Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup recipe

I originally shared this recipe in September 2011. but this Chicken Taco Soup still a favorite in our house, so I’m sharing it again as part of our soup and salad series! 

This is an incredibly easy recipe.  I like it for a few reasons – you can have everything in your stockpile ready to go, it takes about 10 minutes to make AND it freezes great for future meals. I’ve also found it is incredibly forgiving. I use whatever I have and it always tastes great.

INGREDIENTS
Based on a six-quart slow cooker. If your slow cooker is smaller, add less. As with most of my recipes – add more of what you like and less of what you don’t. 

1 pound of whole chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry. I’ve put them in frozen before (just make sure to cook long enough to cook through)

6 cans of Rotel canned tomatoes

3 cans of black beans – I like to add a lot of beans because it makes it hearty without a lot of fat or calories.

1 can of green chiles – If you don’t have these, don’t worry about it

1-2 cups of corn – I used frozen because that’s what I had on hand

2 cups of chicken stock
 Make your own chicken stock

2 packets of taco seasoning (or add to taste)
You can buy this in bulk at Winco or your local co-op.

Optional  – Spanish Rice – cooked and ready to go
Optional – You can add your cheddar cheese during the cooking process. It definitely makes it creamier.

DIRECTIONS

1.) Turn slow cooker/crock pot on high. For me that’s the four-hour setting

2.) Put your chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot. Put them in whole. I’ve even put them in frozen before.

3.) Pour ALL the other ingredients on top of the chicken.

4.) Cook on high until chicken is cooked. Once it’s cooked, pull chicken breasts out and put on cutting board. Using two forks, shred the cooked chicken breasts and add the chicken back to the soup.

5.) Once shredded chicken is added back to slow cooker you can simmer on low until you’re ready to eat.

6.) Garnish with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, tortilla chips, cilantro – whatever you like!

**If you like an even heartier soup, make up a box of Spanish Rice (like Zatarain’s or Near East) and add to the soup near the end of the cooking time. You may need to add more chicken broth as the rice will soak up some of the liquid.

A few things to note:

• The Rotel tomatoes can be spicy. If you prefer less spice, just use regular canned diced tomatoes.
• I like to use my food saver and freeze the soup in lunch size portions for my husband to take to work.