SEVEN simple slow cooker chicken recipes that have a lot of flavor for very small effort! Easy to prepare and made with wholesome ingredients, these crockpot chicken recipes are meal prep friendly and can be frozen as crockpot freezer meals!
When it comes to simple dinners, you really can’t beat the convenience of a slow cooker, especially ‘dump and go’ dinners which do not require a sautee step. Today’s 7 slow cooker chicken recipes are such lifesavers because not only do they skip the sauteeing step, but they are simple to assemble and can even be frozen!
Like our very popular 7 chicken marinade recipes you can freeze, theseslow cooker chicken recipes are also going to make your dinners exciting and delicious, with very small effort.
The next time boneless skinless chicken breast (or boneless skinless chicken thighs) go on sale, stock up and assemble a few of these crockpot chicken recipes. Freeze for later and you are going to be so happy to have simple dinners waiting for you!
Reasons You’ll Love These Recipes
- the flavors are astonishing, and you can use them for dinner and enjoy leftovers for lunches
- no sautéing required – just dump ingredients into the slow cooker, cook, and enjoy!
- they can be enjoyed right away, or stashed away in your freezer to enjoy later
Watch the video below to see exactly how we prepped these slow cooker chicken recipes. It’s so simple! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Step by step directions
In a 4-6 quart slow cooker, stir together all liquid ingredients. Add chicken breasts and turn to coat.
NOTE- for directions to assemble ahead and freeze, skip to the Freezer Meal Prep section below!
Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on the lowest setting for 4-5 hours.
Note- we use Crock Pot brand slow cookers, and they can tend to cook hotter. If your slow cooker cooks lower, adjust the cook time using your top judgement.
Tip – Need to commence dinner earlier? Swap for boneless skinless chicken thighs. You can cook them for 4-6 hours!
If you’d like to add veggies (say to the chicken fajitas), do so 1-2 hours before the cook time is completed. Try to obtain them into the slow cooker as quickly as possible and obtain the lid back on.
TIP- We recommend adding the veggies during the last 1-2 hours of cooking so they don’t end up mushy.
- Label bags with recipe name, date, and instructions, then add all ingredients listed as ‘before cooking’.
- Squeeze out as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 6 months.
- Thaw completely before cooking.
- When alert to cook, dump everything into the slow cooker and select the appropriate cook time. Enjoy!
Meal Prep Tip – Use these handy baggie holdersto hold open your freezer bags while you portion out the ingredients.
FAQ
No. If you read your slow cooker manual, they cannot guarantee that the internal temperature will obtain high enough to avoid food-borne illnesses when cooking frozen meat. Make sure you thaw these freezer packs before cooking.
Yes! These recipes have been tested halved but cooked in a small (2.5 quart slow cooker).If you are cutting these recipes in half, you will need a smaller slow cooker, as the liquid will be spread too lean on larger (5 or 6 quart slow cookers).
We always cook boneless skinless chicken breasts for 4-5 hours on low. If you cognize your slow cooker and it cooks faster or slower than this, use your top judgment and adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Yes, boneless skinless chicken thighs would be great in all of these recipes! Adjust the cooking time to 4-6 hours on low.
If you are making freezer packs, do not thaw your chicken if you are going to freeze again. Add the sauce ingredients to already frozen chicken and freeze. If you are cooking right away, you must thaw your chicken first.
Yes, exactly! You can put them straight in the slow cooker, or assemble ahead and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking.
7 slow cooker chicken recipes
See recipe card below for full recipes, or click to each individual recipe post:
- Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
- Crockpot Salsa Chicken
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken
- Cilantro Lime Crockpot Chicken (not pictured)
Instant pot
Some of these recipes have been converted to Instant Pot recipes! Find them here:
- Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
- Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Storage
- Refrigerate cooked chicken – cool completely before portioning out in an air tight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Reheat – Reheat in the microwave or (top) in a frying pan over medium heat. Heat until steaming hot. Do not reheat more than once
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to abandon a comment and rate the recipe!
SEVEN simple slow cooker chicken recipes that have a lot of flavor for very small effort! Easy to prepare and made with wholesome ingredients, these crockpot chicken recipes are meal prep friendly and can be frozen as crockpot freezer meals!
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Lemon Garlic Chicken
Place all ingredients not marked ‘after cooking’ in the base of a 5 quart slow cooker.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Stir in the lemon juice and enjoy.
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Combine all ingredients except for chicken breasts in a blender or the jar that comes with an immersion blender. Blend until smooth.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Shred chicken between two forks and toss in the cooking liquid.
BBQ Chicken
Combine all ingredients in the base of a 5 quart slow cooker.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Shred the chicken with two forks and toss in the cooking liquid.
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Place all ingredients not marked ‘after cooking’ in the base of a 5 quart slow cooker.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Stir together the cornstarch and water, then add to the slow cooker.
Turn slow cooker to high and cook for 30 or so more minutes, until cooking liquid is thickened.
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Place all ingredients not marked ‘after cooking’ in the base of a 5 quart slow cooker.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Stir together the cornstarch and water, then add to the slow cooker.
Turn slow cooker to high and cook for 30 or so more minutes, until cooking liquid is thickened.
Salsa Chicken
Combine all ingredients in the base of a 5 quart slow cooker.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Shred the chicken with two forks and toss in the cooking liquid.
Fajita Chicken
Place all ingredients not marked ‘after cooking’ in the base of a 5 quart slow cooker.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
Add lime juice and vegetables to the slow cooker. Cover and cook for another 1-2 hours.
Shred chicken between two forks and toss in the cooking liquid before serving.
Half batch:
If you wish to reduce the serving size of these recipes, you’ll need a smaller slow cooker (2.5 quart), otherwise the sauce may be too lean for a standard-sized slow cooker (5-6 quart)
To assemble ahead and freeze:
- Label bags with recipe name, date, and instructions, then add all ingredients listed as ‘before cooking’.
- Squeeze out as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 6 months.
- Thaw completely before cooking.
- When alert to cook, dump everything into the slow cooker and select the appropriate cook time. Enjoy!
Serving: 0.5cup, Calories: 175kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 321mg, Potassium: 467mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 100IU, Vitamin C: 2.1mg, Calcium: 8mg, Iron: 0.6mg
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