Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Bowls with Guacamole

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, IMUSA and McCormick Spices have teamed up to sponsor a great giveaway for I Can Cook That Readers! Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 to October 15 and celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking Nations of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

I will be giving away a Cuban/Caribbean-themed package which includes the following:

• IMUSA’s Wood Mortar and Pestal, Caldero, and Tostonera
• McCormick’s Black Pepper, Garlic Salt, Curry Powder, Paprika, Cinnamon, Oregano, Black Peppercorn Grinder, Chicken Bag n’ Season, and Black Beans and Rice Mix

Details on how to enter will be at the end of this post!

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, I also received a nifty little package myself which included an IMUSA Cloth Tortilla Warmer, IMUSA Multicolor Salsa Dishes, IMUSA Granite Molcajete, and McCormick’s Black Pepper, Cumin, Mexican Oregano, Chili Powder, Cilantro Leaves, Taco Recipe Mix, Enchilada Recipe Mix, and Tinga de Pollo Recipe Mix.

So what better time to whip out the slow cooker and make Chicken Taco Bowls topped with Fresh Guacamole?

I adapted this recipe from a Budget Bytes recipe; the recipe is perfect for large crowds so I tested it out on a group of friends who came to visit this weekend. It also makes for one delicious reheated lunch option during the week!

Ingredients:

Taco Bowls

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 (16 oz) jar mild salsa
• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
• 2 (8 oz) bags frozen corn
• 1 packet Taco Seasoning Mix
• 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
• ½ tablespoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 cups chicken broth (or water), divided
• 3 cups long grain rice
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Guacamole

• 3 Haas avocados
• The juice of 1 lime
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ cup (~1/2 small onion) diced red onion
• ½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 plum tomatoes, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Arrange the chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker.

Add the salsa, black beans, corn and spices.

Fill the salsa jar with chicken broth (you can substitute in water) and add to the slow cooker. (It should be about 2 cups. You are adding it to the salsa jar to get every last tomato-y goodness out of the jar.)

Stir to combine, making sure the chicken is completely submerged in the mixture.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

after 8 hours

About 30 minutes before the slow cooker is finished, cook the rice in 6 cups of chicken broth or water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and let simmer until the liquid is evaporated.

I used the Granite Molcajete (paid link)  to make my guacamole. A molcajete is a stone mortar and pestle used for grinding spices and other food products. They are typically made of lava rock with the rough volcanic rock producing a really nice surface for grinding. The granite ones are a substitute but in my opinion don’t deliver nearly as good of a surface for grinding because it is a smoother surface. But it is durable and relatively easy to clean. Personally, I’d just spring for the lava rock one if you’re looking to purchase a molcajete.

You want to make the guacamole right before serving so that it doesn’t oxidize. The acid from the limes will help slow the process, but make it while you are waiting for the rice to cook. To make the guacamole, half the avocados and remove the pit. Add the peeled avocado to the molcajete or other bowl. (I used an OXO avocado slicer (paid link) for this which is super easy. You can also use a knife to slice the avocado within its peel and then use a spoon to scoop out the slices.)

Add the lime juice. Using the pestle, mash the lime juice and avocado. (You can also use a fork to do this.)

Add the cumin and mash to combine.

Add the diced red onion, jalapeno, tomatoes, and garlic. Mix to combine.

Season with salt and pepper and add the cilantro. Mix to combine.

When the slow cooker is finished, shred the chicken with two forks within the slow cooker itself. It will shred really easily. Mix to combine the shredded chicken with the other ingredients.

Add ½ cup cooked rice to a bowl. Top with the slow cooker mixture, shredded cheese and a scoop of guacamole. Add freshly chopped cilantro if you’d like.

The McCormick spices add such great flavor to the chicken mixture. For an even simpler version of this dish, you could use multiple Taco seasoning packs and not even worry about the additional spices (I only had one packet so I added the other spices for more flavor). The taco seasoning packets include chili pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano, onion, salt, sugar, garlic, potato starch and citric acid in case you were wondering.

There are few things I like as much as freshly made guacamole. It brightens up the heartiness of the chicken mixture and adds a creamy texture to the dish. The molcajete is so pretty that it would make a great serving dish for the guacamole as a party dip, just add some tortilla chips to an IMUSA salsa dish (paid link) and you’re good to go!

This recipe easily feeds 12 (depending on how hungry the crowd is). You could also use the taco mixture with the rice inside tortillas for an easy alternative to this recipe.

So want to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage month in your own home? Enter to win an IMUSA/McCormick package by using the widget below! Good luck!

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Chicken Taco Bowls with Guacamole

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

Taco Bowls
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 (16 oz) jar mild salsa
• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
• 2 (8 oz) bags frozen corn
• 1 packet McCormick’s Taco Seasoning Mix
• 1 tablespoon McCormick’s Chili Powder
• ½ tablespoon McCormick’s Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon McCormick’s Mexican Oregano
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 cups chicken broth (or water), divided
• 3 cups long grain rice
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Guacamole
• 3 Haas avocados
• The juice of 1 lime
• ½ teaspoon McCormick’s ground cumin
• ¼ cup (~1/2 small onion) diced red onion
• ½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 plum tomatoes, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Arrange the chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Add the salsa, black beans, corn and spices.
3. Fill the salsa jar with chicken broth (you can substitute in water) and add to the slow cooker. (It should be about 2 cups. You are adding it to the salsa jar to get every last tomato-y goodness out of the jar.)
4. Stir to combine, making sure the chicken is completely submerged in the mixture.
5. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
6. About 30 minutes before the slow cooker is finished, cook the rice in 6 cups of chicken broth or water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and let simmer until the liquid is evaporated.
7. When the slow cooker is finished, shred the chicken with two forks within the slow cooker itself. It will shred really easily. Mix to combine the shredded chicken with the other ingredients.
8. To make the guacamole, half the avocados and remove the pit. Add the peeled avocado to the molcajete or other bowl.
9. Add the lime juice. Using the pestle, mash the lime juice and avocado. (You can also use a fork to do this.)
10. Add the cumin and mash to combine.
11. Add the diced red onion, jalapeno, tomatoes, and garlic. Mix to combine.
12. Season with salt and pepper and add the cilantro. Mix to combine.
13. Add ½ cup cooked rice to a bowl. Top with the slow cooker mixture, shredded cheese and a scoop of guacamole. Add freshly chopped cilantro if you’d like.

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