I’m showing you five of the easiest chicken dinner recipes that all start in the crockpot. These minimal ingredient meals offer maximum flavor and are perfect for a hearty crock pot beef tips and gravy dinner as well.
Why You’ll Love This
Some may call this keto friendly. I call it damn delicious.
I loved this whole recipe so much that at my wedding, I just made little spice packets with this recipe attached on how to cook a whole chicken in your cart pot. That was my party favor.
This is simplicity at its finest.
This with the cilantro and fresh lime is the best.
Buffalo and ranch go together like peanut butter and jelly.
I mean, that was like a good piece of barbecue chicken, if you ask me.
That is even better than I thought it was going to be.
Oh my gosh. That’s delicious.
Five recipes, multiple meals, minimal ingredients, and a fraction of your time.
Ingredients
For Bacon and Ranch Chicken
- Chicken breast
- Block of cream cheese
- Packet of ranch flavor
- Shredded ranch
- Water
- Cheddar
- Bacon
For Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot
- Whole chicken
- Potatoes
- Seasoning blend
- Pepper
- Paprika
For Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh lime juice
- Pack of taco seasoning
- Boneless skinless chicken thigh
For Buffalo Chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Buffalo sauce
- Couple tablespoons of butter
- Cream cheese
- Cheese
For No-Fail Barbecue Chicken
- Bone-in chicken thigh
- Bottle of barbecue sauce
- Garlic powder
- Crushed red pepper
- Vinegar
- Brown sugar
Instructions
Bacon and Ranch Chicken
- Place chicken breast in the crockpot.
- Add a block of cream cheese.
- Add a packet of ranch flavor.
- Add shredded ranch.
- Add a little bit of water to kind of help give it some moisture and some sauciness.
- Cook on high for a few hours or low for five to six hours.
- Stir it all together until it gets creamy.
- Add in the cheddar and the bacon.
Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot
- Place some potatoes down in the crockpot (optional).
- Season your chicken however you want with seasoning blend, pepper, and paprika.
- Place the seasoned chicken right on top.
- Cook on high for like four hours or crank it to low and cook all day.
Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Chop up some cilantro.
- Add fresh cilantro to the crockpot.
- Add the juice of a lime.
- Add a pack of taco seasoning.
- Stir it up.
- Add boneless skinless chicken thigh.
- Give them a good toss around in that salsa mixture.
- Set it and forget it.
- Shred it up when done.
Buffalo Chicken
- Place boneless skinless chicken breast in the crockpot.
- Pour on the buffalo sauce.
- Add in a couple tablespoons of butter.
- Cook until done and shreddy. If you enjoy quick chicken recipes, also try making easy air-fried garlic parmesan chicken wings.
No-Fail Barbecue Chicken
- Combine garlic powder, crushed red pepper, a little bit of vinegar, and brown sugar with your barbecue sauce.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the bone-in chicken thigh, saving a little bit for the end.
- Cook until tender.
Cooking Tips
Sometimes when you do all this shredded chicken recipes in the crock pot, they get like really dry. You’re not going to have that problem when you use the chicken thigh.
You don’t want to overcook your chicken.
If you need to go longer, like you’re going to be gone for a while, then start with frozen chicken breast. That way you’ve got a little more time without drying out your chicken. For another quick chicken dinner, consider making crispy air fryer fried chicken.
If you want to take this one step further and kind of get that char broiled kind of flavor, put it on a baking sheet, pop it under the broiler for just like a minute. All that barbecue sauce is going to caramelize just as if you had it coming right off the grill.
Serving Suggestions
You can eat that over rice. You can eat it just as is with a salad and a baked potato.
Serving suggestion number one. If you’re trying to feed a house full of hungry people, stir in some cooked pasta and you will be a hero. Now you have chicken bacon ranch pasta. For another quick family meal, try this homemade hamburger helper recipe.
What we always do if I make it this way is just kind of serve it with a big Caesar salad or some little crusty bread, little mayo, some chicken, some of those juices, and lots of cracked pepper.
This chicken makes the best case it is. And sometimes case it is just feel different than a normal taco Tuesday. If you’re looking for another quick and savory option, consider making easy garlic butter steak bites. But when I do the most with this, let’s just make little burrito bowls. I love to start with these like ready packs of rice. Don’t forget that delicious liquid. I’m going in with some cheese. A little red onion, tomato. Finish it off with the title of the recipe. A little cilantro and a little lime.
Get yourself some slider rolls or hoagie buns and make some buffalo chicken sandwiches.
Turn this into our favorite party dip. Add it to some cream cheese. Add in some more sauce and some more cheese. Just a little more rich. Come on. And you’ve got the best buffalo chicken dip because you’re starting with flavorful buffalo chicken instead of just canned chicken or rotisserie chicken. Heat that up and serve it up.
Drizzle it with a little of that sauce I saved earlier.
Break out your slow cooker. Try one of these. Let me know what you think. And what do you want to know how to do next? Let me know.
Five Easy Crockpot Chicken Recipes for Quick Dinners
A collection of five simple and delicious crockpot chicken recipes, perfect for quick weeknight dinners. Each recipe features minimal ingredients and utilizes your slow cooker for maximum flavor and ease. Recipes include Bacon and Ranch Chicken, Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot, Cilantro Lime Chicken, Buffalo Chicken, and No-Fail Barbecue Chicken.
- — For Bacon and Ranch Chicken —
- 1.5 – 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
- 1 (1 oz) packet ranch seasoning mix
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 6-8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup water
- — For Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot —
- 3-4 lbs whole chicken
- 1 lb small potatoes, cut into chunks (optional)
- 1 tbsp poultry seasoning (or preferred blend)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- — For Cilantro Lime Chicken —
- 1.5 – 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1-2 limes (approx. 1/4 cup)
- 1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning
- — For Buffalo Chicken —
- 1.5 – 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 cup buffalo sauce
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 oz block cream cheese (optional, for creamier sauce/dip)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (optional, for mixing in or serving)
- — For No-Fail Barbecue Chicken —
- 1.5 – 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1.5 – 2 cups barbecue sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- — Bacon and Ranch Chicken —
- 1. Place chicken breast in the crockpot.
- 2. Add the block of cream cheese, ranch seasoning mix, and water.
- 3. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours, until chicken is cooked through and tender.
- 4. Shred the chicken in the crockpot and stir it all together until it gets creamy.
- 5. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon.
- — Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot —
- 1. If using, place the cut potatoes down in the bottom of the crockpot.
- 2. Season the whole chicken generously with poultry seasoning, pepper, and paprika.
- 3. Place the seasoned chicken right on top of the potatoes (if using).
- 4. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- — Cilantro Lime Chicken —
- 1. In the crockpot, combine the chopped fresh cilantro, fresh lime juice, and taco seasoning. Stir well to create a salsa-like mixture.
- 2. Add the boneless, skinless chicken thighs to the crockpot.
- 3. Give them a good toss around in the cilantro lime mixture to ensure they are well coated.
- 4. Set the crockpot to low and cook for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.
- 5. Shred the chicken directly in the crockpot when done.
- — Buffalo Chicken —
- 1. Place boneless, skinless chicken breast in the crockpot.
- 2. Pour the buffalo sauce over the chicken.
- 3. Add in the unsalted butter and (optional) cream cheese.
- 4. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and shreddy.
- 5. Shred the chicken and stir to combine with the sauce.
- — No-Fail Barbecue Chicken —
- 1. In a bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar. Mix well, reserving about 1/4 cup of the sauce for later.
- 2. Place the bone-in chicken thighs in the crockpot.
- 3. Pour the majority of the prepared barbecue sauce mixture over the chicken thighs, ensuring they are well coated.
- 4. Cook on low for 5-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is very tender and cooked through.
- 5. Serve the chicken, drizzling with the reserved sauce if desired. For a ‘charbroiled’ flavor, place cooked chicken under a broiler for a minute or two.
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