One of my favorite ways to make chicken is in the slow cooker. This recipe for slow cooker chicken breasts is a variation of my slow cooker chicken. I love this recipe because it is so simple and versatile, and the chicken is incredibly moist and flavorful. These chicken breasts can be served as the main course, or shredded and used for another recipe. I used these chicken breasts as filling for chicken enchiladas. I’ve also used it for tacos, burritos, salads, and sandwiches! Having good, flavorful cooked chicken on hand is always a good thing.
I use bone in, skin on chicken breasts in this recipe because they are economical and great in the slow cooker. The skin protects them and helps keep them from drying out. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be tricky in the slow cooker since they are so lean, but I love how convenient they are, so I’m working on a boneless, skinless chicken slow cooker method to share.
- 4 bone in skin on chicken breasts, about 5 pounds total
- 2 tablespoons of all-puporse steak seasoning
- 2 teaspoons of paprika or chili powder
- Use foil balls to create a "rack" in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Season chicken breasts.
- Lay chicken breasts on top of foil and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Serve chicken breasts whole with juices brushed over the top, or shred and use for another recipe.
Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts Recipe Notes:
I discard the skin after cooking. Since the chicken has been cooking in the covered slow cooker, the skin will not be crispy. Skin that is not crispy is not worth the calories in my book:0)
I have always cooked these for four hours on high, but recently bought a new slow cooker that runs much hotter than my old slow cooker. The chicken was up to temperature after 3 1/2 hours. Cooking time will vary depending on your slow cooker.
I like the option of serving the breasts whole, so I use foil balls as a makeshift cooking rack in the slow cooker. If they simmer in the juices during cooking, they are falling apart and hard to remove.
I usually season my chicken with paprika, but since I was using this chicken for enchiladas, I used chili powder. It was delicious, and it gave the chicken a little extra kick!
You can see all of my Slow Cooker Recipes here!
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Would it be ok to use deboned/unskinned breasts? Btw your comment fields are invisible, I just moved my cursor to see where it would change so I could write.
Do I need to add water or broth to this recipe? I’ve never cooked chicken in a slow cooker before.
Nope, no need to add water!
Take the skin and put it in the oven at 350. Check every 5 minutes. It will crisp up and we call that “Chicken Chips”
Totally going to try this! Any updates on your attempts with boneless skinless? I’m iced in today so figure I might give it a go and just keep an eye on it. Love your blog!
Thank you, Lindsey! I need to work on the boneless, skinless recipe. Thanks for the reminder! xo
INSTEAD OF THE FOIL BALLS, COULD YOU PUT SOME BAKED POTATOES IN THE BOTTOM?
I haven’t tried potatoes, but let us know if you do. Thanks!
I did and it worked great!
Now I’m going to try it with the potatoes. How about cooking it for a longer slower time since I work during the day?
Jen…did you use baking potatoes. Did you wrap in foil or just leave them. I love baked chicken and potatoes cooked together but have always found that chicken in the crock pot was too fluidy…
So no water and just wrap chicken in foil? Sounds a wee but dry to me but will do!!!
Hi Jeanine!
Just to clarify, you don’t wrap the chicken in the foil. Just use the foil balls as a “rack” to cook the chicken. The chicken has a lot of moisture in it, so no need to add liquid. Hope that helps:0)
What Kind of Steak Seasoning did you use?
Hi Deb,
I generally use McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning.
Can I put drumsticks in with my chicken breasts?
Thanks for the recipe. I’ll try this next week!!! Baked potatoes sounds like a good add!! 🙂
In your 4th picture above, it looks as though the chicken has been seared but your instructions do not have that step. I’ve cooked chicken in my crockpot for years but I’ve never had it come out looking like it’s been seared. Please explain?
Hi Ami,
It hasn’t been seared. The spices darken in the slow cooker. Thanks for the question!
Mmmm! This sounds great!
I think I would put some potatoes in those foil balls to bake while my chicken was getting done. One more element of the meal to have already finished.
If you take the skin off is the remaining chicken seasoned?
Yes!
You can put the chicken in the broiler for a few minutes if you want crispy skin
That should work just fine!
I put baking potatoes in the crock pot wrapped in foil, I cook them for an hour on high and then I place my chicken beside the potatoes and cook on low for 5 hours!
This sounds great but I agree with a previous comment, could you cook these on the low setting and if so, how long?
Could you wrap potatoes in the foil or would that be too long to cook them?
I’m going to make these the next coming week. I’m going to put potatoes in the foil! I’m so excited to see how it turns out.
I’m going to try it on low for 6ish hours. Might stick the potatoes in the foil as suggested too… I’ll let y’all know what happens. 🙂
When I saw the pictures I thoughr the foil balls were baked potatoes. What if you foil wrap baking potatoes and use as the “rack”. Then you would have an entire meal in the crockpot. Just a thought.
So, I did this with four large bone-in chicken breasts and four large Russett potatoes. Potatoes wrapped in foil on the bottom with chicken sitting on top. I cooked it on low for 6.5 hours. Try to keep the chicken from touching the sides of the crock, it may dry out a bit where it touches the side. It turned out great!
could I use chicken thighs or a few leg quarters?
Excellent recipe! I had some trepidation about the whole no-broth/stock, but the chicken turned out great! I used four large russet potatoes for the base: lightly brushed with olive oil, dusted with salt and pepper, then individually wrapped in foil. Placed two bone-in breasts and four bone-in thighs on top. Everything was then dusted with McCormick Spicy Montreal Steak seasoning and a half dozen fresh sprigs of thyme. Everything was done cooking in about 3.5 hours on high. I made this for my girlfriend’s mom and sister for Mother’s Day and they couldn’t get enough of the chicken.
I love this recipe. I hate to have foil touch my food. I used smaller red potatoes scrubbed really good and then put the chicken on top of them.
My question is for Relda, why don’t you like foil to touch your food? Is it bad for you, or does it make the food taste tin-nee… Personal preference or medically unsafe? I am learning to cook healthier and clean, not sure what that means just yet… But I would like to know. Thank you in advance!
Blessings,
Raechal
Just made it this morning, with individually wrapping 4 sweet potatoes in the foil. Placed 3 boneless skinless chichen breasts on top that were brushed with canola oil and seasoned with cracked black pepper, sea salt and paprika. Cooked on low for 10 hours. The potatoes were awesome, cooked perfectly, but the chicken was a bit dry, but I’m guessing it’s because there was no bone in the chicken or skin to keep it moist. I will make it again, but will use bone-in, chicken thighs, they have much more flavor. Once I added some of my favorite honey balsamic dressing to the chicken, it was fine.
Hi there everybody! I’m a college student and I’ve just purchased a little (2-quart, specifically) crockpot. would I be able to halve this recipe successfully? I’ve seen mixed comments on various recipe websites about whether or not recipes will stay true to form in a small slow cooker.
Love your recipes. Always looking for good slow cooker recipes due to my family’s work schedules.
Made this with two bone in chicken breasts last night. Perfect. I saved the juices that pool under the foil, for future gravy making.
Can i use butter on bottom instead of foil or potatoes, so chicken don’t stick
I made this tonight. I did use smoked paprika i cooked it for 4 hrs. Everyone loved it. It was also very moist.