bit, but as long as the food fits, it should be fine. I have a range of sizes from 1.5 qt up to 6 quarts. But typically, I use a 4 or 5 quart cooker. Just check the food at the end of the cooking time to ensure that it is fully cooked.
This is perfect for the fall ahead! I love a nice slow cooker stew!
Jocelyn – Me too!
Can u use fresh peppers for this
Melissa – Sure!
This was amazing! I walked in the door from work yesterday and couldn’t wait to have dinner, it smelled awesome. The only thing I did different was, I added a can of black beans. This is a new family favorite! Thanks very much for all your great recipes.
Cynthia – My pleasure! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This sounds perfect for the upcoming winter! I love tortilla soup and chicken, so I definitely have high expectations for this recipe. Thanks for sharing- your blog is great!
Angela – Thanks! Hope you enjoy it!
Can I use black/pinto beans instead of corn? Also, probably not clean but can I use tortilla chips instead?
Cassie – Sure!
What do you think about freezing this recipe? I’m thinking I’d have to leave the tortillas out??
Krista – Yes, I would leave out the tortillas. But it should freeze pretty well without them.
I plan trying this sometime this week. One quick question…do I need to add any water in with the chicken or anything? Just want to make sure it doesn’t burn. 😉
Stacy – Nope! No water. A slow cooker is a very moist environment. What you need is an acid to tenderize meat, not liquid. (unless you’re making soups)
Delish! Didn’t ave tortillas on hand and added a can of black beans. Making it again tonight for this week:). Serves two a few nights dinner.
Crystal – Fantastic! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Would it be okay to store this all put together for a day and a half in the fridge then cook it?
Tasha – I don’t see why not. You may want to wait on adding the tortillas till you’re ready to cook it. But aside from that, it should work just fine.
Is It PossiblE To Cook This Faster On a Higher TEmpature? Even If The Chicken Is Raw? This Is My First Time CoOking Chicken In A Crook POt
Tasha – I don’t recommend it.
I made this last night and it turned out amazing!! Thank you for making clean eating easier!
Tasha – My pleasure! 🙂
Hello-
This looks lovely. I do have a concern, though, also a question. I notice that some items in your recipes are organic, while others are not. This recipe includes two items that I personally would not buy non-organic (bell peppers and corn). Corn especially, since it is almost always a GMO if not organic. My question to you is, as a clean eater, how do you determine which products you choose to buy organic? I know some items are harder to find that others, especially those who live in rural areas. Thank you!
Jessica – I always try to buy the “dirty dozen” in organics, and I always buy items that are likely to have gmo’s in organics. I don’t always specify to purchase organic because I believe that’s a personal choice. I supply the recipes, but how you purchase your ingredients is up to you. As for the bell peppers, are they likely to be gmo’s? I heard about zucchini, but I haven’t heard anything about bell peppers…
Thanks for this recipe!! I just made this yesterday and it turned out great. I doubled the recipe and cooked it on high for 4.5 hours. I also tasted it after two hours and ended up adding a BUNCH of spices to flavor it to our liking. The chicken didn’t readily fall apart with a spoon when it was all done, so I pulled it out and shredded it quickly with a fork, then stirred it back in. The spices were from a recipe for regular beef and bean chili, so that definitely altered the taste but it’s what we like. If anyone is interested, here is what I added (keep in mind this is for double the recipe): 2T cumin (we love it!), 2t oregano, 3 bay leaves, 1T Italian seasoning (could have cut this in half I think), 2t chili powder, 1T garlic powder, 1t cayenne pepper (we like a little kick), 1/2t ground thyme, 1t paprika, 2t cilantro and 2t basil.
Julie – sounds delicious! 🙂
If I am going to put all the ingredients together and then freeze it before cooking it would you recommend cooking the chicken first, as it will not be in the bottom of the crock pot most likely. Such a good looking dish! Can’t wait to try it out!
Stacey – I don’t recommend putting frozen food in a slow cooker. But what you can do is thaw it the day before and then put it in the slow cooker. Also, I wouldn’t freeze the tortillas at all. Add those in when you put them in the slow cooker.
My power outlet was out and I thought it was cooking this entire time since 11 am. It’s now 4. It’s been sitting out for 5 hours. Is it still good and if so can I cook on high for half the time?
Veronica – No, I wouldn’t take the chance. That could really make you sick. Sorry. 🙁
Could I cook this on high for half of the time?
Veronica – I don’t recommend it. The time can be shortened, but not by half. You would be better off just cooking it in a pot on the stovetop if you need it done a lot sooner.
Thank you for this recipe. I made it tonight and with the exception of adding black beans I followed your recipe. It was delicious. My picky eater ate it as well.
Roxanne – That’s awesome! I’m glad you both enjoyed it! 🙂
Made this last night for the first time. It was DELICIOUS. I got everything in the crock pot later than I had intended, so I cooked it on high for about 6 hours and everything cooked perfectly. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’ll definitely be making this again!!!!
Diane – I’m so happy you enjoyed it!