Slow-Cooker Boneless Chicken Breasts

By Sarah DiGregorio

Published January 28, 2025

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
2¼ hours
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours and 10 minutes
Rating
5(617)
Comments
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These simple, savory chicken breasts are money in the bank on a weeknight: Chop them for a salad, tuck them into quesadillas or tacos with cheese and salsa, add to a ready-made simmer sauce, or toss with pasta. The seasoning is punchy but neutral enough to work in many preparations, and you can easily tweak it to your taste by, for instance, slightly increasing the cumin and red pepper to make tacos, or decreasing the cumin and increasing the thyme to make a classic chicken salad. The real key to this recipe is checking the internal temperature of the chicken. White meat will dry out if overcooked, so pull the chicken out of the slow cooker when the thickest part of the breast reaches 155 degrees for about a minute, which will ensure juicy, tender meat that’s fully cooked.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large)

  • ¼ cup olive oil 

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin 

  • Pinch crushed red pepper, optional, more to taste 

  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper 

  • 1 lemon, halved

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

4 grams carbs; 166 milligrams cholesterol; 407 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 614 milligrams sodium; 52 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the chicken into a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, in a single layer. Add the oil and the spices, plus 1 tablespoon salt and several generous grinds of black pepper. Mix well with a spatula to evenly coat all sides of the chicken with the oil and spices.

  2. Step 2

    Cook on low until the thickest part of the chicken breast reaches 155 degrees, 2 to 2 ½ hours. (If necessary, it’s fine to leave the chicken on the warm setting for an hour or two.)

  3. Step 3

    Remove the breasts from the slow cooker and let them rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving, spritzed with lemon juice. Or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
617 user ratings
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Comments

PNC

Is the large slow cooker recommended to keep the breasts in a single layer as they cook? Is there any time adjustment needed to cook fewer breasts in a smaller cooker? I would like to try the technique with a 4 qt slow cooker. Thank you

Emily

@PNC - yes to the single layer. And the time wouldn't need to change at all!

Lorna G

Would this work in a sous vide? Put all the ingredients in a bag, seal it and go to 160?

Salt measurements

One tablespoon of salt must be a typo. I used one teaspoon and it was still a bit too salty. Other than that the recipe was great

Tauna

I've made this recipe two times so far. First time, raved about it to everyone! Chicken was juicy, good texture and nice flavors. The second time, I used pretty good chicken, but the breasts turned out with almost a mushy texture. A little overcooked too, which doesn't seem connected to mushiness, but maybe! I'll try it again and check after an hour and 45 minutes. Paraphrasing the "girl with the curl" When it was good, it was very, very good..."

Sophie

This is my go-to recipe when I want cooked chicken breasts for salads, tacos, or any recipe that calls for them. The seasonings can be changed depending on cuisine. I start them off on high for about 5 min. and then switch to low. I start checking temp at about 2 hours. They always turn out tender and moist.

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