If you’ve made my easy slow cooker pulled chicken sandwiches, get ready to use those skills to make perfectly cooked, juicy slow cooker chicken breast any time, anywhere. This super easy method for slow cooking chicken breasts is a great, hands-off approach to cooking chicken whenever you need to add it to specific recipes, but it’s also incredibly easy to spice it up with marinades and sauces.
Beat the heat this summer by cooking chicken breasts in your crockpot and avoiding a hot oven. You’ll just need a few simple ingredients and a few hours for the best slow cooker chicken breasts to add to salads, burrito bowls, tacos and more. Enjoy!
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Everything you’ll need to make slow cooker chicken breast
We’re keeping it super simple with this method for slow cooking chicken breast, but you can always feel free to jazz your chicken up with one of my homemade chicken marinades or seasonings. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken: we’re using one pound of boneless skinless chicken breast in this tutorial
- Water: you’ll need just 1/2 cup of water to cook the chicken breast in your crockpot. You can also use chicken broth or even your favorite BBQ sauce or buffalo sauce as pictured below!
- Seasonings: feel free to stay neutral with salt and pepper, or try one of my favorite chicken marinades!
Go organic (if possible)
If it’s accessible, I recommend using organic chicken breasts whenever possible. They tend to be much juicier and less “tough,” than non-organic chicken breasts, so when you’re using the chicken as a blank canvas to add to recipes it makes a big difference.
Have fun with marinades & seasonings
This method for slow cooking chicken acts as a blank canvas you can use in any recipes you’d like. I have tons of seasonings and marinades to try with this method, too! Get them in these tutorials & recipes:
What’s great about using your slow cooker, too, is that you can cook the chicken in basically any liquid you’d like. Try using BBQ sauce, adding your fav hot sauce, or even a coconut milk base, like in curry recipes. And be sure to get my best easy & healthy chicken marinades here.
Don’t forget this tool when slow cooking chicken breasts
If you don’t yet have a meat thermometer, it’s time to get one! I highly recommend having a meat thermometer so that you can check the doneness of your chicken without having to cut into it and lose the juiciness. Here is a great one that I use all the time.
How to cook chicken breasts in a crockpot
If you’ve spent some time making AK dinner recipes, you’ve probably tried out one of my delicious slow cooker chicken recipes. In this tutorial, we’re using the same method but going super simple and basic to create juicy slow cooker chicken breasts that you can add to salads, bowls and more. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: arrange the chicken. Place your chicken breasts in the bowl of a slow cooker with enough room so that they’re not on top of each other.
Step 2: add liquid. Pour water over the chicken breasts so that it just barely covers them.
Step 3: season the chicken. Sprinkle with plenty of salt and pepper (or any seasonings you’d like — I suggest this amazing sazon seasoning!) As a reminder, feel free to try out any of my amazing chicken marinades before slow cooking your chicken breasts.
Step 4: cover & cook. Cover your slow cooker and cook chicken breasts on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Step 5: check for doneness. Use your meat thermometer to be sure the chicken has reached 165 degrees F.
Step 6: let it rest. Always the key! Remove your chicken breasts from the slow cooker and transfer them to a clean bowl, plate or cutting board. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes to seal in those juices before cutting or shredding.
Freezing & storing cooked chicken breast
After you’ve cooked your chicken breast in your crockpot or slow cooker, you can either use the chicken right away or store it for later:
- To store: let the chicken breast cool completely and transfer it whole, shredded or cubed to an airtight container. Place the container in the fridge and use the chicken within 4-5 days.
- To freeze: repeat the steps above but instead place your chicken in the freezer. Cooked chicken breast will stay good in the freezer for about 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, simply thaw it in the refrigerator and enjoy it cold with salad recipes or heat it up in the microwave for warm recipes.
Delicious ways to use slow cooker chicken breast
- Add it to delicious soups like this Curry Chicken Noodle Soup, my famous Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup or this nourishing Golden Coconut Chicken Lentil Soup
- Mix it into a fresh salad or wrap like this Spicy Ranch Chopped Chicken Cabbage Salad, this Cashew Crunch Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad or these Crunchy Rainbow Thai Peanut Chicken Wraps
- Use it to add extra protein as a topping in flavorful BBQ Ranch Chicken Quinoa Bowls or DIY Chicken Burrito Bowls
Recommended tools for slow cooker chicken
- Slow cooker
- Tongs
- Meat thermometer
- Cutting board (use the code ‘ambitiouskitchen15’ for 15% off!)
Get all of our go-to kitchen essentials here!
More slow cooker chicken recipes to try
These amazing recipes using the same method from this tutorial on how to slow cook chicken, but with even more flavor varieties and ingredients!
- Incredible Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
- Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Get all of our delicious chicken recipes here!
Try these other methods for cooking perfect chicken
- How to Grill Chicken Breast that’s Perfectly Juicy
- How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken
- How to Poach Chicken Breast
- How to Make an Easy Roasted Chicken
Want more slow cooker recipes?
Enter your email to get one of our BEST slow cooker dinner recipes straight to your inbox each day for 7 days. Totally FREE!
I hope you love this simple tutorial on how to slow cook the perfect chicken breast! If you try it out be sure to leave a comment and let us know how you used your perfectly cooked chicken. Enjoy, xo!
The Best Slow Cooker Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ cup water or chicken broth
- Freshly ground salt & black pepper
- Optional:
- try one of our delicious chicken marinades
Instructions
- Place your chicken breasts in the bowl of a crock pot. Pour water over the chicken breasts so that it just barely covers them.
- Sprinkle the chicken breasts with plenty of salt and pepper. Cover your crock pot and cook chicken breasts on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Chicken is done when the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. Use chicken in your favorite recipes. Perfect for shredding!
Recipe Notes
Method by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
Should the chicken be “barely covered” or just barely submerged in the liquid? 1/2 cup liquid is very little amount and doesn’t begin to cover chicken in my 6 qt crockpot at least. Should I use more liquid? I’m just having a hard time figuring out what barely covered means exactly or id just put in whatever amount looks right!
The slow cooker will cook the chicken even in very little liquid, so the 1/2 cup is just fine!
Yum 😋
How are you getting the breasts to 165? I have done this and it doesn’t read to 165 and for the amount of time recommended it gets super dry. I’m confused
So strange! I cook chicken the same way in the slow cooker for all of my recipes (including by themselves) – they should reach 165 in 3 hours on high, or 6 hours on low no problem. I might suggest checking your slow cooker settings and/or making sure it’s working properly!
I don’t understand why every recipe I’ve ever read for slow cookers gives cooking times this long. It took barely three hours on low to cook this chicken all the way through. Six to seven hours? Nothing I’ve ever made in slow cookers takes that much time.
Heather, I totally agree with you. It only took 3 hours on low setting in my slow cooker and the breasts came out perfect. Juicy and tender. In fact if you want a nice clean cut (which I prefer to shredded chicken) let them sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing. I also cannot understand why these recipes are telling you to cook these for 6-7 hours–absolutely ridiculous. There is no way the breasts are going to be 165 degrees cooking them for hours and hours. I checked them after exactly 3 hours with my instant thermometer and they were 165 degrees. I cooked them in my tried and true 6 quart original crockpot which must be at least 20 years old now and it still works.
Hello. Really good suggestion here but am confused by the timing. Along with the photos you say H 2-3 hours, L 5-6 hours. But lower down you say 3-4 hours on H or 6-7 hours on Low. Which is correct pleaser?
Thanks.
Super moist. Great way to cook up a large batch of chicken breasts on a hot day/week when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen. Then just refrigerate, and have them on hand through the week for quick lunches – chop up for salads or use in sandwiches and wraps! Thank you! I don’t think I would have thought of this without coming across the recipe/instructions on your site. Total summer game changer! (Love all your recipes by the way! Can’t wait for a cook book!)
Ahh thank you for the sweet review, Natasha! I’m so glad you’re loving this recipe/method 🙂
The BEST homemade chicken I’ve ever done by far. Thanks Monique!