This Slow Cooker Chicken Breast Recipe comes out tender, juicy and perfectly seasoned every time! Learn how to make the best crockpot chicken breast in the world and use it in any of your favorite chicken recipes.
We also love to make this slow cooker shredded chicken for weekly meal prep and crockpot BBQ pulled chicken for busy weeknights!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chicken Breast
- How to Make Chicken Breasts in Crock Pot
- Tips for Best Results
- How Long to Cook Chicken Breast in Slow Cooker?
- Can You Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in Crock Pot?
- Variations
- Ways to Use Cooked Chicken
- How to Store and Reheat
- FAQs
- More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Breast Recipe
If you have ever made my popular baked chicken breast and wished that there was even a more hands off easy method, this juicy slow cooker chicken breast recipe is for you!
With similar seasonings, it results in perfectly cooked chicken breasts in a crock pot and all you do is dump and go!
Many of you already love my Instant Pot chicken breast which I also often turn into shredded chicken. And this is just one more way to cook it.
Serve it with steamed rice, make it into a shredded chicken for tacos, or add it to a big salad. As for leftovers, use them in crock pot chicken spaghetti or pasta with chicken and spinach the next day!
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chicken Breast
This is such an an easy slow cooker recipe with only 6 basic seasonings, chicken and 2 other simple ingredients! Feel free to jazz it up with one of these chicken marinades for variety.
- Chicken breasts: I used 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts and they fit it in my crock pot with minimal overlapping, which is important so they cook evenly.
- Chicken broth: I prefer homemade chicken broth or store-bought low sodium chicken broth, adjust salt as necessary for the brand you use. You could use water but chicken stock will be have more flavor.
- Olive oil: Chicken breasts have no fat, which means they can easily dry out. Adding just a small amount of oil or butter, makes them more flavorful and moist. It will also make the broth more rich.
- Seasonings: Simple pantry spices of garlic powder, onion powder, basil, paprika plus salt and black pepper.
How to Make Chicken Breasts in Crock Pot
Cooking Tip
When you think of slow cooker recipes, you think of starting it before going to work, 4-8 hours of slow cooking, and coming home to ready dinner. It doesn’t work so with chicken breasts though. I am asking you not to overcook it!
- Season the chicken: In a small bowl, whisk garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, paprika, salt, pepper. Then sprinkle chicken breasts on both sides. Even easier, lay raw chicken on large plate and sprinkle with half the spices, flip and sprinkle with the rest.
- Add it to crockpot: To the bottom of the slow cooker, add broth, olive oil and lay chicken in a single layer on top. You don’t want them overlapping much to make sure they cook evenly and get that nice “roasted” look.
- Cover and cook: Cook on Low for 3-4 hours or on High for 2 hours. The most sure way to know your chicken is ready is to insert an instant read thermometer in the middle, and if it reads at least 160 degrees F, your chicken breasts are ready.
- Rest then serve: Then you do want to rest your chicken to let the juices redistribute and reach desired 165 F. So, cover with foil, let rest for 5-10 minutes and chicken will keep cooking with residual heat while becoming juicy. Magic!
Tips for Best Results
- Quality chicken: It doesn’t need to be expensive or even organic, but it’s important to use the brand you tried and liked. Quality can vary from package to package, so stick to what you like.
- Don’t overcook it: This is super important to prevent dry chicken breast! The best way is to invest in a meat thermometer, check your meat for the magic number of 160 degrees F and remove it from the slow cooker right away. It will reach 165 F during resting while staying moist.
- Crock pot size: You don’t want too small of a slow cooker or too large! Too small and your breasts will overlap and cause uneven cooking, too large of a crockpot and they run the risk of cooking too quickly. Ensure your crockpot is at least half full.
- Similar sized chicken breasts: This will help them cook evenly and at the same time.
- Don’t open the lid: It’s a golden rule when slow cooking anything! Steam will escape and your chicken will require longer cooking time, which could lead to dry results.
How Long to Cook Chicken Breast in Slow Cooker?
Do not leave your chicken breasts in slow cooker for an entire day. The exact time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts, their type and your slow cooker make and model.
Here is a cooking time chart for reference:
| Type of chicken breasts | Cook time on Low | Cook time on High |
|---|---|---|
| Boneless chicken breasts | 3-4 hours | 2 hours |
| Bone-in chicken breasts | 3.5-4.5 hours | 2.5 hours |
| Chicken tenders | 2.5-3 hours | 1.5 hours |
Can You Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in Crock Pot?
While this does seem to be a debatable topic, the USDA Food Safety Guidelines for Slow Cookers recommends to always thaw raw meat or poultry before putting it in your slow cooker.
The long slow temp at which a slow cooker heats up puts your frozen meat in danger of growing bacteria if left at a certain temperature for a long period.
If you only have frozen chicken, try this method for frozen chicken breast in Instant Pot!
Variations
Try any of these variations for your slow cooker chicken breasts.
Or here is what I like to do. Quite often, I just top cooked chicken with my favorite local store-bought Yeshi sauce and it’s the easiest dinner ever! I am obsessed with those nutritional yeast umami dressings, you can buy it anywhere, even different brand.
- Swap the seasonings: Try a different blend of seasonings such as cajun seasoning, all-purpose seasoning, or use smoked paprika instead of regular sweet paprika.
- BBQ sauce: Either cook in healthy barbecue sauce or brush it with the sauce when it’s done cooking.
- Mexican: Cook in your favorite salsa and taco seasoning, shred with two forks when done and use in tacos. This is such an easy chicken dinner idea!
- Italian: Season chicken with Italian seasoning and use the leftovers to make Tuscan chicken pasta.
Recipe Tip
If you plan to use your chicken in another recipe, you may just want to stick with salt and pepper plus garlic powder.
Ways to Use Cooked Chicken
Serve for dinner tonight or use in a variety of dishes throughout the week!
- Add to delicious soups: Shredding leftover chicken into quick chicken noodle soup makes this soup even faster.
- Salad: Not overly seasoned it is perfect to dice and use for this reader favorite healthy chicken salad recipe.
- Classic: With mashed potatoes and garlic green beans.
- In more complex dishes: Because of how easy it is to cook chicken in the crock pot, you can make more labor intensive dishes go faster. For example, use it to make these healthy chicken enchiladas.
How to Store and Reheat
To store: Let your chicken breasts cool completely first. Then transfer it whole, shredded, sliced or cubed to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days.
To freeze: Freeze in an airtight container or storage bag up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Reheat in a microwave until warmed through or in a covered skillet on the stovetop. Be careful not to overcook it or it will be dry. If your have an air fryer, here is also how to reheat chicken breast in air fryer tutorial.
FAQs
160 degrees F is a magic number. Stick meat thermometer into cooked chicken breast, and if that’s the number you see, it’s ready!
Shred it, place in a large bowl, pour 1 cup of chicken broth from the bottom of your slow cooker and stir. This step will rehydrate the chicken.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
- Crockpot chicken soup
- Crockpot chicken and rice
- Crock pot chicken thighs
- Slow cooker chicken stew
- Slow cooker butter chicken
- Slow cooker white chicken chili
- Slow cooker whole chicken
- Slow cooker chicken enchilada casserole
Be sure to browse my full collection of chicken breast recipes. I am obsessed!
Slow Cooker Chicken Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add garlic powder, onion powder, basil, paprika, salt, pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle chicken breasts on both sides.
- In a large slow cooker, add broth, olive oil and lay chicken on top, trying to overlap minimally.
- Cover and cook on Low for 3-4 hours or on High for 2 hours, or until internal read thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted in the center.
- Remove onto a cutting board, cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Then slice or shred.
Notes
- Store: In an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days.
- Reheat: In microwave or on the stovetop in a covered pan until warmed through.
- Freeze: Up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag, thaw before using.
- Boneless chicken breasts – On Low for 3-4 hours or on High for 2 hours.
- Bone-in chicken breasts – on Low for 3.5-4.5 hours or on High for 2.5 hours.
- Chicken tenders – on Low for 2.5-3 hours or on High for 1.5 hours
can I use chicken breast tenderloins? Thank you.
They would have to be cooked for less time and at lower temperature. I do have baked chicken tenders recipe with almost exact same seasoning.
I made this recipe last night. It turned out wonderful. I was wondering, what is the best way to heat up the leftover chicken? Should I heat it up in the microwave or should I put it back into the slow cooker and heated up on low about an hour before hand
Microwave would be the best and easiest. Glad you loved it!
Can chicken breast be frozen?
After cooking it in slow cooker? Sure! Please see How to Store section in the post.
Delicious moist chicken! And so easy and healthy! Ty Olena! I’ve made your recipe several times now and it always tastes great!
I am so glad you are enjoying my recipes, Patti!
Simple and delicious. I will make this again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Linda!
Made chicken breasts with spices in my slow cooker. It was so lovely & juicy, so easy to make. Also made the chicken soup with shredded chicken that we all loved. Your recipes are so amazing & so easy to follow & make. Thank you so much for sharing you wonderful recipes.
Awe, you are so welcome! So happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes, Elizabeth!
Can we bake this Olena
Thx 🥰💕
Sure! At 450 for 20-25 minutes uncovered. You can follow instructions for my baked chicken breast.
Super juicy chicken breast and so flavorful. It’s my go-to for meal prep for a week.
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback!