Food and Recipes Quick and Easy Dinners Our Best Slow-Cooker Chicken Recipes By Southern Living Editors Updated on January 6, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Caitlin Bensel The convenience of the slow-cooker paired with budget-friendly chicken makes every one of these recipes surefire winners in our book. We've found plenty of ways to cook chicken in the slow-cooker with appetizers like Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dips and even company-ready meals like Salsa Chicken. These slow-cooker chicken recipes are great any time of the year. Our Lemon Chicken Soup is the perfect comfort food, while our King Ranch Chicken is a kid-friendly classic that they'll be asking for time and time again. If you're looking for a recipe that you can fix, forget, and serve when you get home from a full day, we have what you're looking for. If you're willing do a little extra work whether braising the chicken before it hits the slow cooker or rounding off the meal with a fresh side, we have slow-cooker chicken recipes that will fit that category as well. Take a look through our easy and convenient slow-cooker chicken recipes and never again worry about a busy week getting the best of you. 01 of 27 White Chicken Chili Hector Manuel Sanchez This recipe might just be one of the most well-loved Southern Living dishes of all time, and for good reason. This chili is simple to put together, yet so delicious. We use chicken thighs in this recipe to add extra flavor during the slow cook. 02 of 27 Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken Caitlin Bensel Taco-bout potential! From tacos to burrito bowls to salads, there are so many easy ways to enjoy this tender slow-cooker chicken. All you have to do is throw it in the slow cooker for a few hours and then you have endless meal options for the rest of the week. 03 of 27 Lemon Chicken Soup Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Every ingredient in this comforting soup is cooked in the slow cooker, including the orzo. Just make sure to add it during the last 20 minutes of cooking and reserve the peas, parsley, zest, and juice to be added just before serving. 04 of 27 Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Leeks and Mushrooms Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Your slow cooker will help the chicken develop plenty of flavor and make sure to reserve the stock to make a creamy sauce for your pie. This is one of those recipes that has a few extra steps, but the pay-off is well worth it. 05 of 27 Chicken Piccata Hector Manuel Sanchez Yes, this elevated restaurant dinner can be made in your cozy slow cooker. Lemons give chicken piccata a tangy twist while the capers add plenty of salty flavor. 06 of 27 Creamy Slow-Cooker Tarragon Chicken Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Searing the chicken thighs before adding them to the slow cooker gives them a great color, and adds a depth of flavor that everyone will love. Serve this dish over some rice or egg noodles and you truly have a satisfying supper. 07 of 27 Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Let your slow cooker do the work of cooking tender chicken to be served up on a biscuit and topped with a homemade white barbecue sauce. Go for canned biscuits for an even easier dish! 08 of 27 Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip Game day can be made easy and delicious with this slow-cooker version of the classic party dip. Enjoy with chips, celery, carrots and anything else your heart desires. 09 of 27 Slow-Cooker Chicken Southern Living This chicken isn't your mama's slow cooker chicken. With paprika, fresh thyme, some cayenne and other fresh flavors, this chicken really packs a punch that makes it perfect to plate with a side of rice and veggies or your favorite salad. 10 of 27 Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner Cooking low and slow is how this barbecue chicken gets its flavor, and adding a bit of your favorite cola to the mix doesn't hurt either. To make ahead, cool shredded chicken completely. Freeze in an airtight container up to 3 months. 11 of 27 Honey-Apricot-Glazed Chicken Iain Bagwell You're going to love the sweet and savory flavor combination in our delicious Honey-Apricot-Glazed Chicken. Add a base of basmati rice to complement the honey glaze. 12 of 27 Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti Photo: Hector Sanchez Spend 20 minutes in the kitchen prepping this gorgeous, hearty sauce. Once the sauce simmers in the cooker, all that's left to do is cook a pound of pasta, and serve. 13 of 27 Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings Iain Bagwell Make a classic chicken and dumplings recipe even more Southern by topping the vegetable-and-chicken-packed stew with cornbread dumplings. 14 of 27 Chicken Sausage and White Bean Stew Jennifer Davick On a cold evening, come home to a simmering slow cooker filled with comforting Chicken Sausage and White Bean Stew. Sear the sausage in a skillet to add a richer flavor. 15 of 27 Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken Becky Luigart-Stayner To make the best barbecue chicken at home, use your slow cooker. Start with a whole chicken, cut up, and simmer in a homemade barbecue sauce of ketchup, cola, cider vinegar, and a splash of bourbon for a Southern barbecue flavor. 16 of 27 Rosemary-Garlic Chicken Quarters Photo: Hector Sanchez The key to this dinner-party-worthy dish is to brown the chicken before it goes into the slow cooker. Also, with the potatoes in this dish, all you need is a refreshing side salad for this to become a delicious dinner. 17 of 27 Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Potatoes Jennifer Davick All you need is 20 minutes to get this dish in the slow cooker, then you'll have a hearty chicken and veggie supper waiting for you when you get home. Make sure you use bone-in chicken thighs for the best results. 18 of 27 Chicken-and-Spinach Lasagna Oxmoor House This hearty Italian classic features chicken slow-cooked with spinach and carrots. With Alfredo sauce and cream of mushroom soup, this dish is perfect for a cozy night in. 19 of 27 Slow-Cooker Chicken Lettuce Cups Alison Miksch These cups pair the freshness of a salad with the heartiness of a taco. Serve as an appetizer or light dinner. 20 of 27 Soulful Chicken Soup Iain Bagwell Simply toss in the ingredients, switch on, and then walk away. We love old-fashioned, wide egg noodles for this recipe. To make sure they aren't mushy and overcooked, don't leave them in the slow cooker any longer than 10 minutes. 21 of 27 Slow-Cooker Green Chile Posole Alison Miksch Who doesn't love taco night in soup form? This posole has all of the fresh, inviting flavors you love with just a little lazy night-in twist. 22 of 27 Easy Enchilada Bake Hector Manuel Sanchez Move over taco night, there's a new simple dinner in town. For this dish, everything, even the cornbread topping, comes together in the slow cooker. 23 of 27 Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Corn Slow-Cooker Chowder Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall If you a serving soup for your next movie night, you will want to make this. Sweet potatoes, red and yellow bell pepper, and corn add great flavor and texture to this easy slow-cooker chowder. 24 of 27 King Ranch Chicken Southern Living King Ranch Chicken is always a fan-favorite. Yes, we know you love it in casserole form, but this dish is just as good served from your slow-cooker. 25 of 27 Chicken Enchilada Dip Jennifer Davick The corn tortillas cook into this dish and thicken it. You won't see them after they're cooked, but they'll make a huge difference in the flavor. 26 of 27 Buffalo Chicken-Cheese Dip Jennifer Davick We love Buffalo Chicken everything, so when we realized that we could make this dip even cheesier, we knew what we had to do. Serve this dip on game day or any day you just want a little extra cheesy goodness. 27 of 27 Slow-Cooker Chicken Tacos Caitlin Bensel Once you see how easy it is to make chicken tacos in your slow cooker, you'll want to celebrate taco Tuesday every week. Top your chicken with jalapeños or radishes for a nice, bright bite. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit