Name: Slow Cooker Chicken Breast
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 250 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds chicken breast ((about 4 breasts)); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning; Salt and black pepper (to taste); ⅓ cup chicken broth; 2 tablespoons butter (diced); 4 garlic cloves (minced); Fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)

This Slow Cooker Chicken Breast is seasoned with garlic, paprika, and Italian seasoning, then slow cooked in chicken broth with butter and fresh garlic until it comes out incredibly tender and juicy. The whole thing takes about 10 minutes to prep, and your slow cooker does the rest. Once it’s done, you spoon that rich, garlicky butter broth right over the top before serving.

Three seasoned Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts sit in a dark slow cooker with flavorful sauce and sprinkled fresh herbs, showcasing a juicy and tender appearance.

Photo of Olivia in her kitchen, founder of Primavera Kitchen

My Go-To Slow Cooker Chicken Breast

I’ve been making chicken breast in the slow cooker for years, and I’ll be honest with you, it took me a while to get it right. Chicken breast has very little fat compared to thighs, which means it can dry out fast if you leave it in too long or skip the liquid. Once I started using a combination of chicken broth, butter, and fresh garlic as the base, everything changed. The butter keeps the meat moist and flavorful, and the broth creates a little savory sauce that you’ll want to spoon over everything on the plate.

What I love most about this recipe is that it works for busy weeknights when I need something hands-off. I season the chicken, put it in the slow cooker, and go on with my day. By dinnertime, the whole kitchen smells incredible. I slice it and serve it straight from the pot, with spoonfuls of that garlicky butter broth on top. It’s wonderful alongside my air fryer baked sweet potato, fluffy rice, or a light quinoa salad.

If you love garlic butter flavors, you might also enjoy my garlic butter baked chicken breast, which is ready in just 20 minutes when the slow cooker isn’t an option.

Key Ingredients:

All ingredients and their amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Chicken breasts: I always use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, about 2 pounds or 4 medium breasts. I look for pieces that are as similar in size as possible so they cook evenly. If one breast is much thicker than the others, I give it a light pound with a meat mallet to even it out a little. I’ve found that 2 pounds fits perfectly in a standard 4 to 6 quart slow cooker without too much overlapping, which matters a lot. When the chicken overlaps too much, the pieces closest to the bottom cook faster and you get uneven results. If you prefer dark meat, boneless skinless chicken thighs work beautifully here too. They are even more forgiving than breasts because of their higher fat content, so they are harder to overcook. I have a dedicated slow cooker chicken thighs recipe if you want to go that route.

Pro Tip: I don’t recommend using frozen chicken. Cooking chicken from frozen in the slow cooker keeps the meat in the food safety “danger zone” (between 40°F and 140°F) for too long, which increases the risk of bacterial growth. Always thaw your chicken in the fridge overnight before using it in this recipe.

Seasonings: Garlic powder, paprika and Italian seasoning work together so well and give the chicken a warm, savory flavor with beautiful color. I like to use sweet paprika, but smoked paprika is a great option if you want a slightly deeper, smokier note. I always season both sides of the chicken generously and don’t be shy with it.

Chicken broth: I prefer low-sodium chicken broth because it gives me control over the salt level in the final dish. The broth keeps the chicken moist as it cooks and becomes part of that delicious pan sauce at the end. I’ve tried making this with water and while it works, the broth adds so much more depth of flavor.

Butter: I dice the butter into small pieces and scatter them on top of the chicken before the lid goes on. As it melts, it coats the chicken and mixes with the broth and garlic to create a rich, silky sauce. I always use unsalted butter so I can control the salt. This is the ingredient that takes this recipe from a plain slow cooker chicken to something that feels a little special.

Fresh garlic: I always use fresh garlic here instead of garlic powder alone. I mince 4 cloves and sprinkle them right over the top of the chicken. Fresh garlic mellows and sweetens as it slow cooks, and it perfumes the broth beautifully. I’ve tried this with jarred minced garlic in a pinch, but the flavor is noticeably different. Fresh is always worth it.

How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Breast

Step 1: Season the chicken. I always start by patting the chicken breasts completely dry with paper towels. This is a step I never skip, because moisture on the surface of the chicken dilutes the seasoning and prevents it from absorbing properly. Once they’re dry, I rub olive oil all over each breast, then season generously with garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper on both sides. I like to do this on a tray or large plate so I can season the bottom side without losing any of the spice onto the counter.

Step 2: Assemble in the slow cooker. I place the seasoned chicken breasts in the slow cooker in a single layer with as little overlap as possible. Then I sprinkle the minced garlic over the top, pour in the chicken broth around the chicken, and scatter the diced butter pieces over each breast. The butter will melt and mingle with the broth as the chicken cooks, building that savory, garlicky sauce I love.

Raw seasoned chicken breasts on a white sheet.

Raw seasoned chicken breasts with cubes of butter on top inside a slow cooker.

Step 3: Cook. I cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on high for 1½ to 2 hours. I always recommend using an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness rather than guessing by time alone, because slow cooker sizes and temperatures can vary between brands. The chicken is ready when the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C). One thing I always tell people is not to overcook it. Chicken breast in the slow cooker goes from perfectly juicy to dry very quickly past that 165°F mark, so I start checking about 30 minutes before the minimum time is up.

Step 4: Rest and serve. I remove the chicken from the slow cooker and let it rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing or shredding. This resting time is important because it lets the juices redistribute back into the meat. If you cut into it right away, the juices run out and the chicken ends up drier.

closeup of slow cooker chicken breast inside of a slow cooker.

Slow cooker chicken breasts served on a plate with a fork.

Olivia’s Best Tips For This Recipe

Resist opening the lid. Every time you lift the lid, heat escapes and the cooking time increases. I always trust the process and let the slow cooker do its job.

Choose low over high when you have the time. I’ve found that cooking on low produces noticeably more tender, juicy results than cooking on high. The low and slow method gives the collagen in the meat more time to break down gently. If you have the time, low is always my preference.

Don’t overcrowd the slow cooker. I always make sure the chicken fits in a single layer with minimal overlapping. If you need to cook more than 4 breasts, cook in batches or use a larger slow cooker. Crowding the pot leads to uneven cooking.

A plate with cooked, seasoned Slow Cooker Chicken Breast garnished with chopped herbs. One chicken breast is sliced, and a fork is holding a piece. The food is presented on a rustic, speckled plate.

Slow Cooker Chicken Breast

Key Ingredients:

How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Breast

Olivia’s Best Tips For This Recipe

More Slow Cooker Chicken Breast Recipes

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodles Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

Instant Pot Chicken Breast