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Slow Cooker Chicken Breast

written by Ashley Fehr

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4.86 from 68 votes
Prep Time 5 mins
Total Time 3 hrs 5 mins
Servings 4 servings

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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.

slow cooker chicken breast in white crockpot sitting in broth

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.

crockpot chicken breast on blue plate sliced close up

How to make perfect Slow Cooker Chicken Breast:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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).
  5. 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.
slow cooker chicken breast close up on blue plate sliced

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!

More crockpot chicken breast recipes:

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Slow Cooker Chicken Breast

written by Ashley Fehr

4.86 from 68 votes
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.
crockpot chicken breast on blue plate
Review
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 3 hrs
Total Time 3 hrs 5 mins
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings
Calories 157cal

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

Calories: 157cal | Protein: 24g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 430mg | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Keywords crockpot chicken, slow cooker chicken

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Published on May 7, 2019 / Last updated on May 27, 2020

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Mandy says

    I haven’t tried this recipe yet but would love to. What if I don’t have chicken broth….can I just leave that out and still use everything else to slow cook the chicken? Or is there something else you could recommend.

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      You can substitute for water or vegetable broth, but the chicken broth does give the chicken lots of flavor while it cooks. If you have to do without, I would add extra seasoning to compensate

      Reply

  3. Jenna says

    Ill be honest, I haven’t tried the chicken yet but it already smells amazing. 5 stars for the tips because I initially started loading my 3 large chicken breasts into my 6qt crock pot, and then re-read and transfered them into my 2.5qt. So far I’ve followed the recipe to a T except I mixed the seasoning into the butter and rolled the breasts in the butter mixture, then topped with the broth. Ill be using 2 of the breasts for chicken enchiladas (adding taco seasoning to a sour cream cheese mix to the chicken) and the last largest breast Ill use for a broccoli cheese and cauliflower rice casserole. I love that I will get multiple meals from this. Thanks!

    Reply

  4. Julie A McCormick says

    Skeptical is my middle name. This recipe looked too easy to be this good! But, with all the great reviews, I threw caution to the wind! This recipe makes the BEST chicken! Can’t believe how easy? Believe it! Can’t believe how fast? Believe it! Can’t believe how good-BELIEVE IT!! These reviews don’t lie and I don’t either! My husband is a sauce kind of guy. Uses so much, you can’t see what the food is underneath. I pulled out the bbq sauce for this recipe and put it on the table. After two bites, he said I should put the bbq sauce back in the fridge, this chicken was so good, it didn’t need anything!! Wow! That’s saying a lot! Thank you for this recipe, I really suck at making chicken, but not anymore!!

    Reply

  5. Lois Brehm says

    Just got it in the crockpot. Never did chicken like this before, so hope it turns out. It didn’t seem like enough seasoning so I added more.

    Reply

  7. Chrissy says

    Hello! I am trying this for the first time tonight. My question is, do you flip the chicken at all? I am new to crock pot cooking. Thank you!

    Reply

  8. Karen says

    Hi! Wondering how long I can keep the chicken in the crockpot after it’s done cooking on low. Can I leave it in there for a few hours on warm until dinner time or is it better to turn it off, let it cool, put it in the fridge and then reheat for dinner? I’ve never used a crockpot but with my new work schedule I’m hoping it’ll help me manage my time better. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Karen! You could leave it a little while but it would be best if you could turn the slow cooker to warm. The sooner after it is done cooking that you can eat it, the juicier it will be 🙂

      Reply

    • Kimberly says

      I tried this recipe exactly how it was and my chicken came out very tasty, but it was dry and stringy ;( very unhappy with the chicken breasts… will try again with thighs next time.

      Reply

      • dave says

        I had the same experience. Seemed like it wanted to shred more then stay together and when served I was asked for some of the juice from cooking
        to put over it. A little bummed was hoping for more. Cooked 3 hours to the minute on low.

        Reply

        • Ashley Fehr says

          Hi Dave! I’m sorry that was your experience with the recipe. It could be that your slow cooker cooks hotter than mine and less time is needed. Can you tell me what the internal temperature was?

          Reply

  10. Shelley says

    I loved how tender the chicken was but found the flavor lacking a bit. So I removed the chicken from the crockpot and covered it with foil, brought the leftover juices to a boil (my crockpot has a browning option), and added 1 Tbsp butter, more pepper, 1/2 tsp chicken Better Than Bouillon, a bit of celery salt, and a little cornstarch, and then returned the cooked chicken to the pot. My family loved it, and the leftover juices and chicken were the perfect beginnings for the next day’s chicken soup.

    Reply

  11. LauraC says

    This is now my favorite way to cook chicken breasts! I change up the seasonings each time, and usually make a little gravy with the broth. Love it!

    Reply

  13. Paula M. Farrell says

    Made this last nite! Delicious! Stayed moist! My husband loved it! Will definitely make again! Will try adding potatoes & veges next time to save even more time!

    Reply

  14. Gwen says

    Hello Ashley! I have about 8 chicken breasts. I know cooking times vary according to the crock pot, but what would be a good starting point for your recipe? Also if the chicken is double should I double everything else?? Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Gwen! Yes I would double all of the seasoning. If your slow cooker is quite larger, then 3 hours may be enough. My slow cooker pictured here is 2.5 quarts and I cook 4 chicken breasts for 3 hours. So if your slow cooker is 4-6 quarts, you may be just fine doing 8 for 3 hours.

      Reply

  16. Christine says

    Mine turned out rubbery. What did I do wrong? I added green onions, celery, and frozen green beans half way. Did this maybe mess it up? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Christine! I don’t think that adding things half way will make a difference. It is hard to say what went wrong without knowing the cook time used. Every slow cooker is different, some are hotter or cooler so cook times can vary somewhat.

      Reply

  18. Peyton says

    I replaced black pepper for lemon pepper I also put in a pinch of Italian seasoning and a pinch of weber smokey mesquite seasoning and a pinch of Johnnyy’s seasoning salt to the chicken in the crock pot. And let me tell you It turned out great! My kids and my wife love it! you should try it!1

    Reply

  21. Loreal727 says

    I’ve used this recipe twice and it’s the best. Even my picky teen loved it and has named it “Good Frickin Chicken”. I didn’t change a thing either time, because I don’t see how you can rate a recipe if you’re swapping this for that or adding this and that to it. This recipe is perfect as is. Thank you Ashley!!

    Reply

      • Valerie Rel says

        So I am literally the worst cook in the world! I sometimes have to have a backup plan when I’m in the kitchen. I miraculously came across your recipe and my family loved it!!!! Whenever I make chicken, I ALWAYS over cook it and it ends up dry as a desert. But it was so moist!!!! My husband said I only got an “A” because I didn’t make rice 🍚 To get the A+ (We’re Asian and he wants rice everyday 🙄) 😂😂😂 but better than my usual D’s and F’s. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING!!!! 😃 I’m almost 40 years old and I can finally make some chicken my family will eat 😋

        Reply

  23. MarinaBlu says

    When you say 4 breasts, that means like 8 pieces that usually come already in 8 pieces? Like 4 split breast to equal 8?

    Also, do you think I could put everything together in the crockpot the night before and refrigerate til next day?

    Reply

  24. Mary-Alice DeSpain says

    Ashley, I made this recipe last night and if I could give it more than 5 stars, I would because it was that good!

    I cooked the breasts from a frozen state because I forgot to take them out of the freezer. The only change I made was to add about a 1/3 cup of white wine because I had an open bottle that needed to be used up.

    The chicken was so tender, moist and flavorful. This is now going to be a repeat recipe in my rotation of chicken recipes. I had it all put together in about 5 minutes! It couldn’t get any easier unless I had a personal chef!

    Thank you for this wonderful recipe.

    Reply

  25. Jennifer says

    Going to try this recipe – if I wanted to cook potatoes in the crock pot, too, are there any additional steps/ cook time?

    Reply

  27. Lise says

    This recipe was absolutely delicious. I am always so hesitant to try a new chicken recipe in my crockpot because it always turns out so dry. This was not the case with this one. I took your suggestion and cooked it in my smaller ceramic insert and it turned out perfect and juicy. The gravy was also excellent. Thanks. This recipe went in to my keeper file.

    Reply

  28. sue pogson says

    I just made this – it took 4 hours rather than 3 to get the chicken to the right temperature but was still super-moist and tasty. Thank you.

    Reply

  32. Steph says

    How long should I cook it if cooking on high or is that not recommended here? Also, any adjustments needed is using no less skinless chicken thighs? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Steph! I generally don’t use the slow cooker on high unless I really have to. I would say 2 hours maybe? And I think boneless chicken thighs would be about the same

      Reply

  34. Kimberly says

    This is an awesome way of cooking chicken to prepare lunches for the week. What is the best way to store the chicken so it stays moist? Should it be stored in the broth it made?

    Thank you!

    Reply

  36. Judith says

    Ashley…sounds delicious and looking forward to making it soon. I have a 6 qt
    slow cooker and would like to know about how many chicken breast and how long to cook using whatever temperature setting you recommend.

    Thanks
    Judith

    Reply

  37. Melissa says

    Hi! Just wondering if I could add the ingredients to a ziploc bag with the chicken and freeze it. Then thaw and dump in crockpot when ready to cook. I’m trying to find frozen meals that I could send to my dad! Thanks!

    Reply

  39. Anna says

    I’m just wondering when you say 4 chicken breasts, about how many pounds is that? I find that sometimes the chicken I buy can be either really big or medium sized.

    Reply

  40. Danny says

    Hi there! This sounds great. This recipe says to cook for about 3 hours on low, but the shredded chicken recipe says to cook for 6-7 hours on low. Wondering why such a big difference? I am making the shredded chicken – but just added the butter secret ingredient! – and now am wondering how long to cook? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      I usually cook a little longer for shredded chicken, but you may not need to cook the full 6 hours depending on how large your chicken breasts are or how full your crockpot is

      Reply

  41. Peggy Salmon says

    This is the best and easiest chicken breast recipe I have ever found! The chicken is so flavorful and great alone, on salad, in Alfredo sauce with any kind of pasta, in chicken salad, in chicken noodles etc. I always save the broth for using in other soups, gravy, and/or casseroles!❤️

    Reply

  45. Linda says

    Easy recipe and very delicious! I did double the spicing. My husband also loved it. He said it had so much flavor with the spices. I also made gravy with the juices. Thank you for the amazing recioe!

    Reply

  46. Linda says

    Easy recipe and very delicious! I did double the spicing. My husband also loved it. He said it had so much flavor with the spices. I did make gravy with the juices. Thank you for the amazing recioe!

    Reply

  48. Becky says

    I’m in search of good chicken breasts after cancelling our Schwan’s delivery. What is your favorite frozen breast to use? We have a Costco membership and have tried one brand but found it kind of rubbery.

    Reply

  49. Sherry Roberts says

    Trying this recipe for the first time. Ill let yall know what I think in a few hours. It sure looks good and smells even better!

    Reply

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