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Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts

Slow cooker chicken breasts that come out impossibly tender and pull apart easily, cooked low-and-slow in seasoned broth. Slice them and drizzle with the rich pan sauce made from the cooking juices for a juicy crockpot chicken dinner.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Seasoned chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Pat dry if very wet so seasoning clings.
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 salt Use to taste; season generously.
  • 1 cracked black pepper Use to taste; freshly cracked for best flavor.
Broth and sauce
  • 0.75 cup chicken broth Pour around the chicken so it braises evenly.
  • 2 tbsp butter Adds richness to the cooking juices.
  • 2 clove garlic, minced Stir in for fragrant broth.
  • 1 fresh parsley Chop or leave sprigs for garnish.
  • 1 lemon Serve as wedges.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season the chicken
  1. Pat the boneless skinless chicken breasts dry, then season both sides generously with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and cracked black pepper.
  2. Place the seasoned chicken breasts into the slow cooker so they sit in a single layer as much as possible.
Slow cook
  1. Pour the chicken broth around the chicken (not directly on top) and add the butter and minced garlic to the slow cooker.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, or HIGH for 2-2.5 hours; do not overcook so the chicken stays tender and pulls apart easily.
Slice and serve
  1. Remove the chicken and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
  2. Pour the cooking juices over the sliced chicken to make a quick pan sauce.
  3. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges, then serve.

Notes

For the juiciest shreddable texture, start checking at the low end of the time window (about 3 hours on LOW or 2 hours on HIGH), because overcooking dries chicken. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (freeze sliced with some juices). For a lighter option, swap butter for olive oil or use a smaller amount of butter to reduce saturated fat while keeping the broth flavorful.