Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken Poblano

No one will ever guess that this slow cooker spicy chicken poblano is actually a freezer meal! The flavors are fresh. There is a nice kick to it and the spiciness can be adjusted to your tastes.

This recipe is keto-friendly (low carb, no sugar) and gluten-free if served on cauliflower rice. You can adjust the spiciness of this dish by the heat of the salsa you use and the cheese you choose to top it with.

Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken Poblano:

• 3 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
• 2 poblano peppers, sliced lengthwise
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 14 oz. jar medium or spicy salsa
• 1 lime
• 1 1/2 cups shredded taco or tex mex cheese blend
• dash of salt and pepper

For the cooking day:

• 1/3 cup water

Assembly instructions:

1. Slice the poblano peppers into long slices.
2. Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable freezer bag or a reusable silicone freezer bag. Take out any excess air and seal the bag.
3. Add the pepper slices, juice of the lime, the minced garlic, the jar of salsa, and salt and pepper.
4. Place the shredded cheese in a medium-sized freezer bag, seal and staple it (above the seal) to the other bag. Freeze.

Slow Cooker cooking instructions:

1. Take the poblano chicken meal out of the freezer to thaw.
2. Dump the contents of the large bag (chicken and pepper mixture) into the crockpot.
3. Add 1/3 cup water.
4. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 4-6 hours.
5. Top with the shredded cheese and replace the lid for 10 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.
6. Serve over rice.

What is a poblano pepper?

When it’s dried, the poblano pepper is called an ancho chile. For this recipe, you’ll be using the fresh version of poblano peppers.

Poblano peppers are on the milder side of the Scoville scale that measures the spiciness of peppers. They range from 1,000 Scoville heat units to 1,500. For contrast sake, jalapeño peppers rate between 2,500 to 10,000 Scoville heat units.

While the poblano pepper is considered quite mild, you can occasionally get one that’s quite hot. Like most peppers, there can be quite a range.

You can find more freezer to crockpot recipes in our Slow Cooker Freezer Meal Plans. You’ll not only get the recipes, but also shopping lists, prep lists, and printable labels to take the guesswork out of weeknight meals. 

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Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken Poblano

Course: Main Course

Keyword: spicy chicken

Servings: 6

Calories: 379 kcal

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. chicken breasts boneless, skinless
• 2 poblano peppers sliced lengthwise
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 14 oz. jar medium or spicy salsa
• 1 lime
• 1 1/2 cups shredded taco or tex mex cheese blend
• dash of salt and pepper

For cooking day:

• 1/3 cup water
• fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Slice the poblano peppers in long slices.

2. Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable freezer bag or a reusable silicone freezer bag. Take out any excess air and seal the bag.

3. Add the pepper slices, juice of the lime, the minced garlic, the jar of salsa, and salt and pepper.

4. Place the shredded cheese in a medium sized freezer bag, seal and staple it (above the seal) to the other bag. Freeze.

Slow Cooker cooking instructions:

1. Take the poblano chicken meal out of the freezer to thaw.

2. Dump the contents of the large bag (chicken and pepper mixture) into the crock pot.

3. Add 1/3 cup water.

4. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 4-6 hours.

5. Top with the shredded cheese and replace the lid for 10 minutes to allow cheese to melt.

6. If desired, top with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve over rice.

Find other tasty make-ahead crockpot meals:

Pesto Chicken and Vegetables

Beefy Rice Slow Cooker Casserole Slow Cooker Beef Curry Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos