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Copycat Cafe Rio Shredded Chicken – a simple and delicious chicken recipe that is perfect for salads, burritos, quesadillas and tacos!
If you’ve ever been to Cafe Rio, you know how good their Mexican food is! That’s why we’ve made so many copycat recipes—this chicken, cilantro lime rice, sweet pork barbacoa, and even their cilantro ranch salad dressing!
Have you ever been to Cafe Rio??
It’s one of our family’s all-time favorite Mexican grill restaurants and one that we frequent often. It’s mostly located on the West Coast, with a few exceptions. But if you’ve never been, have no fear because today, I’m bringing you a copycat recipe for Cafe Rio’s Shredded Chicken.
Basically, it’s a delicious chicken recipe with some Mexican flavors that is perfect for salads, tacos or burritos. It’s flavorful and is something I can double and freeze if there are leftovers for future meals!!
It tastes very similar to Cafe Rio’s recipe and is just so good that it’s now my go-to chicken recipe, especially when we have a Mexican burrito/salad bar set up. We also serve it with our copycat Cilantro Lime Rice and Cilantro Ranch Dressing from Cafe Rio too.
The simple recipe
Aside from the chicken, there’s only five other ingredients you put in the crockpot (minus the water—that hardly counts as an ingredient):
- italian dressing
- garlic
- chili powder
- cumin
- ranch dressing mix
COOK. Simply place the chicken in the crockpot and pour all the other ingredients on top. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, or LOW for 5-6.
SHRED. Shred the chicken (for tips and different methods for shredding chicken, go here), and put back in the juices. Serve however you like!
Can I cook cafe rio chicken in an instapot? Yes! Just place all the ingredients in the pot, set it to poultry and cook for 6 minutes, 10 minutes if the chicken is frozen. Allow the pressure to release, shred the chicken, and serve.
Serve it Cafe rio style
There are several different entrees you can use this chicken in! Here are some ways you can do it Cafe Rio style. 😉
Burrito: Wrap the chicken, rice, your choice of beans, and some shredded cheese in a large flour tortilla. If you want it “smothered”, cover in enchilada sauce (red or green), add more shredded cheese on top, and broil in the oven until cheese is melted.
Enchiladas: Wrap chicken and shredded cheese in a flour tortillas, then cover in enchilada sauce and more shredded cheese. Bake or broil in the oven until cheese is melted.
Quesadillas: Just sandwich some cheese and chicken in a tortilla and cook on a skillet or in the microwave until the cheese is nice and melty. Similar to this quesadilla recipe!
Salad: Start with a tortilla in the bottom of your dish. Then add (in this order) rice, beans, chicken, fresh lettuce, and all your favorite toppings (listed below). Serve with cilantro ranch dressing.
Any of these entrees can be served with Mexican rice, cilantro lime rice, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, avocados, cheese, salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, cotija cheese, cilantro, and any of your other favorite taco toppings.
Double it and freeze
Can I double the recipe and freeze some for later? Absolutely you can! Double all the ingredients and cook for the same amount of time in a slow cooker. Once the chicken has been shredded, place half of it into a freezer safe ziploc, along with half of the juice. Freeze for up to 4 months. Reheat in a slow cooker or thaw and reheat, covered, in the oven.
Not only is this chicken delicious, but it’s simple and can be used in so many ways. Whether it’s burritos, tacos, quesadillas, chimichangas, taco salad or tacos, I think you’ll love it!!
For more mexican recipes, check out:
- Sweet Pork Barbacoa
- Slow Cooker Creamy Fiesta Chicken
- Baked Taquitos
- Sheet Pan Fajitas
- Chicken Enchilada Dip
- Carne Asada
Cafe Rio Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsp dry ranch dressing mix
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Spray inside of crockpot with cooking spray. Add chicken to slow cooker.
- In a small bowl combine Italian dressing, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, ranch dressing and water. Pour over chicken and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, or LOW for 5-6.
- Remove chicken from crockpot and shred. Add chicken back to juices and serve with salad/burritos/tacos. ENJOY!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I make this in the oven or stovetop (not crockpot0?
Yes! You can use our, “how to bake chicken” recipe, https://lilluna.com/baked-chicken/. I would just follow the cafe rio recipe, minus adding in the crockpot. Hope that helps!
I made it exactly like the recipe and it turned out fantastic. I have a Ninja with a slow cook feature and cooked on low the chicken was cooked to temperature in 2 1/2 hours.
I am so happy you liked it!! Thanks for trying it!!
I have made this several times I love all of your recipes. However can I cook this chicken in the Crock-Pot semi-frozen?
Delicious!!!
Sweet and tangy chicken…definitely Does not taste like Cafe Rio chicken. It’s ok, but not what I was looking for.
Just made this for an event I had and it was delicious! So easy and convenient in the crockpot and tasted delicious! Thank you for such a great recipe!
I agree with other commenters — nothing at all like cafe Rio and followed the recipe to a “T”, but it’s a fine basic recipe that is versatile to use throughout the week. My results seemed especially bland, even using freshly ground spices. But the other ingredients were organic store brand from Whole Foods. Perhaps it would’ve yielded better results with the typical Kraft zesty Italian and Hidden valley ranch packets. If I made it again, I’d probably do thighs.
Made this a few weeks ago to use in tacos and my family raved about it. Just the right amount of seasoning. My kids ate it all up. This will definitely be on rotation in our house.
Very good and easy to make. Used it to make enchiladas and the family raved. Will definitely make this again.
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad to hear the chicken was enjoyed!
Skip the Italian dressing and replace it with a packet of taco seasoning + 1 cup water. I doubled the recipe. DELISH!!
Now you’re just doing Mexico tacos with ranch seasoning. Won’t need to add the cumin or other ingredients because it’s in the taco seasoning.
Along with every little thing which seems to be developing inside this area, many of your perspectives tend to be somewhat exciting. Having said that, I am sorry, but I do not subscribe to your whole suggestion, all be it refreshing none the less. It appears to everyone that your commentary are actually not totally justified and in reality you are yourself not entirely certain of your point. In any case I did take pleasure in reading through it.
I have made this for years with my own twists. I use sugar free Italian dressing (not diet) and the added cumin, chili powder is amazing.
The is chicken is AMAZING! Made it for a family reunion and everyone loved it! I loved that it was so versatile and can be used for many kinds of dishes not just Mexican!
This tastes nothing like cafe Rio chicken. It’s good but not the same.
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try.
Tastes absolutely nothing like the Cafe Rio chicken, was so excited but all of the recipes for the copy cat seem to be copy and pasted from one another and they are not it!
Also want to add that it doesn’t have any Spanish flavor, but should have gathered that would be the case based on the Italian dressing… Good Italian shredded chicken recipe I guess.
Sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t what you were hoping. We test and tweak all of our recipes in the kitchen, so no copy/pasting happening over here. But I appreciate the feedback and thanks for giving the recipe a try.
What is the serving size? I see you said it serves 5 but HOW much does it serve per serving? Like how many ounces of meat?
It would be about 6 ounces of meat, maybe a little more.
Someone mentioned an instapot version. Where can I find that? Ty
You can refer to the instant pot cooking instructions in our plain Shredded Chicken recipe but use the ingredients from this Cafe Rio Shredded Chicken recipe. Hopefully that helps! https://lilluna.com/shredded-chicken/
Absolutely phenomenal
This is a great recipe!! Super flavorful!! Will definitely make this again!!!
Sooooo good!!! I thought this sounded yummy, but I don’t use the crock pot too often. So happy that I found instant pot instructions within the post! This made delicious tacos, and will now be my go to recipe for chicken tacos. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
I feel like I’m missing out, never dining at a Cafe Rio, but that’s what I get for living in northern Indiana. Lol! We absolutely love this recipe and double it every time I make it. It’s versatile to do any type of dish with and it freezes well, so doubling the recipe makes for an easy dinner later on. I just made a double batch today and am freezing the entirety for my daughter’s birthday party. Thank you for a tasty, easy recipe!
You’re welcome!! I’m so glad that you enjoy the chicken recipe. You know, I personally love the homemade even better than Cafe Rio… so not missing out too much, I’d say! 😉
Fantastic recipe. I double the recipe and freeze the leftovers in individual portion sizes. My teenagers love grabbing it when they get hungry. This freezes really well, so its a perfect recipe to prep ahead or have on hand for any reason. It’s saved my sanity on stressful days more than once.
We’ve saved a ton of money on take out with this one.
Thank you!!
Absolutely amazing! We made this in the instant pot and it was so juicy and flavorful.
My family loves this recipe! So easy, and rave reviews. I keep individual serving sizes in the freezer for my teenagers. I always make salads or enchiladas, they love it for burritos and nachos
I was buying cafe rio way too often. This has definitely helped our budget.
This was so yummy! Made it for a big group family dinner and everyone commented on it.
This tastes just like Cafe Rio! I’ve doubled the recipe (and kept the cooking time the same) with stellar results. This is a new family favorite recipe. Thank you for saving our wallets! 🙂
Loved loved loved this chicken. So good I was eating it by its self!!!
Could this chicken be used in some of the Mexican soup recipies that you have shared?
Made it for a family party and people wanted the recipe! Thank you
SO DELICIOUS! Cafe Rio is my absolute favorite restaurant, and I love being able to recreate it at home. 🙂
Yesterday I substituted a jalapeno lime vinaigrette dressing for the italian, and it was yummy as well!
Ooh that does sound yummy. So glad you enjoyed this chicken recipe! We love Cafe Rio too. 🙂
This was so much better than I had thought it would be (not a big meat-eater). My husband and I loved it! It will definitely be our go-to chicken recipe.
That makes me so happy to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe so much. It’s definitely a go-to in our house as well!
Simple and delicious!
Thank you!! So glad you liked them!
What are your tips for making this in the instant pot?
Just place all the ingredients in the pot, set it to poultry and cook for 6 minutes, 10 minutes if the chicken is frozen. Allow the pressure to release, shred the chicken, and serve.
Doesn’t taste anything like it
Thanks for the feedback and giving the recipe a try.
I was wondering can you make this recipe with chicken quarters and if so do you need to pre-cook them beforehand?
Ooh I have never made them with chicken quarters before. You’d have the bone and skin that you’d want to make sure to get out of. So I imagine you could pre-cook, shred and then just re-heat with the sauce/marinade in the crockpot. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out if you give it a try!
I don’t live in the area to try cafe Rio, so I can’t comment on whether or not this is a good copycat, but this recipe IS delicious and I use it often in my quesadillas. It’s also easy to make, which is a plus!
This is SO GOOD! It smelled amazing cooking and it did not disappoint. So delicious and easy. I love it!
Foolproof, versatile, and delicious!
Thank you! Glad to hear you enjoyed the chicken!
My client and his family loves copycat Cafe Rio….. thank u thank u
You’re welcome! So happy to hear they enjoyed it!
How many does this recipe serve? Did I miss where you said that?
This recipe serves about 4. But on the recipe card in this post, you can change the serving size and it will automatically change the amounts of ingredients you need as well.
From the first bite, a family favorite!! Will be making frequently!
Yay! I’m so glad you all enjoyed the chicken! It’s a family favorite over here too. 🙂
Exactly like cafe Rio but better.
Yay!! We think so too. 😉 It’s a yummy one!
Love love love this recipe! My entire family loves it and thats included two incredibly pickey eaters. Thank you so much!!
My favorite recipe to use with any Mexican recipe. Sooo flavorful and juicy!
Mine too!! Thank you!
The first time I cooked it was for our family and my kids loved it. I then decided to triple the recipe for my daughters birthday, it was a hit!
So happy it was a hit! Thank you for trying it!!
Oh my goodness. This is a game changer! Love, love, love this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
So easy and so delicious!
So yummy!
This recipe is great! My family loves it, my kids beg for it. We always make quesadillas with it but I like to make extra so we can use it through the week on salads and other things. Yum!
Made this recipe for my sons grooms lunch this is the only thing he requested! (feeding a 150) simple, easy to follow and tastes AmAziNg!!!
This is fantastic! I didn’t have exact ingredients, but didn’t want to go to the store so I just used what I had and it turned out perfect! I didn’t have the zesty Italian dressing so I used Olive Garden dressing that I had. I didn’t have the ranch powered so I used the stuff that’s premade and eliminated the water. We recently moved and I can’t find my garlic press so I used garlic powder. I put it in the crockpot with frozen chicken and just went with the longer time. So Yummy!!! Thank you!
Love the improvisions 🙂 Thanks for sharing that!!
I was so excited to try this because there isnt a cafe rio near me. I dont think it tastes like the cafe rio version at all but it is pretty delicious. I will make it again
Thank you for trying it 🙂
This is an excellent recipe. I made it as written. The whole family loved it!
I am so glad your family liked it!! Thank you for sharing that!
Turned out exactly like the cafe rio shredded chicken! I made their salad at home using the cilantro lime rice recipe as well and it was just as good as buying it from the restaurant.
Yay!! So, glad you think so! I love that I can have it at home anytime!
What brand of zesty italian dressing do you prefer to use?
I don’t have a favorite brand, honestly. I usually grab whatever is on sale 🙂
I love using this recipe for pretty much any LARGE gathering. There’s never leftovers.
This is a great recipe that everyone loves. It taste just as good as cafe rio and can be used for different dishes. So versatile!
When i make this recipe i make sure to double it. We use this meat for tacos, burritos, nachos- pretty much anything and it is easy to store. So TAsty!
I’m in LOVE with Cafe Rio’s shredded pork- thank you!
This is my favorite! Your recipe tastes just like cafe rio’s. Making this again soon…my family loved it!
Yay!! I am so happy that I can make this at home! I get the shredded chicken every time I go to Café Rio! This is so easy & juicy!
I make this often and love it!! i am prepping freezer meals for after i have a baby. i am wondering: do you recommend cooking it completely, shredding it, and then freezing? or putting the ingredients and the chicken in a freezer bag and freezing, then popping it in the crockpot day of? also wondering if thawing the chicken first is necessary in the second scenario.
Either work just fine. For me, I like to cook it & then shred it, that way it is ready for me. I just take out the morning of to thaw or run the bag under some warm water. Good luck with a new baby!! How fun!
Hi! I am making this recipe x6 how kuch longer will i need to cook For? If i TRiPPLED tHe recipe in one CROCKPOT
I would check it at that 4 hr mark & if it’s still not done you can check every 30 min or so.
So delish!!! Perfect amount of seasoning, will definitely make over and over again!!!
Yay!! I love to hear that! Thank you for letting me know!
Thanks for a delicious lunch or Dinner!
You are so welcome!! Thank you!
If i double the recipe do i have to double the cooking time?
You shouldn’t have to 🙂
Not only does this taste great but it’s so simple you could EASILY make this for big events!
This chicken is amazing and a new family favorite itnis good in quesadIllas and naChos
I agree!! Glad your family loves it! Thank you for letting me know!
DO you add ranch dressing mix or already made ranch dressing into the mix? Please and thanks
(Cafe rio shredded chicken)
It’s just the mix 🙂 Hope you like this!! Thank you!
This looks very yummy! What do you put in your burritos?
Oh, you could add whatever you like. Rice, beans, meat, pico, sour cream, anything 😉