Description
Hearty fiesta chicken delivers Mexican-inspired comfort with minimal prep work. Slow-simmered spices and tender chicken create a satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 8 oz (226 g) block plain cream cheese
- 1 10 oz (283 g) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies (do not drain)
- 1 15 oz (425 g) can whole kernel corn (drained)
- 1 15 oz (425 g) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 2 fresh squeezed limes
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 dry ranch dressing packet
Instructions
- Preparation: Arrange chicken breasts uniformly across the slow cooker base, establishing a foundational layer for subsequent ingredients.
- Ingredient Layering: Distribute black beans, corn, and Rotel tomatoes evenly over the chicken, ensuring comprehensive ingredient coverage and balanced flavor distribution.
- Seasoning Infusion: Sprinkle onion powder, ranch seasoning, and black pepper across the mixture, creating a robust and aromatic flavor profile that permeates the entire dish.
- Moisture Enhancement: Drizzle lime juice over the ingredients, introducing a bright, citrusy dimension that will tenderize and elevate the overall taste experience.
- Liquid Integration: Gently pour chicken broth around the components, maintaining the structural integrity of the layered ingredients while providing essential cooking liquid.
- Cream Cheese Incorporation: Position the cream cheese block atop the mixture, allowing it to gradually melt and harmonize with the other ingredients during the cooking process.
- Slow Cooking Process: Cover and cook on high temperature for 3-4 hours or low temperature for 5-6 hours, ensuring thorough and consistent culinary transformation.
- Meat Preparation: Confirm chicken’s doneness by verifying internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, then meticulously shred the meat using two forks into tender, succulent fragments.
- Final Blending: Reintroduce shredded chicken to the slow cooker, stirring continuously to integrate the meat with accumulated liquids and melted cream cheese, creating a cohesive, creamy consistency.
- Serving: Present the dish immediately while piping hot, offering a vibrant, comforting, and flavor-packed fiesta chicken meal.
Notes
- Prep Like a Pro: Layer ingredients carefully to ensure even cooking and maximum flavor distribution.
- Seasoning Secret: Don’t hold back on spices – they transform the dish from basic to extraordinary, creating depth and excitement.
- Texture Tip: Shred chicken while it’s hot for the most tender, easily blended results that melt in your mouth.
- Melt and Mix Magic: Allow cream cheese to fully incorporate, creating a luxuriously smooth sauce that binds all ingredients perfectly.
- Prep Time: 10min
- Cook Time: 5-6 hours
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg