Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken

This slow cooker chicken recipe is a hit around here and even the kids go crazy over it. Lots of beans, corn and more come together to make this meal filling and delicious.  The crock pot does all the work and tastes wonderful from being slow cooked all day with simple pantry staples ingredients.

Santa Fe Chicken can be eaten so many different ways and that is why I fix it so much. You can shred the chicken or keep the chicken whole, it really is all in your preference. If you love this recipe, then you will love Mexican Shredded Chicken and Baked Mexican Chicken.

Why We Love Santa Fe Chicken

• Kid-Friendly – My kids love Santa Fe Chicken Recipe. They will even eat the beans that is in this recipe. I think they like it so much because they can either eat as a burrito bowl or as a burrito and I let them choose. It is even gluten-free and freezer friendly.
• Make it different ways – If I am short on time, I can make it in the skillet or the instant pot. But the crock pot is my favorite way to make this recipe.
• All Ingredients go in the Crock Pot – There is not separate bowl to mix ingredients, you can throw everything in the crock pot and it cooks perfectly.

Ingredients

• Chicken Breast – Feel free to use boneless chicken thighs
• Mild Green Chilies and Diced Tomatoes – We like using a can of Rotel
• Black Beans – You can substitute with pinto beans
• Sweet Corn – Can or Frozen Corn are great options
• Cilantro – If you do not like fresh cilantro you can leave it out
• Minced Garlic – Learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
• Taco Seasoning – Use store bought packet or make Taco Seasoning Recipe

For the full list of ingredients and recipe, scroll to the bottom to see the recipe card.

Variation Ideas

• Make is Creamier – If you like your Santa Fe Chicken creamier, add in some cream cheese.
• Change the Meat – You can use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast. You can also use chicken tenderloins. We usually whatever we have.
• Change the Beans – If you don’t like black beans, you can use pinto beans or kidney beans.
• Try Salsa – I have used salsa instead of rotel and it worked great.
• Grill Santa Fe Chicken – Put the ingredients in a foil pack and make Foil Pack Santa Fe Chicken. This is the perfect meal for when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen.
• Make a Salad – Top the Santa Fe Chicken on a some Romain Lettuce for a low carb option.
• Make it in the Instant Pot – Place ingredients in the instant pot for a quick meal idea.
• Add in a little spice – If you prefer that this recipe be spicier, then add in medium or hot rotel. We like the extra spice it gives without it being to much.
• Seasoning – For even more flavor, add in ½ teaspoon of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder or onion powder.

How to Make Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken

• Step 1 – Add all Ingredients – Mix lightly all the ingredients in a crock pot.

• Step 2 – Cook Ingredients – Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

• Step 3 – Remove Chicken and Place in bowl – Shred the season chicken breast and stir it back into the beans mixture.

• Step 4 – Serve and enjoy – Serve over a bed of rice or in a tortilla and enjoy. We even like to add chopped scallions and fresh lime juice when serving.

Expert Tips

• Shredding Chicken – You can use 2 forks to shred the chicken but I use a hand mixer to shred the chicken faster. It is so easy and one of my best time saving kitchen tips! I love the texture of the chicken when you use the hand mixer. One you have shredded the chicken this way, it is so quick and easy.
• Meal Prep – I like to double this recipe as it is perfect for leftovers. This is one of our favorite recipes to meal prep with. We place ingredients in a large bowl then divide. We put the Sante Fe chicken in a microwave and air tight dish with white, brown or cauliflower rice and you have a perfect lunch the next day.

How to Bake Santa Fe Chicken Casserole

We love baking Santa Fe Chicken in a casserole dish or 9-inch pie plate top. Once it is done cooking in the crock pot, dish into a casserole dish to make Santa Fe chicken casserole.

Place tortilla down in casserole dish then top with chicken mixture. Then cover with second tortilla remaining chicken mixture ¼ cup shredded cheese and remaining tortilla. Then top with tortilla and half the remaining cheese. Top with more cheese and bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted it is usually less than 30 minutes.

Spoon Santa Fe Chicken over rice for a complete meal.

What to Serve with Santa Fe Chicken

This meal is so versatile. You can enjoy this recipe lots of different ways.

• Serve it with Cornbread – You can serve it on cornbread and we have a fabulous cornbread recipe here. You are going to love how yummy this is together.
• Have it with Rice – We have served it over brown rice and that is one of our favorite ways to enjoy this chicken. Make this meal even easier by learning how to freeze rice. It is so nice to be able to grab the rice from the freezer and dinner really comes together quickly. We do this for lots of meals and it helps put together a quick meal.
• Serve it with Pasta – Another tasty idea is to use pasta. The creamy sauce and melty cheese taste amazing blended with the pasta. Yum!
• Make Tacos or Burritos – We have even served this delicious chicken mixture in tacos or burritos. It is so good and one of our favorite ways to eat this meal.
• Make Queso – We love chips and queso so anytime we make this Santa Fe Chicken recipe, I always make queso and salsa.

How to Use Leftovers

If you have leftover Santa Fe Chicken here are some of our favorite ways to use them. My family is always surprised that this is actually leftovers, because I really try and change it up.

• Make a Burrito – This Santa Fe Chicken ingredients make a great burrito or a quesadilla. We love to heat the tortilla on the stove to get it a little crispy and roll up the ingredients and top with cheese.
• Add Chicken Broth – Adding chicken broth to make a soup is one of my favorite ways to eat Santa Fe Chicken a second time. We love to top with tortilla chips and chips on a cold day.
• Mix in Vegetables – When I make this a second time, I will add in some chopped zucchini and diced green peppers for a change. I can usually hide these extra vegetables from the kids.
• Burrito Bowls – We love making burrito bowls with this chicken recipe. We add rice and top with cilantro and cheese. It mixes well together to make the best leftover meal.