Best 8 Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes for Delicious Weeknight Meals

Directions

1. First, get your chicken ready. If you’re using large, thick breasts, you can leave them whole. But if you’re in a hurry, cutting them into 2-3 smaller chunks will help them cook a bit faster and more evenly. Place the chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker—it’s okay if they overlap a little.
2. Now, let’s build the flavor. In a small bowl, stir together the salsa, taco seasoning, chicken broth, lime juice, minced garlic, cumin, and that optional smoked paprika. You’ll notice the aroma immediately—it’s so vibrant! Pour this mixture evenly over the chicken in the slow cooker. Use a spoon or spatula to make sure every piece gets a nice coating.
3. Time to cook! Secure the lid on your slow cooker. For chicken breasts, set it to LOW for 4-5 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours. For thighs, which are more forgiving, you can go LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. You’ll know it’s done when the chicken shreds easily with two forks.
4. This is the most satisfying part. Once the chicken is fall-apart tender, use two forks to shred it directly in the slow cooker. Pull the forks in opposite directions—it should just glide through the meat. Once it’s all shredded, give everything a really good stir. The chicken will soak up all that delicious saucy liquid.
5. Let it rest and thicken. After shredding, leave the lid off and let the chicken sit in the slow cooker on the WARM setting for about 15-20 minutes. This allows the excess liquid to evaporate slightly and the flavors to concentrate, giving you a perfect, non-watery taco filling.
6. Warm your tortillas! This is a non-negotiable step for the best taco experience. You can heat them directly over a gas flame for a few seconds each side (watch them carefully!), or warm them in a dry skillet, or even wrap a stack in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds.
7. Assemble and serve. Set up a taco bar with all your favorite toppings and let everyone build their own masterpiece. Pile that warm, saucy chicken into the tortillas and dig in!

Directions

1. Prep: Mix together the homemade fajita seasoning ingredients, if using.
2. Crock Pot: In a slow cooker, add sliced peppers, sliced onions, tomatoes, zest of 1 lime, juice of 1 lime, 2 tablespoons garlic, and half of the fajita seasoning. Toss to combine. Place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts on top and sprinkle with a little kosher salt and ground black pepper and the remaining fajita seasoning.
3. Cook: Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 2 ½ – 3 hours (or until chicken is fully cooked) or on LOW setting for 4-6 hours.
4. Shred + Serve: Remove chicken and place on large platter or cutting board. Use two forks to shred and return meat to slow cooker. Mix to combine. Serve immediately!

Directions

1. Combine the onion powder, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Season the chicken breasts with the mixture, then place in the crockpot.
2. Add in the onion, broth and barbecue sauce, then stir / toss gently to combine.
3. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
4. Remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board and shred, then add back to the pot and toss to combine. Let the chicken sit for about 15 minutes before serving!

Directions

1. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced chicken and season with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.

2. In the same skillet, add the corn and cook until it is slightly charred, about 3-4 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, mix the tahin and lime juice together to create the sauce.

4. To assemble the bowls, layer the rice, cooked chicken, and charred corn. Drizzle with the tajín-lime sauce.

5. Top with avocado slices, cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, and an extra squeeze of lime.

6. Serve immediately and enjoy your fresh and healthy weeknight meal!

Directions

1. In a small bowl, toss onions with lime juice from 2 wedges of fresh lime. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the dish.
2. Pat dry chicken breasts. Sprinkle both sides with a generous pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Grill on a greased grill pan over medium-high, 2-3 min per side or until just cooked through. Remove from heat for at least 5 minutes and dice the chicken.
3. In a large skillet, combine cooked rice, salsa, taco seasoning, corn, black beans, cilantro, onion/lime mixture, and chicken. Cook on medium-high to heat through, stirring frequently.
4. Serve with plenty of cheese sprinkled on top. Sprinkle extra cilantro on top if desired. Serve with remaining lime wedges.

Directions

1. Place the chicken breasts in the crock pot.

2. Pour marinara sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

3. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

4. Shred the chicken in the crock pot and stir to combine with the sauce.

5. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

6. Assemble the sliders by placing a portion of the chicken mixture on the bottom half of each slider bun.

7. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top.

8. Place the sliders on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

9. Garnish with fresh basil if desired and serve immediately.

Directions

1. In a medium bowl combine the chicken, BBQ sauce, red onion, red pepper flakes and cilantro.
2. Spray one side of a tortilla and place sprayed side down in a nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Evenly spread about a cup of the chicken mixture over the tortilla. Top with some of the grated cheese. Place another tortilla on top and place a lid the pan. Cook until tortilla is gold brown on the bottom side. Spray the top of the tortilla and then flip, cook until golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining tortillas.

Directions

1. Combine the chicken and bbq sauce in a bowl, along with a pinch of salt. Toss to coat and let it sit as long as you want. An hour up to overnight.
2. Cook the rice in a rice cooker or stove top with the chicken stock and a pinch of salt until done. Fluff with a fork.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded cabbage with the chopped cilantro and juice from the lime. (Start with half a lime and see where that gets you.) Add a pinch of salt and toss to incorporate.
4. Sear the chicken thighs in a skillet on a medium heat for six minutes per side, until nice and charred. Add a splash or two of water to insure the sauce doesn't burn in the pan. Let the chicken rest a few minutes, then give a rough chop.
5. In bowls, pile on the rice, chopped chicken, slaw, pickles, and a good drizzle of ranch and bbq sauce. Devour.
6. Serves four.