Crockpot Chicken Breast
I make this Crockpot Chicken Breast every week so I can add lean and healthy protein to salads and other meals. It’s so easy and no liquid is necessary!
After I posted the Tex-Mex Chicken Casserole last week, I got a ton of emails and comments from you asking exactly how I make chicken breast in the slow cooker. Here’s how! It’s something that I do every week, so I always have the option of adding protein to whatever meal I’m making at the time.
You can dice the chicken and make chicken salad or toss it in pasta, shred it and put it in a burrito or soup, or slice it and layer it in a grilled cheese. It’s extremely versatile and a quick way to make meals healthier and heartier.
Why make chicken breast in the crockpot?
Because I find it makes for the most juicy and tender chicken of any other cooking method I’ve tried.
Sure it takes a few hours, but it’s worth it for the chicken to cook slowly and gently, and it’s completely hands off and simple to get going. I find that with other methods like baking, poaching, and Instant Pot chicken, it’s way too easy to overcook the chicken and end up with a rubbery piece of meat. And I hate dry chicken!
How to Make Crockpot Chicken:
First, you’re going to take a 2-3 lb package of boneless skinless chicken breasts, and snuggle them as evenly as you can into the bottom of your slow cooker:
Now, sprinkle the chicken breasts generously with salt:
Grind some black pepper on top of the chicken too:
Then, you can add whatever seasonings you like. Sometimes I do fresh herbs, like thyme:
And other times if I know I’m using the chicken for something Mexican themed like tacos or burritos, I’ll sprinkle the chicken with taco seasoning instead. You can really add anything you want, and estimate the amounts by eye.
Once you’ve sprinkled on the seasonings, put the lid on, and set the crock into the cooking unit.
How long do you cook chicken breast in the crockpot?
I find about 3 hours on low is just right, with one single layer, for the chicken to fully cook through to 165 degrees F. This time may vary slightly with different brands of slow cookers.
The particular slow cooker I own is this 4-Quart Slow Cooker and costs $15! Maybe one day I’ll get a more expensive one, but this one does a great job and works for our small family.
If you have a different slow cooker, you can use a thermometer to test out how long your particular slow cooker needs to reach the proper temperature, but three hours on low should be close.
Do you have to add liquid to the crockpot?
As long as the chicken is in a single layer, no, it’s not necessary. Each piece of chicken is touching the slow cooker and that’s all you need. If you’re doing multiple layers of chicken, you will need to add liquid to cover all of it, but I don’t recommend this. Because then you will have to add liquid to cover, and the seasonings won’t stick to the chicken breast.
If you really want to do multiple layers of chicken breast, add broth to cover so the chicken cooks evenly. Otherwise, it cooks unevenly because the top layers won’t have contact with the bottom of the slow cooker.
Another tip: No matter what slow cooker you use, try not to take off the lid at all during cooking, as this dramatically lengthens cooking time.
I hope this answers many of your questions, and if you have more, please post them below and I will reply. Happy cooking!
Slow Cooker Chicken Breast
Ingredients
For the Crockpot Chicken
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt
- pepper
- herbs
- spices
Ideas for Using the Chicken (optional)
Instructions
- Place a single, even layer of chicken breasts into the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Sprinkle with anything you desire, like salt, pepper, seasonings, herbs, etc.
- Cook on low for approximately 3 hours* until the chicken reaches 165F on a digital thermometer. It is now ready to eat and be used in recipes.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: this post contains an affiliate link.
Have you ever tried this with frozen chicken breasts? I’ve done it with frozen breasts, taco seasoning and a can of tomatoes, cooked on high for 4 hours or so. Just wondered if your method would work for frozen breasts.
Hi, it’s a general rule to not cook any frozen meat in the slow cooker, as you risk bacteria overgrowth from the meat being in the “danger zone” temperature range.
Wow easy and delicious. Thank you could not ask for better information. The chicken was so tender and juicy. Plan to use this as the base for many meals.
Hi Pat, fantastic to hear this!
For years I’ve been struggling with dry chicken breast. I pretty much gave up and just drowned them in hot sauce. Then I found this blog & this method. Best best chicken breast I’ve ever made. Easy, delicious & not even slightly dry. Thank you!
Hi Omar, I’m so glad to hear this! Happy cooking.
Where does the 641 mg of sodium com from? I am on a restricted salt diet. If breasts are fresh does the 641 mg come from the addition of salt in your seasoning? if not from this source where does the sodium come from? I believe I can season the chicken with seasonings that do not contain salt
Hi Ed, great question. The nutrition information provided here is a plugin that I pay for, and calculates that information from a database. I looked further into this, and there are articles that discuss the hidden sodium in chicken from additives. My guess is that if you avoid those chickens, there would be less sodium. I’m thinking it’s possible that chicken naturally has some sodium in it, but I don’t know how much. Maybe something to talk to the butcher about. Hope that helps.
This is a Miracle! I have a fairly recent model Crockpot-brand slowcooker that got great reviews. I don’t remember how many quarts my cooker is supposed to handle, but it’s at least 6. I think it runs a bit hotter than it should, or maybe the company changed their technology to run a bit hotter. Many recipes I have tried turned out terribly overcooked–either mushy or stringy. I used your method to cook 2 large chicken breasts with the skin and bones still in, 3 hours on low. About 2 lbs of meat. After 3 hours the skin came right off and the meat was perfect. Cooked all the way through. Moist, but still with the proper texture and mouth-feel. This is a real life-saver on those days when I am working from home for a few hours, but I have deadlines and really DO NOT HAVE TIME to cook. I can at least do this and make a salad or some rice. And that is healthier than ordering takeout!