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.
The FDA does not recommend cooking frozen chicken in a slow cooker, since it will sit at an unsafe temperature for too long.
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
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the salt, parsley, garlic, powder, pepper, onion powder, and paprika. Season both sides of the chicken.
- Pour the chicken broth into a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker and add the chicken breasts.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and place on top.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the chicken reaches 165°F.
- For clean slices, remove the chicken to a cutting board and cover to keep warm. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition Information
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joan says
when i cook the potatoes and carrots for several hours before adding the chicken, should I leave them on the bottom of chicken?
Ashley Fehr says
I think that would be fine!
Shannon says
Newer chef here… sorry if this is a silly question. Should my chicken only be in a single layer? Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
No problem! No it does not need to be in a single layer.
Sheila says
This was very good. I am trying to avoid processed meats so this was ideal. Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Sheila!
LEELEECAT says
This is a good method of cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I used 3 tbsp dry ranch drsg mix with a tsp of dry taco seasoning for colour and they turned out great.
Ashley Fehr says
That’s a great idea!
Lois says
Can I use chicken cutlets for this recipe?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes but they make cook more quickly if they are smaller.
Anne says
The recipe was simple and the flavor of the chicken was really good. Unfortunately it turned out dry this time. I checked it at 2.5 hrs. I’ll try again and check it sooner.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Anne!
Paulina Hahn says
Why so little chicken stock?
Ashley Fehr says
It doesn’t need much?
DOLORES CLARK says
Hi Ashley, i’m making this tomorrow for company…i hope itcomes outas good as yours looks…i’ll let you know
Ashley Fehr says
I’d love to hear how it goes!
Morgan says
If I start tgis early and need to store it a few hours before dinner and still make it tasty what would you suggest.
Ashley Fehr says
You could keep it on warm for an hour or two but I would try not to leave it longer than that. You can also remove it at 3 hours and store in the refrigerator with some of the juice, then reheat on the stove top.
Michelle McDonald says
This is amazing. I make it almost every week to use in various chicken salads for lunches. Thank you for such a simple delicious recipe!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Michelle!
Casey Stephan says
I am trying to make good meal prep recipes and this recipe looks pretty good to try out. What recomendations would you have for storing the cooked chicken in the fridge? Do you store the remaning chicken with or without the broth? How long can the cooked chicken last in the fridge? What are the reheating instructions? Any advice would be very helpful
Ashley Fehr says
You can store cooked chicken up to 4 days in the fridge. I would store in some of the liquid, not necessarily all of it. I would also reheat in some of the liquid to keep it moist.
Casey Stephan says
Thank you. How do u reheat it? Crockpot? Stove? Air fryer? or oven?
Ashley Fehr says
I would reheat on the stovetop with some of the juice.
Casey Stephan says
All I have is a 6 quart crockpot. Will that work? If not, what adjustments do I make?
Ashley Fehr says
That will work, you may find it cooks more quickly because it is not as full, so I would just check it at the 2-2.5 hour mark.
Kathy says
What if I use frozen breasts?
Ashley Fehr says
Cooking frozen chicken breasts in a slow cooker isn’t recommended.
Connie says
Why? I just put frozen breasts in the crockpot and covered with chicken broth. Guess I’m taking A chance. Please explain.
Ashley Fehr says
According to the FDA they stay at an unsafe temperature for too long
Leslie says
My slow cooker doesn’t have a 3 hour option for low setting. Please advise. Thank you so much.
Ashley Fehr says
You will turn it onto any low setting, and stop cooking it after 3 hours.
Julie Williams says
Just made this and thank you Ashley!! It came out so moist and with a great flavour. So convenient for wraps, sandwiches etc. This will be my go to as I usually overcook my chicken, lol. 💙
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Julie!
Christin says
If I am doubling the recipe should I adjust the time?
Ashley Fehr says
If you are doubling the recipe and not increasing the size of the slow cooker, then yes it will take a little longer. If you’re using a larger slow cooker it should cook in about the same amount of time.
Roy’s Mom says
I want to add carrots, potatoes and onions to my 2 boneless chicken breasts. How much additional time?
Ashley Fehr says
Those vegetables will cook much longer than the chicken, so you would need to cook them for several hours before adding the chicken.
Rachel A Manzoni says
Why such a small amount of seasonings for four breasts of chicken?
Ashley Fehr says
It’s all we feel that they need. You’re welcome to increase if you desire.
Angie J. says
It’s turned out great! After cutting or shredding wanting to put back in crock pot yo stay warm. Take out liquid or leave some in? What do you recommend?
Ashley Fehr says
I would leave some for sure but not necessarily all!
Joy says
Is this cooked on high or low?
Ashley Fehr says
Low. Please see step 4.
Adriana says
That’s what I wanted to know. Normally if it’s 3 hours, they recommend High, but this recipe suggests LOW. Hmmm. I guess I will have to try.
Christine Martin says
I was wondering the same thing myself. How did it turn out?
Christine Martin says
I ended up making the chicken today, and it turned out great! In my crockpot, it took about 3 hours to cook 5 chicken breasts in a single layer. Who knew?!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Christine!
Anna says
I’m going to try this tomorrow. I’m hoping to make a decent sized batch of chicken, to then use in a few different meals for my family (wraps, salad etc.). How do you recommend storing the chicken for future meals? E.g. in Tupperware in the fridge, and sitting in or out of broth? Sorry, maybe a silly question but I’m not a very good cook.
Ashley Fehr says
It’s no problem! I would recommend storing it in a container in the fridge with the broth.