Can you cook raw chicken breast in slow cooker

Last updated on June 23, 2022

Crockpot chicken couldn’t be easier! Learn how to cook perfect slow cooker chicken breasts that are tender, juicy and flavorful. Perfect for slicing, chopping or shredding to use in recipes, or serving with your favorite sides.

Cooking chicken breasts in the crock pot is an easy way to make a healthy dinner or cook chicken for meal prep. You can serve this crockpot chicken breast with rice or Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Vegetables, or slice it and add it to salads, sandwiches and more. It’s one of the most versatile crock pot chicken recipes!

Chicken breasts are a dinnertime staple. We’ve covered how to make Baked Chicken Breast, Air Fryer Chicken Breast, Grilled Chicken and Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Breasts, so it’s about time we shared our crockpot chicken breast recipe! This is the perfect make ahead chicken recipe to get dinner on the table fast.

Perfect Crockpot Chicken Breasts

Cooking chicken in the slow cooker is really easy, but there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure your chicken turns out juicy, tender and perfectly cooked.

• Don’t overcook it. This is the most important! How to tell when your crockpot chicken is done? The most reliable way is to use an instant read thermometer. As soon as the chicken reaches 165° F in the center, take it out of the slow cooker. If you plan to shred the chicken, you can get away with cooking it a bit longer. See this Crockpot Shredded Chicken recipe.
• Know your slow cooker. Some cook faster/hotter than others, so you may need to adjust the cook time a bit.
• Use chicken breasts that are similar in size. This way, they will all finish cooking at around the same time.
• Don’t open the slow cooker (too often). Every time you take the lid off of your slow cooker, a lot of the heat escapes. If you open it too often, you’ll have to cook the chicken for much longer and it could dry out. This Slow Cooker Guide has more tips for success.

Crockpot Chicken Breast Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need just a few ingredients to make this slow cooker chicken recipe.

• Chicken Breasts: I used 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can halve the recipe to cook less chicken.
• Chicken Broth: Using low sodium chicken broth lets you better control the amount of salt in the finished dish. You can substitute water if you don’t have broth on hand.
• Seasonings: In this recipe we’re using paprika, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. You could use this Chicken Seasoning instead. You could also keep the seasonings simple with just salt and pepper, or try one of the recipe variations below. 

How to Cook Chicken Breasts in the Slow Cooker

1. Add the chicken broth to the slow cooker.
   
2. Season the chicken. First, mix the seasonings together in a small bowl. Then sprinkle the seasonings over the chicken and rub it over all sides of the meat.
   
3. Slow cook. Nestle the seasoned chicken breasts into the broth in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for about 2 hours, until chicken is cooked through.
   
4. Let it rest. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing, shredding or serving. This rest time allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.

Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.

How Long to Cook Chicken Breast in a Crock Pot

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts will take about 3-4 hours to cook on low or 2 hours to cook on high. The exact cook time will depend on the size of the chicken breasts and can vary between slow cooker models. The best way to tell when your chicken is done is to use an instant read thermometer to measure the internal temperature. Chicken should be cooked to 165° F.

Can You Cook Frozen Chicken in the Slow Cooker?

No, you should not cook frozen chicken in the slow cooker because it is a food safety risk. The USDA Food Safety Guidelines for slow cookers state to always thaw meat or poultry before putting it in your slow cooker. Since a slow cooker heats up slowly, frozen meats may stay in a temperature range that allows bacteria to grow for too long.

Recipe Variations

This basic recipe can be adapted in many ways to keep mealtime interesting.

• More Seasoning Ideas: Instead of the seasonings used in this recipe, you can season the chicken with Cajun Seasoning, Taco Seasoning or this flavorful Chicken Seasoning. If you plan to chop or shred the chicken to use in other recipes, you may want to keep the seasonings more simple, using just salt and pepper and possibly a small amount of garlic powder and/or dried oregano.
• Use a Marinade: Marinate the chicken breasts in this Chicken Marinade and then cook in the slow cooker as directed in this recipe.
• BBQ Chicken: Cook the chicken in BBQ Sauce. See this Crockpot BBQ Chicken recipe for more tips.
• Mexican: Cook the chicken in salsa and season with taco seasoning to use in your favorite Mexican recipes.
• Italian: Season the chicken breasts with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper and cook in Marinara Sauce. Serve with pasta for an easy meal.

Ways to Use

You can serve this chicken right away or cook it ahead to use in a variety of easy meals throughout the week. Here are a few ideas:

• Main Course: Serve the chicken breasts with a few simple side dishes. Try Roasted Carrots or Baked Sweet Potatoes and Drop Biscuits.
• Salad: Slice and add to a Spinach Salad or Cobb Salad.
• Sandwiches & Wraps: Make this easy Chicken Salad or a Buffalo Chicken Wrap.
• Grain Bowls: Serve it in Burrito Bowls, with rice, black beans, avocado and Salsa.
• Tacos or Enchiladas: Shred or slice to make chicken tacos or Chicken Enchiladas.
• Easy Cooked Chicken Breasts: When a recipe calls for cooked chicken, this is an easy way to prepare it! This chicken breast could be used to make Chicken Florentine Pasta Bake, Biscuit Chicken Pot Pie and more.

Crockpot chicken may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

More Crockpot Chicken Recipes

Try one of these slow cooker chicken recipes next:

• Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
• Crockpot Chicken Tacos
• Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
• Crockpot Whole Chicken
• Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes
• Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

Crockpot Chicken Breast

Course Main Course, Meal Prep

Cuisine American

Keyword crockpot chicken breast, crockpot chicken recipes, slow cooker chicken recipes

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time3 hrs

Total Time3 hrs 10 mins

Servings 6 servings

Calories 180kcal

These Crockpot Chicken Breasts are easy to make and so versatile. Slice, chop or shred them to use in your favorite recipes or serve them with a few simple side dishes for an easy meal.

• ▢ ½ cup low sodium chicken broth (or water)
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano (or Italian seasoning)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 chicken breasts)

• Pour the chicken broth into the slow cooker.

• In a small bowl, stir together the paprika, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.

• Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the chicken and gently rub it onto the meat.

• Place the seasoned chicken breasts into the slow cooker.

• Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, or high for about 2 hours, or until chicken is cooked through to 165° F in the center when tested with an instant read thermometer.

• Let chicken rest for 5-10 minutes. Chicken breasts may be served as is, or sliced or shredded before serving.

• You can halve this recipe to cook fewer chicken breasts.
• Store this crockpot chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 376mg | Potassium: 600mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 301IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is an estimate.

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