Cilantro Lime Chicken {Slow Cooker or Instant Pot}

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This Cilantro Lime Chicken is the perfect healthy dinner recipe and can be made in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot. Serve it over rice or as a filling for tacos. You can even prep it ahead of time and freeze until you need it.

This Cilantro Lime Chicken is the perfect healthy dinner recipe and can be made in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot. Serve it over rice or as a filling for tacos. You can even prep it ahead of time and freeze until you need it.

*Originally published 2014. Updated 2017 & 2021*

Hi Friends!

I shared this Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe over 7 years ago and still make it fairly often. It’s one of my favorite crockpot dump meals. I love it because it’s super forgiving – you don’t need exact measurements you can prep several batches ahead of time, freeze in ziploc bags and then just pull one out to thaw and cook during a busy week. It’s perfect for giving to a family after a new baby, in a time of need, etc because it’s so easy to prepare and they can just toss it into the crockpot whenever they need it most.

This meal is also perfect for sunday meal prep. If you want to learn more about meal prep and how it can help you eat healthy during busy weeks, check out my course: Mastering Food Prep.

Cilantro Lime Chicken in the crockpot or instant pot

Cilantro Lime Chicken Crockpot Recipe

It’s also super versatile. You can serve it on its own over rice, or use it as the filling for tacos or burritos. I’ve even served it over chips topped with cheese for some easy nachos!

I’ve tested this cilantro lime chicken in both the crockpot and the instant pot. Here’s how you make it:

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Cilantro Lime Chicken

This Cilantro Lime Chicken is the perfect healthy dinner recipe and can be made in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot. Serve it over rice or as a filling for tacos. You can even prep it ahead of time and freeze until you need it.
Print Recipe

4.5 from 2 reviews

This Cilantro Lime Chicken is the perfect healthy dinner recipe and can be made in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot. Serve it over rice or as a filling for tacos. You can even prep it ahead of time and freeze until you need it.

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: serves 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 – 1.5 pounds chicken breasts
  • 1 (15 oz) can no salt added black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz) can corn (or 1.5 cups frozen or fresh)
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (I use the juice from one lime)
  • 2 serrano (or jalapeno) peppers, minced (optional)
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp cumin (You could also use taco seasoning)
  • Optional toppings for serving: salsa, cheese, avocado

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker.
  2. Stir to combine and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
  3. Remove chicken, shred, return to pot, stir and serve over rice, as is or in tortillas. Top with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and cilantro before serving if desired.

Notes

To prep for freezer: Combine all ingedients in a ziploc bag and freeze flat. Thaw in the fridge the night before cooking. Pour contents into crockpot and cook according to directions.

You may need to add a little water to the ziploc bag and swirl it around to get cilantro out if it sticks to the sides of the bag.

To cook in the Instant Pot: Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot. Seal, press the manual button and set time for 10 minutes. If your chicken breasts are thick, cut them in half before cooking. Shred chicken and serve.

Keep in mind you can use 90 second rice or even make your rice ahead of time and freeze it to make this dinner even easier.

Top will all sorts of goodness like salsa, avocado, cheese etc and dig in!

This Cilantro Lime Chicken is the perfect healthy dinner recipe and can be made in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot. Serve it over rice or as a filling for tacos. You can even prep it ahead of time and freeze until you need it.

Let’s chat: What’s your favorite make-ahead crockpot meal?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. I have never made a freeze ahead crockpot, but I do love using mine for meals during the week! I had never even thought about it until I read your post! This is a great idea, I love cooking soups, which would be perfect for a freezer meal, and pulled pork! Yum yum yum! I am now really hungry, but 9 miles lie between me and a giant breakfast…..This would be a great meal to come back to after an afternoon run! Love cilantro and lime combination!

  16. Looks great!
    I got a slow cooker in December and can’t believe I existed so long without one!
    My favorite creations so far have been black bean chili and a ginger/curry red lentil & butternut squash soup. (Recipe to come.)

  17. I just made a beef stew with a sweet potato instead of white potatoes and it turned out pretty well. Perfect for these chilly Houston days we’ve been having and SO EASY for me when I come home at night! Thanks for sharing!

  21. this is just awesome. I have been trying to plan my meals since last week – this is on for next week 🙂 thanks for your Sunday Food Prep posts, its really what got me going 🙂

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

  22. This is awesome!! I also freeze my own beans that I cook, and I find that they defrost so quickly that it is just as easy to freeze a ton and throw them into the crockpot with other things. I will have to try out the cilantro lime in the crockpot because those are my favorite flavors. Thanks for the idea, Lindsay!

  25. Oh my goodness- this looks delicious. Sending the recipe to my husband so he can buy everything while I am out of town so that I can make it on Sunday!

  27. Oh yes! We love shredded chicken and shredded pork done with lots of different spices and veggies in the crock. Looks great, this one!

  28. Mmm so easy!!! I have a recipe for crock pot chicken tacos that is super easy, pretty similar, but with a few more mixins’ 🙂 Sometimes we’ll just throw in a bunch of potatoes too with a can of soup, and add it to whatever meat we’re having that night.

  29. This is completely my kind of meal. This is the type of food we eat and love in my house. It may not look that great, but the flavor and ease of making it = perfection!

  33. Yum – this looks and sounds every bit as good as Chipotle!!! And, the fact that you can make it in the crock pot makes it a winner for me!!

  36. Lindsay! This looks so good! I have a crock pot that needs to be used more! haha. I’m sure my family will enjoy this. Thanks for sharing!

  37. Ah yesss thanks for sharing! My fiance and I are currently living in a hotel, so I have been using a crock pot to cook dinner every night. I have been looking for new recipes and I can’t wait to try this one!

  41. This sounds absolutely delish! I’m pinning it for the future. My Crockpot broke last month and I still have to get the crock replaced. Unfortunate braindead moment when I added cold liquid to a hot Crockpot. Oops. Thanks for sharing!

  43. If I want to cook this the day of, and not to freeze, does it just stay in the crockpot longer…? Or is it ready to eat after 4-6 hours on low?

  45. I have a whole pullet I used to make chicken soup. Could I combine this left over boiled chicken with all the ingredients in the cilantro lime chicken recipe and heat it in the oven?