Make this Cafe Rio Chicken Recipe when you need a delicious Mexican Main dish. Perfect for use in Salads, Burritos, Tacos or Quesadillas.
CAFE RIO
One of my favorite places to eat some delicious Mexican food is Cafe Rio. Cafe Rio Restaurant’s are found in the Western United States. If you have ever been to Cafe Rio you know they have a delicious menu that people really enjoy. One of the reasons I love it so much, is because of the shredded chicken and the cilantro lime dressing!
My friend made this Copycat Cafe Rio Chicken Recipe for a youth conference this summer and I had to have the recipe! It is the closest copycat recipe I have found to Cafe Rio’s Shredded Chicken…and I have tried several different ones.
HOW TO SERVE CAFE RIO SHREDDED CHICKEN
Cafe Rio Chicken can be served a variety of ways with a variety of different toppings and side dishes! We love using the shredded chicken and making a fresh chicken salad. You just add your favorite toppings to make it the perfect main dish! Perfect for a quick and easy family dinner!
Here are several other ways you can serve your Cafe Rio Chicken to your friends and family members.
- Cafe Rio Chicken Salad
- Burrito style
- Tacos
- Taquitos
- Tostada
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CAFE RIO SHREDDED CHICKEN
The possibilities here are endless. We change up what we serve with our shredded chicken depending on what we have available. You can add what your family loves to make it perfect for you! Here are some of our favorite additions!
- black beans
- refried beans
- Cafe Rio Cilantro Rice
- Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch Dressing
- tortilla strips
- tortilla chips
- fresh limes
- salsa
- fresca
- tomatoes
- cheese
- tortillas
- guacamole
- jalapeños
- sour cream
- salsa verde
- cilantro
- avocados
CAFE RIO SHREDDED CHICKEN RECIPE
Cafe Rio Shredded Chicken
Make this Cafe Rio Chicken Recipe when you need a delicious Mexican Main dish. Perfect for use in Salads, Burritos, Tacos or Quesadillas.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsp dry ranch dressing mix we love Hidden Valley
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
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Add chicken to slow cooker that has been sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking and easy clean up.
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In a small bowl combine the Italian dressing, garlic, chili powder, cumin, the packet of ranch dressing powder(dry) and water.
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Pour over chicken and cook on HIGH temp setting for 3-4 hours, or LOW temp setting for 5-6.
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Remove chicken from crockpot and shred. Add chicken back to juices and serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
INSTANT POT CAFE RIO CHICKEN
To make this Cafe Rio Chicken in the Instant Pot all it takes is a few simple adjustments. Make sure to spray your Instant Pot with cooking spray for an easy clean up.
INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS
Use the recipe and ingredients above to make your cafe rio chicken in the instant pot, but follow the directions below.
- Add the chicken to the bottom of the instant pot.
- Then add al the ingredients on top and set the instant pot on the high pressure setting.
- Cook the chicken for 10 minutes after the instant pot comes to high pressure.
- After it has cooked for 10 minutes, let the instant pot naturally release pressure for 10 more minutes.
- Then release any leftover pressure in the instant pot by releasing the pressure valve.
If you need a little help understanding our using your instant pot, you can check out our Instant Pot Guide here.
OTHER EASY DINNER RECIPES
- Baked Chimichangas
- Baked Ravioli
- Garlic Cheddar Chicken Strips
- Spaghetti Carbonara
- Cashew Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Baked Ranch Chicken
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Kim says
Hello Amy, thanks for this amazing Chicken Recipe i like really this food i cook it one time at week
Kim- So happy you enjoyed this recipe. My family LOVES it too!
I love how versatile this chicken is. Delicious for so many things, which is why the family is always happy when it’s for dinner!
Katie- It really is so versatile!
This is my new favorite recipe! loved it! thanks a lot!
Allyssa- So happy you loved it!
I could eat there everyday!! I love their chicken & it’s super easy to make at home!
Natalie- I love Cafe Rio too! It is nice to be able to make it at home sometimes though.
I am making this chicken weekly! We love it so much & it’s great for so many recipes!
Kristyn- We make it quite often too. Its definitely a favorite at our house.
Hi! This sounds so delicious. My problem is that I live in France, and none of the dressing products are available here. Very few dressings are sold pre-made. We have honey-mustard (sort of ) chive, herb, and oil and vinegar. That’s it. I live in rural France, which makes it even more difficult. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks.
We like to make this Homemade Italian Dressing sometime: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/25171/italian-dressing-mix/
It is a great substitute for the pre-made dressing.