Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken (Freezer Meal)
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Stock your freezer with the easiest, quickest crockpot FREEZER MEAL!!! Simply drop into the crockpot and you’re set!!!
Did you guys know about this?
This whole straight-from-freezer-to-crockpot situation?
Because I’m sitting here wondering where this has been my entire life.
It’s a game-changer, guys.
There’s no prep cooking ahead of time here.
- All you do is prep.
- Throw it in a Ziploc freezer bag.
- Freeze.
- Thaw.
- And dump into slow cooker.
And you know what?
It tastes freshly made.
It doesn’t taste like I’m eating 3-day old leftovers.
So again.
I ask.
Where has this been my entire life?
And you know I made burrito bowls with this cilantro lime chicken.
Just add some brown rice.
A dollop of sour cream.
Some avo.
Or guac.
And boom.
Done.

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 10-ounce can Ro*Tel® Mild Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
- 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
- ½ cup salsa, homemade or store-bought
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, diced
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Juice of 2 limes
Instructions
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken, beans, tomatoes, corn, salsa, cilantro, onion, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder and garlic. Place in freezer for up to 1 month.*
- Place chicken mixture into a 6-qt slow cooker; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours. Stir in lime juice.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Won’t the beans turn to mush after 3 or 4 hours?
Not at all!
I am a pretty accomplished & very particular cook. I love experimenting in the kitchen but equally enjoy trying other peoples’ creations, modifying them slightly to suit my family’s taste.
Your recipes are consistently outstanding. I enjoy them for their flavor profiles, texture and freshness! This recipe was so easy and yet so tender and flavorful. I garnished mine with a little sliced avocado and a dollop of sour cream to contrast the heat. It’s been so nice to have some meals in the freezer for those nights you just can’t pull it together! Thank you for your contributions and willingness to share!
The bag in the picture shows a nice orderly stacking yet you say to mix it up.
If you are to stack it- what is the procedure? I see the chicken is mixed with the salsa…
Lisa, the ingredients are stacked simply for photographic purposes. It is not necessary.
Do you add all the liquids from diced tomatoes beans and corn?
The beans and corn should be drained.
I felt I had to add a comment after reading the negative ones. This is DELICIOUS! The lime juice at the end really makes it. I followed the recipe to a T and have shared it with many others already. Don’t let those few people who didn’t like it dissuade you- do yourself a favor and make it tonight!
This is delicious!
This is delicious!
Thanks for the inspiration. I clean and chop lots of veggies on market days in Baja Mexico so packing them with meat or legumes and seasonings would be a natural in my Baja kitchen. More time to play in the sea or hike!
Tracey @MyBajaKitchen
Is there are reason you only suggest it being in the freezer for only a month? I am due with my third child the middle of September, and am starting on some freezer ideas now. Do you think it would last 2 months?
As I am not an expert on food safety, I cannot really say with certainty – sorry, Jolene! Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
Yes you can store the food in freezer for a long time if you use food savor bags which is expensive but trust me it’s worth it some machines is expensive but others aren’t but you will save mony in the long run
More recipes like this please! Freezer, little prep, fast, and damn delicious is everything I need!
I made this for dinner last night and it was really good. I didn’t plan ahead so I skipped the freezing and slow cooker and just put all the ingredients in my instant pot for 8 minutes. We ate it as burrito bowls with brown rice, cheese, sour cream, lettuce and avocado. I also added the cilantro at the end with the lime juice for even extra freshness. It was delightful. Love the freezer option, this will be a freezer meal that I can get excited about. My husband thought the Chicken was so good he wanted to skip the other fixings. Thanks for a great quick and easy meal option that is also healthy!
I have to admit, this meal was simply nasty. I am an at home chef and thought I would try it. I’m not sure who test these meals out ahead, or if they even are, but I would not recommend any to waste their time and money on this one. Sorry.
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully (and professionally) tested and re-tested by my team, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well. But I really appreciate your honesty and feedback.
This came out awful. Super watery I guess because of the various cans of vegetables (even though I drained them). And zero flavor.
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully (and professionally) tested and re-tested by my team, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well. But I really appreciate your honesty and feedback.
Chicken dishes in the slow cooker can get watery sometimes especially if you buy chicken infused with broth (which it is a lot) just dump off the water half way through cooking time and adjust spices depending on if you use no salt veggies
I made this over the weekend and had meal prepped for several days. This was delicious and super easy. I ate it over brown rice, cauliflower rice and wrapped into a tortilla. Add a little cheese and guacamole–outstanding!
Thanks for another great recipe
Super tasty! I left out the jalapeño because I am a baby when it comes to spices, and I used a bottle of lime juice instead of squeezing limes, but otherwise followed the recipe. Very easy and very tasty!
Umm what if I put the lime juice with all the food to cook I didn’t read that you put that in after it’s cooked is it going to ruin it?
Unfortunately, marinades that contain citrus juices, especially lemon or lime juice, should be used for only 2 hours or less.
Looks yum! Def adding this to my list.
Can you post more of these? I need freezer meals
Oh my goodness, YUMMY! I made this tonight – but I couldn’t wait to freeze it first – and it was so delicious, and easy! I made one change and salt & peppered my chicken, then browned it in a frying pan first with a bit of avocado oil and butter before putting it in the crock pot with the other ingredients.
So amazing with the sour cream and avocado! Will definitely do this one again. Thank you for sharing it!
The additions sounds AMAZING!!!
This was so good thank you
Would chicken thighs work instead of boneless skinless chicken breast?
Yes, of course!