Slow Cooker Chicken Breast (2024)

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by Sarah Olson on | Updated 9 Comments

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This Slow Cooker Chicken Breast recipe is a quick way to get perfectly cooked chicken that can be used in various easy weeknight dinners. It’s sure to make meal prepping much easier!

Serve this crockpot chicken breast recipe alongside my Slow Cooker Potatoes Romanoff or Slow Cooker Peas and Carrots.

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Why you should cook chicken breasts in the slow cooker

Having a crockpot chicken breast recipe like this on hand not only helps with cooking chicken to tender perfection but also gives you an easy way to meal prep or serve a delicious meal in a short amount of time. Recipe ideas aren’t too hard to come by once you have the main course cooked.

Not to mention, I’m all for easy recipes with a short cook time. Check out the serving suggestions below for recipe ideas your whole family will enjoy!

Recipe Ingredients

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  • Chicken Breast: This recipe is specifically for cooking boneless skinless chicken breasts, although you could use it for boneless skinless chicken thighs.
  • Chicken Broth: Works as a liquid base to keep the chicken from sticking during the slow cooking process and helps provide juicy chicken. You can also make a batch of my slow cooker chicken stock for this recipe.
  • Seasonings: Salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder are familiar flavors typically used when seasoning chicken. This may sound like boring seasonings but remember you can use this chicken in a variety of meals from Mexican to Italian (and more), and you can season it more later.

Step-by-Step Directions

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Step One – Pour some of the chicken broth into the crock pot and place the seasoned chicken inside.

Step Two – Pour the remaining chicken broth over the chicken.

Step Three

Cook on low for 4 hours, or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees. The chicken should be cooked through and will be sliceable. You can cook it past this point, though, it will shred instead of slice. If you want shredded chicken, you can cook for up to 8 hours.

Step Four – Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice and serve the cooked chicken or place it in the fridge for later use. Only slice what you need; otherwise, put the crockpot chicken breasts in the fridge whole.

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How to use slow cooker chicken breasts

  • One of the easiest ways to use this chicken is in chicken noodle soup. You could use the chicken broth base from the cooking process and add noodles, chopped carrots, and other veggies. Check out my chicken noodle soup recipe.
  • This chicken could also be turned into creamy chicken spaghetti. Think traditional spaghetti but with a creamy chicken and cream cheese twist.
  • If you’re looking for a bold flavor, slice or dice the chicken and smother the pieces in buffalo sauce. Then serve on a bed of cauliflower rice.
  • Shred the chicken and add a packet of taco seasoning. Then use it to create burrito bowls topped with black beans and juicy tomatoes.
  • Drizzle the shredded chicken (or sliced) with olive oil and toss it with a pasta of your choice (spaghetti, rotini, etc.).
  • Use this chicken in an Mexican-inspired way by making chicken tacos. This is an easy recipe idea that can utilize pulled chicken and all your favorite toppings.
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Recipe FAQs

Can I cook frozen chicken?

No, you should always use thawed chicken for safety reasons.

Should I keep the juice from this crock pot chicken?

Strain the chicken broth using a sieve and remove all the chicken and fat bits. Take the strained chicken broth and use it in your recipes right away or freeze it.

How long can I keep the crockpot chicken breasts once cooked?

Cooked chicken is good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or in the freezer for two months. Be sure to store it in an airtight container or freezer safe storage container.

What other seasonings could I add to the seasoning mixture?

Depending on the flavor you are going for, you can add paprika and red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. Herbs such as parsley, basil, thyme, and oregano pair well together to give the chicken an earthly taste.

How can I make this cooked chicken breast recipe with less salt?

The best way is to use a low sodium chicken broth and less salt in seasoning the chicken.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Breast

Cook up 2 pounds of chicken breasts to have ready for your recipes all week! Great for meal planning.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 132kcal

Author: Sarah Olson

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. onion powder
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • ¾ cup low sodium chicken broth

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions:

  • Season your chicken breast with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.

  • Place your chicken in your crockpot and cover them with the chicken broth.

  • Cook on low for 4 hours, or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees. The chicken should be cooked through, and will be sliceable.

    You can cook it past this point, though, it will shred instead of slice. If you want shredded chicken, you can cook for up to 8 hours.

  • Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing (covered lightly with foil). Slice and serve OR place in fridge and slice later in the week when you need it.

  • Strain your chicken broth using a sieve and remove all of the bits of chicken and fat. Take the strained chicken broth and use in your recipes right away or freeze.

Sarah’s Notes:

  • This recipe is specifically to use the chicken breast into other dishes, so the seasonings are very simple. Additional seasoning that can pair with lots of meals, is paprika, and thyme.
  • Keep the breasts whole until you are ready to use them. Slice it just before adding it to your desired recipe. The chicken will stay moister and taste fresher if you slice as needed.
  • Cooked chicken is good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or in the freezer for 2 months.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.4g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 359mg | Potassium: 428mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

Made this recipe?I want to see your photos! Tag me on Instagram @themagicalslowcooker

Chicken Breast Crock Pot Recipes:

  • Slow Cooker Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
  • Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
  • Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
  • Slow Cooker Chicken Marinara {with Polenta}

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Slow Cooker Chicken Breast (2024)
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