Slow Cooker Chicken Breast is the most juicy, flavorful seasoned boneless skinless chicken breast that you won’t believe was made in a Crockpot!
Easy weeknight main dishes like Oven Baked Chicken Breast are not only healthy, they are dinners the whole family enjoys. It fits right in with other well loved, family friendly Chicken Dinner Recipes that are stress free and delicious.
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN BREAST
A frequent reader question on Slow Cooker Recipes for chicken or pork is: “can I use boneless chicken breasts?” Usually, the answer is no (or wrap it in bacon) because chicken breasts dry out so easily. There are few things more disappointing when you’re cooking than dry, tough chicken.
Well, now the wait is over for a delicious, moist Slow Cooker Chicken Breast recipe that uses boneless skinless chicken breasts! This chicken recipe makes perfectly juicy, tender breasts in your crockpot and is sure to be your go-to for weeknight dinners.
Chicken Breasts are a comfort food that you can enjoy a few times a week. Easy dinners with chicken and veggies that are healthy, but don’t require a lot of cook time are perfect for families with kids. This Crockpot Chicken recipe fits the bill because it comes together quickly in the slow cooker and it will be delicious in just a few hours.
Boneless Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts are full of so much flavor and come out fork tender without falling apart. Use these as your main dish, served with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans, or add them to all kinds of recipes. You can find some side dish favorites the whole family will love down below.
Can I use frozen chicken breasts?
Using frozen chicken breasts will release a lot of moisture and there will be a lot more liquid in the crockpot. This is best if you plan on using for a recipe calling for shredded chicken, but I don’t recommend for serving as a main dish.
Can I use boneless chicken thighs?
You can use chicken thighs in this recipe, just keep in mind that they cook faster than chicken breasts so you’ll want to reduce the cook time.
Sides Dishes to Serve With Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts:
Baked Mac and Cheese
Roasted Broccoli
Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER CHICKEN BREAST
- Add chicken in whole breasts: Keeping the breasts whole will keep in as much moisture as possible since the meat is so low in fat. If you cut the breasts into chunks, the chicken will come out more dry and tough.
- Shred minimally: When shredding or cutting you don’t have to shred the chicken too small or it’ll be like a filling versus a meal.
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EASY DINNER IDEAS FOR SLOW COOKER CHICKEN BREAST
- Chicken Tacos: Use Taco Seasoning instead of the spices in this recipe. Once cooked, shred chicken and serve in soft taco shells with your favorite toppings.
- Chicken Alfredo: Add a teaspoon of dried oregano and basil to your spices to make Italian chicken. Cook fettuccine per package instruction, until al dente. Drain pasta and add jar of your favorite Alfredo (or make Quick Jalapeno Alfredo) to a pan. Warm sauce and serve over noodles. Top with sliced chicken breast.
- Chicken Casserole: Add chopped or shredded chicken breast to your favorite casseroles that call for cooked chicken.
- Chicken Soup: This would make a great “kitchen sink” Chicken Soup. Take veggies that you have leftover and cook in a pot with 4 cups veggie or chicken broth. Add any cooked rice or pasta and this chicken breast. Serve with a side of Dinner Rolls.
- Chicken Salad: Use this recipe as the chicken in Chicken Salad or top a leafy green salad with all your favorite toppings like bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and sliced chicken breast.
Making Crockpot Chicken Breast for Meal Prep
Slow Cooker Chicken Breast is a great meal prep chicken recipe! You can increase the recipe, but be careful not to cook more than about 6 breasts at a time in a large 6-8 qt slow cooker. You don’t want the chicken too crowded. Once cooked, allow to cool completely before storing. Freeze in individual portions for an easy dinner for one. Reheat by thawing in the fridge overnight and cooking in the oven at 350 degrees until warm.
MORE EASY SLOW COOKER CHICKEN DINNERS
Slow Cooker Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken
Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
HOW TO STORE SLOW COOKER CHICKEN BREAST
- Serve: Set your slow cooker to warm for up to 4 hours before storing this chicken. At room temperature, store after 2 hours.
- Store: Crockpot Chicken Breast is good in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: This chicken freezes well for up to 3 months. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts , boneless skinless
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add chicken breasts to the slow cooker and pour chicken broth on top.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
Nutrition
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Love your food!
Thank you! Thanks so much for the five star review.
I work 9 hrs a day can I cook this on low for 8 hrs ?
I wouldn’t recommend it. Chicken breasts tend to dry out and get tough if over cooked.
Do I add frozen or thawed chicken breast?
She said above that she doesn’t recommend frozen as they would release to much liquid unless using for shredded chicken.
I saw your question, and lower down the comments I saw this answer from Sabrina – thought I would do the neighbourly thing and answer your question
You want it completely thawed before adding it into the slow cooker. Enjoy!
Excellent!!! My grandson loves this and he is PICKY. Mashed potatoes and a veg, perfect. Plus, anyone that comes in the house, says What are you cooking? It smells sooo good!
Thanks for sharing the recipe. 🙂 Where is the slider tool? I don’t see it on the page.
Great every time. If you are running a little close on time, cook on high no more than 30 minutes, then drop to low.
I use this for all recipes calling for slow cooked chicken breasts. It’s the only one I have found that does not dry out the chicken. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Thank you, Deborah!
This came out great! I made it twice already. The first time followed your recipe exactly. So moist and tender. Couldn’t believe crockpot chicken would come out like this. So versatile too. You can use any leftovers in sandwiches, to make chicken salad, burritos, almost anything. The second time I made this, I followed the same instructions, however, I seasoned the chicken with a packet of dry ranch seasoning and garlic and onion powder. I also added some pats of butter. This made flavorful juices which I thickened with a cornstarch slurry. Poured the gravy over the chicken and served on top of rice. Very tasty, and easy.
Thank you, Sue, so happy you enjoyed this recipe in many ways.
How much liquid chicken broth is ok in à crockpot with 6 skinless boneless chicken breasts?
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth for 6 skinless boneless chicken breasts.
Our recipe cards have a feature you should know about! If you hover over the number of servings after the word “Yield” you will see a bar to drag to the desired number of servings. It will automatically update the recipe card for you! Enjoy.
So easy and the chicken was tender and moist. Four breasts cooked in just two hours on low for me.
So discouraging….. I just wasted two organic chicken breasts….cooked according to what you answered when someone asked how to cook just two, not four! It was like rubber, smelled aweful and even my cat wouldn’t eat it (I cut it into small pieces for him)…..got chicken at Trader Joe’s…..and it’s always good…. just didn’t want to heat up the kitchen on such a hot day! ?
Did you reduce the time and check as you went? I’m not the blogger but this is a pretty no fail chicken recipe. Times will vary based on the thickness of the meat and how hot your slow cooker gets. I generally check after an hour and then every 30 mins.
Hello,
What happens if I overlap chicken breasts?
I am going to rotate every hour so that the chicken equally gets cooks.
Thank you
If you’re rotating them, you should be ok.
Do you save any of the liquid with the shredded chicken when storing in the refrigerator or freezer or drain it completely?
I didn’t but you definitely could. I hope you enjoy it!
Awesome Chicken, best chicken breast I have Ever made, and I’m 64. I am a fan!
Thanks, Teresa.
Do I cook this on low or high in my crockpot??
You’ll want to cook this on low for 3-4 hours. Enjoy!
Can I use partially defrosted boneless/skinless or should I completely defrost?
You want it completely thawed before adding it into the slow cooker. Enjoy!
What is the sodium msg in just cooking chicken in my slow cooker? I am not make soup or anything else just need to know the sodium count as my husband has high blood pressure and ad fib
I would suggest using your own calculator to determine it since your husband sounds like he needs to follow a very specific number.
I am using more chicken breast should I cook longer and add more other ingredients
Yes, you can adjust the ingredient list by hovering over the serving size and using the slider tool. Just make sure not to overcrowd your slow cooker. You don’t want to have any of the chicken overlapping. I’d check it at the 4 hour mark, depending on how much you have in the slow cooker, it might not take that much longer. Hope this helps!
This is wonderful! My kids and I loved it!
Yay!
Hi. Would I be able to roast this slightly after 4 breasts being in the slow cooker?
The chicken is going to come out very tender and juicy – I don’t know what it is you’re trying to accomplish by roasting it but if you want a little color on the chicken, you may want to get a quick sear in a pan before putting them in the slow cooker.
Would it be strange to use beef broth? It’s all I have on hand
It’ll adjust the flavor but if that’s all you have, go ahead and use it.
I don’t have any chicken broth,what else could I use?
You can use vegetable broth in a pinch.
When making pork dishes, people commonly use both chicken broth and beef broth together to approximate the flavor of pork. So if you cook chicken in beef broth, it won’t taste awful, but you probably won’t have a pronounced chicken flavor. Be aware, beef broth can sometimes impart a bit of sour flavor to a dish.
If I am only using two chicken breasts, is the cook time the same? Also, should I half the chicken broth amount?
You can use the slider tool in the recipe card to adjust the measurements to the amount of chicken you’re using. You may need to cut back on the cooking time by around 30 minutes. Just keep checking it depending on how hot your slow cooker runs. You don’t want it to dry out. Good luck!
Where is the slider to adjust measurements on the recipe?
What can I substitute chicken broth for?
You can use water but you’ll be losing a lot of the flavor added to this dish.
If you don’t have broth, you can use chicken bouillon. If you have a package of chicken ramen at home, you will find a chicken flavor packet inside you can use. You could also add vegetables, such as carrots, onion, celery and some fresh parsley, which the French call a miroux pois, and use it to flavor the base of their soups and stews as do Americans to make their chicken soup. It would give your chicken flavor and make a tasty broth.
Can I use vegetable broth?
Sure 🙂
Really wanting to try this but the comment “ Serve: Set your slow cooker to warm for up to 4 hours before storing this chicken. At room temperature, store after 2 hours“ has me confused (lol) 🙂 am I keeping it in the crock pot on warm for 4hours, then cook it down to room temperature prior to storing in the fridge and/or freezer?
I was just giving instructions that this can be kept warmed for up to 4 hours after it’s done cooking. If it cools to room temperature, you need to store it. Hope this clears things up.
This is my first time to ever rate a recipe and I have been doing this for YEARS. So simple yet so effective for moist chicken breasts. Wow. All of your recipes look fantastic but I have to modify for Keto diet. 🙁
I’m so honored you love it enough to come back and let me know.
Hello. What if I only use 2 Chicken Breast? How long should I cook for?
Yes, though you want to make sure they don’t dry out because you’ll have more empty space in your slow cooker. I’d check it around the 2 1/2 hour to 3 hour mark. Good luck!
If I’m using 6 breasts is the amount of chicken broth the same?
No, you’ll want to use 1 12/ cups of broth then.
This is THE BEST recipe for slow cooker chicken breast!! Sooooo tender, juicy with a flavor to please any palate!! I’ve tried a lot of chicken recipes. So easy too!! This one is by far my absolute favorite! Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks, Mimi!
If you to use 6 breasts, is the cooking time still 3 hours?
It should be around the same time.
This is by FAR the best site for recipes I have ever found! I love your explanations and reasoning, because you are teaching as well as sharing. And they are all pretty simple and easy. So delicious. The pictures are great as well. I made the Dairy Queen ice cream cake and it was a huge hit. Thank you!!!
Thank you, Jill! I’m glad you love the site and recipes so much.
Can I add carrots and potatoes?
I would make them separately.
Hi. I found bone in chicken breasts in my freezer. Would this work? How much longer do you think it would take? Thanks. By the way, I have made many of your recipes and have loved them all!!
They won’t look the same for a couple of reasons. First, the bones will cause the chicken to stick out further from the liquid it will eventually release. Second, the amount of time it will take to thaw, plus the extra liquid from the ice will cause a difference. That being said, sure, I’d say add 2-3 hours depending on the size of the chicken breasts. Keep the skin on because it’ll keep the breasts moist.
How long would you cook it in an Instant Pot? I’m dying to make this, but I work in another town from home, so I wouldn’t be able to put it on at a time where it would be ready for dinner. Thank you! BTW, I LOVE your recipes! I’ve made several – and I have a ton printed off to try in the VERY near future!! Thank you for sharing your recipes with us!!
I’m so glad you’re loving the recipes! If you want to use an IP, add 1 cup of water to the bottom and place a trivet on top. Lay the chicken breasts in a single layer and sprinkle on any spices you want to add. Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes and do a natural release for 5 minutes and then turn valve to vent. Hope this helps!
Excellent recipe! Have tried many recipes promising juicy chicken from the crock pot, but this one delivers! I used chicken tenders for it was all I had on hand. I used 8 tenders and worked beautifully. I have tried several of Sabrina’s recipes, and all has been sensational.
I’m so glad you love it so much!
Sabrina, I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your recipes. They’re easy to put together and delicious to eat. I’m so glad I came upon your site. Thank you so much.
I really appreciate your kind words, Anna.
I made this chicken in the slow cooker last night and it was absolutely DELICIOUS!
My husband even commented and said “WOW! You haven’t made chicken this tender and juicy before!”. That is high praise coming from him! I put it in at lunch time and it was ready when I got home from work! Easy peasy!
How awesome, Dawn! Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you all enjoyed it.
What size slow cooker did you use? It looks as though there is a lot more liquid than 1/4 cup of chicken broth.
I used a 6qt slow cooker for this recipe.