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Mexican Pulled Chicken is easy to make, super flavorful and the basis for so many delicious meals!
Jack recently prepared a wonderful Mexican-themed dinner for us, and this Mexican Pulled Chicken recipe played a starring role in several of the dishes he made. This chicken is perfectly flavored with a spicy blend of tomatoes and peppers as well as other seasonings. It’s cooked in the oven until fork-tender, then shredded. Scroll down to the recipe card below to watch a video to see how it’s made.
A good Mexican pulled chicken is a great recipe to have in your go-to recipe collection! It can be eaten as-is or as part of a sandwich, or it can be used in many other recipes! In fact, several of our other very popular recipes here on A Family Feast use this recipe including our enchiladas, Mexican lasagna, and our chicken chimichangas!
The key is to use a mix of white and dark meat in this recipe (we used a combination of boneless chicken thighs and breasts) – because the thigh meat lends so much more flavor and juiciness to the finished dish than using the breast meat alone.
Since originally posting this recipe back in February 2013, this Mexican Pulled Chicken has become one of our most popular recipes of all time. We’ve updated the photos and created a video (scroll down below to watch it) since our original post.
Can I make Mexican Pulled Chicken in the slow cooker?
Over the years, we’ve been asked if this Mexican Pulled Chicken recipe can be made in the slow cooker. The answer is YES!
While we haven’t cooked it in the slow cooker ourselves, several of our readers have posted in the comment section below that they saw great results making this recipe in their crock pot. Enjoy!
Interested in more chicken recipes?
Click here for our 100+ Best Chicken Recipes.
You may also like these other recipes made with this Mexican Pulled Chicken:
- Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce
- Chicken Chimichangas
- Pulled Chicken Chilaquiles
- Pulled Chicken Tacos
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Mexican Pulled Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 sweet red pepper, stemmed and seeded and cut into large rings
- 1 large onion, trimmed and cut into large rings
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
- 4 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 tablespoons Agave Nectar
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (leaves)
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 2 tablespoons Rocket Fuel (or your favorite hot sauce)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
- Spray a pan or glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and lay pepper and onion rings on the bottom.
- Lay chicken over onions and peppers.
- In a medium sauce pan, place all other ingredients and heat to a boil. Stir to combine ingredients and remove from heat.
- Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken. Cover with parchment paper then foil. (The parchment paper will prevent the tomato acids from reacting with the foil.)
- Place in oven for three hours.
- Remove the pan from oven and peel off parchment paper and foil.
- Place chicken on a cutting board and shred with two forks.
- Pour remaining mixture from baking dish into a strainer and strain out most of the liquid then place back into baking dish
- Place pulled chicken meat back in with tomato mixture in baking dish and mix to combine.
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Dear Jack and Martha,
Very rarely do I take the effort to comment. I tried out this recipe, and it came out so good. Your effort and details of every aspect is well appreciated. WE now have a staple lunch for our 2 kids….
Once again, Keep up this great work, of helping to hold on to our traditional recipes and techniques….
Good food…takes 3 hrs to cook…..so that goodness can enter….
Sun
Hi Sun – Thank you so much for taking the time to write to us today! We’re so happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe! Martha
I’m just making this in the crockpot and when putting in my oregano I used ground and I’m thinking I should have used leaf. Will this taste way off?
Hi Nichole – The ground oregano might give it a little stronger flavor – hopefully it will still taste good! I will edit the recipe to clarify oregano leave…thanks for writing to us today.
Can you make this ahead and freeze in smaller amounts to use at different times? Always looking for ideas to keep on hand for a quick meal.
Hi Jennifer – Yes – you should be able to freeze and reheat this recipe.
Mexican was my daughters birthday dinner pick. She wanted chicken enchiladas so I decided to try and change things up a little. Your pulled chicken was OUTSTANDING! Used it to make chicken enchilada’s. My daughter said this will be her standard birthday meal request from now on.
Thanks Margaret – we’re very glad you all enjoyed the recipe!
oh my goodness, just finished making your Mexican shredded chicken-made a slider for myself with jalapenos, and added made cole slaw-and it’s delicious!!!! I have a potluck tomorrow, and didn’t want the typical shredded BBQ chicken, I looked around, and remembered your site, how you have great recipes. It’s a keeper, I’ll be taking it in a crockpot to keep the chicken warm-Thank you for sharing your recipes
Thanks for writing to us Dolores! We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I LOVE your site!!!! I am having a house warming and will be using several of your recipes. I am wondering if The ground beef tacos ( x3) , the Mexican Beef shredded (x3) , and the pulled chicken ( x2) would be enough meat to feed around 50 individual. Thanks SOOOOO much for your opinion. I also plan on making the mexican rice ( x3) ( Not sure if I triple it if it will be enough? ) OK I all stop rambling and I appreciate any advice!!!!
Hi Natasha! What a great idea for a house warming menu! Doing the math on our end – we think you would have just enough, but depending on if there are other foods you are serving as well if you have picky or hearty eaters at your party, all adults or lots of kids, you might want to increase the quantities. Jack – who has planned some large scale events in his day – for 50 adults would recommend doing 4x the ground beef tacos, 4x the shredded beef and 3x the chicken to ensure that you have enough for everyone. On the rice, assuming everyone will take a portion, we’d suggest 5x since the recipe serves 8-10. We hope that helps! Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any other questions! Good luck with the party! Martha
Thanks soooo much! This is a HUGE help for us. Have a great day!!
Oh I also plan to have dessert ( store bought cake) and chips and salsa/guacamole.
Because I was slightly off with the meat. I wonder if the toppings are a little off as well. Please take your time with getting back to me. When you do have time can you ask Jack about some of the following.
Tomatos: 10
Lettuce: 3 heads
Onion: 4-5
Cilantro: 3 cups lightly packed
Limes: 15 ( cut up)
Sour Cream: 3 Pints
Cheese: 4-5 Lbs
Taco Sauce: 3 bottles ?
Hard Shells: 43 ?
Soft Corn: 60 ?
I wish I could hug you both as I really am excited for the party in two weeks, however, Ive never had this many people to entertain. lol 🙂
Hi Natasha – Below are Jack’s recommendations and other thoughts for quantities! Have a great party!
If you are assembling and serving, you can control the amount of food used and gauge as you serve. If this is self-service, you need to have food in reserve. Some people really like loading up tacos.
(Tomatoes: 10) That may need to be bumped up a bit. I would go with 15.
(Lettuce: 3 heads) That seems OK as long as they are nice large heads of iceberg
(Onion: 4-5) Assuming these are large onions that seems OK too. People tend to shy away from onions in mixed company.
(Cilantro: 3 cups lightly packed) More or less cilantro shouldn’t hurt anything if adjustments need to be made so OK there (maybe a few nice bunches, could also be used to garnish plates)
(Limes: 15 (cut up)) Sounds good unless they will also be needed for Margaritas. (BTW – Have you seen our Margarita recipe on the blog? It’s fantastic!)
(Sour Cream: 3 Pints) That is about one ounce each, may want to bump that up a tad to four
(Cheese: 4-5 Lbs) 5 pounds is only about an ounce and a half per person. If this is self-service, may want to bump this up a bit.
(Taco Sauce: 3 bottles ?) Assuming they are 12 ounce bottles, that is a little more than a half ounce per person…should be OK.
(Hard Shells: 43 ?) My guess is that people will want one of each. I would go with 60 shells each (extra for the usual breakage of the hard shells)
(Soft Corn: 60 ?) Sounds good
Ohhh margaritas I will have to check that out! Thank you for your kind words of advice. I am now officially ready to take on this taco meal!! This is for our house warming so I will take in your advice for self service as well. I will also make your taco sauce. Have a awesome week!!! I will send you some pictures of the finish spread. 🙂
Thanks Natasha!! Can’t wait to see the photo!!
Made this tonight and used it for Buritos. A big hit! It makes a lot but i don’t think the leftovers will last long.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! We have lots of recipes on our site using this chicken – so if you need inspiration for the leftovers, be sure to search our site for pulled chicken recipes!
What us a good sub for the Agave here? I cannot wait to make this. Thank you!
Hi Stephanie – you can substitute honey. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi Martha! I’ve made this recipe multiple times now, each time it has been delicious!! I have always wanted to make chicken that taste as good as you get in a real Mexican restaurant, and this tastes even better! The last time I made it, I used the left over meat to make individual quesadillas and burritos and froze them. They’re quick and easy for lunches and taste just as good as the first day! Much less expensive and healthier than buying something prepackaged from the grocery store! Any idea on nutritional facts for this recipe?? Thanks!
disappointed u would tell people to cook with plastic wrap.. i would never attmpt this ..everyone has a variety of lids at their disposal these days.. glass being best. plastic does melt in heat AND it gives off a toxic chemical that will turn into a vpir and be absorbed into the food. aside from this toxin, i highly doubt some of the plastc chemical doesn’t melt into the food… honest to god ths is the craziest most irresponible howto i’ve ever seen advertised on the net…