Found a way to use up leftover salsa that actually works

I always have half a jar of salsa sitting in the fridge that nobody finishes before it goes bad. Last month I started pouring it over chicken breasts in the slow cooker with a can of black beans, and it makes the most tender shredded meat for tacos or rice bowls. Has anyone else found a solid use for odds and ends like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_johnson11d ago

Wait, have you actually tried it yourself or are you just guessing? @vera308 I get where you're coming from because regular salsa can be watery if you just dump it in, but if you drain it first or use a thicker chunkier salsa it works great. I've done this exact thing with leftover salsa and black beans more times than I can count, and the chicken comes out super tender and flavorful not mushy at all. The key is to drain the beans like you said and also pat the chicken dry before you put it in so it doesn't get too soupy. Honestly I think people who call it watery mush probably use thin runny salsa or skip the draining step.

vera3081mo ago

Hold on, that sounds like a way to waste perfectly good chicken. Salsa is mostly water and vinegar. It just boils down to watery, acidic mush in a slow cooker. You're better off just seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper and actually learning to make a real sauce.

kelly_nelson951mo ago

Watery, acidic mush" is way off base here lol. I do the same thing with leftover salsa and it comes out super tender and flavorful, never watery if you drain the beans first. Honestly it's one of those lazy tricks that works way better than you'd expect, I've been doing it for years now.