Easy and delicious, this slightly spicy Slow Cooker Jalapeno Pulled Chicken is great for make-ahead meal planning. Use this tasting recipe to make a quick dinner tonight or save in the freezer for later.
Batch Cooking Series: Slow Cooker Jalapeno Pulled Chicken
I am so excited to share with you this next set of recipes. They are a part of my all-new Batch Cooking Series. As a busy mom of four, I look for any way I can to save time and make things a little bit easier on myself, especially when it comes to cooking. In my Batch Cooking Series, I will be sharing with you recipes that you can make in bulk and then save to use in other recipes. This saves both time and money and makes you feel super accomplished in life! In this first round of recipes, I will be sharing my Slow Cooker Jalapeno Pulled Chicken.
This recipe is so easy and is great to put in the slow cooker first thing in the morning so it's done well before dinner time. Sometimes I will use the entire batch of chicken for meals that same week and sometimes I store it in the freezer for use later. It all depends on what we have going on, but either way, it works!
Ingredients to Make Slow Cooker Jalapeno Pulled Chicken
- Whole Chicken
- Onions
- Jalapenos
- Chicken Broth
- Poultry Seasoning
- Salt & Pepper
See? I told you, it's super simple, but it turns out so tasty and delicious. The chicken is slightly spicy and makes a great base for all sorts of meals. In the upcoming days, I will be sharing with you THREE of my favorite ways to use this Slow Cooker Jalapeno Pulled Chicken.
I like using a whole chicken for this recipe and then breaking it down into smaller pieces myself. It saves money and adds tons of flavor, as opposed to using boneless pieces of meat. If you have never broken down a whole chicken or need a quick refresh, check out these helpful instructions:
How To Break Down a Whole Chicken
Once I have broken down the chicken, I will save the carcass and use it to make stock. If you don't want to hassle with a whole chicken, you can certainly use a combination of chicken legs, breasts, and wings if you like. In my experience, a 5-6 lb chicken will yield approximately 5-6 cups of shredded chicken and 2-3 cups of chicken broth. It kind of depends on how "meaty" the chicken is, so take that into consideration when selecting what you would like to use.
Jalapeno Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken
This easy jalapeño slow cooker pulled chicken is the best for tacos, enchiladas, soup or nachos. Seasoned and slow roasted, this whole chicken is then shredded to be used right away or frozen for later!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American, Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 6 pound whole chicken, neck and gizzards removed
- 1-2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In the bottom of a slow cooker, place sliced onions and chicken broth or stock.
- Lay the whole chicken on top of the onions and top with the jalapeños and seasonings.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours or until the chicken is tender and falling off the bone.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board. Separate the skin and bones from the meat and discard them.
- Using forks or kitchen tongs, pull apart the meat until the chicken is shredded into smaller pieces.
- Strain the onions and jalapeños from the broth, saving the broth for later or discarding it.
- Mix the onions and jalapeños with the pulled chicken and use immediately or cool and store for use later.
Notes
- A 6-pound whole chicken will yield approximately 2 pounds or 6 cups of shredded meat and 4 cups of broth.
- Don't wash chicken before cooking it as it increases the risk of salmonella.
- Use food safe gloves when dicing the jalapeños to prevent the oils from getting on your hands and potentially in your eyes.
- Gloves can also be used when handling raw chicken to help prevent contamination.
- Always cook chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165˚ when checked with a kitchen thermometer. The temperature should be checked both in the thickest part of the breast as well as in the thigh for a whole bird.
- When freezing for later, store the pulled chicken in single use serving containers for easy defrosting and use.
Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken - A whole chicken is great for slow cooking and the skin and bones adds a ton of extra flavor. A broiler, roaster, or fryer chicken will work best. Aim for a bird that is about 6 pounds. Alternatively, chicken breasts or thighs can also be used.
- Chicken Breasts - Bone in chicken breasts will take approximately 2-3 hours on low. Boneless chicken breasts will take about 1 - 2 hours on low.
- Chicken Thighs - Bone in chicken thighs will take about 4-5 hours on low. Boneless chicken thighs will take about 3-4 hours.
- Jalapeños - The jalapeños in this recipe add a nice spice to the chicken without it being overwhelming. For less spice, use just one pepper and make sure to remove the seeds. For an extra spicy dish, leave the seeds in and use 2 or even 3 jalapeño peppers!
- Plain - If you don't want the spice or jalapeño flavor, omit the peppers and slow roast the whole chicken with just the onions, broth and seasonings.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Cool the chicken and broth completely before storing it in the airtight container for later use.
- Fridge - This pulled chicken will keep in the refrigerator, in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- Freezer - Pulled chicken will keep in the freezer, in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Broth - If you decide to save the broth from cooking the chicken, it will keep in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer. It's great for soup!
Keywords: slow cooker pulled chicken, jalapeno chicken, whole pulled chicken
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Storage Tips for Pulled Chicken
- This pulled chicken will keep in the refrigerator, in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- Freeze pulled chicken in a ziptop bag, making sure to get rid of as much air as possible from the bag. This should help the chicken keep for up to 3 months.
- Before storing chicken in an airtight container or ziptop bag, make sure it has cooled completely. I also like to add a little bit of the broth to the chicken to make sure it doesn't dry out.
Don't forget to keep an eye out for the upcoming recipes to use this pulled chicken for some tasty meals!
XO, Amanda
Cindy says
This looks like a great easy summer solution for dinner. Thank you !
How much heat does the 1-2 jalapenos add? We typically don't add much spice to our dishes but I'm wondering if it's more of a subtle flavor as it cooks down.
Amanda says
If you don't want too much spice, I recommend 1 small or medium jalapeno for this amount of chicken. My kids aren't big spicy food eaters and that's what I typically use when I make it.