Author: Susanne at dishwithme.com
In our house we tend to call this recipe Chicken Taco Meat, BUT, seriously, it is so much more than that. With this quick & versatile shredded salsa chicken mixture you can easily make crunchy or soft chicken tacos, chicken burritos, chicken nachos, chicken enchiladas, Mexican chicken, taco salad, chicken taquitos, stuffed Pablano peppers, chimichangas. Okay, okay, you get the picture…this mixture is endlessly versatile and fabulously good no matter which way you decide to use it.
It’s kind of amazing to spend under half an hour cooking this recipe and have it turn into such a wonderfully delicious creation that everyone loves. Get ready to be hailed a chef or a super hero! And, get ready to don that cape, or, eh, apron!
My family and friends LOVE this chicken! Especially my oldest son and my Kelsey. When my oldest son was still a child, he would go get some of the leftover chicken from the refrigerator, warm it up and eat it straight…no taco, no burrito, nothing, he’d just eat it plain. He still loves it.
HELPFUL HINTS FOR QUICK & VERSATILE SHREDDED SALSA CHICKEN
One of my homemade salsa recipes is almost always what I use in this recipe, but, on occasion, when I haven’t planned ahead and I don’t have any homemade salsa, I will use a jarred salsa. I know, I know, but I am human, too! I am not fond of many jarred salsas, but, in my humble opinion, a couple of the better ones for this dish are Kylito’s and Herdez. I always use mild so that everyone can enjoy it without it being too spicy.
I often buy a rotisserie chicken, or several, get them home and shred them each and place the meat from each one into separate freezer bags or containers and freeze them for later. This cuts down on prep time in the future when you decide you need some chicken for a recipe. And, I don’t mean just for this recipe…it’s good to have on hand for homemade chicken noodle soup (recipe coming soon), chicken and dumplings, poppy seed chicken (also coming soon), bbq chicken, virtually almost any kind of chicken recipe.
You can use chicken breast, if you want, but I will continue to use rotisserie chicken. It’s already cooked, so it is just so super easy! And, I believe that a rotisserie chicken adds some bonus flavor to the recipe.
Personally, I AVOID lemon pepper flavored rotisserie chicken, as I don’t feel like it is a neutral or versatile flavor; therefore it doesn’t go with a lot of dishes/recipes. At one time Walmart had a butter/garlic rotisserie chicken and it was AMAZING! Sadly, they stopped making it…I have know idea why. If you have a Costco nearby their rotisserie chickens are only $4.99 (at least that is the price at my store) and they are a really good size…bigger than most places sell.
However you decide to enjoy this chicken mixture, toppings that might pair well are: lime, cilantro, onion, avocado or guacamole, sour cream, pickled jalapenos and/or cheese.
Great cheeses to pair with this chicken are: Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Mexican blend and Cotija
INGREDIENTS USED FOR QUICK & VERSATILE SHREDDED SALSA CHICKEN
- Rotisserie chicken
- EVOO
- Yellow onion
- Fresh garlic
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Julio’s seasoning blend
- Tomato Bouillon
- Powdered cumin
- Ground coriander
- Salsa
- Water
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LINKS TO PRODUCTS/EQUIPMENT USED (affiliate links)
I use a nice large pan to whip this creation up!
I almost ALWAYS grate my garlic using“> this grater.
I use this Julio’s seasoning often, so it’s nice to keep some in the cabinet. I keep this huge one in mine! I haven’t seen it at any of my local stores, but your stores may carry it. If not, you can click on my link and find it on Amazon.
The tomato bouillon I use is by Knorr, but I am sure any brand will do. I think you’ll likely be able to find this in your local market, but If you cannot, you will also be able to find it on Amazon. Simply click my highlighted link. I use this in several of my recipes, as well.
LINKS TO RECIPES THAT PAIR WELL WITH THIS ONE
My FRESH SALSA, as seen in the photo above, is a natural fit for this recipe.
My AMAZINGLY QUICK & DELICIOUS SALSA ROJA is, also, amazing.
And don’t forget about my FRESH HOMEMADE TORTILLA CHIPS, also in the photo above. These bad boys are SOOO freaking good.
QUICK & VERSATILE SHREDDED SALSA CHICKEN
Equipment
- large pan *see links area
- Grater *see links area
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken all meat removed, shredded
- 2 Tablespoons EVOO
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons Julio's Mexican seasoning
- 1 teaspoon tomato bouillon
- 1 1/2 cups salsa homemade or jarred
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- If the chicken is not already shredded, shred it and set it aside.
- Dice the onion. Set aside
- Shred the garlic. Set aside.
- Have all the seasonings by your cooking space and ready to go. Alternately, and even better, you could combine all of the seasonings in a small bowl, so they'll already be measured out when you are ready to use them.
- In a large pan, on medium-high heat, heat the EVOO. Add the onion and cook until tender, between 3-5 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the fresh garlic and cook for ONE MINUTE, stirring constantly.
- To the same pan, add the shredded chicken and all of the seasonings, including the Julio's and tomato bouillon. Stir well to mix with the onions, garlic and seasonings with the chicken.
- Next, add the salsa and water and mix well and continuing cooking only until the salsa is warm.
- Viola! You just created a masterpiece! Congratulations.