Crock-Pot Pulled Chicken Taco Meat

Step 1

Remove the skin from the chicken thighs. You can keep the skin on the chicken thighs; however, the end result will be very oily meat. It's important to keep the bones in the thighs to keep the meat from drying out. Wash and dry the chicken thighs.

Step 2

Place the chicken thighs in the base of a crock-pot. In a small bowl, whisk together the spices: chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and salt. Using your hands, rub the spices over the chicken, covering both sides of the chicken. If you're using 6 chicken thighs, you may not have enough spice to cover both sides--that's okay.

Step 3

Mince the garlic over the top of the chicken, and then pour the lime juice in the base of the crock-pot (or juice the limes directly into the crock-pot). I like to pour some of the juice over the chicken and some off to the side. Just enough to get the top of the chicken moist, but not enough to wash away the spices.

Step 4

Turn on the crock-pot: 4 hours on high (the chicken is usually done in 3 hours, but I find that 4 hours is easier to shred--so you're welcome to check on the chicken at the 3 hour mark) OR 6-7 hours on low. The cooking time may vary with each crock-pot, and the time required will also depend on the size of the thighs and how many you use. The times recommended are based on 4 chicken thighs and my crock-pot.

Step 5

Once the chicken easily pulls away from the bones, shred the chicken with two forks. Remove the bones. The bones may be discarded or washed and used for homemade broth. Serve the taco meat over a taco salad, tortilla chips, or warm tortillas. I like to top the chicken taco meat with Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw.