Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Jul 25, 2022 (last updated Jun 5, 2026) 
This slow cooker cilantro lime chicken cooks up super juicy in a bright homemade cilantro lime sauce! It’s freezer-friendly and perfect for tacos, rice bowls, or meal prep; and works with either chicken breasts or thighs!
5 star review
“This recipe is worth it for the sauce alone! I may have been eating it with a spoon. Just take my word for it that you should double that. 🙂 Super good and versatile to have over rice, veggies, salad, in tacos! This will definitely be added to our rotation.”
– Hailey
My Favorite Shredded Cilantro Lime Chicken
Okaaaaay, the magic of this slow cooker cilantro lime chicken is absolutely in the sauce! A quick blend of cilantro, lime, garlic, and cumin turns plain chicken into something bright, tangy, and packed with flavor, and the slow cooker does the rest while you go about your day, which we LOVE! You end up with juicy, shreddable chicken that’s endlessly versatile, which is exactly why this one’s been in my regular rotation for years.
Here’s the trick I use that makes it taste fresh instead of flat. I split the cilantro lime sauce in two, cooking the chicken in half of it low and slow, then stirring the reserved half in right at the end. The slow cooker mellows a lot of that vibrant flavor over a few hours, so adding fresh sauce at the finish brings the brightness right back! It works with either chicken breasts or thighs, too, so you can reach for whatever you’ve got.
Once it’s shredded, this chicken slides into just about anything. Pile it into warm tortillas for tacos, spoon it over a bowl with my pinto beans and rice for an easy weeknight dinner, or stash it for meal prep lunches all week. And for a fresh, crunchy topping that cuts through the richness, my Mexican slaw piles right onto tacos or bowls for a complete meal. YUM!
Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Cilantro Lime Chicken in the Crockpot!
Note: If you make the sauce ahead, it may lose some of its vibrant color, but don’t worry, in testing it still tastes great when made ahead! The sauce also freezes well, so make a double batch for next time you want to make this recipe or this juicy grilled cilantro lime chicken.
Robyn’t Testing Tips for Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Resist the urge to lift the lid while the chicken cooks, as every peek lets out the heat and steam it needs and only drags out the cook time, so I leave it alone until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
- Pro tip: make a double batch of the cilantro lime sauce and freeze half! It keeps in the freezer for up to three months, so the next time you want this dinner, half the work is already done.
- Don’t bother stripping the leaves off the cilantro, since the sauce gets blended smooth, the stems break right down and carry just as much fresh flavor, so you can toss in the whole bunch and save the prep time.
- The honey is optional, but I almost always add it. Just a touch rounds out the tang from all that lime, though you can leave it out if you’d rather keep things sharp and bright.
Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
For the Cilantro Lime Sauce
- ¼ cup avocado oil, or other neutral flavored oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cups packed cilantro
Equipment
Instructions
- Add the oil, garlic, salt, cumin, lime juice, honey and cilantro to a blender or food processor. Blend on low until just combined.
- Add the chicken to a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour over half the sauce, stirring to coat the chicken. Set the remaining sauce aside.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6, or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. Do not uncover during this time.
- Uncover and remove the chicken to a cutting board. Shred with a fork or chop into pieces.
- Add the chicken back to the slow cooker along with the cooking juices and reserved sauce, stirring to combine.
- Taste and add additional lime juice or salt if desired. Serve with warm tortillas or rice and any toppings you like.
Notes
- Nutrition Information: calculated using chicken breasts and a full cup of the cilantro lime sauce, so the numbers will vary depending on if you use the extra ⅓ cup of sauce or not.
- Optional Serving Suggestions: warm tortillas, cooked rice, sour cream, chopped onion, sliced jalapeno.
- With Beans and Corn: To stretch this into a heartier meal, stir in a can of well drained and rinsed black beans and 1 cup of corn (canned, drained or frozen, defrosted) at the end. Give them an extra 15 to 30 minutes on warm to heat through, and you’ve got an easy filling for a crowd.
This is so easy and delicious! My family all loved it. A new rotation regular and a nice adaptation to taco night!!!
Erin, woohoo, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
The cilantro lime sauce was really delicious and easy to put together (I made it the day before). We have a meal’s worth of leftovers as well. Slow cooker recipes are great for busy days!
Laura, yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one and that you have some leftovers as well. Definitely a win! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This was excellent! I had zero plans for dinner and made this in our instant pot. My two kids loved it and my husband and I did as well. I didn’t have cilantro and used green onions and a can of green chiles. I definitely want to try with cilantro next time! So good!
Yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Delicious recipe. The chicken turned out really moist. Added a pot of cooked rice and sautéed some veggies for an easy side. This was great to make on Sunday and now gave leftovers for the week.
Kelly, yay for yummy leftovers! Love the idea of rice and veggies on the side. So easy and delish. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Sound so delicious! Just to confirm, it’s 3 pounds of chicken for 6 servings? That seems like a lot of chicken for 6 servings. Thanks!
Jamie, yes, three pounds is correct, and the nutrition info is calculated for 6 servings, but you can definitely make this recipe stretch to serve more, especially if using as a taco filling. It also freezes well if you end up with leftovers. Hope you enjoy!
So easy and so delicious! If you enjoy cilantro, give this recipe a try. I added a can of rinsed black beans, as suggested to add “bulk.” I think next time I’ll have some jalapeño on hand to toss on top when serving. YUM!!!
Jennifer, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one — love that you added the beans and additional jalepeno sounds delish. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
When you add the remaining sauce back into the crockpot with the chicken, do you warm up for an additional amount of time? Also when you add the corn and black beans I assume it would be in this last step?
Can’t wait to try this!
Amanda, when testing I found that the slow cooker and chicken were hot enough that adding the sauce didn’t drop the temperature significantly, and so there was no need to add additional cook time at the end. However, if you want to warm the sauce up on high for 3-5 minutes covered at the end of the cook time, that’s totally fine. If you’d like to add corn and black beans to bulk things up, then yes, I recommend adding those at the end along to the sauce. In this case you would want to add 15-30 minutes to warm the bean and corn trough. I hope you enjoy!
This recipe is worth it for the sauce alone! I may have been eating it with a spoon. Just take my word for it that you should double that. 🙂 I threw in some scallions that I had into the sauce as well. I did 2 chicken breasts and 2 thighs. I had frozen chicken so I threw it in my instant pot for an hour and it was perfect. I just shredded and then added the rest of the sauce. Super good and versatile to have over rice, veggies, salad, in tacos! This will definitely be added to our rotation.
I also want to just make that sauce and have it over everything. Eggs, tacos, steak, southwest salads, etc.
Hailey, woohoo, so happy you enjoyed the sauce, it’s one of my favs too. I agree with your rec to double it to have on hand for anything and everything. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Robyn, this was SUPERB! I added fresh spinach and served it over brown rice. The recipe makes enough for a taco dinner tomorrow night ‼️
Many thanks for your fabulous, healthy recipes .
Blessings,
Martha
Martha, thank you so much for your kind words, they are appreciated! I love that you bulked up on the veggies by adding spinach — brilliant! Thanks again for leaving a review!
So yummy! And simple! Made the sauce the night before, and then the slow cooker did all the work! I even let the chicken cook a little longer than the recipe and it still turned out great and was so flavorful!
Rachel, love the idea of making the sauce the night before — so smart! So happy to hear you enjoyed this one, and thanks so much for leaving a review!
This was so easy and delicious. We had our in tacos last night, going to use it in Cauliflower rice bowls with veggies tonight. Going to make this one on repeat. Thanks for the easy and HEALTHY recipe!!
Woohoo, so happy to hear this one was a hit for you, Krystal! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. 🙂
The lime sauce is so great!! Thanks for sharing it w us!! 💎💎💎👍👍👍👏👏👏
Stacey, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Can this be used as a marinade also? Why save half the sauce? Can I just dump the whole thing in the slow cooker? Thanks!
Hi Nicole, yes, the sauce can be made ahead and can be stored, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days. Note that the oil will harden in the fridge, so you’ll need to bring it back to room temp to shake it back together. The slow cooker cooks a lot of flavor out of the sauce, so saving some for the end brings freshness and flavor back to the chicken. You’re free to dump it all in at the beginning, but the final flavor will not be as fresh and bright. I hope you enjoy!
We love this recipe! It is easy and delicious. It is also easy to double or triple. Also, you can totally freeze the sauce to use later. I love that it’s all real food!
Kristi, yay, so happy to hear this one’s a hit for you and your crew! Yes, extra sauce can be frozen for up to three months and then defrosted in the fridge, which should make prep even easier!
Could you use the Instapot? What would be the mode/timing for fresh chicken breast?
Hi Hope, yes, it should work. Some IPs have a sensitive burn function, but this sauce shouldn’t set it off. I’d recommend: Add the chicken to the Instant Pot. Pour half of the sauce over the chicken, stirring to coat. Set the remaining sauce aside. Close the lid and set the valve to “sealing.” Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Once the cooking time is up, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure. Carefully remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and shred it with a fork or chop into pieces. Add the shredded chicken back into the Instant Pot along with the cooking juices and the remaining sauce. Stir to combine. Taste and add additional lime juice or salt if desired. I hope you enjoy!
This cilantro lime chicken was amazing — super juicy and packed with bright, zesty flavor. Definitely making this again!
Michelle, yay, so happy to hear you loved this one. Such a great way to add flavor to basic chicken, right?!? Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts and for leaving a review!
Tastes amazing and so easy!
Roxann, yay, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this easy cilantro chicken – it’s one of our favorites, too. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
I made this today, and it is delicious. Thank you so very much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Manuela, fantastic to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
I totally fried the TAR out of the chicken in my crockpot and it was stilllllll delicious. Thought 2 cups of cilantro was going to be total over-kill, but it’s perfect. Amazing flavor. This is a great recipe for easy chicken tacos. Would be great for meal prep with rice or veggies, too. Thanks for this recipe! Will make again!!
Madi, so happy to hear you enjoyed this cilantro chicken and I agree, it makes for the best (easy!) chicken tacos. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
Absolutely delicious! Easy to make, my family loved this and devoured the entire recipe at one sitting leaving us no leftovers. My daughter wanted me to make this again right away so she could bring it for her lunches for work.
Kathy, I’m so happy to hear this one was a hit with the entire family! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!