21 Fork-Tender Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

Get ready to sing “winner, winner, chicken dinner!” because you’ve hit the slow cooker chicken jackpot. If your arsenal of crock pot chicken recipes is feeling a little hum-drum, these recipes will give you fresh ideas for days. We’ve rounded up the absolute best crock pot chicken meals, from South-of-the-border spices to soothing soups, BBQ to buffalo wings.

Have you thanked your slow cooker today? We’re always amazed at how easy it is to throw a few ingredients into the crock pot in the morning and end up with a meal that tastes like you spent hours slaving over the stove. (We won’t tell if you won’t.) Slow cookers are especially good to chicken: breasts and thighs simmer until they’re fall-apart tender and irresistibly juicy, infusing whatever you put in the pot with savory flavor.

These must-try dishes couldn’t be easier to get on the table — and we’ll bet that your family is going to beg you to make them again and again. So when it comes to trying out new slow cooker chicken ideas… well, don’t be a chicken!

  1. Juicy Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken

    Take your dinner on a tropical vacation with this Hawaiian-inspired pineapple chicken, stewed the slow cooker with a homemade brown sugar & honey glaze that tastes just like teriyaki. Plump pineapple chunks and bell pepper caramelize in the tangy sauce until they’re bursting with sweet-and-sour flavor.

  2. Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

    Slow cookers and comfort food go together like, well, chicken and dumplings! Juicy chicken is cooked to fall-apart perfection in the crock pot filled with hearty veggies, rich gravy, and shortcut dumplings with just the right amount of chew.

  3. Zesty BBQ Slow Cooker Chicken

    Are you ready to try some of the easiest, tastiest barbecue chicken you’ve ever tasted? Of course you are! This extra-zesty version is a simple twist on a favorite summer standard–but with a slow cooker, you don’t have to wait for summer to enjoy some lip-smacking BBQ.

  4.  Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

    Love going out for Indian food? This recipe takes a dish you thought was restaurant-only, and makes it not only possible, but super easy, to create at home.

  5. Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

    Everyone knows what the sound of sizzling means in a Mexican restaurant: fajitas! These may not exactly sizzle (because they cook in the slow cooker) — but you won’t miss the sound effects when you discover that it only takes 15 minutes to toss these together and convince the whole family that you’re a seasoned master of Tex Mex delights.

  6. Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

    If you’re looking for a dish that’s simultaneously easy and impressive, you can’t do better than chicken Marsala. The traditional Italian-American dish is a perfect blend of light and savory, filled with mushrooms, Marsala wine, pancetta or prosciutto, and, of course, chicken.

  7. Bourbon Street Chicken in a Slow Cooker

    It can be Fat Tuesday any day of the year if you serve this dish inspired by the heart of American Mardi Gras: Bourbon Street! This easy chicken recipe is sweet, spicy and packed with flavor. Set your slow cooker and spend your precious minutes celebrating with friends, not slaving over the stove.

  8. Crock Pot Taco Chili

    Let’s warm ourselves up with some hearty, comforting, and just-spicy-enough chili, shall we? This Southwestern-style dish takes its inspiration from tacos, and since you can make it in your crockpot, it’s just about as easy as it gets!

  9. Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

    If you like Chipotle’s cilantro lime rice, you’re going to go gaga over our chicken. This incredible dish is packed full of fresh and tangy cilantro-lime flavor and our favorite spices. Plus, it comes together so quickly in the crock-pot.

  10. Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

    Whether you’re craving soup or pasta, this slow cooker chicken soup satisfies. Our recipe combines hearty cheese tortellini and slow cooked chicken breasts for a perfect gray day meal.

  11. Cheesy Slow Cooker Chicken Taquitos

    These tasty and convenient crispy taquitos are stuffed with an absolutely addictive cheesy chicken filling that’s made right in your slow cooker. They’re baked — not fried — so all you have to do is fill ’em, roll ’em, and pop ’em in the oven. (And of course, eat ’em! But once you taste these, we don’t think you and your family have any trouble with that.)

  12. Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip

    Grab a precooked rotisserie chicken, some bleu cheese, and your slow cooker, and you’re well on your way to creating this party-perfect, crowd-pleasing easy appetizer. Once you’ve had a taste, we’re sure you’ll join us in thinking that this recipe is pure #snackgenius.

  13. Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup

    This warm and delicious chicken parmesan soup delivers full flavor and hits the high notes from the plated Italian classic. This go-to crockpot soup is perfect for when you’re craving a souped up version of chicken noodle soup.

  14. Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

    What makes this recipe stand out? Maybe it’s the awesome flavor combination of honey, garlic, chili flakes and soy sauce. Maybe it’s the just-right balance between adventurous and familiar. Or maybe it’s the fact that you can make it in your slow cooker!

  15. Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

    This creamy, soul-warming chicken and wild rice soup is so easy to make in your slow cooker. And what better meal to come home to on a chilly evening than a bowl of this comforting, hearty soup?

  16. Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken

    This balsamic chicken is a stunningly delicious dinner to come home to after a hard day. The crock pot does all the work — just plate it with some fresh garnishes, and you’ve got a gorgeous meal in minutes.

  17. Root Beer Slow Cooker Chicken Wings

    Yep, you can make chicken wings in your slow cooker too! Go beyond buffalo — root beer is the unexpected ingredient that gives these wings their unique flavor. Who know slow cooker chicken wings were so easy?

  18. Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

    You don’t need a doctor’s prescription to fix an ultra-soothing crock pot full of classic chicken noodle soup. But if someone you know does have a case of the sniffles, this easy and wholesome slow cooker meal is the answer.

  19. Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken

    The melt-in-your-mouth honey teriyaki glaze soaks into slow-cooked chicken so tender is shreds at the touch of a fork. This dish from The Recipe Critic is so out of this world, it might be the best thing that ever comes out of your crock pot.

  20. Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken

    Chef Savvy’s recipe for crock pot General Tso’s chicken is way healthier (and more delicious) than takeout. It’s not deep fried, and only requires 15 minutes of prep time!

  21. Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies

    This recipe for chicken and veggies cooked in a a honey garlic sauce right in the crock pot from Damn Delicious is… damn delicious! You’ve got to love a recipe that takes care of the main and the sides all in one pot.