My Crock Pot spicy queso chicken features tender chicken breasts cooked low and slow in creamy queso, spicy green chili sauce, onions, and jalapeños for an easy meal that's packed with cheesy Tex-Mex flavor.
This recipe is incredibly simple to throw together and works perfectly for busy weeknights, game day gatherings, taco nights, or meal prep. Serve it over this Instant Pot white rice, stuff it into tacos, or pile it onto these loaded chicken nachos for a dinner everyone will love.
If you love easy comfort food recipes like this one, be sure to check out my other reader-favorites, like these sheet pan sausage green beans and potatoes, Crock Pot boneless pork loin, and Southwest rotisserie chicken tacos.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super easy slow cooker dinner
- Packed with cheesy flavor
- Perfect balance of creamy and spicy
- Great for tacos, burritos, bowls, and nachos
- Minimal prep work
- Makes delicious leftovers
- Freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prep
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
- Chicken Breasts: Cook low and slow until super-tender and easy to shred.
- Salsa con Queso: The creamy, cheesy base that makes the dish rich, comforting, and full of flavor without much effort.
- Chili Sauce: Adds smoky green chile flavor and a little tangy heat that keeps the queso from feeling too heavy.
- Jalapeno: Adds fresh heat and a little extra kick to the dish.
- Slap Ya Mama, Garlic Powder & Red Pepper Flakes: Give the dish a Cajun-style flavor with a little extra warmth to balance out the creamy queso.
Variations
- Extra Cheesy: Stir in shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack cheese before serving.
- Add Beans or Corn: Black beans or corn make great additions and help stretch the recipe even further. You can even add both!
- Mild: Omit the jalapenos and red pepper flakes for a mild version.
- Change the Protein: Try making this with leftover oven-baked beef brisket or Dutch oven pulled pork.
- Rotisserie Chicken: Use rotisserie chicken to cut the cooking time down drastically while still keeping tons of delicious flavor.
- A Great Recipe Addition: Use this chicken queso in tacos, burritos, rice bowls, nachos, chicken quesadillas, or loaded baked potatoes.
How to Make Crock Pot Spicy Queso Chicken
Step 1: Add the chicken and seasonings to the Crock Pot. Then, add the jalapenos and sauces.
Step 2: Cook on low or high until the chicken is super tender. Shred the chicken and mix it back into the sauce. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the cooking spray. You don’t want the cheesy sauce to burn.
- Add the onions to the bottom of the slow cooker so they get super soft.
- You can cook the dish on high or low, but low yields the best flavor.
Crock Pot Spicy Queso Chicken FAQs
Absolutely. Boneless skinless chicken thighs work great and stay extra juicy in the slow cooker.
Queso chicken will stay fresh for up to 3 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
Yes, you can. Cool the dish completely, then freeze it for up to 2 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
You can microwave individual portions until heated through or cook on low heat in a saucepan.
Great Pairings for This Slow Cooker Queso Chicken
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Crock Pot Spicy Queso Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 15.5 ounce salsa con queso, (we used On The Border)
- 12 ounce hatch valley salsa, green chili
Instructions
- Spray a 6-8 quart crockpot with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add diced onions to the bottom.
- Place chicken breasts on top of the onions.
- Next, sprinkle all of the seasonings over the chicken.
- Add diced jalapenos, followed by the queso and then pour the green salsa.
- Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
Notes
- Don’t skip the cooking spray. You don’t want the cheesy sauce to burn.
- Add the onions to the bottom of the slow cooker so they get super soft.
- You can cook the dish on high or low, but low yields the best flavor.
Nutrition
It doesn’t get much easier than this! Great meal and super comforting!
Tried this recipe yesterday and it was incredibly easy. The spicy queso sauce made everything taste rich and comforting!
I tossed this into the slow cooker and it’s the ultimate hands-off comfort food. The chicken got so tender it just shredded apart right in the pot, and that cheesy, spicy queso sauce has the best kick. We ended up piling it over rice, but it’d be amazing for taco night, too.
I cut up refrigerated biscuit dough and made a sort of cheesy, spicy chicken and dumplings situation. It was good!
I put this over mashed potatoes, and we loved it. Rice will be next, and then, I’m thinking maybe doing biscuits!