Slow cooker chicken breasts with cream of chicken soup

Creamy Crockpot chicken is great served on top of rice or pasta for dinner! Warm shredded chicken and gravy in your slow cooker for the win.

Creamy Crockpot chicken is a bit like your childhood favorite Campbells chicken and rice dinner. Tender meat with gravy in your slow cooker is the ticket to an easy dinner for your whole family. Crockpot recipes are the best. (affiliate links present, originally published 5/20)

Looking for a similar easy recipe but for your Instant Pot? We have that too! Done in about 15 minutes total, try our Instant Pot chicken and rice dish. Good old fashioned Crock is great though if you want to throw it all in in the morning.

Then you can serve it in bowls as is, over rice or next to a dollop of mashed potatoes. Totally up to you how it is served but any way you cut it you’ll love every bite!

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

1. This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
2. If you just want to serve a few appetizers you should get this one that sit side by side one another.
3. I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

Can you put raw chicken in a slow cooker?

The answer is absolutely! Raw chicken on the low setting generally cooks to fall apart status in about 4-6 hours.

The more sauce that’s in your pot and the fewer pieces of meat, the shorter time is necessary.

Can I put frozen chicken in the Crockpot?

Yes again!! This is a great option when trying to come up with a great slow cooker chicken recipe using meat in your freezer.

You can see here, that is what was used. I would say there’s only a difference of 30 minutes or so between this and fresh breasts. Just make sure the internal meat temperature gets up to 165 degrees during the cooking process to be safe.

• If you did some batch cooking earlier and made bags full of precooked boiled shredded chicken, this will get done really fast!
• Using leftover chicken, you’ll just be warming everything together so I would say low for 2 hours or so should do it.

Either way we love this recipe because it’s pure comfort food in a bowl!

Creamy Crockpot chicken

1. Boneless skinless chicken breasts
   1. I think chicken thighs would be a great choice too
   2. Medium sizes are best, if very thick I would slice them in half lengthwise
   3. If you buy bulk meat online I’d freeze with 3-4 breasts in each bag so you can make easy Crockpot chicken breast recipes like this one.
   4. Fresh is better than using frozen
2. Salt and pepper
   1. I have heard some say they’ve added a packet of dry Italian dressing seasoning for a bolder flavor
3. Chicken broth

You can serve this as is with a side of air fryer biscuits, or if you have a 2nd pot make Crockpot carrots with it too.

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken

Or you can of course make your own Instant Pot chicken broth beforehand as homemade.

1. Dry chicken gravy mix packets
2. Minced garlic
3. Sour cream
4. Cream of chicken soup

The best thing to serve this with:

• White rice is our favorite 
• This is how to make quinoa if you prefer that
• Egg noodles are cheap and super easy
• Slow cooker mashed potatoes are really yummy too

Once you have all of your ingredients together it is just a matter of whisking them together (minus the sour cream) and adding your meat.

Before you push those into the liquid into your pot, season them well with salt and pepper. Of course as always feel free to add any other seasonings you enjoy.

Time needed: 6 hours.

Creamy Crockpot Chicken

1. Add ingredients

   In the crock of the slow cooker, pour the water (or broth). Whisk in the gravy mix, condensed soup, and minced garlic until smooth.

   Use salt and pepper to season the chicken breast on both sides. Push the chicken into the gravy mixture. (use medium size breasts, if very thick slice them in half lengthwise so they aren’t as thick)

2. Cook

   Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Remove the cover and use two forks to shred the chicken OR remove the chicken and dice with a knife.

   If it is not really easy to shred with 2 forks it probably isn’t done. It should pretty much fall apart when gently shredded. Thick breasts may need more time.

Stir the chicken and add the sour cream into the gravy. Serve over rice or egg noodles. Garnish with sliced green onions or parsley.

How long does it take to cook chicken in a Crockpot

That answer is is complex. It depends widely upon what else you’re adding into the pot. If it’s all alone it may take just 2-3 hours cooking time on low with some broth. I always have something else in there so it’s usually closer to 6 hours.

• Crockpot frozen chicken is all together different.

Adding other ingredients such as broth will lengthen the cooking process, but it also makes your food so much more flavorful. Making large pots like this is great when you have a large gathering too. Less time for you in the kitchen, and food is available most of the day in your pot.

Other easy slow cooker recipes our family loves are:

1. Creamy Crockpot tortellini soup is under $20 to make and everyone always loves it.
2. You can make Crockpot baked potatoes with our 5 ingredient chili inside.
3. Then you’ve gotta try our Crockpot hamburger casserole that is my girls’ favorite meal.
   1. Lazy lasagna is a close second family favorite dish.

Last but definitely not least, this Crockpot cheesy chicken and rice recipe is always a hit.

Is it better to slow cook on low or high?

That probably depends on whom you’re asking but personally I like low and slow. Really, the only difference between the both settings on a Crockpot is the amount of time it takes to reach the simmer point, or temperature required to cook.

• Obviously, the low setting takes longer than high which means most recipes can be cooked on either setting. I just feel like meat becomes more tender when it is cooked low and slow.

How long is too long in a slow cooker?

Most small kitchen appliances will automatically shut off after a day or so but let’s be real. You do need to pay attention to how long it is turned on and plugged in for safety reasons if nothing else. 

Once your food is done, I’d say two to four hours max is the length of time that one should be kept on the warm setting. Store leftovers in the fridge. When reheating you could add onion gravy to the top to add more moisture.

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Creamy Crockpot Chicken

Creamy Crockpot chicken is great served on top of rice or pasta for dinner! Warm shredded chicken and gravy in your slow cooker for the win.

Course Entree, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken, creamy, crockpot, gravy, slow cooker

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Servings 6

Calories 170kcal

• 3 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
• 1/2 tsp salt more or less to taste
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 c chicken broth or water
• 2 packets chicken gravy mix .87 oz each
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1 can cream of chicken soup

• In the crock of the slow cooker, pour the water (or broth). Whisk in the gravy mix, condensed soup, and minced garlic until smooth.

• Use salt and pepper to season the chicken breast on both sides. Push the chicken into the gravy mixture. (use medium size breasts, if very thick slice them in half lengthwise so they aren't as thick)

• Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Remove the cover and use two forks to shred the chicken OR remove the chicken and dice with a knife. (if it is not really easy to shred with 2 forks it probably isn't done. It should pretty much fall apart when gently shredded. Thick breasts may need more time)

• Stir the chicken and add the sour cream into the gravy. Serve over rice or egg noodles. Garnish with sliced green onions or parsley.

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Crockpot Chicken

Amount Per Serving (3 oz)

Calories 170 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 82mg27%

Sodium 627mg27%

Potassium 508mg15%

Carbohydrates 1g0%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 25g50%

Vitamin A 153IU3%

Vitamin C 7mg8%

Calcium 31mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.