Tacos, in a general sense, are easily one of my top five favorite foods. Sadly, chicken tacos are not. I tend to find chicken tacos to be too dry and bland, but this easy shredded chicken tacos recipe changes everything I ever thought about them previously. The fact that these tacos are as easy to make as it is to use the stuff from a spice packet, I may never go back to other ones again. From start to finish, you can have a family-friendly, low fat dinner on the table in 30 minutes!  It’s perfect for a busy weeknight.  All you need is a food processor/blender and a really large bowl. (I am talking about a GI-NORMOUS bowl because the salsa recipe makes enough for a small army…) I typically have to make the salsa in batches because it makes waaaaaaay too much to fit nicely in my food processor.

I need to take a quick moment to thank my sister in laws for introducing me to the concept of poaching chicken in salsa. They have made a variation on this recipe in a slow cooker, but I needed to expedite things one evening and realized the method below worked just as well. (Thanks Janel and Tami!) Also, I need to give a massive shout-out to the lovely Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, for the salsa recipe. My Mexican style meals have been forever changed because of her incredible Restaurant Style Salsa recipe.

Now get yourself to the grocery store and then into the kitchen to make the most flavorful and easy shredded chicken tacos ever. You can thank me later. Oh and you will have tons of leftover salsa, so make sure you have a bag of tortilla chips nearby to assist with consumption!

Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos in Salsa

Makes 4-6 soft tacos

Ingredients for the Salsa (very slightly adapted from the Pioneer Woman’s Restaurant Style Salsa)

• ½ medium onion, cut into 4 pieces
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno, cut in half, quartered, stem removed
• 1 can whole tomatoes with juice (28 ounces)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies (10 ounces each)
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt (you can add more to taste)
• ½ cup cilantro (approximately one handful – you can add more to taste)
• 1 ounce lime juice (you can add more to taste)

Ingredients for the Tacos

• 2 cups salsa (you can use premade, but please use the recipe included – it’s so good!)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 6 flour soft tacos size tortillas
• Suggested taco garnishes: Sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, avocado, black olives, cilantro, green onions, hot sauce

Instructions for the Salsa:

Note: As the Pioneer Woman recommends, you will need to make the salsa in batches, unless you have a 12 cup food processor. If you don’t have a large capacity food processor/blender, just dump your processed batches into a massive bowl as needed and stir to incorporate each new batch as you move through the recipe.

• Put the onion, jalapeno, and garlic into your food processor/blender. Pulse until everything is chopped up pretty evenly.
• Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until you get the consistency you want for your salsa. (I tend to like my salsa fairly smooth, so I pulse a lot.) Note: If you are making this in batches, add the whole tomatoes to the processor/blender first and pulse to desired consistency. Dump them into a bowl. Then process the diced tomatoes (one can at a time, if needed) together with the spices, cilantro and lime juice. Add to the bowl and stir really well.
• Taste test for flavor and add seasoning accordingly.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Instructions for the Shredded Chicken:

• Pour two cups of salsa into a medium, heavy bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Once the salsa is boiling, put the chicken breasts into the pot. Make sure the chicken is fully immersed in the salsa and completely covered. (Add additional salsa if needed to ensure even coverage.) Return to a boil, lower heat to medium low, and cover. Allow the chicken to cook for approximately 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

• When the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat and let cool for a few minutes so you don’t burn yourself. Do not drain off the salsa! Once it has cooled slightly, shred the chicken in the salsa using 2 forks. After the chicken is thoroughly shredded, stir well to thoroughly incorporate the meat in the salsa.  It may be a little runny.

• To serve, scoop out the desired amount of chicken with a fork and gently press it against the side of the pot to release some of the extra liquid.  Serve the chicken in soft flour tortillas with your favorite taco garnishes. I personally recommend lots of grated cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, avocado, sour cream, black olives, cilantro and hot sauce (but that’s just me!).