Copycat Café Rio Slow Cooker Chicken

Copycat Café Rio Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken is almost as good as the real deal. This shredded chicken cooked in the slow cooker is easy to make and is perfect for salads, stuffed burritos and enchiladas.

Copycat Cafe Rio Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken on a salad in a flour tortilla topped with ranch dressing, and crispy corn tortilla strips

If you live in Utah then you are no stranger to Café Rio or Costa Vida. This Café Rio shredded chicken cooked in a crockpot has been all over the internet for years, and I have tried many of them. None of them are spot on with the actual restaurant and I have played around with the ingredients and flavor for a while.

DISCLAIMER: I will not claim that mine is spot on, but it is pretty darn good! We have been eating this at our house for at least 10 years! It is so yummy! The flavor in this Café Rio Chicken is not loaded with Mexican flavor. You find the seasoning and ingredients in this recipe are more subtle and just a perfect blend of zesty with a touch of Mexican flare. This chicken combined with other Mexican elements like rice and beans and enchilada sauce will make the perfect Mexican dish.

Are you looking for a Mexican Chicken that is loaded with Mexican flavor try my Crockpot Mexican Chicken. The flavors in this recipe are all you want in a Mexican dish so if you want full on Mexican flavor, use this recipe!

Ingredients for Copycat Café Rio Slow Cooker Chicken

You will love this recipe! Copycat Café Rio Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken could not be easier to make! You need boneless skinless chicken breasts, a bottle of Italian dressing (I prefer regular Italian over Zesty- I find the zesty to be too robust and … well, zesty!), some water and some seasonings: garlic, chili powder, cumin, and dry ranch dressing mix.

Cooking your Copycat Café Rio Slow Cooker Chicken

This recipe is easy peasy! In a bowl, all you need to do is mix the Italian dressing, water and seasonings.

Next, spray your slow cooker with cooking spray, and place your chicken in the slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Chicken breasts in the slow cooker with the sauce being poured on top of it for cooking
chicken breasts and sauce in the slow cooker ready to cook

Cook your chicken in the slow cooker on low for 3-4 hours or on high 5-6 hours. After the chicken is done cooking, shred it with a fork. Lastly, mix it all up, making sure the chicken is covered in the sauce!

Copycat Cafe Rio Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken in sauce in the slow cooker ready to eat

What to eat with your Copycat Café Rio Slow Cooker Chicken

We eat this Cafe Rio Shredded chicken in a salad, in a burrito or in a quesadilla. We love to eat Cilantro Lime Rice with it and will use my Red Enchilada Sauce or Green Enchilada Sauce if making smothered burritos!

Copycat Cafe Rio Slow Cooker Chicken Salad

For another easy Mexican Chicken recipe that has more Mexican flavor, try my Crockpot Mexican Chicken.

Copycat Café Rio Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken is almost as good as the real deal. This chicken is easy to make and is perfect for salads, stuffed burritos and enchiladas.

Try my Copycat Cilantro Lime Rice and Copycat Tomatillo Ranch Dressing to go along with this Café Rio Shredded Chicken.

For another yummy slow cooker Mexican dish try my Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken (it is heavier on the Mexican flavor and so yummy), or try my Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef.



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Clsoe up shot of Copycat Cafe Rio Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

Copycat Cafe Rio Slow Cooker Chicken

Copycat Café Rio Slow Cooker Chicken is almost as good as the real deal. This chicken is easy to make and is perfect for salads, stuffed burritos and enchiladas.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Servings: 8 servings (approx.)

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 bottle (8 oz.) Italian dressing *not Zesty Italian
  • 1 packet (1 oz.) Ranch Dressing Mix *dry ranch dressing mix packet
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tsp minced garlic (bottled) or 4 fresh garlic cloves minced *I use bottle minced garlic – it is so much easier
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix Italian Dressing, ranch dressing mix, water, minced garlic, chili powder and cumin.
  • Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over the chicken.
  • Cook on low for 3-4 hours and high 5-6 hours.
  • When done cooking, shred the chicken with a fork and stir to make sure the chicken is evenly covered with the sauce.
  • Serve in salads, stuffed in burritos, enchiladas or quesadillas.

Notes

We love this chicken with my Cilantro Lime Rice and my Copycat Tomatillo Ranch Dressing!  These recipes together make the perfect salads or burritos! 

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 3374mg | Potassium: 438mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.05g | Vitamin A: 189IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
Copycat Cafe Rio Slow Cooker Chicken

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