Feeling hassled and harried and just want an easy, hands-off dinner that everyone at your table will eat in glorious, satisfied silence? Here for your sanity, your healthy dinner needs, and your picky eaters’ approval: Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes.
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Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Chicken Recipe
- Comfort Food at its Best—and Easiest. First cousin to Crock Pot Chicken and Rice, this is one of those unabashedly unfancy, take-me-home basic crock pot recipes that is ultra useful to have in your arsenal. This recipe offers every food group in a single pan (er, crock pot), is reasonably healthy, and you can even repurpose the leftovers.
- Family-Friendly. The ingredients here are approachable and picky-eater-approved. When you are attempting to serve a household of different tastes, manage your day-to-day responsibilities, plan for tomorrow, and survive today—all while maintaining a scrap of personal dignity—well, sometimes you need to fall back on those go-to meat-and-potatoes kinds of meals that everyone will love.
- Dump and Go. I have dozens of healthy slow cooker recipes and healthy crock pot chicken recipes on my site, but it’s the “dump and go”/“set it and forget it” ones like this Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken and this Crockpot White Chicken Chili that are most prized for their ease. I’m happy to share that this crockpot chicken with potatoes and carrots fits that category too!
- Versatile. You can make this crock pot recipe with chicken breasts or thighs, add extra seasonings if you’re feeling adventurous, or keep it just as it is when you need a simple slam dunk.
- Light, Not Heavy! This recipe is hearty and satisfying, but one thing it isn’t is heavy or creamy. While some crockpot chicken and potatoes recipes call for cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup, I wanted this recipe to be healthy and use minimally processed ingredients.
5 Star Review
“Super easy recipe! The chicken came out so tender and juicy!”
— Dee —
How to Make Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes
The Ingredients
- Potatoes. For quick prep, I use baby potatoes, which can be quartered in a flash. Yukon gold potatoes are nice and buttery, and red potatoes are another creamy option. You can also use regular-sized Yukon gold potatoes; dice them into rough 1-inch pieces first.
- Carrots. Carrots are the perfect complement to the tender potatoes. They add a nice crunch to the dish and a load of nutrients. (For another recipe combining potatoes and carrots, check out these Roasted Potatoes and Carrots.)
- Chicken. The universal protein! I opted to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but it would be equally scrumptious with chicken thighs.
- Unsalted Butter. Using unsalted gives you more control of the flavor (and sodium level) of this dish.
- Garlic. Five whole cloves for big garlic flavor!
- Italian Seasoning. This blend of herbs is a staple in many of my recipes (Italian Sheet Pan Chicken, anyone?), because it provides a myriad of flavors per teaspoon, without having to separately measure individual spices. During the slow cooking process, the Italian seasoning sneaks flavor into each ingredient and makes the sauce extra yummy.
- Onion Powder. Onion powder is an easy way to amp up the savory flavor of a recipe.
- Cayenne Pepper or Red Pepper Flakes. Give it a kick! Or leave it out if you prefer your crockpot chicken and potatoes mild.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper. The essential seasonings!
- Lemon. Lemon brings a bright, fresh, and citrusy flavor to the recipe. Once you taste the lemon butter Parmesan herb sauce, you’ll want to pour it over everything!
- Honey. It might be a little unexpected, but it brings balance to the tart lemon.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese. Or try feta or grand Pardana.
- Parsley. The finishing touch to add an herbaceous note.
The Directions
- Add the Veggies. Quarter large potatoes and halve smaller ones, then place them in the bottom of the slow cooker and stir in the carrots.
- Add the Chicken. Arrange the chicken on top of the veggies.
- Make the Sauce. Melt butter in a small saucepan, then add all of the ingredients through the pepper.
- Cook. Pour half of the butter sauce over the chicken and vegetables, then cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or low for 4 to 5 hours.
- Remove the Chicken. When the chicken reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, transfer it to a plate and cover it with foil.
- Test the Veggies. If the vegetables are tender, you’re good to go. If not, cover the slow cooker and keep cooking them until they’re easily pierced with a fork.
- Finish. Reheat the remaining butter and stir in the honey. Pour over the crockpot chicken and potatoes, season to taste, and serve garnished with Parmesan and parsley. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes and Green Beans. Swap the carrots for trimmed and halved fresh green beans, or try a mix of vegetables. Celery works well too!
- Extra Lemony Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes. Double the lemon zest, using two lemons instead of one. Once the chicken and potatoes have finished cooking, squeeze the juice of the additional lemon over the top.
- Crockpot Chicken and Sweet Potatoes. Swap the diced white potatoes for 3/4-inch diced sweet potatoes.
Storage Tips
- To Store. Place cooked leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze. While I do not recommend freezing the potatoes (they can become mealy when frozen), you can freeze the chicken and carrots. Store cooked chicken and carrots in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- To Reheat. Gently rewarm the chicken and vegetables on a plate in the microwave until warmed through.
Leftover Ideas
I enjoy shredding the leftover chicken and tossing it (either chilled or at room temperature) with a green salad—like this Green Goddess Salad. You can also serve leftovers over Instant Pot Brown Rice for another hearty dinner.
What to Serve with Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes
- Vegetables. To serve even more vegetables with your dinner, try pairing crockpot chicken and potatoes with Sautéed Cabbage, Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Garlic, or Roasted Zucchini.
- Applesauce. Applesauce makes a simple and healthy side dish that’s both tasty and kid-friendly. I love making this Crockpot Applesauce, but Instant Pot Applesauce is fantastic when you want something faster.
- Salad. A big green salad is a great complement to the chicken and potatoes in this recipe. Try it with this Anytime Arugula Salad, which has a simple olive oil dressing.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Programmable Slow Cooker. I love that this one switches to “keep warm” once the cooking time ends, so food runs less of a risk of overcooking. Still KEEP AN EYE on your chicken and check early! Every slow cooker is different.
- Instant Read Thermometer. The best, surest way to know when your slow cooker chicken is done and not overcook it.
- Melting Pot. It’s a nice-to-have, not a must-have, but I like this little pot for melting butter and making sauces because it has a spout for easy pouring.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Cut the Potatoes in Uniform Sizes. This ensures that they’ll all be done cooking at exactly the same time—and that you won’t have some potatoes that are falling apart, while others are unpleasantly hard.
- Know When Slow Cooker Chicken Is Done. It is easy to overcook chicken in the slow cooker, especially if you are using boneless skinless chicken breasts, which dry out easily. The best option is to use an instant read thermometer! I typically pull my chicken out when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, then place it on a plate and cover it to keep warm. This carryover cooking takes the chicken to the safe, FDA recommended temp of 165 degrees F.
- Or Use a Knife. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use a knife to check if the chicken is done. Make a small incision in the middle of your piece of chicken. Use a fork to peek inside the incision and check the color. If the meat still has pink hues, then it needs to cook longer. If the chicken is white, then it is done.
- Check Early and Often. I recommend checking your chicken early to make sure it doesn’t overcook. Each slow cooker is different (some run hot; mine does!), and this can alter how long your chicken will take to cook.
Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 5 hours
Total: 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Crockpot chicken and potatoes is an easy, healthy family dinner. Quick to prep and the garlic lemon butter herb sauce is to die for!
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Ingredients
- 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes or baby red potatoes
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts* or boneless skinless thighs
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 cloves garlic minced (about 5 teaspoons)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or herbs de Provence or Greek seasoning
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus additional as needed
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper plus additional as needed
- 1 ½ lemons juice of both, zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons honey**
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese or feta, grana Pardana
- Chopped fresh parsley optional for serving
Instructions
- Cut any potatoes that are larger than a ping pong ball into quarters; if smaller than a ping pong ball, cut in half. You want the pieces to be a roughly 1-inch dice. Lay them in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Stir the carrots into the slow cooker with the potatoes, then spread them into an even layer. Arrange the chicken in the center on top of the vegetables.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the garlic, lemon juice, and zest, Italian seasoning, onion powder, cayenne/red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Pour half of the mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Reserve the rest in the saucepan.
- Cover the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or low for 4 to 5 hours. (The total amount of time you need will vary based on your slow cooker model and the size of your chicken breasts. If your slow cooker runs hot—mine often does—check early to avoid drying out the meat). The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F in the center with an instant-read thermometer. When the chicken is done cooking, remove it to a plate, and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Test the vegetables to see if they are tender. If they are not yet tender, give them a stir, re-cover the slow cooker, then continue cooking until they are tender and pierce easily with a fork, up to 1 additional hour on high or 2 hours on low. When ready to serve, return the chicken to the slow cooker.
- Reheat the remaining butter over low heat. Add the honey and stir until dissolved. Pour the honey butter over the chicken and vegetables and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the Parmesan and parsley over the top. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- *For the juiciest chicken, use chicken thighs which do not get nearly as dry as breasts.
- **For extra spice, use hot honey.
- STORAGE TIPS: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. I don’t love freezing potatoes because they become mealy, but if the texture doesn’t bother you, you can freeze for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 541kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 43gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 157mgPotassium: 1443mgFiber: 6gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 16259IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 202mgIron: 3mg
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Sign Me UpFrequently Asked Questions
Can I Put Frozen Chicken in the Crockpot?
This is a question I receive often, and the short answer is no, you cannot put frozen chicken in the crockpot. While you can place raw chicken in the slow cooker, the chicken MUST be thawed first. If you use frozen chicken, during the cooking process, the chicken will spend too long at room temperature, and this may cause the meat to become unsafe to eat.
Do I Need to Brown Chicken Before it Goes in the Slow Cooker?
No, there’s no need to brown or sear chicken before you put it in the slow cooker for this crockpot chicken and potatoes recipe.
Does Slow Cooking Chicken Longer Make it More Tender?
When you’re working with boneless skinless chicken breasts, there’s a certain point where the chicken starts getting tougher and dry. That’s why it’s important to keep a close watch on the temperature and remove it as soon as it’s done cooking!
Is It Okay to Put Raw Chicken in the Slow Cooker?
Yes, it’s absolutely fine to put raw chicken in the slow cooker! As long as it reaches a safe temperature, it’s fine to eat.
Related Recipes
Chicken is always a great choice for weeknights, especially when you cook it in a crockpot! Here are some more slow cooker chicken recipes to try:
I made this tonight and it was SO good. it was such a nice, hearty dinner. And so easy! Thanks, guys
YAY! Thank you for taking the time to leave this kind review! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Tasty and easy! My 2 favorite things :o)
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Adrienne!
Very very very delicious. So full of flavor, very moist and tender!! I actually used 3 pounds of chicken breast so I doubled the recipe. Someone expressed concern with there being enough liquid, but there’s definitely enough!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Leah! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
My family loved this recipe. I’ll be making it often for sure! Thanks!!
SO pleased to hear it Josie, thank you for sharing this review!
Loved it. The sauce was divine. I added 1/4 cup Marsala Wine and half a cup of chopped onions, too. I used chicken thighs as they add more flavor and stay moist. They were pretty chilled/partially frozen so I added another hour on low. For me, I did 1 hour on high and 3.5 hours on low to get done the way I like it . I rarely eat potatoes but these, coupled with the carrots and chopped onions, were divine in that butter sauce. I did garnish with Italian parsley and freeze Parmesan and it was a delightful Super Bowl meal!
I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit, Stephen! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
I love love love this recipe. It’s so simple but it really delivers. I make some roasted brussels sprouts in the oven to serve with it, too, just because I love them and want something green. I also use whole carrots (peeled & chopped) instead of the baby carrots to cut down on cost and plastic waste. :)
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Angie! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!
Love this recipe! I had chicken in the refrig. and went to the internet to find a recipe for something different with chicken. This was it – i had all the ingredients, and it was easy to make. Put it in crockpot and perfectly done at dinner time. I really enjoyed it and wil be looking for more recipes to make.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Donna! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made the chicken and potatoes crockpot and my whole family loved it I will make this again thanks so yummy
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Angela! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Cant wait to try this recipe. One question I had regarding the parm cheese. Is this only used as a topping when serve? I mainly want to make sure this has nothing to do with binding any liquid. Thanks!
Betty, it’s for topping-only but because this recipe is so simple, you definitely don’t want to leave it out. I hope you enjoy it!
Made the recipe as follows except I used turkey breast. My only suggestion would be to add more flavor to your taste buds. I personally added more S&P, bay leaves, etc. For the parm cheese I used Parm Reggiano and I’m so glad I did. Overall great easy, meal to make, I will definitely be adding this to my go-to crock pot recipes. Thank you Erin!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Betty! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I did this pretty much to recipe, but cooked it differently. I started my potatoes and carrots on high for 1 hour, then added the chicken and put it on low for another 4 or so. I did this so it would all be done at the same time since my son had a hockey game at 4:30. Once the chicken was done I cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces and put it back in the crock put, stirred it all up while I warmed up bread for 10 mins. This put a little moisture back in the chicken. Overall pretty good, I would have added a lot more pepper and used 2 lemons. The leftovers will make great soup!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Kerstin! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I didn’t have a lemon or even juice so that got left out but other than that I made this just like the recipe. It cooked on high for 4 hours. I used Tyson boneless skinless chicken breasts and red potatoes. It was delicious. Definitely a keeper. Thanks for this. I look forward to making more of your recipes!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Kathy! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Made this recipe tonight. It’s a winner! Only had 3 carrots so I added 1 med onion and about 1/2 lb fresh green beans. Next time I’ll add low sodium chicken stock at the last hour or so, spoon the veggies all around the chicken for moistness. Then take everything out at the end and make gravy. This recipe is a keeper; husband loves it!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Susan! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made this per the directions with the exception of lemon zest, because I didn’t have a lemon. (I just used lemon juice.) It was delicious light and moist. I used boneless thighs and it was perfectly cooked at 4 hours on low. The veggies were almost done at that point as well but I left them in a little longer. Everyone enjoyed this and will definitely make it again.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Amy! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
My family, especially my daughters loved this recipe. Thank you for sharing and I’m looking forward to trying other recipes on your site!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Melissa! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made this yesterday and it was a big hit! I added fresh green beans and about 1 cup of chicken broth and used chicken tenders instead, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Needless to say, I will be making this again.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Maureen! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I’ve made this recipe many times and love it! Do you have any time recommendations for making it in the instant pot?
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed it, Roma! I’ve never tried this recipe in the Instant Pot, so it would be a complete experiment. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Made this and times were spot on for me. I cooked on high for about 2 hours. My chicken breasts were not super thick and based on some of the reviews of bland seasoning I added some season all and it was perfect.
Hi Anita! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
We made tonight. It was delicious It has a simple elegance to it that would make it a great company meal with a simple salad. I didn’t have a lemon so I used lemon juice concentrate and we didnt use cheese as I am not a fan. Highly recommend.
Hi Carol! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
I made this yesterday and loved how easy it was! I sprinkled some extra salt on the potatoes and chicken and added a half cube of bouillon to the sauce for extra flavor. We were really happy with it, and I’ll be making it again! I forgot the Parmesan at the end, but we’ll try that on the leftovers.
Thanks so much! It’s my first crockpot meal in years!
Hi Mary! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Wow!! You make the best recipes! You put 150% into writing your blog! Thank you so much for all your hard work!
I was curious if you could recommend a crock pot, ours just broke?
Have a wonderful day!!
Ally
Hi Ally! this is the one I recommend: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B94BN16?ref=exp_wellplated_dp_vv_d (affiliate link) Hope this helps!
Easy and delicious. Recipe was plenty moist as-is, but throw in a splash of stock if you think you need more.
The chicken cooked much faster than the carrots and potatoes, so heed Erin’s warning about over-cooking it and adjusting times for your particular slow cooker, the size of the chicken, etc. I make my own Italian seasoning which has salt, pepper and garlic (powder), so I skipped those and adjusted to taste when served.
Next time I’ll go a little easy on the lemon rind. I also threw in a couple of hands-full of sliced cabbage in the last couple of hours to add some more veggies.
Thank you, Erin…this will be a regular in my kitchen – and, nice site; very easy to use!
Hi Tom! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Made this for dinner tonite and my husband asked me to make it again! Thought it was delicious. Great recipe.
Hi Debbie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Cooking this right now. Just reading the reviews….there are some very rude people out there, no way this will be “tasteless” butter and garlic will see to that. I did add 1/2 an onion with about 2 tblsp more butter on the veggies and added celery as well. If it’s not completely done in the allotted time, I can fix it in a covered electric skillet or an Instant pot very quickly. Take her advice and get an instant read probe thermometer and your cooking will get a lot easier.
Hi Graham! Thank you so much for your kind comment! I really appreciate it! So glad you enjoy the recipe!
Hi Erin,
I have made many of your recipes and enjoy them very much. My Crockpot is made by Crockpot it is 6 quart and Programmable and Manual. I love having the choice and its new. I am at 2 hours on High and my Crock pot runs hot usually, so I was excepting to have to pull chicken early, unfortunatly at 2 hours on High my vegetables are completely raw and my chicken is raw underneath so I am bumping it up to 3 more hours on high.
I am using two skinless , boneless chicken breasts at 1.22 wt. I really think either some liquid like broth or water needs to be added and cooking time needs to be adjusted. The Chicken was completely defrosted . I’m hoping as long as I keep it on high for a total so far of 5 hours nobody will get sick- is this correct? Thank you! Its smells delicious , just not cooking so as long as I add extra time on high will chicken and veggies be safe?
Update I moved vegetables to side putting chicken to center bottom closer to butter sauce and tossed veggies around side on top of cooked and underside is cooking up! Yay! Still cooking times may have to be longer.
Hi Maria! When in doubt always, always temp your chicken to make sure it has reached the right internal temperature before serving. Hope you enjoy it!
We loved this recipe. It was simple and ready to eat when we were. I didn’t have a lemon so substituted jarred lemon juice. Next time I’ll plan and use fresh lemon thank you
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Karen! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Super easy recipe! The chicken came out so tender and juicy! I did a dry rub on my chicken first with some cayenne, smoked paprika, a chicken spice blend and some other random spices/herbs. I am definitely making this again. Thank you!!
Hi Dee! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Delicious!!! I forgot to add the yogurt and cheese but it was delicious without! This recipe is a winner!
Hi Kayla! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I followed this recipe as closely as possible but was minus a few ingredients, so I had to improvise. For example, I didn’t have baby carrots (we grow our own food), so I cut up whole carrots. I didn’t have Parmesan cheese or any cheese, so that was eliminated. My other half is on a low-fat diet; by virtue of that circumstance, the butter was also eliminated. I had to substitute russets for the Yukon or red potatoes. I followed the rest of the ingredients and slow cooked on low.
This is a no fuss-no-muss-quick-to-go-together recipe which I truly appreciate with all the other work that goes into homesteading. The last thing I want to do is spend two hours putting a meal together. In 1987, I gave my Crock Pot away and just purchased another. This easy recipe was a great way to dust off my crockery cooking skills.
Thank you for a great meal and hardly any kitchen time!
My family cleaned my slow cooker and hollered for more! That was just five nights ago. Wanna guess what’s in the slow cooker for tonight?! :)
Glad it worked out for you Annie!
Made this several times now. Twice with chicken thighs and tonight with thin chicken breasts. We really liked it with thighs but loved with the chicken breasts. I followed the recipe exact. Delicious!
Hi Melanie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I would make this recipe again. We absolutely loved it. Made for an evening when coming off the boat during camping.
Thank you Betty!
5 tablespoons of butter was nowhere near enough or I missed something, but nothing was submerged in liquid. Added Chicken broth
Hi Jimmy, thank you for your feedback. Nothing is supposed to be submerge. The butter cooks over the chicken, the chicken should release some moisture. Hope this helps!
This recipe was a 10 plus 10 plus 10. Could not find recommended Italian seasoning used McCormick Italian seasoning. There was hardly any leftovers. I’m very picky but this was so delicious,
Makes me so happy to hear, Nancy! Thank you!