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.
I KNOW.
Boring, right??
Except, perfect slow cooker chicken breast isn’t boring at all.
This chicken is so flavorful, and so juicy, with just a few ingredients (and one secret ingredient!).
I will admit, I have made plenty of dry, overcooked, unpalatable boneless chicken breasts in the slow cooker. I’m not proud of it, but we all do it every now and then, am I right??
I wanted to come up with a foolproof way to make great crockpot chicken breast — that is big on flavor (but still versatile enough to use it a variety of different ways or add your own sauce at the end), and ridiculously juicy.
Naturally, I started with this Crockpot Shredded Chicken recipe as my base, since so many of you have already loved it (check out this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken if that’s more your style!), but I made a couple swaps and additions for an extra little boost of flavor.
This slow cooker chicken recipe is perfect just on its own, with a side of rice or noodles or a big salad if that’s your thing, but if you’ve got leftovers?
Throw them in this Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti the next day, or swap the ground beef for chicken in this Rigatoni Pasta Bake.
How to make perfect Slow Cooker Chicken Breast:
- Choose good quality chicken. I’m not saying it has to be expensive (I buy my chicken breasts frozen when they’re on sale!), but overtime I’ve noticed that there can be a real difference in quality from one box of chicken breasts to the next. Find a kind you’re happy with it and stick with it.
- Not too full or too empty: I use this 2.5 quart crockpot for, honestly? Almost everything these days. It’s the perfect size for 4 or 6 chicken breasts. I’ve found if I cook just a couple chicken breasts in a larger crockpot, it cooks more quickly and is more prone to overcooking. When you have your slow cooker at least half full, it gives the chicken a little “insulation” and prevents it from cooking too quickly.
- To sear or not to sear. I tried both ways because I like to know what I’m talking about when I’m giving you the most delicious slow cooker chicken breast you’ve ever had. What I found was not a lot of difference between the two. If you want to sear it beforehand, go ahead, if you’re frazzled enough as it is and want to dump and go, do that.
- Butter (my secret ingredient that makes all the difference). Or margarine. Another moment of honesty — I use margarine a lot. I just don’t hate it. Chicken thighs are known to have much better flavor and juiciness than breasts, and it’s because they have 3x the amount of fat. I figured if I added just a little bit of fat into the slow cooker, I could give my chicken breasts some of that some fat love. (SPOILER: it works. It’s delicious, and not even drowning in half a cup).
- Don’t overcook. If you want a longer cook time, try filling your slow cooker more than half full, as this slows down the cooking process some.
Tips for making frozen chicken in the crockpot:
Here’s the truth:
I woke up one morning, the morning I wanted to start testing this slow cooker chicken breast, with my chicken breasts still rock solid in the freezer because I, like many parents of 3 kids 6 and under, had forgotten to take them out.
Rather than cooking frozen chicken in the crockpot, I placed my chicken breasts in a large freezer bag, sealed it tight, and covered them with cool water (think perfectly not cold or not warm), and let them sit about 20 minutes. Flip, and let sit another 20 minutes. Perfectly thawed.
I threw them in the slow cooker and away I went.
It’s not that you can’t cook frozen chicken in the crockpot — it’s just that I knew they would cook more evenly and probably be better if I didn’t.
Now, I’ve cooked frozen chicken breasts plenty of times (remember that I used to work outside of the house and be gone for 8+ hours a day), and they’ve been just fine.
They will release more moisture and cook a little less evenly, but the world will (probably) not end.
Variations on this Slow Cooker Chicken Breast:
- Toss in a package of taco seasoning for slow cooker chicken tacos!
- Brush with barbecue sauce once they’re done cooking, before serving.
- Brush with pretty much any of your favorite sauces, and there you go — the easiest dinner you never had to babysit!
- Jazz things up and try this Crockpot Tuscan Chicken!
More crockpot chicken breast recipes:
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken recipe
- Crockpot Chicken and Noodles
- Crockpot Orange Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken Wings
Slow Cooker Chicken Breast
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the salt, parsley, garlic, pepper, onion powder and paprika. Season both sides of the chicken.
- Add chicken broth and butter to slow cooker, and stir to combine (mash the butter up a bit to disperse if you can).
- Add the chicken to the slow cooker, overlapping only as much as necessary.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 hours or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached.
- If you’re hoping for clean slices, remove to a cutting board and cover to keep warm. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition Information
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Lauren says
Hello! If I’m only cooking 1-2 chicken breasts, should I still cook on low for 3 hours, or longer/shorter? Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lauren, it’s really going to depend on size of the chicken breasts and your crockpot. I would start checking the internal temperature at around 1 1/2 hours. Hope this helps!
Bryanna says
Chicken comes out tender and juicy! Excellent way to cook chicken without it coming out dry. I double the spices and chicken broth just because we like a little extra sauce:). Thank you for a great recipe!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Bryanna! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Michele says
I have a 6qt Crockpot, not 2.5qt. Would the cook time for 4 chicken breasts be lower than 3 hours in my larger Crockpot? Or would you recommend cooking more chicken and keeping the cook time the same?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Michele! If using a 6qt I would double the recipe, with the cook time being the same. Enjoy!
Sharon Freund says
I tried this recipe once and my family loved it. If I want to add carrots and small potatoes to it, would three hours on low still be enough to cook the potatoes and carrots plus the chicken?
The Recipe Rebel says
So glad you enjoyed it Sharon! The timing to add potatoes and carrots is going to be similar to this recipe: https://www.thereciperebel.com/sun-dried-tomato-crockpot-chicken-and-potatoes/ Enjoy!
Kim says
I use this recipe regularly and always use 4-6 frozen breasts on low for 4 hours, usually with my homemade Taco seasoning added. I shred it all when done. Turns out perfect every time for making enchiladas, tacos, fajitas, or quesadillas. Thank you!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kim! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Blaze says
Hi there,
I used my crockpot and did multiple smaller strips. So my only “low” option is 8 hours. Should I do low or high for 4?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Blaze, it’s low for 3 hours and if you are using strips it might take less time. I would just watch it! Enjoy!
Marsha Dance says
What side dish would go well with this dish?
The Recipe Rebel says
Any of your favorite side dishes would work! A salad, pasta, vegetables!
Roberta Rasmussen says
Do you cook it on high for 3 hrs or lose for 3 large chicken breasts?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Roberta! This recipe is for cooking the chicken on low. If you are cooking less than 4 breast you’ll need to watch the internal temperature. ENJOY!
Sara Jeffrey says
Very blah recipe!!! Not sure why there are so many great reviews?!?! The chicken didn’t turn out any more tender than other recipes I have tried.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it Sara. I’m thinking it has so many great reviews because people enjoy it! If the flavor doesn’t work for you, you can simple add more to suit your needs.
Olga says
Love this crockpot chicken breast recipe! This is the 3rd time making it and each time it seems to get better and better. The flavors are so good with moist and tender chicken breasts! My go too recipe.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Olga! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
burdy says
Can I use bone in chicken breasts? Do I have to alter the time or broth?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Burdy, you likely could, I just haven’t tested it myself. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Melissa says
I’ve just put in 3 big frozen chicken breasts, a packet of great value lemon pepper wing seasoning, half a coffee cup of water, and a tablespoon of country crock. Let’s see how this goes.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hope it works well for you!
Julia says
No need to add any water?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Julia! No, you’ll be using chicken broth for this.
don bishop says
Can I use thighs with bones in
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Don! Yes! Here is the recipe: https://www.thereciperebel.com/slow-cooker-chicken-thighs/
Colin says
Great recipe. Thank you
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Colin! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
perri says
not enough spices to cover 4 breasts. not even close.
The Recipe Rebel says
It works for myself (and others) but you are free to add more if you’d like.
Barb says
Agreed! My bowl was empty after two small chicken breasts!
Dwaine Whitley says
What if you cooked it on high for 3 hrs? Any difference?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Dwaine! Yes I believe they would be overcooked.
Kelly says
Cooking this now from frozen measured ingredients but put on for 5 hours on low due to it being frozen. Hope it turns out.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hope you enjoyed it Kelly!
AnotherJanet says
I just cooked 2 large chicken breasts in my 6 quart crockpot. I decided to put in 1/2 cup of chicken broth. 3 hours on low, and the chicken came out fine!
I didn’t measure the spices, just sprinkled a bit of all on both sides of the chicken.
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad it worked out for you!
Janet says
I have a 6 qt crock pot, and I think a lot of other people do, too. Can you tweak and test the recipe and the quantities for those of us who would like to make this in a 6 qt slow cooker/crock pot? It would be a game changer! Thanks !