Crock Pot Salsa Chicken Tacos

If you're anything like me, Halloween is a day long event.  You have the Halloween parades and the kid's schools, then you have to make a stop by the office to show off the costumes.  Then it's off to the grandparents so they can fawn over them for a bit.  Finally, we run back home so one of us can hand out candy while the other one wanders the neighborhood with the children.    Yes, I said wander the neighborhood.  I want them to know the people who live around them and, since I can be a little introverted at times, I need the excuse to say Hi to all the neighborhood parents.

But during a day like this, it's almost impossible have a dinner that doesn't include fast food.  That is, unless, you can prepare dinner at breakfast-time.  Yes, it's time to break out the old crock pot and make some Salsa Chicken Tacos.

This recipe is great for any occasion where you only have 10 minutes in the evening.  This is a prime time to have a bag of grated Mexican style cheeses, sliced lettuce, a can of beans and a precooked batch of Spanish Rice in the fridge ready to go.  When you walk in the door from a long day of haunting, just reheat the beans and rice, shred or chop up the chicken breast, and you're ready to serve.

Now I've listed two different ways to do the salsa.  Why?  Because I'm not a real big fan of the salsa made in 'New York City!'.  To me, most of the non-refrigerated salsas you buy off the shelf have little flavor and enough salt to cause me to swell out of my costume in 30 minutes or less.  So if you're going to use a pre-made salsa, look for a fresh option.  Almost every grocery store has a refrigerated section with freshly made salsa, some even make their own brand.  I've also included a recipe here to create your own salsa in the crock pot itself.  I prefer this option, just because I can control the ingredients and the salt content.  But when time is of the essence, the pre-made salsa works great.

And if you're going to have a VERY long day, it's OK to cook this for up to 12 hours.  There's enough water in the chicken breasts and salsa to keep it moist and delicious all day long.  If you're first scheduled haunt is at 8:00AM, just turn the crock pot on as you walk out the door and you'll be ready to go whenever you get home.  And since it's meat in a somewhat gory red sauce, you can tell the kids that they have to eat their entrails before they can trick or treat around the neighborhood.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken Tacos

The Salsa
32 ounces of your favorite pre-made salsa, or...

2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes with the juice in the can
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 yellow or white onion, diced
1/2 large green pepper, diced
1-2 small jalapeno peppers (depending on how much heat you want), diced with the seeds and membranes removed
1 tablespoon minced cilantro

The Rest
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoon cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
4-6 skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs

Dump the salsa or salsa ingrediends into the crock pot.  Then add the garlic and spices and stir them together.  Lay the chicken on top of the salsa, cover the crock pot and allow it to cook on low for 6-8 hours.  When you're ready to serve, fish the pieces of the chicken out of the salsa and use pair of forks to shred them to whatever consistency you like.  Stir it into the salsa so it is thoroughly incorporated into the salsa mixture.  Warm some beans and Spanish Rice, prepare your tortillas and other garnishes and you'll have a full meal in no time.

So go scare the bejeeses out of the world all day long and them arrive home to the smell of some great chicken tacos.  They'll refuel you for the grand finale later than night.