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You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Slow Cooker Chili Lime Pulled Chicken

Slow Cooker Chili Lime Pulled Chicken

Published: August 23, 2019 | By: Jordan

1.3K shares

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The juiciest Chili Lime Pulled Chicken recipe is made in a slow cooker, so you can set it and forget it! Great for sandwiches, rice bowls, or by itself.

pulled chicken on a white plate with carrots and a black fork

It’s no secret, slow cooker recipes are the best, and such a classic. The Instant Pot is great and all, but there’s something about being able to set my slow cooker and forget about it for 2 hours that I love.

Slow cookers are the best for comfort foods like crockpot bbq chicken, pot roasts, or buffalo chicken dip.

I also really enjoy being able to cook a meal without having to stand over it in the kitchen for 30-60 minutes. If you have a programmable slow cooker you won’t need to worry about overcooking the chicken because it automatically switches over to “warm” when the timer is up.

ingredients for slow cooker pulled chicken

My boyfriend often works late during the week and comes home starving. I’m usually too tired to cook anything for him by the time he gets home, so I’m all about having something prepped in the refrigerator that he can easily heat up.

Having this slow cooker pulled chicken prepped is a lifesaver when you’re short on time and is so easy to add to soups, rice bowls, or quick sandwiches.

grilled chicken breasts in a cast iron pan

Tips for making slow cooker chicken

  • Don’t overcook it! You might be tempted to leave it in longer so it gets “juicer” but this isn’t the case. If you cook the chicken too long it will dry out and lose most of it’s flavor. Yuck!
  • Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. There’s no reason to make a recipe any harder on yourself. Using boneless, skinless chicken breasts means you won’t have to go digging through the meat to pick out bones. You can also use chicken thighs if you prefer those.
  • Use a seasoning mix. If you don’t want to make your own seasoning at home, this one is great.
  • Use a cast iron grill pan. If you want restaurant quality sear marks on your chicken, you need this cast iron!
slow cooker chicken with onions and limes in a slow cooker

How to make slow cooker pulled chicken

  • Season the chicken with paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. 
  • Sear the chicken in a heavy bottom pan, like a cast iron, on medium-high heat. This step isn’t 100% necessary but it will help lock in the moisture and give the chicken a nice smoky taste.
  • Line the slow cooker with onion slices. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and top with lime zest and juice. Cook on high for 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can adjust the cooking time to 4-5 hours on low.
  • When chicken is ready, remove from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Place the chicken back in the slow cooker with juices, and cook on low for an additional 15-20 minutes.
slow cooker pulled chicken in a glass bowl with limes and cilantro

How to shred chicken

I like to remove the chicken from the slow cooker, shred it on a plate, and then toss it back in the slow cooker with the juices. If you prefer leaving it in the slow cooker, you can shred it in there too. Just take two forks and pull the chicken apart until it’s in thin shredded pieces.

slow cooker chicken with onions and limes in a slow cooker

What to eat with slow cooker chicken

This recipe calls for 2 boneless chicken breasts, which for me is about 1 pound of chicken. After shredding, it usually produces about 3 cups of pulled chicken.

You can portion it however you like, but I usually save about 1 cup in a one of my bpa free glass meal prep containers.

This Chili Lime Pulled Chicken is perfect for sandwiches, meal preps, salads, and even by itself. If you’re using it for meal prep, check out this Chili Lime Pulled Chicken Bowl Meal Prep recipe!

Slow cooker shredded chili lime chicken bowl meal prep

Or you can serve it over Cilantro Lime Farro and with a side of roasted carrots.

pulled chicken on a plate with rice and carrots

This recipe takes 10 minutes to prep and only uses four ingredients. Clean up is quick and easy, and this pulled chicken is something the whole family will love.

Other slow cooker recipes you might like

  • Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
  • Pulled Pork Tacos
  • Chili Lime Pulled Chicken Bowl Meal Prep
  • Pesto Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes With Crispy Quinoa
  • Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas
  • Slow Cooker Carnitas Tater Tot Nachos

Want to try this Slow Cooker Chili Lime Pulled Chicken?

PIN IT to your chicken, dinner, or slow cooker recipes board to save it for later!
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slow cooker chicken pinterest long pin

Did you make this recipe? Post a photo on Instagram and tag me @JZEATS or #JZEATS so I can see what you’ve made! Leave a comment or recipe rating below and let me know what you think, too! It makes me so happy to hear from you.‚

slow cooker pulled chicken in a glass bowl with limes and cilantro
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5 from 2 votes

Slow Cooker Chili Lime Pulled Chicken

The juiciest Chili Lime Pulled Chicken recipe is made in a slow cooker, so you can set it and forget it! Great for sandwiches, rice bowls, or by itself.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Total Time2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chicken, pulled chicken, Slow cooker
Servings: 4
Calories: 128kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark
Author: Jordan

Equipment

  • Slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 limes, juice of both, zest of 1
  • 1 white or yellow onion, sliced into 1 inch rounds
  • 1 tablespoon paprika, sweet not smoked
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • olive oil, for cooking

Instructions

  • Heat a heavy bottom pan, like a cast iron, on medium-high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. **Searing the chicken is OPTIONAL, but it does help to lock in moisture and will speed up cook time**
  • Combine the paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder in a small mixing bowl. Then add the seasoning mixture to the chicken evenly on both sides.
  • Sear the chicken on each side for 1-2 minutes. Then line the bottom of the slow cooker with the onion. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and top with lime zest and juice, cook on high for 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can cook it on low for 4-5 hours.
  • When chicken is ready, remove from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Place the chicken back in the slow cooker with juices, and cook on low for an additional 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker with tongs or a slotted spoon and serve!

Notes

*For more flavor, try seasoning and then searing the chicken breasts in a cast iron for 2-3 minutes on each side before placing in the slow cooker

Nutrition

Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1446IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
Tried this recipe?I’d love to see your dish, mention @jzeats or tag #jzeats!
1.3K shares

Published: August 23, 2019 Filed Under: Chicken, Main Dishes, Meal Prep That Doesn't Suck, Slow Cooker Recipes Tagged With: Cheap Eats, chili, healthy, lime, pulled chicken

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  1. mistimaan

    August 31, 2017 at 12:56 pm

    Very tasty recipe 🙂

    Reply

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