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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Brielle says
First recipe I tried in my slow cooker and it was amazing! Not only did it cook evenly, it was so juicy and tasted great! Will definitely be using this recipe again everytime I make chicken!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Brielle! I’m so glad to hear that!
Monica L Jackson says
If I have six chicken breasts can I cook them on low for 8 hours?
Ashley Fehr says
You can, but depending on your slow cooker it is still quite a long time for chicken breast. If you don’t have to, I probably wouldn’t leave them that long. Maybe 5-6 hours at most. But again, if your slow cooker is on the cool side it may be fine.
Amber says
I meal prep for a few people. Can I do more than 4 beasts ? I see about the overlapping, but always looking for new easy crockpot chicken.
Ashley Fehr says
Yes you definitely can! It just may take a little longer to cook, but will be perfectly fine and just as juicy.
Tina says
Oh my god! This was amazing, hubby and I really enjoyed the tender chicken and your recommended spice rub. It was delish! I can’t wait to make this again, thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Tina! I’m so happy to hear that!
Loretta says
HI I would like to add sweet sliced onion ,will this work in this?
Rachael says
Do I have to use chicken broth or can I just use water?
Ashley Fehr says
You can use water but the broth really adds a ton of flavor
Terri Ptingle says
Excellent recipe! We’ve made it at least four times, recently. So flavorful!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Terri!
Suzanne M Williams says
I doubled everything except the butter and broth for 4 large breasts.
Lots of flavor
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Suzanne!
Sam R says
Any tips on slow cooking frozen chicken? I tend to procrastinate when it comes to cooking so I throw all my chicken in the freezer so it wont go bad! Let’s just say I have a freezer full of chicken.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Sam! I have a few notes about using frozen chicken in the post above
Kelly says
I just got a slow cooker for Christmas, and this will be my first dish in It! My crock pot is very small though, it’s a 2 quart but it’s deeper than it is wide. I’m a little worried that my chicken will definitly need to over lap..
Will it still turn out well if I pile it in there?
Do I need to adjust my cooking time?
Help! 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Kelly! It will be fine but you may want to check the internal temperature before taking it out and add a little extra cook time if needed
Linda G says
I have 16 chicken breast to cook can they all be cooked in the same crock pot?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes! I would just make sure you have a large crockpot and spread them out as much as possible.
Christina says
If I need to cook 6 chicken? How much do the broth and stuff do I use
Ashley Fehr says
I would double it!
Whitney says
Can frozen chicken breast be used? How long would I cook?
Sara says
Ashley Fehr says
August 19, 2019 at 10:38 am
Thanks Charla! I tend not to use frozen chicken breasts but I gave some tips above in the post on how to quickly thaw them before cooking. If you do need to put them in frozen I would probably add a couple of hours to the cook time.
This is what she said in a previous comment.
Heather Smylie says
I like to use frozen Boneless chicken in recipes and put the crockpot on low because we are gone all day and this keeps the dishes from overcooking and being burnt. They are simmering and steaming When I get home. They are boiling so I am not worried about germs.
Olivia says
Im confused. Only 1/4 cup of chicken broth? Are we adding water too? It barely covers the chicken.
Christina says
You don’t need to cover the chicken to cook it in a crock pot
Ashley Fehr says
It doesn’t have to be covered.
Kathleen Heine says
I tried this today, used only 2 chicken breasts. Followed directions….YUM! I will make this again. Easy and delicious, tender, juicy chicken.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Kathleen! I’m so thrilled you liked it!
Kim says
I’ve used this recipe twice now and it is just delicious! My mother and I both love it! The second time, I even did my own twist by adding some halved mushrooms to the crock pot and throwing a little bit of the seasoning on them before putting the chicken in. It’s amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!
Ashley Fehr says
I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing your spin too!
Amber says
Maybe you didn’t follow the instructions, it was perfect for me!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Amber! I’m happy to hear that!
Rachelle says
Made this today for the first time, whole house loves it! Had extra chicken left so mixed additional ingredients and baked in the oven at 350 degrees covered. Served with garlic butter mashed potatos and it was wonderful. Both turned out amazing! Saving this recipe! Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Rachelle! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Maria says
Excelent recipe!
I used wine instead of broth
I wonder if I could stuff the chicken with some goat cheese by opening a small slit on the side,
Would this change the results?
Ashley Fehr says
I think it would be delicious, but likely not change the results much!
tori says
Super easy recipe to follow really like it. However the chicken came out a little more dry than I wanted. Followed the recipe…so I just have bad chicken?
Ashley Fehr says
Did you happen to cook longer than 3 hours or on high? Both of those things can contribute to overcooking. The quality of chicken can also make a difference — once you find a source for meat that has really great quality I try to stick with it!
Joanna dos Santos says
I was skeptical about 3h on low but for once, the chicken came out PERFECTLY. Juicy and flavourful. I added some Worcestershire sauce and a drop of hot chipotle sauce as well as a gourmet herb mix (thyme, fennel, basil, savory & lavender). I also swapped out the butter for ghee instead. Will definitely make again.
Do you store the chicken in it:s juices though? OR would you just store it alone and get rid of the rest?
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you liked it! I like to store the chicken in some of the juices, and I use them to reheat the chicken so it’s still juicy 🙂