Cilantro-Lime Crock Pot Chicken

Tangy, delicious, and oh-so-easy to make!

Let me start by saying, I’m completely obsessed with my Crock Pot. It’s seriously the best invention ever.  I use it year-round and at least once a week. I can’t believe how many delicious meals you can make with only a handful of ingredients and minimal effort. Okay, I’ll stop…but I really do love my Crock Pot.

I saw this recipe yesterday on Pinterest (from a Pip & Ebby blog post). It sounded yummy, but since I can’t resist the urge to modify recipes to suit my palate and use ingredients I already have in my cupboard, I thought I’d share my “reinvention.”

Cilantro-Lime Crock Pot Chicken

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast fillets (5-6 ounces each)
1 12-ounce jar of salsa verde (green salsa)
½ cup water
1 lime (juiced)
¼ packet of reduced-sodium taco seasoning (if desired)
½ cup fresh cilantro, washed and chopped (divided use)
2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream (optional)
2 tablespoons cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)

Directions:
Place chicken breasts in crock pot. In a small bowl, mix salsa, water, lime juice (see Fun Food Fact below), taco seasoning, and most of the cilantro together. Set a little of the cilantro aside for garnish. Dump the mixture over the chicken breasts, covering them completely. Cover and cook on low for approximately 6 hours. You 'll know the chicken is done when it shreds very easily. Place cooked chicken on top of any salad greens (healthy!), or add brown rice and black beans to create a “bowl.” Another option is to stuff it in a tortilla as taco filling. However you decide to serve it, garnish with a dollop of sour cream and/or a little shredded cheddar cheese.

Fun Food Fact:

Microwaving citrus fruits for 10-15 seconds prior to juicing yields considerably more juice. Try it! You won’t be disappointed.

Results:

I tried this last night and it was DELISH. In fact, the hubs said it was one of his all-time favorite chicken dishes I’ve ever made. And I make chicken A LOT so that’s really saying something. I had some fresh spinach in the fridge so I threw that, brown rice, and black beans in a bowl and put the Cilantro-Lime Chicken on top. The chicken was so juicy that this “salad” didn’t even need any dressing. I just mixed in a little sour cream and cheddar cheese and stirred it all together.

The chicken breasts I used were a little on the thin/small side so they were done cooking at just under 6 hours. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the breast fillets you use.

In short, this was easy, healthy, and delicious. Mission accomplished.

Until next time,
Ryann