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.
Add the chicken thighs, mix so that the thighs are coated in the Mexican spiced tomato sauce.
Cover your crockpot with the lid and turn on:Low: 6-8 hoursHigh: 4 hours
Use forks to shred cooked chicken. Taste the shredded then season with salt and pepper.
Serve with corn tortillas and your favourite nacho toppings.
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.
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.
Tips 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.