I'm somewhat obsessed with my crock pot. I have a fancier 6-in-one type of pot too, but somehow I always make my way back to my tried and true, 5.5 -quart ceramic Crock Pot . I use it for bone broth, chili, and a variety of chicken and meat dishes, but far and away the recipe that gets made the most often in my house is this slow cooked salsa verde chicken from Diane Sanfilippo's Practical Paleo 2nd edition.

I make this a LOT. It's one of the few paleo meals that every member of my family will enjoy without complaint, and the recipe makes enough for a few days of leftovers.

The instructions call for a dutch oven, but I typically opt for the slow cooker option, and cook it on high for 4-5 hours. I've made this recipe with boneless skinless breasts and thighs, and also with bone in-skin on breasts and thighs, and it comes out great either way!

Slow-cooked Salsa Verde Chicken

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cooking Time: 3.5 - 4 Hours

Yield: 9-12 Servings

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 large onion, sliced
4-6 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife
1 (24-ounce) jar salsa verde
1/3 cup chicken bone broth (optional)
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 bay leaves

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Place all ingredients in an enameled Dutch oven or other large heavy oven safe pot and stir to combine, coating chicken with the sauce.
Cover and place into the oven for 3 hours or until chicken is fork tender and pulls apart easily. After 3 hours, adjust the lid so that it's off center and return the pot to the oven for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow the liquid to reduce to a thick sauce.
Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven (reserve the sauce) and allow it to cool slightly before shredding with two forks or a fork and a spoon. Toss the shredded meat in the reserved sauce. Garnish with avocado or cilantro if desired.
If desired, serve with plaintain chips, garnished with avocado slices, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Note: You could also make this in a slow cooker - put everything in and cook on low for 4-6 hours until chicken pulls apart easily. Enjoy!!

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My husband and I will add the shredded chicken to a lettuce wrap with tomato and green onions, my son will put his on a roll 'sloppy-joe' style, and my daughter will combine with avocado slices and beans in a wrap. This chicken is great with spaghetti squash too. However you decide to enjoy it, make sure to save the leftover sauce - I store in small portions in the freezer to add to a plain chicken breast any time!