Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe

This Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken is the perfect, no-fail dinner recipe for any night of the week. Tender, spicy chicken is slow-cooked in a zingy cilantro lime sauce that will leave you singing! It’s an easy slow cooker recipe with the most minimal prep, so less effort and clean-up for you! Winner, winner!

Updated: February 2019 and October 2024

Why This Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe Works

• Shred the chicken and use it for cilantro lime chicken tacos or a nacho topping.
• 10 minutes of prep, your slow cooker does the heavy lifting and dinner is DONE.
• I’ve never tasted more tender, fall-apart chicken in all my life.
• We make this recipe ALL the time and it never fails. Ever.
• Great recipe if you’re wanting leftovers throughout the week, and can be used in a variety of ways. It doesn’t get old.
• It’s versatile! Eat with rice and black beans, potatoes or pasta OR…
• Shred the chicken and use it for cilantro lime chicken tacos or a nacho topping.

You know those fantastically easy dinner recipes that never fail? This delicious Cilantro Lime Chicken made in the slow cooker is one of those recipes for me. This easy meal takes almost no time to prep and my crock pot does all the work!

The end result is a spicy, flavorful meal with the most tender chicken I have ever eaten. Like “no knife required” tender! And the cilantro, jalapeno, lime sauce is so flavorful you’ll want to eat it with a spoon.

Add this delicious dinner recipe to your meal rotation once, and I promise you’ll keep it around. It just doesn’t get old! It’s also great for busy weeknights, meal prep or leftovers. Trust me, this tender cilantro lime chicken has been tried and tested approximately 9,001 times in our home and always to rave reviews.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Ingredients

Use fresh ingredients for the best tasting results to your recipe.

Salsa – The spice level of the salsa determines the spiciness of the dish. Go mild or super spicy!

Lime – Use fresh lime juice only (the plastic fake limes should be banned from existence).

Cilantro – You can’t go wrong with adding as much cilantro as you’d like. It IS the star of the show, after all.

Taco seasoning – Use your favorite brand OR make your own homemade taco seasoning!

Jalapeno peppers – Definitely optional, but if you enjoy a spicy meal go for it with the jalapenos!

Boneless skinless chicken breasts – Thaw completely and trim any excess fat before adding to the slow cooker.

How to Make Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken

This simple recipe couldn’t be easier to make. Just put everything in the crockpot and let it do all the work.

Step 1

In a slow cooker, mix together the salsa, lime juice, cilantro, taco seasoning and jalapenos (if using). Add the chicken and coat with the salsa mixture.

Step 2

Cook on Low heat for 6 hours, or on High heat for 3-4 hours. 

Serve cilantro chicken with rice and with salsa mixture spooned over top, or shred the chicken and use it as a taco filling!

Recipe Notes

• Grate some lime zest over the top of the meal just before serving it. I love the burst of fresh flavor this tiny little step adds!
• The delicious sauce in this recipe can also be used as a chicken marinade if you would rather grill chicken. Marinate the chicken for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Cook for 6 minutes on each side, or until breasts are cooked to an internal temperature of 165° in the centers.
• If you want to know exactly what is inside your taco seasoning, make your own!
• For a creamy cilantro lime sauce, add 1/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt to the sauce mixture before cooking.
• Shred chicken to use for tacos or nachos.
• Cut the chicken breasts into large bite size chunks and add the pieces to the slow cooker rather than adding whole breasts so the meat will be ready to eat when time is up!
• Use less spicy peppers or omit them all together.

How to Make This Recipe Less Spicy

You can make this slow cooker cilantro lime chicken recipe less spicy in a few different ways.

The first is to make sure your jalapenos are completely seeded. There’s a lot of heat in those little seeds.

Another option is to switch out the jalapeno peppers for something less spicy. You can use cherry peppers, anaheims, or poblanos, for example. For no heat peppers, I’d recommend mini bell peppers (also called lunchbox peppers), shishito peppers, or regular bell peppers.

What To Do With Cilantro

Cilantro is a tremendously piquant herb that is either loved or loathed. Personally, I love its fresh taste and zip and add it to all sorts of dishes. Here are just a few great ways to use fresh cilantro.

• Add the leaves to salad dressings or to the salad itself
• Add it to your salsa or guacamole
• Make cilantro lime rice or quinoa
• Make chimichurri sauce or pesto
• Add it to corn chowder or other soups
• Add some to your morning eggs or smoothie
• Top other chicken or fish recipes with some chopped cilantro leaves

How To Serve Cilantro Lime Chicken

• Serve it along with white or brown rice, cilantro lime rice, or Spanish rice
• Serve it with taco-seasoned roasted potatoes or with some creamy pasta
• Add it to rice bowls with loads of your favorite toppings and some flour tortillas (think: Chipotle burrito bowls copycat)
• Use shredded chicken as taco filling or nacho topping or just with some guac and chips
• Add this flavor-filled chicken to salads or protein bowls

How to Store Leftover Chicken in the Refrigerator

After the chicken has cooled completely, you can refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

Turn Cilantro Lime Chicken Into a Freezer Meal    

Cook the recipe as directed, let cool completely, then add to an airtight container or freezer bag, date, and freeze for up to 6 months.

More Chicken Recipes

Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Parmesan Stromboli
Chicken Enchilada Bake
Pineapple Barbecue Chicken

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