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If you are on the hunt for the perfect family dinner for a busy weeknight, then let me introduce you to these Crockpot Chicken Nachos. With minimum prep it cooks while you are out and about doing ALL the other things.

Dinner plate of Crockpot Chicken nachos served on plate with nacho chips, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, mashed avocado and sour cream on top. Small bowls of nacho chips, avocado, lettuce, cherry tomatoes and sour cream on benchtop around dinner plate.

Ingredients you will need

Ingredients for crockpot chicken nachos with text overlay on bench top.

Ingredient Notes, Substitutes, & Alternatives

Garlic cloves: If you don't have fresh garlic this can be substituted for 2 teaspoons of jarred crushed garlic or ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Tomato puree: Tomato puree may be called pasta or crushed and sieved tomatoes. It is not as reduced as tomato paste. If you are using tomato paste you will need to use ¼ cup made up to 1 cup with water or chicken broth.
Cocoa powder: I know this may sound like an odd ingredient in a savoury dish, but the cocoa adds a real depth of flavor to this Mexican inspired dish.
Chilli flakes: Add as much or as little red pepper flakes chilli powder to suit your family's taste preferences.
Boneless Skinless Chicken thighs: I strongly recommend chicken thighs for this recipe, chicken breast does not make a great substitute as it cooks more quickly than chicken thighs and can become dry in this slow cooker recipe. You can use chicken thigh fillets with their bone in, you will just need to remove the bones while you are shredding the chicken.

Step-by-step instructions

Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my Crockpot Chicken Nacho recipe, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.

Table of Contents

Step one: Add the diced onion, crushed garlic, tomato puree all the spices, brown sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl of your crockpot. Stir until they are combined.

Diced onion, crushed garlic, tomato puree, spices, brown sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl of crockpot.

Step two: Add the chicken thighs, mix so that the thighs are coated in the Mexican spiced tomato sauce.

Chicken thighs added into diced onion, crushed garlic, tomato puree all the spices, brown sugar and cocoa powder in the bowl of crockpot.

Step three: Cover your crockpot with the lid and turn on:Low: 6-8 hoursHigh: 4 hours.

Step four Use forks to shred cooked chicken.

Taste then season your shredded chicken with salt and pepper.

Hands holding two forks in each hands shredding the chicken inside crockpot.

Step five: Serve with corn tortillas and your favourite nacho toppings.

Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

Here is how you can make these Crockpot Chicken Nachos perfectly every time!

To make prep even quicker I make up a bulk batch of Mexican Seasoning which I use to make a number of recipes including: Tortilla Casserole, Vegetarian Nachos and Mexican Pasta. You can also use your favourite store bought taco seasoning.
Don't be tempted to add more liquid: It can be very tempting to add more liquid to slow cooker recipes as the long cook times make it feel like the mix will get too dry. This is not the case however, as the cooking process is long and slow with a lid on, the liquid remains in the sauce and doesn't evaporate off as steam.
Think beyond nachos! This same recipe can be served with soft tortillas or wraps as chicken tacos, with rice or with a baked potato or sweet potato.
Serve with a mixture of toppings so that people can build their own bowl of nachos.
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Corn kernels
- Black beans
- Refried beans
- Roasted jalapeños
- Grated carrot
- Shredded/grated cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Chopped tomatoes
- Shredded lettuce or cabbage
- Avocado aioli
- Picked carrots
- Coriander/cilantro

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Dinner plate of Crockpot Chicken nachos served on plate with nacho chips. Small bowls of nacho chips, avocado, lettuce, cherry tomatoes and sour cream on benchtop around dinner plate.

How To Make This Recipe Suitable For Baby-Led-Weaning

This slow cooker chicken nacho recipe can be adapted for baby led weaning.
Remove your child's portion before seasoning with salt.
Skip the hard crunchy corn tortilla chips as these are a choking hazard. Instead serve the soft chicken with soft options such as: sweet potato, rice, avocado, shredded cheese.

If you tried this Crockpot Chicken Nachos recipe please leave a star rating and let me know how you go in the comments below. I love hearing from you!