Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken
76 Comments Aug 27, 2020
Updated Apr 30, 2025
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This Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken recipe is sure to be a new family favorite, it features chicken, beans, corn, Rotel, and spicy ranch mix. Its dump-and-go prep and quick cooking time make it ideal for busy weeknights and weekends.
First of all, you will love this meal! We have had this once a week since I first tried it, and I have to share the recipe with you. Forget making slow cooker salsa chicken, and try this amped-up recipe!
If you have tried “crack chicken,” then this is a meal you will love. It’s like a Mexican version of crack chicken. It’s packed with Tex-Mex flavors thanks to the diced tomatoes and green chilies, black beans, onion, and the flavors from the ranch seasoning packet. Trust me when I say you’ll want to make fiesta chicken a regular weekly meal too!
Ingredients for Fiesta Chicken
This recipe comes together quickly! See the recipe card below the images for ingredient amounts.
- Chicken – Boneless skinless chicken breasts, these shred up the best.
- Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Mix – Spicy or Fiesta ranch mix.
- Rotel – Canned Rotel tomatoes & green chiles are similar to salsa but are in the canned section of the store and very convenient to have on hand.
- Black Beans – One can of drained black beans. Surprisingly, these do not overcook in the slow cooker, for they aren’t very tender straight out of the can.
- Corn – One can of whole kernel corn, you can use fire-roasted if desired.
- Cream Cheese – This makes the dish creamy, add this at the beginning of the cooking time so it has time to melt.
- Onion – One white onion will flavor the dish nicely.
Variations
You can make this recipe to your own tastes, here are some ideas!
- Chicken thighs or cooked ground chicken or turkey can be used. You can even use leftover rotisserie chicken (cook for less time).
- Other beans that work well in this recipe are canned pinto beans or red beans.
- If you can’t find spicy ranch(it can be hard to find!), a regular ranch packet will work. To make it spicy add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper.
How to Make Crockpot Fiesta Chicken
Only four easy steps for this easy dinner, see how I make it:
- Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle over the ranch seasoning mix.
- Pour over the drained corn and beans. Add the diced white onion and cream cheese. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6-8.
- Shred the cooked chicken with two forks right in the slow cooker. Stir the cream cheese into the chicken and other ingredients. Serve this tasty dish with the suggestions below, and enjoy!
My Serving Suggestions
This is more than just a burrito filling, the ideas are endless:
- Serve the shredded chicken on tortillas (these tortilla land tortillas are our favorite) with white rice. Top with cheese
- Serve as a burrito bowl by adding the creamy mixture on top of rice. Add cheese, shredded lettuce, and onions. Serve tortilla chips on the side.
- It can also be served in warmed crunchy taco shells topped with cheese.
- In addition to the toppings mentioned above, you can also add refried beans (try my slow cooker refried beans), slices of avocado, a dollop of sour cream, taco sauce, spicy salsa, or any of your other favorite toppings.
Featured Comment
“Always a winner at our house and so simple to put together. We eat ours with Tostitos scoops or over rice. Yum.”
– emily
Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken
How to Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 oz. packet spicy or fiesta Hidden Valley Ranch Mix, (can be labeled dressing or dip)
- 15 oz. can black beans, drained
- 15.25 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
- 10 oz. can Rotel® tomatoes, (DO NOT DRAIN)
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
Instructions
- Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle over the ranch packet.
- Add the drained corn, drained beans, Rotel tomatoes, onion, and place the cream cheese block on top.
- Place the lid onto the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
- Shred the chicken with two forks right in the slow cooker.
- Stir the cream cheese into the chicken and other ingredients.
- Serve and enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
- Rotel tomatoes tend to be spicy. Use mild Rotel if you can find it.
- Use a 16 oz. jar of mild salsa instead of Roel
- Or use a can of diced tomatoes
- Use a regular ranch mix instead of spicy or fiesta
- Leave out the cream cheese.
- Serve with fat-free or low-fat sour cream.
- Serve with low-fat tortillas or on a salad.
- On tortillas
- Make a burrito bowl by serving over white rice and top with cheese
- In warmed crunchy taco shells
- Chicken thighs or cooked ground chicken or turkey can be used. You can even use leftover rotisserie chicken (cook for less time).
- Other beans that work well in this recipe are canned pinto beans or red beans.
- If you can’t find spicy (it can be hard to find!), a regular ranch packet will work.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Mexican style slow cooker recipes:
Bold and tender, Slow Cooker Mexican Beef and Chile Verde are flavorful options perfect for tacos, rice bowls, or burritos.
Add smoky spice to your menu with Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga, or keep it cheesy and layered with Chicken Enchilada Casserole.
For beef lovers, Slow Cooker Beef Fajitas, Crockpot Chile Colorado, and Crockpot Birria Tacos offer rich, slow-cooked flavor with minimal effort—great for any Tex-Mex night.
I’m not the best cook. I made this, you really can’t screw it up. I used 2lbs of chicken thighs because thighs are cheaper than breasts. I also used not spicy ranch and a half packet of taco seasoning. Also added 2 cans of corn because I love corn. I used carb counter tortillas.
Thanks for sharing!
Always a winner at our house and so simple to put together. We eat ours with Tostitos scoops or over rice. Yum
Used regular ranch and 1/2 taco packet instead of fiesta. Subbed onion with a can of green Chiles. Hubby couldn’t stop bragging about it
My granddaughter loves to make this at my house. It’s the kids’ fave meal – served as a dip with tortilla chips or in a cheesy chicken rice casserole. Also very good as a burrito filling.
Made this a few weeks ago with some minor tweaks. My family doesn’t like beans so I substituted green peas and I doubled the ranch seasoning. With the leftovers I had to slightly add some chicken broth to thin out the cream cheese when reheating. Now making again and doubling everything and adding garlic. Looking forward to having a ready meal in the freezer for the future.
Have made this several times. Wonderful dish just as per the recipe. However, in this household, we like things spicy. So I substitute Rotel with habaneros, and a shake of red pepper flakes to add spice.
It was absolutely wonderful! Easy to make and so versatile!
I made this with diced tomatoes, rotel, ranch packet, taco seasoning packet , corn, black beans, onion , jalapeno pepper diced and seeded…its in the crock pot now smells wonderful, i left out the cream cheese didnt think it was necessary
I bet it is still amazing, I love your version.
Love this easy dish