This slow cooker Cuban chicken recipe is the perfect pulled chicken recipe for an easy weeknight dinner!
Shredded chicken cooked with onions, peppers, garlic, and spices topped with fresh lime juice makes the best chicken filling for pastelitos, arepas, tacos, or quesadillas.
This Cuban chicken recipe is also excellent served over white rice with a side of sweet platano maduros and a drink of horchata.
Ingredients
- Sofrito Veggies: Sliced onions, peppers, and garlic create the perfect sofrito base.
- Corn: Optional, adds a nice sweet crunch!
- Green Olives: Pitted. Slice them small for balanced bites.
- Tomatoes: Tomato sauce and a can of mild diced tomatoes with green chilis.
- Chicken Broth: Use low sodium for a healthier option. You can also substitute it with vegetable broth!
- Boneless Chicken: I used chicken breast, but you can use boneless chicken thighs for pulling, too.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, garlic powder.
- Lime Juice: Add this at the end. It brings it all together!
Short on time?
What I love about using a slow cooker is adding all of my ingredients to the pot and cooking for a few hours without worrying about cooking.
If you're short on time, make this shredded Cuban chicken in the Instant Pot. It takes 10 minutes to cook at high pressure.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Cuban Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker you can also use an Instant Pot
Ingredients
Seasoned Chicken
- 1.5 lbs boneless chicken breast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano seasoning dried
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Sauce Mixture
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 red bell peppers chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- 4 oz sweet corn drained
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup green olives pitted and chopped
- 10 oz mild diced tomatoes with green chili can
- 4 oz tomato sauce
When Finished
- 1 whole lime juice to taste
Instructions
Season Chicken
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and cumin. Set to the side.
Make Sauce Base
- Add remaining ingredients, except for the lime juice, to the slow cooker, and gently mix together.
Add Chicken
- Add chicken to the slow cooker and spoon some of the sauce mixutre over the chicken, to
Cook Chicken
- Cook boneless chicken in slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Shred Chicken
- Once the chicken has cooked through, remove the chicken from the slow cooker, and shred the chicken before returning to the slow cooker.
- Mix shredded chicken with the sauce, and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, if desired.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice over the chicken mixutre, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Storing Leftovers
To store leftovers, place the remaining chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
Mitzi says
This sounds delicious! Definitely going to try this the week that I am off with my son for Christmas.
Neyssa says
Awesome. Let me know if your son enjoys it.
Nat says
Yumo! Sorry is the cooking times correct? Just wondering why on high takes longer than low? Thanks
John says
Made it. Loved it. I'm a fan of olives so I loaded up with them. In the 21 years that I have known my wife I think this was the first time I saw her actually eat an olive and she enjoyed it because all of the flavors blended nicely. Next time I think I'll use some smoked paprika as well.
Latina Mom Meals says
Awesome! So glad she branched out and enjoyed it! Hmm, that would be a wonderful addition, let me know how it works out for you, John. 🙂
Courk says
Made this dish this evening, let the olives out because my fiance hates olives. I would like for him to still want to marry me. The dish was phenomenal!
Ellen says
Very tasty! Good with a smear of mashed avocado on a corn tortilla, too.