Chicken Ranch Tacos

This is a super easy family favorite.

Three ingredients:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 packet or 1/4 cup of your favorite taco seasoning

1 packet or three Tablespoons of your favorite dry ranch seasoning

if desired up to 1 cup of water or chicken broth

(if using an Instant Pot definitely include 1 cup of water or broth)

I always spray my pan with oil for easier clean-up.

Place all ingredients in a 4 qt. slow cooker.

For a slow cooker:

Cook 3-4 hours on high

or

6-8 hours on low

For an Instant Pot:

30 min on manual

For the Slow Cooker:

If I'm home I like to turn the chicken over half-way through cooking.

It's not necessary.

After cooking shred your chicken.

The easiest and quickest way to do this is with a stand up mixer.

After it is shredded, place the chicken back in the slow cooker.

Don't over shred!

Mix thoroughly in the sauce.

You can also make it in a frying pan or with leftover rotisserie chicken.

We like our tacos on a flour shell with warmed refried beans, avocado, salsa, and cheese.

You might also like onions, tomatoes, sour cream, peppers and/or a corn tortilla.

Fold in half or burrito style.

My girls love these tacos, and it is something they can make themselves.

If you liked this post, you might also like these yummy slow cooker recipes:

Slow Cooker Forbidden Chicken

Slow Cooker Ham and Cabbage

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops

Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Chicken

Slow Cooker Boiled Peanuts

Slow Cooker Buffalo Ranch Chicken

Buffalo Ranch Chicken

 This is a super easy crowd pleasing family favorite.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast

a packet of your favorite dry ranch dressing mix

a bottle of your favorite hot wing sauce.

Cook your Chicken in the slow cooker alone for two hours or until cooked through.

or

In an Instant pot with a cup of water or broth for 10 mins.

Then, drain water.

In your slow cooker add sauce and dressing mix, cook and additional hour.

In your Instant Pot bring to a boil on Saute.

Serve over rice, on a bun, or shredded in a sandwich.

Goes great with a side of celery and blue cheese or ranch dressing!

If your really lazy, you can add all the ingredients together at the beginning, but it will be way more watery.

Enjoy!

If you liked this recipe, you might also like:
Buffalo wings in a slow cooker or Instant Pot


Creamy Ranch Pork Chops

Italian Chicken

This is one of those recipes, that has been passed around so many times, that everyone that lives in my State just knows how to make it by memory, from their childhood.  It is super easy, rich, and creamy.  A real comfort food.

Italian Chicken

3-5 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast or 9-15 Chicken Tenders

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup (any brand)

1 Packet Dry Italian Salad Dressing

1 8oz. Cream Cheese or 1/3 fat Cream Cheese

1/2-1 Cup Water

Some people add a little butter, I personally don't think it needs it. 

Additional Ingredients:

4 Cups Cooked Rice, Noodles, or Quinoa

(We like a 3/4 rice to 1/4 quinoa mix, to help with the texture of the quinoa)

Rolls or Bread

I always spray my 4 qt slow cooker, to help with clean up.

I usually put the chicken on the bottom to prevent the sauce from burning to it.
I ended up using my 6 qt. Slow Cooker, but recommend a 4 qt.  (If you use a larger slow cooker it will decrease cook time.)

Add remaining ingredients.  Some people hold off on the cream cheese until the last 30 mins., but I just throw it in at the beginning.

Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours 

After cooking, if you went with chicken breasts, remove chicken. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces or shred chicken.

The fastest and easiest way to shred chicken is in a stand-up mixer.

After the chicken is how you like it, return to the sauce and stir.  At this point you can serve it or I like to let it cook about 20 mins. longer.  The sauce just seems creamier and less lumpy when I do this.

Serve over Rice, Noodles, or Quinoa

We like ours over a 3/4 Jasmine Rice and 1/4 Red Quinoa mix.

My kids like to taste of Quinoa, but don't like the texture and size.

1 1/2 Cups Jasmine Rice or other Rice

1/2 Red Quinoa or White

Boil 4 Cups of water, add Jasmine Rice and Quinoa

Reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 min.

Remove from heat and let stand 5 min.

Fluff with fork and enjoy!

  You can hardly even feel or taste the difference from just plain rice.

Serve it up and enjoy!

Forbidden Chicken

This chicken dish is named after the rich black Forbidden Rice it is paired with.

Forbidden Chicken Slow Cooker

3 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 can of Rotel at your preferred spicy level or 2 cups salsa
1-2 4oz. can green chilies
1 can of your favorite black, kidney or pinto beans (drained)
 1 can or 2 cups fresh or frozen corn
 4-8 oz. water
 1-2 tsp. garlic
2 TB chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Additional:
4 cups cooked Forbidden rice
Cheese to top
Tortilla Chips

Garnish Optional Choices if desired:
Green Onions
Cilantro
Sour Cream
Fresh Diced Tomatoes 
Olives
Guacamole  

I always spray my slow cooker with cooking spray for easier cleanup, but it's optional.  Place chicken on bottom of slow cooker

I always rinse my beans in a colander to make sure they are good and rinsed.

Put all ingredients in crock pot and stir them together.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.

After cooking, remove and shred your chicken.   The easiest and fastest method I've found to shred chicken is in my stand up mixer.  The finer you want your chicken shredded the longer you'll want to mix it.  I personally like mine a little chunky, so I check it often during mixing.

Add the chicken back to the slow cooker and stir.

Top with cheese and serve over rice, bread, noodles or in a tortilla shell (but drain fluid if you choose a tortilla shell).

We like ours over Forbidden Rice (AKA Black Rice), but any rice will do.  If you've never tried Forbidden Rice, it tastes like brown rice, but is full of antioxidants and fiber. To learn more click here We found ours in the bulk bins of our local grocery store.  It is cooked the same as any other rice 2 cups of water to every one cup of 
rice, boil for 20 min., let sit for 5 min. fluff with fork and enjoy.

We like to scoop it up with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!