Chicken and Bean Taco Salad - In The Crockpot

My original plan for dinner was to make my family's favorite chicken burritos, but on a whim, I decided to turn the filling mixture into a quick and easy version of taco salad. It turned out great and I'm sure I'll do it again. I've always used beef for a taco salad in the past and this was a tasty change.

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
16-24 oz Salsa
1.5 cups cooked pinto beans, or 1 can, Ranch beans would be delicious here too
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Baby carrots, slivered lengthwise
Cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded and chopped (yes, I am that particular about my cukes)
Tomatoes, chopped
White corn tortilla chips
Ranch dressing, optional
Cheddar cheese, shredded

Place the chicken in the crockpot and pour about a cup of salsa over it. Cook on high (approx 3-4 hours) until you can shred the chicken easily with tongs or a couple of forks. Frozen chicken works fine for this, just watch the cooking time as it will take longer to cook.

Once the chicken is soft enough to shred, shred it in the crockpot. It should absorb the juices and salsa from the crockpot. Add another cup or so of salsa and continue shredding tossing the mixture until that is almost completely absorbed. I usually add the salsa a bit at a time until it stops absorbing it. I rarely measure the amount.

Add the beans, and toss with the chicken. Layer the chips, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots on plates and then top with the chicken and bean mixture. Add additional salsa (or ranch dressing) if desired. Top with shredded cheese. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe