This creamy crock pot rotel chicken is absolutely delicious, requires only a few ingredients and less than 5 minutes of preparation time! This dish is a lightened up variation offering creaminess while still controlling portions and utilizing a lower-fat option to keep the dish from being overly indulgent. Once the chicken is ready, you can serve it in soft tacos, hard shell tacos, over tortilla chips, on top of a salad or with your favorite grain such as quinoa or rice!
If you love this recipe, you will love my 5 ingredient crockpot chicken, my slow cooker southwest chicken quinoa bowl, healthy instant pot chicken noodle soup , one pan lemon chicken orzo, instant pot curry with chicken and vegetables, and easy instant pot pot roast.
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Ingredients
- Chicken Breast- offers a lean protein source and is the star of the recipe
- Taco Seasoning- You can choose mild or spicy depending on your preferences. I like using the Siete brand but you can pick your favorite!
- Rotel- You can choose mild or spicy depending on your preferences.
- Diced Green Chiles- Optional, if you'd like to add more spice and flavor.
- Low-Fat Cream Cheese- Portioned and lower fat to add creaminess without being overly indulgent!
Serve with: Scroll to the top paragraph to see the other serving options.
- Tortillas (hard shell or soft): Choose almond flour, whole wheat or corn for healthier options.
- Low-Fat Cheddar Cheese (optional)
- Side Salad
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Add your chicken breasts to a crockpot along with the taco seasoning.
2. Next, add in the rotel and diced green chiles, if using. Use a wooden spoon, spatula or regular spoon to mix everything up until its evenly distributed and the chicken is fully submerged.
3. Lastly, add in your ½ block of low-fat cream cheese on top in the center and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
4. Once your chicken has cooked through and reaches and internal temperature of at least 165 F, remove your chicken breasts from the crock pot, shred them and then add them back in.
5. Give everything a stir until everything is well combined. Enjoy! I served mine with tortillas, a little low-fat cheddar cheese and my favorite salad kit!
Hint: If you have this specific crock pot, it tends to cook hotter than most, so the chicken should be ready around the earlier of the time range. Make sure that you're familiar with your crock pot so as to not overcook the chicken and keep it moist!
Hint: you can also add the cream cheese 30 minutes before cooking time is up to allow the cream cheese to melt in without curdling. This is technically the best method but if you're super busy, you can just throw it in at the beginning.
Substitutions
- Low-Fat Cream Cheese- Feel free to use full fat cream cheese and increase portion to a full block of cheese to make a more heavy, decadent version of this dish.
- Dairy-free- skip the cream cheese or use dairy-free cream cheese to make this dish dairy-free.
This recipe is gluten-free on it's own.
Variations
- Toddler & Kid friendly - make sure to use mild taco seasoning, substitute the rotel for canned diced tomatoes and skip the use of the diced green chiles to make this dish toddler and kid-friendly!
Equipment
All you need to make this creamy crock pot rotel chicken 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!
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
Allow the leftovers to come to room temperature and then store leftovers in a glass air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or place into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat thoroughly before serving.
Top Tip
This meal is perfect for postpartum meal prep! You can add all of the ingredients into a freezer zip lock bag prior to cooking and freeze for up to 3 months. You can let the contents of the bag thaw in the fridge overnight and place in the crockpot to cook when you are ready!
FAQ
Yes, you can use frozen chicken. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time, as frozen chicken might need a bit longer to cook through.
Yes, you can use low-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream as alternatives!
Absolutely! You can add vegetables like bell peppers, onions, or corn. Just chop them into bite-sized pieces and add them to the Crock-Pot at the beginning of the cooking time.
Dinner
Looking for other easy dinner recipes like this? Try these:
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Creamy Crock Pot Rotel Chicken
Equipment
- 1 6 Quart Slow Cooker or Crock pot
Ingredients
- 1.5 Pounds Chicken Breast
- 1 Packet Taco Seasoning
- 2 Cans Rotel
- 1 Can Diced Green Chiles
- ½ Block Cream Cheese Low-Fat
Serve with:
- Tortillas hard shell or soft
- Low-Fat Cheddar Cheese optional
- Side Salad
Instructions
- Add your chicken breasts to a crockpot along with the taco seasoning.
- Next, add in the rotel and diced green chiles, if using. Use a wooden spoon, spatula or regular spoon to mix everything up until its evenly distributed and the chicken is fully submerged.
- Lastly, add in your ½ block of low-fat cream cheese *see note* on top in the center and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
- Once your chicken has cooked through and reaches and internal temperature of at least 165 F, remove your chicken breasts from the crock pot, shred them and then add them back in.
- Give everything a stir until everything is well combined. Enjoy! I served mine with tortillas, a little low-fat cheddar cheese and my favorite salad kit!
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
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Ann says
This is really good and so easy! It was great to prep for dinner when I had appointments in the later afternoon and evening.
christina.klapper says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it Ann!!!
cynthia juliet spensieri says
I also made this last night and it was super easy. We used it in burritos and just added black beans and salsa. Very good!
christina.klapper says
Yummmm!!! Sounds delicious!!! So glad you loved it!
Becky says
What is the side salad kit you like?
christina.klapper says
I really like the sweet kale but honestly any of them are great!
Carrie Stacy says
Yum! 😋 That was delicious and so easy to make
christina.klapper says
So happy you loved it Carrie!! Thank you so much for taking the time to review!
Nicole says
Made this the week of January 20th, 2025, in (very) cold Chicago. Extremely easy to throw together on a weeknight, cooked on low for 6(ish) hours. If I made this again, I'd skip on the cream cheese. It really didn't need it and made the dish sloppy and harder to eat with both soft and hard shell tacos. Otherwise, I appreciate quick throw-together recipes like this that are easy on the budget.
christina.klapper says
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review!!! Sorry that you didn’t like the cream cheese but yes, you can absolutely skip it next time if it’s not your preference!!!
Margaret says
This recipe is so simple and delicious! I love how Christina includes instructions for doing meals dairy free!
Susan says
This recipe is a keeper! I made it with what I had on hand: just over a pound (18 oz.) of boneless/skinless chicken breast, the Rotel, and regular cream cheese…and it was still very Weight Watchers points friendly! I used zero net carb street taco size flour tortillas for serving and enjoyed every bite!
Jessica says
This was so easy to make and was a hit with my niece and nephew (10&17). I made it without the can of green chilies and it wasn’t spicy for them at all. I served this with HEB’s butter tortillas and HEB’s Mexican cheese…so good!