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Slow Cooker Ranchero Chicken Recipe

August 26, 2013 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 18 Comments

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slow cooker ranchero chicken

Hey, hey back to school-ers!!! It is that time of year when the frenzy gets frenzier (more frenzied?) and the impossible task of getting dinner on the table is, well, impossible.

In an attempt to stay out of the drive through lane in the early evening, and to keep my children fed for lunch (my brain has a tendency of staying off before 8 am!), I had a little baking day on Saturday. This took me a little over an hour to pull together, if you don’t count the “load the slow cooker in the morning” part, which would only add a few minutes.

It’s all in the timing. Start the muffins baking…make up the meatballs and burgers while muffins are baking. Pull together the tacos and taquitos after that. Bada-bing, bada-boom. Now, I know I’ll survive at least the first week of school frenzy!

Here’s what I made…

  • Double batch blueberry muffins
  • Double batch Ranchero Chicken (recipe below)
  • 2 batches BBQ Meatballs
  • 2 meals worth of burgers
  • Lawnmower tacos
  • Oven Baked Beef Taquitos from Not Your Mother’s Make Ahead & Freeze Cookbook.

baking day

(Please pardon the iphone photo with terrible kitchen lighting!)

Anyone else “getting ahead of themself” by baking and freezing for the back to school busy season?!?

(Note: This is a doubled version…this chicken is perfect for enchiladas, Seven Layer Tostadas, soft tacos and hard tacos!)

And a video showing you just how easy this recipe is to put together!

 

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Slow Cooker Ranchero Chicken Recipe

This chicken is the best because you can serve it many different ways! Tacos, nachos, enchiladas, with rice, salad, etc.
Prep Time10 minutes minutes
Cook Time8 hours hours
Servings - 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
  • 3 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Whisk together the diced tomatoes with their juices and the tomato paste in the base of the slow cooker. Stir in the taco seasoning.
  • Add the chicken breast and thighs to sauce and spoon the sauce over the top. Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours.
  • Once cooked, pull apart the chicken with 2 forks and serve in tacos, on tostadas, or in enchiladas. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions on qualifying purchases. Reviews, opinions are my own.
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Filed Under: Budget Friendly Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Dairy Free Meal Ideas, Freezer Recipes and Freezer Meal Plans, Gluten Free Casein Free Soy Free Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Slow Cooker Recipes

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Comments

  1. Jeanne says

    August 26, 2013 at 8:55 pm

    I am going to ask a silly question…
    In this Recipe you specify
    1 lb. BS chicken breast
    1 lb. BS chicken thighs

    Does the BS mean the Brand of chicken you bought or is this meaning some thing else?
    Thanks for you help on this… I’d like to add how much I really enjoy all your time and sharing you do for us … your Recipe’s are Great!!!
    Jeanne

    Reply
    • Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says

      August 26, 2013 at 9:06 pm

      Thanks for asking Jeanne! I’ve updated the post…it means boneless, skinless. 🙂

      Erin

      Reply
  2. Ashley says

    August 26, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    Jeanne
    I think she means Boneless Skinless. I had to look at it a couple of times :).

    Reply
  3. Michele says

    August 26, 2013 at 9:23 pm

    Jeanne,
    BS will be boneless, skinless chicken.
    Happy cooking!

    Reply
  4. Jessica Fisher says

    August 27, 2013 at 12:17 am

    You’re a rockstar to pull that off in an hour. I bow.

    Reply
  5. Asta says

    August 27, 2013 at 7:04 am

    hey ya
    i just joined your site yesterday so im new, and this chicken sound YUMMIE so i have to try it but “homemade taco seasoning” have you got the recipe for that for me 🙂
    look forward to see more from you

    Reply
  6. anndei says

    August 27, 2013 at 7:49 am

    I found the homemade taco sesoning link for you: https://www.5dollardinners.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
    HTH

    Reply
  7. Jennifer says

    August 27, 2013 at 10:10 pm

    Today I made (with the kiddos’ help!) dry muffin mix for quick breakfasts and then we baked up some monster cookies and stuck them in the freezer for school lunch treats over the next few weeks. Tomorrow I plan on stirring up some no bake cookies and some carrot & zucchini cake batter. I find that if I do a couple things a day, we have a nice stock pile for the crazy that is the beginning of the school year. 🙂

    Reply
  8. Heather Black says

    September 17, 2013 at 8:54 pm

    This recipe mentions your homemade taco seasoning but I cannot find the recipe. Could you please post the recipe or a link to it? I love your recipes and your site and have been sharing it with my friends.

    Reply
  9. Lore says

    September 22, 2013 at 11:42 am

    I am going to add this to my cooking for a week file……I know we are going to use it

    Reply
  10. Emmaline says

    September 29, 2013 at 7:27 am

    Hi – great looking recipe! Do you find it freezes ok? And have you tried it with just thighs? (Sale at Costco this week, so that’s what I have!)

    Reply
  11. Rachel says

    October 16, 2013 at 3:50 pm

    I want! I want! I cannot wait to try this! Thanks for the recipe! By the way love your blog, so creative.

    Reply
  12. Megan Curtis says

    January 5, 2014 at 11:49 pm

    Do you freeze BEFORE you cook or after? Looks great! Thanks!

    Reply
  13. Whitney says

    January 12, 2014 at 11:50 pm

    Does the chicken need to be thawed before going into the crockpot? This and the cilantro chicken recipe look so delicious, I can’t wait to try them! My chicken is usually frozen, so being able to throw it in the crockpot without thawing would be lovely.

    Reply
  14. Sarah says

    July 12, 2014 at 10:36 pm

    Hats off to you getting this done in an hour! It would take me the whole hour just to do the meatballs!

    Reply
  15. Terri says

    February 10, 2015 at 7:44 pm

    I really like this recipe, i changed it up a little and added chili beans. Very yummy
    Can eat it like a soup or use for a texas style nachos, tacos, burritos. Very versatile and delicious!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. $5 Crockpot Dinners | Elizabeth's Finds says:
    September 22, 2014 at 10:00 am

    […] Slow Cooker Ranchero Chicken […]

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  2. Menu Plan Monday: 3/9/2015-3/15/2015 | Musings of a Mom… says:
    March 8, 2015 at 1:01 pm

    […] $5 Dinners Slow Cooker Ranchero Chicken, tortillas, corn […]

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