Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas...sort of

So once again I am trying to eat healthy and actually do that whole working out thing. Which I hate, so we'll see how this goes. But with that being said I have been on a healthy recipe search and in my quest came across this little gem: Slow Cooker Chicken, which I figured would be really good in fajitas, or tacos, or something of the like. Plus the recipe sounded super easy. I love slow cooker meals...throw shit in a pot and let it sit all day, come home and dinner's ready..BAM! What more could you ask for?

 

Here's what you need:

2 pounds (32 ounces) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 cup salsa, homemade or purchased
1 cup petite diced canned tomatoes (choose low-sodium)
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 cup onions, diced fine
1/2 cup celery diced fine
1/2 cup carrots, diced
3 tablespoons sour cream, reduced fat

2 bell peppers (I chose red and yellow, primarily because they were on sale and I'm cheap)

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 cup shredded cheese (choose whatever kind of cheese you like here)

8 flour tortillas

recipe yield: 8 servings (supposedly, seems to be a lot more than that to me though)

 

Hhhokay, so, first chop the carrots, celery and onions. I know the ingredients say diced, but I went with more of a rough chop and it was fine, but I am impatient and hate dicing things. So it's totally up to you on the size here.

 

Your chicken is probably close to good to go, but make sure that you rinse it with water first. I also like to trim up the edges a bit as well...get off that extra skin and random hangy parts that tend to be left on boneless, skinless chicken breast. Again, that's a personal preference thing, so you could just use them as they come out of the package.

 

Place the chicken in the slow cooker...I ended up with two layers of chicken so I layered the other ingredients between the chicken layers. Then add the taco seasoning, onion, celery, carrots, salsa and 1/2 a cup water.

Set the cooker on low, cover it, and let it cook for 6-8 hours. The meat is cooked when it shreds, or when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. I turned mine on before I went to work, and by the time I came home the chicken literally fell apart as I was taking it out of the cooker...which is what you want. Take the chicken out and shred it. When you finish you can put it back in the leftover sauce that is in the cooker, and it will stay warm while you prepare the rest.

 

Cut the peppers into strips and place in a medium sauce pan. Cook on medium heat until the peppers begin to char a little (or until your desired level of cookedness, yes that's a word, because I say it is).  Stirring occasionally. While the peppers are cooking, warm the tortillas either in the microwave for about a minute or in the toaster oven. Also if your lettuce is not shredded already, you can do this now.

Once peppers are cooked assemble the fajitas to your liking. I did chicken, cheese, peppers, lettuce and a little sour cream. These were very tasty, super easy and we had a TON of leftovers, which means no cooking for the next couple of days (always a bonus). I will definitely make these again but probably cut down the recipe a little. So go on, give these a try and let me know what you think!

~Jessica