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May 25, 2015

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Lentils

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Lentils and chicken are slow cooked with green salsa and black beans to make a creamy one pot dinner. Top it with cheddar, sour cream, cilantro and crunched up tortilla chips for the ultimate Mexican meal.
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Lentils and chicken are slow cooked with green salsa and black beans to make a creamy one pot dinner. Top it with cheddar, sour cream, cilantro and crunched up tortilla chips for the ultimate Mexican meal

Love the flavors of salsa verde? Me too! I wanted to mix things up a bit and try lentils in a Mexican-style meal instead of Indian food or other traditional ways of cooking lentils. And it was a super awesome choice! I loved the way the lentils came out almost creamy-like. The chicken was so tender and moist.

Save for later on Pinterest!

Lentils and chicken are slow cooked with green salsa and black beans to make a creamy one pot dinner. Top it with cheddar, sour cream, cilantro and crunched up tortilla chips for the ultimate Mexican meal

I added in some black beans, cumin and chili powder to give it that Mexican flare. You could serve this in so many different ways. You could eat it plain, serve in tortillas, use it as a dip with tortilla chips, or put it over rice or even quinoa. Give it a try for dinner this week!

Save for later on Pinterest!

Lentils and chicken are slow cooked with green salsa and black beans to make a creamy one pot dinner. Top it with cheddar, sour cream, cilantro and crunched up tortilla chips for the ultimate Mexican meal
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Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Lentils


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 6 hours
  • Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
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Description

Lentils and chicken are slow cooked with green salsa and black beans to make a creamy one pot dinner. Top it with cheddar, sour cream, cilantro and crunched up tortilla chips for the ultimate Mexican meal.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup dry green lentils
  • 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, frozen
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 (16 oz) jar salsa verde
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • Tortilla chips, cilantro and sour cream, for serving

Instructions

  1. Place lentils in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the broth over the top.
  2. Add in the frozen chicken. Top the chicken with the cumin, salt, garlic powder, chili powder, salsa verde and black beans.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for about 6 hours or until lentils are tender.
  4. Remove the chicken and place on a cutting board. Shred the chicken or cut into bite size pieces. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker.
  5. If it needs to be thickened, stir 1 Tbsp of cornstarch together with 1 Tbsp of water until smooth in a little bowl. Stir into the slow cooker and cook on high without the lid for a few minutes until it thickens.
  6. Add cheese into the slow cooker.
  7. Serve lentils and chicken plain, in tortillas, as a dip with tortilla chips, or put it over rice or even quinoa. Top with tortilla chips, cilantro and sour cream.

Notes

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-6 quart

  • Method: Slow Cooker

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P.S.  Try these other great slow cooker Mexican meals too!
Green Chicken Chili in the Slow Cooker with AvocadosSlow Cooker Mexican Brown Rice Casserole with Avocado, Black Beans, and Green ChilesEasy recipe for crockpot Chipotle Shredded Pork. Great for salads, tacos, or sandwiches!Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Rice Bowls #chickendinner #crockpotdinner #easydinner

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14 Comments Filed Under: 6 or More Hours, All Recipes, Beans, Chicken, Healthy, Mexican, Slow Cooker Tagged With: 4-6 hours, 4 stars, lentils, All Posts

Recommendations

Comments

  1. Kathy E. says

    January 7, 2017 at 7:59 pm

    Karen, I made this tonight and it was incredibly delicious! The appearance was upgraded with a bit of extra shredded cheese and the dollop of sour cream on top. I served it over a brown rice and quinoa blend. It had the perfect spicy heat! I’m already looking forward to leftovers! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 9, 2017 at 9:20 pm

      I love this recipe too!

      Reply
  2. Vesta says

    May 18, 2016 at 4:09 pm

    Great recipe, Karen. One question: When I use frozen chicken I get nasty stuff in the meal. How do I avoid it? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      May 18, 2016 at 9:28 pm

      define nasty stuff???

      Reply
      • Vesta says

        May 19, 2016 at 2:00 am

        White crud that floats to the surface and breaks up into bits when you try to remove it. It never incorporates into the dish.

        Reply
    • Fran says

      November 29, 2018 at 5:06 pm

      Don’t put frozen chicken into a slow cooker — ever.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  3. Indygirl71 says

    May 27, 2015 at 10:08 pm

    I have unfrozen chicken breast handy to use… will it work OK in this recipe?

    Reply
    • [email protected] says

      May 28, 2015 at 4:57 am

      yep! It will probably be okay. I would try and see if low for 4 hours works.

      Reply
  4. E S Richbourg says

    May 27, 2015 at 3:46 pm

    Can I use red lentils? That is what I have on hand. Can't wait to make this!

    Reply
    • [email protected] says

      May 27, 2015 at 9:49 pm

      I bet you could totally use red lentils! Let me know how it turns out 🙂

      Reply
  5. Allie Taylor says

    May 27, 2015 at 2:32 pm

    Great recipe Karen, I really love salsa verde. This must smell WONDERFUL!!! Can't wait to try, I know my kids will love this.

    Reply
    • [email protected] says

      May 27, 2015 at 9:48 pm

      I could drink salsa verde! My kids loved it so I bet yours will too 🙂

      Reply
  6. Catherine says

    May 27, 2015 at 2:18 am

    Dear Karen, This is right up my alley..so quick and easy to throw together too. xo, Catherine

    Reply
    • [email protected] says

      May 27, 2015 at 9:47 pm

      Me too…I love stuff like this 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Karen. I know that dinner time can be less than relaxing. Busy schedules and cranky kids and a hundred other things can lead to weariness when it comes to putting dinner on the table. I can help! I make homemade, family-friendly slow cooker and Instant Pot dinners and share the recipes with you.

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