If you’re looking for an effortless slow cooker meal that involves 4 ingredients and requires only 5 minutes of prep time, look no further than this delicious southwest chicken quinoa bowl recipe!
This recipe can be made year round in a crockpot or slow cooker and perfect for those busy weeknights when you need an easy but healthy dinner for the whole family! Even your toddlers and kiddos will love this meal! This dish is also great for a healthy and delicious meal prep!
If you love this recipe, you will love my easy and healthy instant pot chili, my healthy instant pot chicken noodle soup or my easy instant pot pot roast.
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Ingredients
- Chicken Breast: provides a lean protein source for this dish
- Salt & Pepper, To Taste
- Jar of Salsa: I used a medium-heat jar of my favorite salsa but feel free to use your favorite and decide on the level of spice your family enjoys!
- Quinoa, Rinsed and Drained: quinoa is a whole grain that’s packed in protein!
- Chicken Bone Broth or Chicken Broth: I used chicken bone broth to add some additional protein and micronutrients but feel free to use regular chicken broth if that’s all you have.
Top With (Optional):
- Low-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt: used in place of sour cream to add protein and creaminess
- Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced: Adds additional fiber
- Shredded Low-fat Mozzarella Cheese
- Avocado, Diced: Adds additional fiber, micronutrients and healthy fats.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Add your chicken breast to the bottom of a crockpot and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Next, add in your rinsed and drained quinoa, followed by your jar of salsa and your chicken bone broth. Give it a stir and make sure your quinoa is submerged into the liquid.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours. When the meal is finished cooking (your quinoa appears nice and fluffy and your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 F), remove your chicken, shred it and then add it back into the slow cooker. Stir until everything is well combined. Serve on its own or you can optionally serve with suggested toppings listed above. Enjoy!
Hint: If you have my specific slow cooker (which tends to cook hot), this meal will be ready in 3 hours on high.
Substitutions
- Quinoa – I have not personally tried this but typically grains like white rice tend to cook similarly, so you can substitute white rice for quinoa.
- Chicken Breast – while chicken breast is your leanest option, you can also use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Vegetarian – use canned, rinsed and drained cannellini beans, butter beans or black beans instead of chicken and vegetable broth to make this dish vegetarian.
This dish is gluten-free on it’s own. Make sure to check the labels of the salsa you are using to ensure there are no fillers with gluten in them.
Without the toppings, this dish is also dairy-free as is.
Variations
- Spicy – add 1-2 cans of canned diced chiles and choose a spicy salsa to make this dish spicy
- Toddler & Kid friendly – choose a mild salsa to make this dish toddler and kid-friendly.
Equipment
All you need to make this slow cooker southwest chicken quinoa bowl is a:
6 Quart Crock-Pot: This is the crock-pot I wish we got! The one I have is aesthetically pleasing but it does cook faster than the typical crockpot!
If you are meal prepping this dish, and you’re in the market for some storage containers, these are my favorite meal prep glass air-tight containers.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through qualifying links.
Storage
Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
If you are meal prepping this dish, portion the meal out into 4 glass air-tight containers, allow them to cool to room temperature before refrigerating them and place them in the fridge up to 4 days!
Main Course
Looking for other easy main course recipes like this? Try these:
Jump to: Recipe
Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Quinoa Bowl
Equipment
- 1 6 Quart Crock-Pot
Ingredients
- 1-1.25 Pounds Chicken Breast
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- 16 Ounce Jar of Salsa
- 1 Cup Quinoa Rinsed and Drained
- 1 Cup Chicken Bone Broth or Chicken Broth
- Top With Optional:
- Low-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
- Cherry Tomatoes Sliced
- Shredded Low-fat Mozzarella Cheese
- Avocado Diced
Instructions
- Add your chicken breast to the bottom of a crockpot and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Next, add in your rinsed and drained quinoa, followed by your jar of salsa and your chicken bone broth. Give it a stir and make sure your quinoa is submerged into the liquid.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours. When the meal is finished cooking (your quinoa appears nice and fluffy and your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 F), remove your chicken, shred it and then add it back into the slow cooker. Stir until everything is well combined. Serve on its own or you can optionally serve with suggested toppings listed above. Enjoy!
- Hint: If you have my specific slow cooker (which tends to cook hot), this meal will be ready in 3 hours on high.
Notes
Nutrition
FOOD SAFETY
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Ann says
This is very tasty and easy! Great for a night you’re too tired to cook!
christina.klapper says
Yes!!!! So glad you enjoyed it!
Celete says
Can this be made in the instapot? If so what’s the cooking instructions for that?
christina.klapper says
Hello! Im sure it can, however, I have not tested the recipe in an instant pot so I do not have instructions on timing unfortunately! I do know that a low of instant pots have a slow cooker setting which you should be able to use to make this recipe!