Whether you just don't feel like cooking or you have a busy day ahead of you, this slow cooker chicken is the perfect solution. All you have to do is throw four ingredients together in the crock pot with some basic seasonings and then set it and forget it. The slow cooker does all the work, creating a rich sauce from the cream of mushroom soup and sliced mushrooms, while you go about your daily routine.
Serve the cooked chicken with its sauce over hot white or brown rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes. Add a salad or some steamed green beans, carrots, or spinach on the side for a well-balanced family dinner.
Can I put frozen chicken in the slow cooker?
For food safety purposes and to ensure the dish cooks evenly, you should always defrost frozen chicken before adding it to the slow cooker. The USDA points out that the amount of time it takes for frozen meat to reach a safe temperature allows for bacterial growth. Plan ahead and move the chicken from the freezer to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight.
Tips for Making Crock pot chicken Recipe
- Watch the chicken! - Chicken breasts can become dry and tough when slow-cooked for more than 5 hours. Some newer crock pots cook at higher temperatures, so check the chicken breasts for tenderness after 5 hours if your slow cooker tends to cook foods quickly. Because chicken breasts are so lean and dry out easily, we recommend cooking them on low instead of high.
- Use dark meat instead - If you're cooking for 6 hours or more, use boneless chicken thighs. The chicken thighs contain more fat than breasts, maintaining their tenderness and juiciness after 8 hours in the slow cooker on low. Chicken thighs don't yield as much meat as chicken breasts, you might need 6 to 8 for a family of 4, depending on the size of the thighs and your family's appetite.
"A fantastically easy meal to put together, this crock pot chicken is also delicious. Adding the flour thickens the sauce perfectly, and the paprika gives the dish a nice flavor. It’s a great main for a family dinner that’s versatile enough for other chicken pieces if you adjust the cook time." —Colleen Graham
Ingredients
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4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
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1/4 teaspoon fine salt, to taste
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1/4 teaspoon paprika
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1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
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1/4 cup all-purpose flour
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1 (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, strained, liquid reserved
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1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Pat 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry with paper towels.
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Sprinkle them all over with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon paprika, and then arrange them in the crock pot.
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In a bowl, whisk 1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup with the 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and the reserved liquid from 1 (4-ounce) canned mushrooms. Then stir the mushrooms into the soup mixture.
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Pour the sauce over the chicken.
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Cover the pot and cook on low for about 5 to 6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked and tender. The chicken's internal temperature should read 165 F on an instant-read thermometer.
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Serve sprinkled with 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley and enjoy.
Feeling Adventurous? Try This:
- For flavor - Add a chicken bouillon cube to the sauce for extra flavor or replace the cream of mushroom soup with cream of chicken soup or cream of chicken with herbs.
- Meaty - add about 1 cup of diced ham to the dish or sprinkle crumbled cooked bacon over the chicken just before serving.
- For a burst of color - add some pimiento or red bell pepper strips to the chicken during the last hour of cooking, or garnish the chicken with sliced green onion tops. You can also add frozen peas toward the very end of cooking; the peas only need about 10 minutes or so to heat up.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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376 | Calories |
8g | Fat |
30g | Carbs |
43g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 376 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 8g | 10% |
Saturated Fat 2g | 11% |
Cholesterol 105mg | 35% |
Sodium 538mg | 23% |
Total Carbohydrate 30g | 11% |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 7% |
Total Sugars 3g | |
Protein 43g | |
Vitamin C 2mg | 12% |
Calcium 84mg | 6% |
Iron 3mg | 19% |
Potassium 539mg | 11% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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