I love tacos. That is definitely one of our staple meals. It’s fairly quick, super tasty, fun and always gives us plenty of leftovers. A meal that offers leftovers is almost always welcome. Normally I use ground chicken to make tacos, beef works too and that’s how we made tacos once upon a time. A while back I tried making shredded taco meat in the slow cooker. Being use to a certain texture, Josh didn’t totally care for it but it seemed to also be partly because the spice wasn’t there. I decided I needed to revisit this idea and take a slightly new approach.

After my alterations and playing around with the chicken and spices a bit, the end result was awesome. Unfortunately the chicken was a too spicy for our oldest so I’ll have to remember to either cut back on the amount of spices in the future, or figure something else out to give her a portion. It wouldn’t be fair to deny her tacos.

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Spicy Shredded Taco Bites

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients
 

Slow cooker chicken:

  • 2-3 chicken breasts
  • 1 C chicken broth
  • chili powder
  • cayenne pepper
  • ground black pepper
  • garlic salt
  • paprika

Taco bites:

  • 1 pkg wonton wrappers
  • shredded taco meat
  • cheese, shredded
  • lettuce, shredded
  • jalapeno slices, diced
  • sour cream
  • tomatoes, diced

Instructions
 

  • Using a slow cooker, place trimmed chicken breast in bowl. Figure 1/2 chicken breast per person with no leftovers or a bit more. Top off with 1 cup of chicken broth. I don't have measurements on spices for you as the degree of spiciness will vary per person and household. Sprinkle chicken and broth with chili powder, cayenne pepper, pepper garlic salt and paprika. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
  • At the 4 hour mark, remove lid and shred chicken. Sprinkle again with chili powder, cayenne pepper and paprika.  Return lid and continue cooking on low for an additional 2 hours. At the 2 hour mark sprinkle with the same 3 items again. Cover and cook for an additional hour on low, remove lid and sprinkle again. Cook for one final hour on low. You should cook the meat for a total of 7-8 hours on low.
  • You can use this meat in a traditional way in shells, salad, bowl, wrap or continue reading to learn how to make taco bites. Mmm mmm so good and so glad I tried them. They're a perfect party appetizer, game or movie food. Quick, easy and fun just as tacos should be, but in a mini portion.
  • Preheat oven to 350F°. Let wonton wrappers warm up to room temperature. Cold wrappers break easily, so it's best to remove them from the fridge while you are cooking your meat. This will give them ample time to warm up. Spray a mini muffin pan with oil. Place one wonton wrapper in each muffin cup. Form the wrappers into such a way that they will make a cup or at the very least the corners won't collapse in. When your entire pan is lined with wrappers, spray again with oil. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden and crisp.
  • While your wrappers are baking, shred lettuce, dice jalapeno slices and tomatoes. Divide all ingredients into separate bowls. I would have topped off a portion of the taco bites with tomatoes but we didn't have any.
  • Discard any wonton cups that have fallen in and appear to not be useful as a cup, leaving the remainder in the muffin pan. Carefully fill wonton cups with meat and cheese. Pop back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Top off with lettuce, jalapenos, tomatoes, sour cream and additional cheese if desired.
  • Serve immediately.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most accurate data, use your preferred nutrition calculator with the actual ingredients you used to make this recipe.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Snap a picture and tag @bakedbyrachel on Instagram!
Course: Appetizer