Crockpot chicken recipes: 44 easy slow cooker chicken dinners

The short answer: the best crockpot chicken recipes are salsa chicken, BBQ pulled chicken, creamy Tuscan chicken, chicken tortilla soup, honey garlic thighs and white chicken chili. Each needs 10 to 15 minutes of prep and 3 to 7 hours on low.

• Fewest ingredients: salsa chicken, 4 hours on low
• Kid-friendly: honey garlic chicken over rice
• Feeds a crowd: Buffalo chicken sliders
• 44 recipes, a cook-time chart by cut and a starter week
• Next step: Plan it with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).

The best crockpot chicken recipes are salsa chicken, BBQ pulled chicken, creamy Tuscan chicken, chicken tortilla soup, honey garlic thighs and white chicken chili. Each one needs 10 to 15 minutes of prep, a few pantry staples and 3 to 7 hours on low. Below are 44 easy slow cooker chicken recipes grouped by style, a cook-time chart for every cut, the food-safety rules that matter, and a starter week you can shop for today.

If you plan a few crockpot nights before you shop, one pack of chicken thighs can cover two dinners and a lunch. For oven, skillet and air-fryer ideas too, browse the full chicken recipes hub.

The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) puts the week's dinners, a prep page and an aisle-sorted grocery list on one printable. Our other kitchen planners are on the Printables page.

Quick picks: crockpot chicken recipes by need

Shredded crockpot chicken (tacos, bowls and sandwiches)

Shredded chicken is the most flexible slow cooker meal. Cook once, then use it in three different dinners.

1. Salsa chicken. Two pounds of breasts and a jar of salsa. Shred for tacos, burrito bowls or nachos.
2. BBQ pulled chicken. Chicken and barbecue sauce, shredded and piled on buns with coleslaw. For an oven version, see our BBQ chicken recipe.
3. Chicken tinga. Chipotle peppers in adobo, crushed tomatoes and onion. Serve in tostadas.
4. Shredded chicken for meal prep. Broth, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Freeze it in 2-cup portions.
5. Buffalo chicken. Hot sauce and a little butter. Use it in wraps, on baked potatoes or in buffalo chicken dip.
6. Greek chicken. Lemon, garlic and oregano. Stuff it into pitas with cucumber and tzatziki. Make a bowl of homemade tzatziki while it cooks.
7. Teriyaki chicken. Soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic, thickened at the end with cornstarch. Serve over rice.
8. Cilantro lime chicken. Lime juice, garlic, cumin and cilantro for rice bowls.
9. Chicken carnitas-style tacos. Thighs with orange juice, cumin and oregano, crisped under the broiler after shredding.
10. Hawaiian BBQ chicken. Pineapple chunks with barbecue sauce, served on slider rolls.

Creamy crockpot chicken recipes

Creamy dishes taste best when the dairy goes in near the end. Cream cheese, sour cream and heavy cream can separate after hours of cooking.

11. Crockpot Tuscan chicken. Garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan in a cream sauce, with spinach stirred in at the end.
12. Marry me chicken. A sun-dried tomato cream sauce. The skillet method is in our marry me chicken recipe.
13. Crack chicken. Cream cheese, ranch seasoning, bacon and cheddar. Serve on buns or over potatoes.
14. Creamy Italian chicken. Italian dressing mix and cream cheese, spooned over pasta.
15. Chicken stroganoff. Mushrooms, onion and sour cream over egg noodles.
16. Creamy ranch chicken and potatoes. Baby potatoes cook under the chicken in a ranch cream sauce.
17. Crockpot chicken alfredo. Chicken cooks in broth and garlic, then you stir in cream, Parmesan and cooked pasta. Compare it with our stovetop chicken alfredo.
18. Chicken pot pie filling. Chicken, carrots, peas and a creamy gravy, topped with baked biscuits. The from-scratch pie is in our chicken pot pie recipe.

Crockpot chicken soups, stews and chili

Soups and stews are what slow cookers do best: lots of liquid, low heat and long cooking.

19. Chicken tortilla soup. Black beans, corn, tomatoes and chiles. Our full chicken tortilla soup recipe has the toppings bar.
20. White chicken chili. White beans, green chiles and cumin, finished with a little cream cheese. See our white chicken chili recipe.
21. Chicken noodle soup. Cook the chicken and vegetables all day, then add noodles for the last 20 to 30 minutes on high. The classic is in our chicken noodle soup recipe.
22. Chicken and dumplings. Drop biscuit dough on top for the last hour. Our chicken and dumplings recipe covers homemade dumplings.
23. Chicken taco soup. Beans, corn, tomatoes and taco seasoning. Top with avocado and crushed chips.
24. Chicken and wild rice soup. Stir in cooked wild rice and cream at the end.
25. Chicken corn chowder. Potatoes, corn and bacon in a creamy broth.
26. Lemon chicken orzo soup. Add orzo in the last 30 minutes and finish with lemon juice.
27. Chicken stew. Potatoes, carrots, celery and peas in a thick broth.
28. Chicken gnocchi soup. Carrots, celery and spinach, with gnocchi and cream added at the end.

Crockpot chicken dinners with global flavors

29. Butter chicken. Thighs in a tomato, cream and garam masala sauce. Our stovetop butter chicken recipe has the spice list.
30. Chicken tikka masala. Yogurt-marinated thighs in a spiced tomato sauce, finished with cream.
31. Thai peanut chicken. Peanut butter, soy sauce, lime and coconut milk over noodles or rice.
32. Orange chicken. Orange marmalade, soy sauce and garlic. Thicken the sauce before serving.
33. Chicken curry with coconut milk. Curry powder, potatoes and peas.
34. Korean-style gochujang chicken. Gochujang, honey and garlic, served with rice and quick cucumbers.
35. Chicken cacciatore. Peppers, onions, mushrooms and crushed tomatoes over polenta or pasta.

Healthy crockpot chicken recipes

These keep the sauces light and the vegetables high. Our healthy meals guide has more balanced dinners. For more lighter slow cooker dinners beyond chicken, see healthy crockpot recipes.

36. Chicken and black bean chili. Lean breasts, beans, peppers and tomatoes.
37. Lemon garlic chicken with green beans. Add the green beans for the last 1 to 2 hours so they don't turn mushy.
38. Salsa verde chicken. Tomatillo salsa and cumin, served over cauliflower rice or brown rice.
39. Chicken fajita bowls. Sliced peppers and onions with fajita seasoning over rice and greens.
40. Mediterranean chicken. Tomatoes, olives, artichokes and oregano.

Whole chicken, thighs and drumsticks

41. Whole crockpot chicken. Set the chicken on a bed of sliced onions and carrots. Use the bones for broth. Check that your cooker is big enough first.
42. Bone-in thighs with baby potatoes. Garlic, paprika and thyme in one pot.
43. Honey garlic drumsticks. Brush with sauce and broil for 3 to 4 minutes to crisp the skin.
44. Chicken thighs with apricot glaze. Apricot preserves, Dijon and soy sauce.

For thighs cooked in the oven or skillet, see our chicken thigh recipes.

Crockpot chicken cook times by cut

These are typical ranges because cookers vary by brand, size and how full they are. Time is only a guide. Chicken is done when a food thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part, the safe minimum for all poultry on the FoodSafety.gov temperature chart.

How to make crockpot chicken safely

The USDA's slow cooker guide gives a few simple rules:

1. Thaw the chicken first. USDA says to always thaw meat or poultry before it goes into a slow cooker. Frozen chicken can stay in the unsafe temperature range too long. Thaw it overnight in the fridge.
2. Keep it cold until you start. If you prep the night before, store the raw chicken and cut vegetables separately in the fridge.
3. Put vegetables in first. Vegetables cook more slowly than meat, so potatoes and carrots go on the bottom.
4. Keep the lid on. Lift it only to stir or check doneness.
5. Plan for power outages. If the power goes out while you're away, USDA says to throw the food away, even if it looks done.
6. Don't reheat in the crockpot. Reheat leftovers on the stove or in the microwave to 165°F. Then you can keep them warm in a preheated slow cooker.
7. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers.

The CDC's chicken safety page adds one more rule: don't wash raw chicken, because the splashes can spread germs around your sink.

Starter version: one week of crockpot chicken dinners

New to slow cooking? Start with three crockpot nights and buy two family packs of chicken, about 5 pounds total.

Shopping list: 2 lb chicken breasts, 3 lb boneless thighs, 1 jar salsa, shredded cheese, tortillas, rice, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, green chiles, an onion, garlic, honey and soy sauce.

Sunday prep (20 minutes): Chop the onion and garlic, measure the honey garlic sauce into a jar, and portion the chicken into labeled bags. Thaw each bag in the fridge the night before you cook it.

Make-ahead crockpot chicken freezer bags

Freezer bags let you skip the chopping on busy nights. Put raw chicken, sauce and sturdy vegetables in a labeled bag and freeze it flat. The night before you cook, move the bag to the refrigerator to thaw. Then empty it into the crockpot in the morning. Good freezer bags include salsa chicken, honey garlic, teriyaki, white chicken chili and chicken curry. Add dairy, pasta and fresh greens on cooking day, not in the bag. Our freezer meals list has more ideas.

Crockpot chicken for parties and holidays

A slow cooker frees your oven for a holiday menu and keeps food warm on a buffet. Buffalo chicken dip, BBQ chicken sliders, chicken taco bar fillings and white chicken chili all work for game days and potlucks. Keep hot food at 140°F or warmer while it's out. More crowd-friendly dishes are in our potluck ideas and slow cooker recipes, and quick weeknight options are in our chicken dinner ideas. Prefer breasts on the stove or in the oven? Browse chicken breast dinner ideas.

New to the appliance? Read how to use a slow cooker for steps, LOW vs HIGH times and safety rules.

Plan your crockpot chicken week

As the oldest of three, I learned that a plan makes a busy week feel easier. The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) has a weekly meal planner, a dinner plan and prep page, an aisle-sorted grocery list and pantry and freezer inventories, so you know which freezer bag to thaw tonight. Save your family's favorite crockpot recipes in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99), which has recipe cards, an index and section dividers.

Hosting this season? The Holiday Season Bundle is $15.99 ($25.94 bought separately). It includes six holiday organizers, among them a holiday edition of the Meal Planner & Grocery List and a cleaning schedule for before guests arrive. You'll find it with our other Bundles. You can also grab our free Holiday Budget Starter Kit, 3 printable US Letter pages emailed to you after you join our list.

Looking for beef, pork and vegetarian slow cooker dinners too? See our crockpot recipes hub.