The Only Crockpot Chicken Breast Recipes You Need (2024)

The Recipe Rebel / Dinner

written by Ashley Fehr

Last updated on February 1, 2024

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These Easy Crockpot Chicken Breast Recipes are perfect for starting in the morning so you can come home to a delicious hands-free meal!Slow cooker chicken recipes made with simple ingredients and full of flavor.

The Only Crockpot Chicken Breast Recipes You Need (2)

If you’ve been around here for more than 5 minutes, you know how much we love Crockpot Chicken Recipes!

These easy crockpot chicken breast recipes combine one of my favorite cooking techniques with one of our favorite proteins, in plenty of original and flavorful ways!

Chicken breasts are the perfect neutral starting point for so many different herbs, spices and sauces, and they pair perfectly with loads of other vegetables and grains.

This list of slow cooker chicken breast recipes is my ultimate guide to easy weeknight meals made easier with the crockpot!

I’ve included loads of bonus tips down below all these recipes, including how to prep many of these recipes ahead to make dinnertime even easier and some of the most frequently asked questions.

But first, let’s get dinner started!

Crockpot Shredded Chicken

This Crockpot Shredded Chicken is easy, flavorful and a great way to meal prep for the week ahead! How to make slow cooker shredded chicken including tips, tricks and additional recipes.

Check out this recipe

Crockpot Creamy Garlic Chicken

Crockpot Creamy Garlic Chicken features golden pan seared chicken breasts that get slow cooked to perfection in a garlicky cream sauce. It's an easy recipe that's great for those busier weeknights at home!

Check out this recipe

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken

This Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken is SO easy and flavorful, you wouldn't believe it only has a few ingredients! The perfect easy dinner recipe!

Check out this recipe

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

This Crockpot Salsa Chicken is the best throw-and-go recipe. It's made with six simple ingredients and takes just 5 minutes to prep. Serve this chicken in tacos or burrito bowls, over nachos, in fajitas, you name it!

Check out this recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Breast

This Slow Cooker Chicken Breast recipe comes out perfectly juicy and seasoned every time! Learn my tips for getting the best crockpot chicken breast, perfect for salads, sandwiches or an easy dinner.

Check out this recipe

Crockpot Tuscan Chicken

This Crockpot Tuscan Chicken is made up juicy chicken breasts slow cooked in a rich and cheesy cream sauce. This recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep and makes the perfect dinner served over your favorite pasta!

Check out this recipe

Sun Dried Tomato Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes

What’s the Difference Between a Crock Pot and a Slow Cooker?

Depending on who you ask, “crock pot” and “slow cooker” are interchangeable terms. Both make use of moist heat to cook food over longer periods of time. However, Crock-Pot® is actually a brand name, as well as a specific style of slow cooker!

So, yes, a crock pot is a kind of slow cooker. But not every slow cooker is a crock pot. The key differences are in the design:

A crock pot is designed with a stoneware pot or “crock” that’s surrounded by a heating element. These generally come with two settings, low and high.
A slow cooker is a similar appliance that has a pot that sits on top of a heating element. Slow cookers tend to have multiple settings, compared to only two.

Whether you’re the proud owner of a crock pot or another type of slow cooker, both operate similarly and are perfect for these slow cooker chicken breast recipes!

Crockpot Chicken Breast Recipes Are Great for Meal Prep!

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the endless possibilities of a crock pot. These crock pot chicken recipes are everything I look for when it comes to delicious dinner ideas that you can make ahead. Here are some ways you can maximize your weekly meal prep with these slow cooker chicken recipes:

Organize the ingredients ahead of time. Zip-top bags are perfect for this! Organize the ingredients you need over a weekend, and have dinners ready to go for the week. Where the recipe permits, you can even combine the ingredients in bags ahead of time and then empty the contents into the crock pot to cook.
Cook, store, and freeze. Most crock pot chicken recipes are excellent for leftovers and freezing. If you’ve cooked up a big batch of something delicious, portion it into individual servings to store and freeze for easy grab-and-reheat meals all week long.
Take advantage of the extra time. Crock pots are an excellent way to save time, with a hot meal ready and waiting at the end of the day. Nothing beats coming home to a house that smells amazing and a cozy chicken dinner that cooks itself. Enjoy the extra moments spent with family and friends!

The Only Crockpot Chicken Breast Recipes You Need (28)

Crockpot Chicken Breast Recipe FAQs

Is it safe to leave the crock pot on when I’m not home?

Slow cookers were designed to be left on while you’re out! It’s perfectly safe to switch on your crock pot in the morning and leave for the day, comparable to leaving a light bulb on.

Can I cook frozen chicken in the crock pot?

It’s a major no-no to cook frozen meat in the crock pot. Frozen meat (especially chicken) thawed in the slow cooker can stay at unsafe temperatures for extended lengths of time. This, combined with the moist heat, makes it a breeding ground for bacteria and food-borne illnesses! So always, always thaw the chicken ahead of cooking it.

Is it better to cook chicken on high or low in the crockpot?

For best results, boneless and skinless chicken in the crock pot should be cooked on low. Cuts like chicken breasts, when cooked on high, can dry out even if you check them early on. So for consistent results, I’d recommend that most recipes be cooked low and slow.

Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

Allie H. says
January 10, 2024 at 3:08 pm
This one even my picky mother loved. It was delicious and so easy to make. Thanks
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  January 10, 2024 at 10:22 pm
  Yay! Thanks Allie!
  Reply
groark6172@gmail.com says
August 8, 2022 at 6:29 pm
I haven’t but I want too.
Reply
groark6172@gmail.com says
August 8, 2022 at 6:28 pm
I love cooking my chicken and with a can of cream of chicken a cup of one cup chicken broth. A whole chicken. Cook for about 4hours. When chicken is I put a can of biscuits. I tear them in half. 1tsp of salt, 1 tsp of black pepper, 1 tsp of white pepper.
Reply

The Only Crockpot Chicken Breast Recipes You Need (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to cook chicken breasts on low or high in slow cooker? ›

We found that the only way to cook chicken (and turkey) in a slow cooker is on the low setting and for a relatively short amount of time.

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Is it OK to put raw chicken in slow cooker? ›

Yes, you most certainly can cook raw meat in the slow cooker! You put it in “cold”, with whatever liquid your recipe calls for, turn it on either “low” or “high” depending on your recipe (I usually start it on “high” for a couple hours, then turn it to “low”), and in 6–7–8 hours, it's now COOKED meat!

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How many hours does it take to cook chicken breast in the crockpot? ›

Cover your crock pot and cook chicken breasts on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Chicken is done when the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. Use chicken in your favorite recipes. Perfect for shredding!

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Why is my chicken breast tough in the slow cooker? ›

Aside from accidentally overcooking the meals, the most common reason we see for tough, rubbery, or overdone chicken is customers using a Crockpot that is far too big.

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Is 3 hours in slow cooker enough for chicken? ›

For a whole chicken – Place it in your slow cooker breast side down. Cover with the lid and cook on High for around 4-5 hours or Low for 6-8 hours. For bone-in pieces - Arrange chicken pieces in a single layer in the slow cooker. Cover with the lid and cook on High for around 3-4 hours or Low for 4-6 hours.

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Does chicken breast get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

Most whole chickens become fully tender in about one hour on medium-low heat. Yes, chicken breast will get softer the longer you cook it, as long as it is cooked at a low enough temperature to prevent it from becoming dry and tough.

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Does chicken need to be covered in liquid in crockpot? ›

Water or liquid is necessary to create steam. When cooking meat or poultry, the water or liquid level should cover the ingredients to ensure effective heat transfer throughout the crock. Some manufacturers of slow cookers recommend adding liquid to fill the stoneware 1/2 to 3/4 full.

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How do I keep chicken from drying out in the crockpot? ›

To prevent poultry from drying out, use chicken thighs—they have more fat and won't dry out as quickly, says Finlayson. Cook thighs for about 6 hours and breasts for a maximum of 5 hours on low heat.

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How long does it take for chicken to cook in the crockpot? ›

Cook on low for 6-8 hours until chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove lid and let chicken cool for 10 minutes or so before shredding (so we don't burn ourselves!) Use two forks to shred the chicken right in the crockpot. The chicken will absorb any liquid in the pot as you shred it.

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Can I leave chicken in crockpot for 8 hours? ›

Cook the whole chicken

Keep the skin on (you can remove after cooking), add lots of herbs, layer the bottom of your crock with potatoes, carrots and onions, let it go unsupervised for 8 hours, and walk into a very nice weeknight version of the Sunday Roasted Chicken.

Is 10 hours too long for chicken in slow cooker? ›

Slow cookers are a great way to cook chicken if you're short on time. You can set them up in the morning and let them cook all day, or even overnight. However, there is a limit to how long you can cook chicken in a slow cooker. After 10 hours, the chicken will start to dry out and become tough.

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Can I leave chicken in crockpot on low for 10 hours? ›

Most slow cooker meals take 8-12 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high, but there are also recipes for slow-cooked meat that take up to 24 hours. If you want to avoid overcooking your dish, follow the given guidelines as closely as possible.

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Why can t you cook boneless chicken breast in a slow cooker? ›

According to Delish, boneless chicken breasts are lean and prone to drying out if they're cooked for too long, so hours in a slow cooker (even at low heat) might leave you with a less-than-delicious dinner. Instead, quicker methods like grilling or sauteing are better for boneless breasts.

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Why is my chicken still pink in the crockpot? ›

The USDA says that as long as all parts of the chicken have reached a minimum internal temperature of 165°, it is safe to eat. Color does not indicate doneness. The USDA further explains that even fully cooked poultry can sometimes show a pinkish tinge in the meat and juices.

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Why is my crockpot chicken mushy? ›

Most of the time mushy Crock Pot chicken is a result of cooking it too long. As you cook meat, the collagen breaks down into a gelatin. The longer chicken is cooked, the more this process happens. Do it right and you have perfectly tender meat; too long and your chicken becomes mushy.

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Does it matter if you cook on high or low in a slow cooker? ›

Certainly, foods will cook faster on high than on low. However, for all-day cooking or for less-tender cuts, you may want to use the low setting. It's safe to cook foods on low the entire time -- if you're leaving for work, for example, and preparation time is limited.

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Do I cook chicken on low medium or high? ›

How to Cook Chicken Breasts in a Pan. Cook a boneless, skinless chicken breast over medium-high heat in a pan that's wide and deep to accommodate the chicken and keep splatter to a minimum. Flip the chicken after 5 minutes (don't poke, prod, wiggle, or try to flip).

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Does cooking chicken in a slow cooker make it tough? ›

Those slow cooker cook times tend to work for the proper cook time, but every slow cooker runs a bit differently so you'll need to adjust for yours. But, I will say chicken (and most other meats) do best when cooked on LOW. I find that if you cook at high temperatures the chicken can become a bit tough or rubbery.

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Should I cook chicken on medium or low? ›

Getting a good sear through medium high heat, then reducing the heat to LOW and COVERING the chicken while it cooks. The butter, oil, and chicken juices create a super flavorful liquid that acts as a way to steam the chicken at a low temperature, ensuring that it is moist & tender on the inside.

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The Only Crockpot Chicken Breast Recipes You Need (2024)

What’s the Difference Between a Crock Pot and a Slow Cooker?

Crockpot Chicken Breast Recipes Are Great for Meal Prep!

Crockpot Chicken Breast Recipe FAQs

Meet Ashley

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FAQs

Is it better to cook chicken breasts on low or high in slow cooker? ›

Is 10 hours too long for chicken in slow cooker? ›

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