Recipe Review: Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

I absolutely adore my slow cooker. What else is easier than dumping in some ingredients, turning it on, and then a few hours later.... dinner is done! This recipe seriously couldn't be easier. And it's SO GOOD!  I found the recipe on Pinterest, and the original source can be found here.

I modified my recipe slightly, but the original recipe calls for:

• 24 oz jar salsa
• juice from 1 lime
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1.25 oz package of taco seasoning
• 2 jalapeno peppers chopped (optional)
• 6 chicken breasts

I only had an 18 oz jar of salsa, so I mixed that with a can of crushed tomatoes and added an extra half packet (that I already had opened) of taco seasoning. Stir this together with the lime juice, cilantro and jalapenos. I omitted the cilantro, since my husband doesn't like it. I also did not add the jalapeno so the kids would be able to eat it as well.

Once mixed, I layered the salsa mixture and the chicken into the slow cooker.

I covered and cooked the chicken on low for about 5 1/2 hours. The last hour I uncovered and turned on high. The salsa mixture was a little watery so I wanted some of the liquid to cook out. It turned out great. The chicken was so tender it literally fell apart as I was removing it from the slow cooker.

As a side dish, I prepared some rice with taco seasoning. I chopped and sauteed some green, yellow and red bell peppers to add in.

I served mine with some sliced avocado and sour cream. It was delicious!

Enjoy!

Recipe Review: Slow-Cooker Barbecue Chicken

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This was my first attempt at a slow-cooker meal by myself. I consider myself to be a pretty good cook, but was wanting to branch out and try new recipes. I had a brand new slow-cooker that I received as a wedding gift a few years ago and decided to pick a simple recipe for my first attempt with it. My husband is a very picky eater and neither one of us particularly likes meat, with the exception of chicken. I figured this was a good recipe to try since it's not a typical chicken recipe, but more mimics a pulled pork sandwich (which neither one of us would ever eat). I have to say both my husband and I were very pleased with this one. It was SUPER easy to make and came out great. The original recipe can be found above but I modified mine slightly:

• 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I cut mine in half to fit better into the bottom of the slow cooker)
• 1 cup Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce
• 1/4 cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing & Marinade
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine barbecue sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce.
2. Arrange chicken in bottom of slow cooker, cover with sauce.
3. Cook on low for approximately 5 hours or until done.
4. Remove chicken to cutting board or plate. Shred with forks.
5. Return Chicken to slow-cooker and combine with sauce.
6. Serve on bread of your choice.

I served mine on toasted Kaiser rolls. The recipe calls for the chicken to be cooked for 5 hours, however mine was done after about 3 1/2. This was probably because my slow-cooker was brand new. I also did not add the cornstarch and chicken broth at the end that the original recipe called for. Mine turned out fine without it but I would assume the cornstarch would simply thicken up the sauce. Super easy, super quick and super delicious!