Kid-Approved Crockpot Creamy Salsa Verde Chicken: Easy & Perfect
This easy crockpot recipe features tender chicken in a creamy salsa verde sauce made with cream cheese. It’s a budget-friendly, kid-approved weeknight dinner that comes together in minutes with simple ingredients.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours (low) or 2 hours (high)
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes (low) or 2 hours 5 minutes (high)
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3–4 medium breasts)
- 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa verde
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Cooked rice or warm tortillas (for serving, optional)
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish, optional)
- Lime wedges (for serving, optional)
- Shredded cheese or sour cream (for serving, optional)
Instructions
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Place them in the bottom of your slow cooker in a single layer.
- Pour the entire jar of salsa verde over the chicken. Sprinkle the garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper evenly on top. Do not stir.
- Place the cubed cream cheese directly on top of the chicken and salsa. Do not stir.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F internally and shreds easily.
- Carefully remove the lid. Use two forks to shred the chicken right in the slow cooker.
- Stir everything until the cream cheese is fully incorporated and the sauce is smooth and creamy. If the sauce is too thin, leave the lid off for 10-15 minutes on the warm setting to reduce.
- Serve immediately over rice, in tortillas, or in bowls. Garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lime if desired.
Notes
For best results, use full-fat cream cheese and soften it to room temperature before adding. Do not open the lid during cooking. If using frozen chicken, add about 1 hour to cook time. For a dairy-free version, use dairy-free cream cheese and check salsa verde for dairy additives.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (without r
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 34
Keywords: crockpot, salsa verde chicken, creamy chicken, slow cooker, kid-friendly, easy dinner, weeknight meal