Meal prep just got a lot easier with this everything chicken recipe.
Hey friends — if there’s one recipe that saves my sanity on busy weeks, it’s this slow cooker everything chicken. It’s basically a big batch of shredded chicken that works in every meal: salads, tacos, sandwiches, casseroles, soups… you name it. I love having easy shredded chicken ready to go because it turns a veggie stir fry, a burrito bowl, or a simple weeknight dinner into a high-protein, healthy, actually filling meal. With just chicken, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and broth, the slow cooker does all the work and you end up with juicy, versatile chicken that’s perfect for meal prep.
Chicken is one of the easiest and most affordable proteins, but sometimes it feels like too much work to cook it from scratch every time. That’s why this crockpot shredded chicken recipe is a total game changer. I make one batch at the beginning of the week and suddenly lunches and dinners are effortless. Plus, cooking the chicken low and slow keeps it tender and shreddable — no dry or rubbery chicken here.
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Ingredients for this Chicken Recipe
This simple recipe only requires a few basic ingredients, including:
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1–2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
How to Make Everything Chicken (Crockpot Method)
- Place chicken in the slow cooker and drizzle olive oil over the top — coat all sides.
- Add garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the broth around (not on top of) the chicken — this keeps the seasoning where it belongs.
- Cover and cook:
- Low: 6 to 8 hours
- High: 3 to 4 hours
- Chicken is done when it reaches 170°F and is tender enough to shred.
Once it’s cooked, remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. If you want to be extra efficient, toss the chicken into a stand mixer and use the paddle attachment — it shreds in less than 30 seconds. Magic.
My Favorite Ways to Use Slow Cooker Everything Chicken
This is why we call it “everything chicken” — it works with ANY seasoning, sauce, or recipe:
- Mexican night: tacos, burrito bowls, enchiladas, quesadillas
- Asian twist: teriyaki or sesame sauce, served over rice
- Classic comfort: chicken casserole, sandwiches, wraps
- Healthy lunches: meal prep chicken for salads, lettuce wraps, or protein bowls
- Soup upgrade: toss into chicken tortilla soup (pictured above) or chili for extra protein
Sometimes I mix it with pesto and crumble it over toasted bruschetta or pasta — ridiculously good.
Quick Q&A
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Absolutely! Thighs turn out even more tender and flavorful.
Do I have to use broth?
Nope — water works fine. The broth just adds extra flavor.
How long will this last in the refrigerator?
When stored in an airtight container, it will last in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Can I freeze the leftovers?
Yes! Portion it into freezer bags, flatten (for easy stacking), and freeze for up to 3 months. To use, just thaw it overnight in the fridge. Warm gently in a skillet or microwave — adding a splash of broth if needed.
Can I make this slow cooker chicken in the instant pot?
Yep! Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes, then allow a natural release for 5 to 10 minutes. Shred as usual and enjoy!
How do I season it differently?
That’s the beauty — the base is neutral on purpose. Add seasonings after shredding:
- Taco seasoning
- BBQ sauce
- Buffalo sauce
- Pesto
- Italian seasoning
One batch = unlimited dinners.
If you try this slow cooker everything chicken, prep two batches and freeze one — future you will hug past you for it. Let me know how you end up using it!
Slow Cooker Everything Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons garlic chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth, low-sodium
Instructions
- Place chicken in slow cooker. Drizzle with olive oil being sure to coat all sides. Add garlic, sea salt, and pepper. Pour broth around the outside of the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees.
- When the chicken is tender and cooked through, remove it from the slow cooker and slice or shred with a fork.
- Serve in tacos, soup or chili, with your favorite gravy & mashed potatoes, cook it into a chicken casserole, or top it with teriyaki sauce and serve it over brown rice for a Asian twist. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Have you made this recipe?
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Enjoyed this post? Discover more:
- Instant Pot Everything Shredded Chicken
- Skinny Slow Cooker Italian Beef
- 21 Low-Calorie Snacks to Always Have on Hand
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On high, check chicken with thermometer at 3 hour mark. This is usually when breasts are fully cooked.
is the 1/4 cup garlic accurate???
Vicki, You can use up to that amount but we've adjusted it to say 1 to 2 tablespoons. The garlic is coarsely chopped, not minced.
Thanks I made this and it was awesome!!!!! Tomorrow the left overs on a salad!!!!
It says you shred the chicken, but in the picture it shows it sliced?
Karen, You can slice and then shred.
Toss as much as you want to shred into the kitchenaid with paddle attachment. Shreds in seconds! I lay it out on cookie sheet to freeze, then bag for sprinkling over quesadillas etc. during the week. I cube the rest to use in chicken salads.
I don't have a printer at home. It would be great if there was an option on your recipes to email them. 🙂
I just copy by hand in as short a version as possible.
Keep a spiral notebook just for recipes.
You can save it to messenger. Use the upload icon on bottom of page. Then choose messenger icon and send to yourself.
Is the chicken frozen?
Liz, No, fresh or thawed chicken, not frozen is used:).
Thank you!
The chicken looks browned on the outside. Did it get that way in the crockpot or was it sautéed before it was added?
The chicken will brown in the slow cooker. There's no need to do anything before adding the ingredients to the pot.
IF your slow cooker doesn’t have abrowning capability, would you brown stove-top before adding to the slow cooker?
Yes, browning on the stove top would be the perfect alternative!
I see that your photo shows the outside browned did you brown it first?
Sue, It depends on your slow cooker but my chicken browns when cooking. In fact, if you look at this recipe https://skinnyms.com/slow-cooker-homestyle-potatoe… it shows
browned potatoes. They actually get crispy in the slow cooker. Let us know if the chicken browns for you! 🙂
My chicken doesn't brown, sadly, and is done at the three to three and a half hour mark on low. It must be my cooker. I let it go for four hours the first time and as soon as it cooled it had a very dry texture. Moral, know your cooker. I think mine just cooks really hot. With adjustment, very yummy!
Theresa, True, slow cookers all seem to cook differently. If your slow cooker doesn't brown the chicken, carefully remove the chicken and place in a casserole pan and brown in the oven.
What temp do I use to brown in the oven? For how long??
If you prefer to brown a little more, 375 degrees for up to 15 minutes. Be sure to add the juices from the slow cooker to prevent the chicken from drying out.
Can I freeze this recipe in single serving portions?
Could I then use a frozen single serving thawed in a salad or will I need to cook it again?
Thanks by the way, loving your site.
Once the chicken is cooked according to the directions, allow to cool before freezing. Take out the portion you want to use, place in the fridge and allow to thaw over night. You will not need to recook the chicken. Of course, if you want hot or warm chicken, just heat in a skillet or wrap in foil (add 2 teaspoon water), and warm in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
Does the EVO leave a olive oil taste? My family doesn't like the taste of olive oil.
Martha, Not at all. You can substitute with butter, just make sure it's pure butter. 🙂
What is the brand of your slow cooker? I would love one that browns!
Louise, I have more than one since I'm always creating new recipes. When I want to brown something I use http://astore.amazon.com/skinnyms-20/detail/B00BK…
It's a little pricy, but for me it's well worth. Let us know if you get one and what you think. 🙂
Just put this on for tonights dinner. Just curious, did you use fresh garlic?
Brandi, Yes, we used fresh garlic cloves, but powdered garlic can be used instead if that is what you have on hand. Just use 1 teaspoon powdered in place of 1 tablespoon fresh. 🙂
Oh my word! Just made this. Made it for shredding for tacos. It was delicious straight from the crock pot. I added a bit of the liquid to the shredded chicken and a bit of taco seasoning. It was so good! Very versatile!
GREAT! Thank you for the feedback. 🙂
for some reason I can”t bring up the recipes directions for slow cooked everything chicken.
Hmm… We can’t see any reason why that would be. Here you go!
Directions:
Place chicken in slow cooker. Drizzle with olive oil being sure to coat all sides. Add garlic, sea salt, and pepper. Pour broth around the outside of the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees.
When the chicken is tender and cooked through, remove it from the slow cooker and slice or shred with a fork. Serve in tacos, soup or chili, with your favorite gravy & mashed potatoes, cook it into a chicken casserole, or top it with teriyaki sauce and serve it over brown rice for a Asian twist. Enjoy!
Once the chicken is cooked and I put in the fridge for leftovers, how long will it last in the fridge?
Kristen, I would recommend up to 3 days in the fridge. 🙂
If you wanted to could you add chicken broth and add some veggies in crock pot / slow cooker like potatoes small, zucchini , carrots or spinach?
Linda, Yes, in fact you might like this recipe with added veggies https://skinnyms.com/slow-cooker-chicken-pot-roast/.
Do they have to all be touching the bottom in a line or can you stack the chicken to fit more?
Melanie, That don’t have to be on the bottom but you may have to adjust cooking time if they’re stacked.
Since my slow cooker does not brown do you think I can brown the surface in my cast iron pan (I know it defeats the purpose of the ease of slow cooking, but I eat with my eyes first!) and then proceed with the instructions? Looks amazing! ?
Yes, Anette! It would be okay to brown the chicken first.
how did you get the browned outside part? Also, does the coating stick to the chicken? Mine came off when I poured the broth in.
Holly, If the coating comes off, you’ll still have the same taste after adding the broth. If you want the outside to get
browner, you’ll need to broil. If you do broil be sure to keep a close eye on the chicken so it doesn’t burn or dry out.
Which of your recipes uses this chicken? LOVE It, just looking for even more ideas.
Leslie, We have tons of chicken recipes where this recipe can be used. https://skinnyms.com/?s=chicken+recipes Soon we will be publishing a post with recipes that use shredded chicken. 🙂
I just threw this in the crock pot. I usually mess things up, I can’t wait to try it ?
Let us know what you think!
Just finished my last portion of this chicken recipe. When and after I made it, I divided the shredded chicken in approximately 2 cups portions, put in ziplock bags and froze them. Came in very handy and were used in various recipes and saved a lot of preparation time. Thank you so much for this recipe.??
You’re very welcome, Emida! And thank you for sharing your freezing tips!
Can you use a whole chicken?
Krista, Definitely! 🙂
have you tried this with other proteins? Beef, turkey or pork?
Yes! Here is our recipe for Slow Cooker Everything Beef: https://skinnyms.com/slow-cooker-everything-beef/
How many ounces are in a serving? I realize it says a serving is 1/10 of recipe, but i would like to measure my portions.
Each serving should be about 3 ounces.
Made this chicken today n we had tacos with some so good thanks for sharing
What brand of chicken did you use?
Simple Truth, a Kroger brand.
Have made this recipe several times! Always delicious! Tacos, enchiladas, chicken pot pie, chicken salad. My husband & I love it! We are in our 70’s and watch what we eat very carefully. I cook at home almost every night, since restaurant food does not always agree with us.
That’s terrific, Becky. We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe! Thanks for letting us know.
Can I used minced garlic from a bottle in the recipe?
Alicia, Definitely!
Have you ever added bell peppers or zucchini?
Emily, Bell peppers, yes. Delicious!
What type of slow cooker did you use that browns? Link doesn’t work.
Jen, Here you go http://amzn.to/2oFjs8q
What would the measurements be for 1lb of chicken? I have a small family, and they’re not big on left overs
Lisa, Feel free to increase the ingredients, double or even triple them. 🙂
With this, I finally have found the perfect method for cooking chicken to use later in recipes which require diced cooked chicken! I hesitated to use other methods, as I didn’t want something that would be slimy or smell up my kitchen in an awful way. This smelled nice while cooking, and the end result was a flavorful chicken which I used in a recipe and then, two days later, cut up the remaining cooked chicken breast and made chicken salad. Thank you so much!
Great idea, Kathy! Thanks for your feedback!
Can I use this recipe in an InstaPot? If so, how long? Is there anything I need to change? Thanks!
Yes, you can make this in an Instant Pot. Simply change the cook time to 25 minutes on high pressure.
I will try making this in slow cooker and in my instant pot to see which one is better. It’s a trial run for me. This way I learn more about my cooking gadgets times, temps, overall performance & I will have extra chicken lol.
Thank you for this recipe & I look forward to coming back to share my experience with this recipe.
Make sure to come back and let us know which method worked best for you!
Have you ever used bone-in chicken breasts for this?
Hi Kim,
We haven’t but that’s fine if you do. Just watch out for the bones.
If I make this in an Instant Pot, cam I brown it first, then still pressure cook for 25 minutes
Hi Wanda, yes – but I would only cook the chicken for about 15 minutes and let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before removing the lid.
I love the recipe and have used many times. How about cooking in the oven or on the stove? Do you have any instructions?
Hi Amy, since this chicken is shredded it’s best for the slow cooker or Instant Pot!
I am on a no salt diet per my cardiologist. Any substitutions for the sea salt!
You can simply leave the salt out of the recipe.
i made this last night – before i saw your post. 3+ hours on low. I took the chicken out when the thermometer said 170+ – too long i thought. well the chicken wasn’t tender so i felt id left it in too long.
not sure if i should cook it longer – or toss it.
For the chicken to be tender it needs to be cooked longer than 3 hours on low, the recipe suggests about 6 hours. When cooking in a slow cooker there is no need to stop cooking when the chicken reaches a certain temperature. For the chicken to be tender, it needs to have moisture and cook for an extended period of time.
Any ideas why Pinterest won’t let me save this recipe? It says “sorry; we blocked this because it might lead to spam.” I followed a link to get there and it was fine, so what’s up?
Hi Lara,
We’re currently looking into this and hope to have it resolved shortly! Thanks so much.
The flavor is amazing! So simple to make. No more COSTCO chicken for me.
Pat, Great!!! Thank you for the feedback.:)
I have made this recipe several times and LOVE IT!!! I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer this time 🙄
Can I put it the slow cooker frozen? If so, do I need to adjust the cooking time? Thanks! Again, we love this everything chicken!! 😊
Lisa, Frozen chicken should not be used in the slow cooker. Bacteria can build up so please make sure
it is thawed first.
These are the best recipes! I enjoy them a lot!
Brenda, Thank you so much for the feedback. I’m thrilled you’re enjoying this and other recipes on our site. 🙂
I’m wondering if I can substitute chicken thighs for chicken breasts and/or combine the two different cuts? Chicken thighs have great taste. Thank you for your time.
Jo Ann, Sure, that would fine just fine. 🙂
Looking forward to trying this. Does the olive oil increase the overall fat content? If so, can I substitute something else for it to cut down on fat? It sounds awesome but I tend to look for low fat chicken recipes. If not, I will use the olive oil! Thanks.
Susan, Olive Oil does contain some fat, but it can be reduced to 2 tablespoons and still works well. Canola oil works well too.
Is there an InstaPot version of this recipe?
I love this in the slow cooker, use it almost weekly.
Hi Becky, Sure is! Here you go https://skinnyms.com/instant-pot-everything-shredded-chicken/.
Looks delicious
I make this recipe at least once a month. For storage I add a couple spoons of the cooking liquid. It also good finely chopped for chicken salad sandwiches.
Carol, Great tips! Thank you so much for the positive feedback.