Crock pot chicken baked tacos — tender slow-cooked spiced chicken layered with refried beans and cheese in crisp shells, finished with guacamole and sour cream drizzles.
These crock pot chicken baked tacos are a fuss-free crowd-pleaser — tangy slow-cooked shredded chicken layered with refried beans and cheese in crisp shells, baked until bubbling. Drizzled with guacamole and soured cream, they're a fun, hands-off feast.
Prep 20 min
Cook 255 min
Total 275 min
Easy
- 4 - 6 Chicken Breasts
- 1 bottle Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1½ tablespoon Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic
- 1 can Refried Beans
- 12 Hard Taco Shells
- 2 cups Shredded Mexican Cheese
- Halved Grape Tomatoes
- Sliced and Seeded Jalapeno
- Peeled and Sliced Avocado
- 2 tablespoons Green Salsa
- 3 tablespoons Sour Cream
- 1 tablespoon Milk
Video
Preparation
- Put the uncooked chicken breasts in the crock pot, pour over the full bottle of dressing, sprinkle over the cumin, smoked paprika and garlic, and mix in a bit with a spoon.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
- Remove the chicken and let it cool, then shred it into a glass bowl and pour most of the cooking liquid back over it.
- For the guacamole sauce, mix the avocado and green salsa together, then pass through a strainer until smooth and transfer to a squeeze bottle (widen the opening if needed).
- For the sour cream sauce, mix the sour cream and milk together until pourable, and transfer to a squeeze bottle.
- In a 9x13 glass baking dish, fill all 12 taco shells with a layer of refried beans, the chicken and shredded cheese.
- Bake at 450°F for 10–15 minutes, just until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Top with the grape tomatoes, jalapeño and cilantro, then finish with a drizzle of guacamole and sour cream.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Let the slow cooker do the work — the chicken shreds effortlessly after a few hours.
- Spoon some cooking liquid back over the shredded chicken so it stays juicy.
- Stand the shells in a baking dish so they hold their shape while filling.
- Squeeze-bottle drizzles of guac and soured cream make for a fun, tidy finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — simmer the seasoned chicken in the dressing until tender, then shred; the slow cooker is just hands-off.
Yes — the shredded chicken keeps for a few days; assemble and bake the tacos fresh to keep the shells crisp.
Tomatoes, jalapeños, coriander, avocado, soured cream and salsa all finish them beautifully.
