This Chicken Taco Crescent Ring is the perfect way to use meal prepped crock pot chicken! This flavorful, kid-friendly appetizer is perfect for parties and batch cooking lunches.
Taco Crescent Ring
Crescent ring recipes are kid-friendly, easy, and great for get-togethers! The flaky ring filled with creamy, flavorful chicken can be cut into 16 slices for a great handheld appetizer or meal. This simple recipe is a huge crowd favorite for a reason!
This recipe uses the delicious Crock Pot Green Chili Chicken for the filling. It’s an easy, creamy chicken with tons of flavor, and it’s wonderful for nachos, chimichangas, tacos, and more. You can make it up to 3 days in advance or freeze it up to 3 months, so it’s the perfect addition to your next meal prep day!
The creamy chicken is mixed with cheese and wrapped up in Pillsbury crescent roll dough, then baked until you have a bubbly, golden brown appetizer fit for any party. The spice of green chiles is very mild (perfect for kids and picky eaters), but I’ve added some tips below for those of you who like to add a spicy kick!
What you’ll love about this recipe:
- KID FRIENDLY – These slices are easy to hold and eat for a fun birthday party meal or watch party appetizer. The spice is very mild and tempered with the cream cheese, shredded cheese, and dough.
- SIMPLE – This recipe is very straightforward and the filling can be made ahead of time for easy prep. Below you will find each step documented so even beginner cooks can make this recipe without trouble!
- VERSATILE – This is a great appetizer, potluck dish, or dinner! You can also easily customize this dish based on your personal preferences!
Chicken Taco Ring Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of what you will need for this recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card.
- Crescent Roll Dough – Each can of Pillsbury Crescents can be separated into 8 dough squares. If you only have the Pillsbury dough sheets, cut it into four squares, then slice those squares in half diagonally for the right size triangles. You may need to stretch or roll these out a bit as the dough sheet can sometimes be a bit thicker than the crescents at first.
- Shredded Cheese – I used a Mexican blend, but your favorite shredded cheese will work. Colby jack, pepper jack, even cheddar will work well. Avoid cheeses that do not melt well like cotija or queso fresco.
- Green Chili Chicken – This is a slow cooker chicken with a ton of flavor. You only need chicken, green chilis, taco seasoning, and cream cheese.
Pro Tip: The Green Chili Chicken needs to be cold when forming the crescent ring, so make it ahead of time and chill until ready to cook. We like to put it in the slow cooker before bed, shred it in the morning, then leave it in the fridge until it is time to get ready for dinner.
How to make a chicken taco crescent ring
This recipe is very simple, but it does include several steps. Here is a guide to show you how to perfect each part of this crescent ring process.
Mix filling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine your chilled green chili chicken and shredded cheese. Fold the cheese into the mixture until well incorporated.
Arrange crescent dough
Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Unroll the dough and separate it into 16 individual triangles. Form a ring with the dough, leaving a 5-6″ circle in the middle. The dough will overlap, creating a sturdy base for the ring.
Add filling
Scoop the chicken mixture onto the ring, mounding it up and molding it as if it is a large donut. Wrap the dough inward to partially cover the filling, then tuck any excess under the base. Continue this with all pieces until the ring is wrapped.
You do not need to worry about the chicken filling peaking through. The crescents will still be able to contain it.
Bake
Bake the taco crescent ring for 20-25 minutes and remove it from the oven when the top is a lovely golden brown. Check the dough on the inner ring near the base – This part is the thickest, so if it looks cooked through, you are ready to remove from the oven.
Allow the ring to sit for 10 minutes before slicing. If you slice it right out of the oven, the creamy chicken mixture will run out and cause a mess.
Serve
This dish is amazing with some mild salsa, a salsa verde, and some smoked queso for dipping or drizzling! You could have a side salad with lettuce, tomato, pickled jalapenos, etc. for some veggies, or have these amazing Smashed Brussels Sprouts (which are also fantastic with the queso!)
Storage and Freezing
Make sure the ring is completely cool before you put it in any closed container–Any heat will turn into condensation which will make the crust soggy. Store the cooled pieces in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
To freeze, wrap the cooled ring tightly in multiple layers of plastic, then store in a freezer bag. To save space, cut the ring into four equal pieces before wrapping, bagging, and freezing. This is best eaten within 3 months for the best texture.
Reheat
If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and heat for 15-20 minutes covered. You can microwave it, but the crust can become soggy. Air frying can also work, but it does dry out the filling a little bit.
Can I make this with shredded chicken?
Yes, this recipe can be made with pre-cooked chicken! If you do not have time to make the Green Chili Chicken, you can instead mix shredded chicken, 4 ounces of softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of your favorite taco seasoning mix, and 2 cans of green chilis. This can be somewhat difficult to mix, but a little elbow grease can get the mixture nice and creamy. For more flavor, you could even chop up some chicken fajitas and veggies to mix with the cream cheese instead!
How can I make it spicy?
If you’re making this for a crowd who loves some heat, consider chopping up 1-2 jalapenos and mixing those into the filling! Also consider stirring your favorite hot sauce into the cheesy mixture for more spice. Hot sauce and extra jalapenos could be provided on the side so guests can make theirs spicier if they prefer, too.
Chicken Taco Crescent Ring
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 8-count cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1 batch Green Chile Chicken chilled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Unroll crescent dough and separate into 16 triangles. Place them on a lined baking sheet, forming a sun shape. The triangles will overlap, creating a sturdy base for your chicken filling.
- In a mixing bowl, combine your green chili chicken and your shredded cheese. Once well combined, spoon onto the crescent dough. Mound up the chicken, forming a circle.
- Fold the points of the crescent triangles over the chicken filling and tuck the excess underneath the dough. Continue until dough is wrapped around the entire ring. Some chicken filling will still be peaking through; this is perfectly fine.
- Bake the chicken taco crescent ring for 20-25 minutes and remove when the top is a nice golden brown and cooked through. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing so that the filling doesn’t spill out.