I am a huge fan of slow cookers, but thus far haven’t really shared that love with my readers on the blog. One of my favorite foods to cook up in my slow cooker is chicken breast. When prepared in a slower cooker, the chicken comes out to be extremely moist and tender – perfect to have on hand for the week as a protein source for salads, sandwiches, tacos, etc.
Preparing a slow cooked chicken recipe is amazingly simple. Add chicken and a few ingredients to the slow cooker and turn it on. Wait 4 to 6 hours and voila you have a healthier lean protein source!
If I am in the mood for a basic chicken creation, I add chicken broth, onions, and some herbs to the slow cooker. However lately I have been spicing it up a bit with a slow cooker barbecue chicken. Again super easy – chicken, barbecue sauce, salad dressing, and worcestershire sauce is it. For a healthier outcome I skip the added sugar.
Typically I use the chicken to create a barbecue chicken sandwich, however in todays recipe for Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken and Kale Slaw Tacos. I change things up a bit. The slow cooked chicken is topped with a healthier slaw variety made with kale and Greek yogurt and stuff inside a whole wheat flour tortilla shell. The outcome is a nutrient packed taco full of sweet and tangy flavor.
Consider serving up the kale slaw for your next cookout (like perhaps your upcoming Labor Day party). The slaw develops a better flavor if you prepare and refrigerate a few hours before serving. It lets the flavor marinate the kale and helps to moisten the kale leaves. During the slaw preparation process I recommend massaging the kale to break down the fibers (and thus soften leaves).
The tacos were served up on a super lower calorie whole grain tortilla from Trader Joes. Each plain taco was only 45 calories and contained 7 grams of fiber. Pretty amazing calorie count for that fiber content.
What do you have planned for Labor Day weekend?
Your family’s Dietitian,
Barbecue Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken breast
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup italian salad dressing
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Pinch of salt
Kale Slaw
- 6 cups Kale, shredded
- 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2-3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Tacos
- 10-12 small whole grain tortillas
Chicken Instructions
Slaw