Easy Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy Recipe

Easy slow cooker chicken and gravy recipe is made with simple ingredients, packed with flavor, and is a family favorite. With four simple ingredients, you can have dinner prepped and cooking in the slow cooker in five minutes. You will end up with a tender chicken dinner and plenty of happy eaters.

The Perfect Comfort Food Recipe

Chicken and gravy on a plate with mashed potatoes

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
Total Time: 7 hours and 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings 
Preparation Level: Beginner +

What I Love About This Recipe

  • Chicken, ranch seasoning, and cream of chicken soup are the perfect comfort food.
  • It’s very budget-friendly, tastes amazing, and everyone here at the house loves it
  • And it’s such an easy chicken recipe. I can’t get over how easy it is to make it.

We head over to The Fresh Market once a week and stock up on chicken and meat on sale day. They have great prices, and we honestly love the way both the ground beef and chicken taste.

Serve this tender chicken on top of garlic butter pasta from Beyond The Chicken Coop for a hearty and flavorful meal.

Shredded chicken and gravy on top of mashed potatoes.

You can use chicken breasts or cutlets for this recipe. I usually use whatever is on sale.

I’m notorious for not planning dinner ahead of time, so I try to keep both the soup and seasoning in the pantry. That way, if I need to put something in the Crock Pot for dinner, I can grab those, add them to the chicken, turn it on, and it’s cooking.

If you love slow cooker chicken, give No Plate Like Home’s brown sugar balsamic chicken a try.

Simple Crock Pot chicken and gravy on a plate.

Ingredients

Full recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card. The recipe card can also be printed. Approximate nutrition facts are listed below.

We love this particular recipe over mashed potatoes because the flavors go so well together and it’s filling. But, it also tastes great over white rice. Another option is to thicken the gravy and put over egg noodles.

If you don’t want to take the time to make mashed potatoes, grab some pre-made mashed potatoes at the grocery store, heat them up, top them with the shredded chicken and gravy, and you’ve got dinner.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Chicken cutlets in a slow cooker.

Start by spraying the slow cooker with non-stick spray and place chicken breasts or cutlets at the bottom. I used six chicken cutlets for this recipe. If you plan to use breasts, use four.

This will feed four people, and I have two hungry teenagers, so this is a good amount for four with mashed potatoes.

Raw chicken breast and chicken soup in a Crock Pot.

Next, pour the cream of chicken soup over the top and spread it out.

Dry ranch seasoning over chicken breasts in a Crock Pot.

Sprinkle the ranch seasoning over the top of the soup and chicken.

Chicken, soup, ranch dressing, and water in a slow cooker.

Finally, pour the water into the slow cooker. Try to pour the water over the ranch, so it will cook a little better and not be dried out on top.

Replace the lid and cook for seven hours on low.

Cooked chicken and gravy in a Crock Pot

Once the chicken is finished cooking, remove the lid, shred the chicken, and top some mashed potatoes.

Cooked shredded chicken in a Crock Pot.

The gravy mixture is not a typical thick gravy or lumpy gravy, but it ends up with a buttery and rich flavor and it is one delicious gravy.

If you do want a thicker gravy, add a tablespoon of cornstarch to the meal about 30 minutes before it gets done cooking. Be sure to add the cornstarch to water and mix before adding to the slow cooker or it will be lumpy.

Side Dishes (And Simple Recipes) That Go Well With Chicken and Gravy

Great recipe for chicken and gravy.

Other Easy Slow Cooker Recipes

Shredded chicken and gravy on a plate with mashed potatoes.

Flavor Variations

If you’d like to change the flavors of the meal on occasion, here are a few alternate ideas:

  • Cream of mushroom soup
  • Cream of celery soup
  • Cream of cheddar cheese soup
  • Pork or chicken seasoning
  • Taco seasoning
  • Gravy seasoning (brown gravy mix or white gravy mix)
  • Fajita seasoning
  • Sour cream
  • Onion soup mix
Crockpot chicken with gravy and mashed potatoes on a white plate.

Great recipe for chicken and gravy.

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy Recipe

4.44 from 319 votes
Julie Pollitt
Easy slow cooker chicken and gravy recipe is made with simple ingredients, packed with flavor, and is a family favorite.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 5 minutes
Course Chicken
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 360 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 ounce dry ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
  • 1 10.5 ounce can of cream of condensed chicken soup
  • 1 cup water or chicken broth

Instructions
 

  • Grease the slow cooker with non-stick spray.
  • Place the chicken into the bottom of the Crock Pot.
  • Top with the chicken soup.
  • Sprinkle the ranch seasoning on top and pour the water over the seasoning.
  • Replace the lid and cook on low for seven hours.
  • Once it is done cooking, shred chicken with a fork, and serve over mashed potatoes.

Video

Notes

You can either use 4 chicken breasts or 6 chicken cutlets for the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 360kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 28gFat: 2.3gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 205mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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4.44 from 319 votes (319 ratings without comment)

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93 Comments

  1. Looks scrumptious. Comfort food. Could serve over noodles, too

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Over noodles would be delish!

  2. Have you ever tried making dumplings with this? Do you think that there would be enough liquid to do so?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Jessica, I haven’t made chicken and dumplings with it, but I think it would work. I would probably add at least one cup of water or chicken broth for cooking the noodles.

  3. Kim wiley says:

    I would like the recipe for Beef Manhattan

  4. Anna Quintana says:

    Can I cook on high for 4 hours ???

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Yes, that should be fine. Hope you love it!

  5. How did you come up with the nutrition value for this dish. I can’t understand why each serving is 49grams of fat and 9xx calories! Yikes!

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Oh my goodness! That is incorrect. It pulls from a plugin I use on the site and sometimes it’s a little crazy. I’ll try to see if I can fix that. Thanks!

    2. @Julie Pollitt, thank you! I feel better making it now. Lol

      1. Julie Pollitt says:

        I hope you love it!

  6. Can I use frozen chicken or does it need to be thawed?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Misty,

      Yes, you can use frozen chicken. I would add about half an hour or so to the cooking time. Hope you love it!

  7. Melissa Garner says:

    What is the gravy?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Melissa, the gravy is thinner on this recipe. It’s the liquid that it’s cooking in. If you would like it thicker, you can remove the chicken and add some cornstarch and let it thicken some.

    2. Holly rheachel Woods says:

      @Julie Pollitt, how much starch?

      1. Julie Pollitt says:

        Hi Holly, the recipe does not call for starch, but if you wanted to add some to thicken the gravy a little, I would add about one tablespoon toward the end. I hope you love the recipe!

  8. Can we use chicken gravy instead of the ranch seasoning?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      You can! You can also use taco seasoning, or anything like that. It will be delicious!

  9. JonAnn M King says:

    I need to make this using 6 chicken breasts. Could I just add 2 extra breasts.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi JonAnn,

      You can add the two extra breasts, but you might want to add a little more chicken broth and cream of condensed chicken soup. But, if you don’t it should be fine and still wonderful!

  10. Is there a reason that you don’t mix the ingredients and then pour that over the chicken breasts? Do you lose flavor?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Jodie,

      Great question! I do it to keep from dirtying another dish. You can mix the ingredients and pour them over the chicken. That will work just fine and taste great. If you do mix it, I would mix the ranch seasoning and chicken soup together and spread it over the chicken and then pour the broth over the top and on the sides.

  11. Eva Miller says:

    Would this work with an instapot?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      I think it would. You would have to check the owners manual to see the time difference, but I think it would taste great!

  12. If I’m only making this for two people with two chicken breasts, should I cut the other ingredients in half?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Alicia, You could cut it in half. I think either way would be fine. If you used the full amount of ingredients, you would just have extra gravy.

  13. JoAnn Epperson says:

    These recipes are amazing. My family loves them. Please email me more

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi JoAnn, That’s great to hear! Did you sign up for my newsletter? I try to email one or two recipes a week.

  14. Just made this last night. So yummy! And easy too. Mine did for some reason end up thicker/creamier than the pictures but still amazing.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Erin,

      Thanks so much for sharing that! It’s great to hear! Mine has come out a little thicker at times. Maybe it has something to do with how much liquid the chicken puts off when it cooks?

  15. Could you do this with turkey breast instead of chicken? If so, any modifications to the rest of the recipe so that isn’t overly chickeny?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Jen! You could use turkey breast. You could use beef broth instead of chicken broth. Or, you could use half chicken broth and half water. For the condensed soup, you could use cream of mushroom instead. Hope that helps!

  16. Is it make a difference if my chicken is frozen 🤔

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      You can put in frozen chicken. I do it all the time. You might want to cook it about 30 minutes longer. Hope you love it!

  17. Krystal A says:

    What is the weight on the amount of chicken needed, a pound, pound and a half?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Krystal,

      I use four breasts, which is right around a pound of chicken. Hope you love it!

  18. Hi Julie, thank you for sharing your recipe.

    If I don’t have as much time, would it be fine to cook it on high? How should I adjust the time?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Lizzie,

      You can cook it on high. That will be fine. You can cut it down by two or three hours. Just make sure the chicken is cooked through and tender.

  19. Hi! I have pre-made shredded chicken in my fridge. Is it possible to use that? Adding to a dish with the ingredients and heating it up? Or is it best to use uncooked chicken? Thanks!

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Kimberly, I haven’t tried it that way, but I think it would work fine. The chicken might not be as tender, but it should still be delicious!

  20. Jennifer Britton says:

    Made this for dinner tonight, I actually used the instant pot, threw it over Bob Evans potatoes with a side of steamed Broccoli and everyone was happily fed in a matter of minutes! Delish! Thank you!

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      That’s great to hear! Thanks so much for sharing. How long did you cook it in the Instant Pot?

  21. Never did say how much water or broth to use.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Todd, It’s all the way at the bottom in the recipe card. It’s one cup of either water or broth. Hope you love it!

  22. Could you use leftover thanksgiving turkey instead of chicken?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Carlie! I think that would work fine. You wouldn’t have to cook it as long either, since the turkey will be done and only needs to heat up. Let me know how it goes. That sounds delish!

  23. This is the best recipe I have found for chicken in the slow cooker. And the tip for using your stand mixer to shred it is so good! It worked perfectly. All of your tips and suggestions are great, thank you for sharing.

    Quick and Easy Family Recipes

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Imsen, that’s great! I am glad to help. 🙂

  24. Have you tried adding a frozen veggie mix? If you have, would you recommend it or would it screw up the rest of it? Thanks

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Adding frozen veggies is a great idea! I would put them in about two hours before the recipe is done, though.

  25. This looks fabulous . I pinned it for later. Thanks for sharing.

  26. Miz Helen says:

    We sure enjoyed featuring your awesome post on Full Plate Thursday, 588. Thanks so much for sharing with us and sure hope you come back again!
    Miz Helen

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Thank you so much, Miz Helen!

  27. I don’t have ranch mix at the house. Do you think onion soup mix would work well too? I was trying to use what I have 💕

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      That would work great! I would hold off on adding any additional salt until you taste it when it’s done. If it needs more you can add it then. The onion soup mixes tend to be pretty salty.

  28. Hello. This recipe looks great. Can I use a rotisserie chicken instead? Should I shred and put it in for less time?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Monica,

      Thank you! You can use a rotisserie chicken. I would shred it and put it in for two to three hours on low. Let me know how you like it!

  29. Really yummy!! Did 1/2 the Ranch as regular and half of the spicy Ranch powder. Love that you have so many variataions. We will be trying them all!! Thank you!!

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      HI Laurie,

      Thanks so much. Spicy ranch sounds great! What a good idea. Thank you for sharing that!

  30. Hi there. Could I use boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts for this recipe? 🙂

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Jessica,

      Yes, you can use boneless thighs instead. I would keep the cook time the same. Hope you love it!

  31. Super tasty! I throw in a small can of peas towards the end.

  32. Would love to see more of your recipes! I’m all about simple but yummy! Thank you!

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Thanks so much Candice! I love easy recipes and love to share!

  33. I don’t have time to crockpot this. Do you think I could pour it over chicken breasts and cook in the oven for an hour? I know the chicken wouldn’t be as tender.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Amy,

      I think it would work. It’s worth a try. Let me know how it goes! The gravy may not be thick at all.

  34. Used Healthy Request soup (lower sodium) and lower sodium chicken broth and it was still too salty. Next time I will just use water. But for the saltiness, it was good. Good recipe for shredded chicken sandwiches– in a bun.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Sometimes those lower sodium soups can still be salty. But, glad you liked it!

  35. Thanks for the tasty and easy recipe. I used smoked paprika and poultry seasoning instead of the ranch because that’s what I had on hand. I served it over cornbread flavor stove top stuffing. and it was big hit.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      That sounds wonderful! What a delicious meal!

  36. I have a 4.5qt crockpot- do you happen to know the recipe proportions for a smaller machine than standard? Just trying to figure out what adjustments I have to make. Thank you so much!!

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Emily,

      I would cut the recipe in half for your Crock Pot. I hope in the future we can have something in the recipe card that will automatically adjust for those things.

  37. Love this recipe but it’s just me and my husband so we have leftovers. Can I freeze the chicken mixture?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Betty,

      You can! Just make sure it is in an airtight container that is freezer safe.

    2. @Julie Pollitt, Thanks so much!

      1. Julie Pollitt says:

        You’re welcome!

  38. Can you use Dutch oven?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Sherry, I haven’t made this in a Dutch oven, but I think you could. You would have to cook it low and slow. Hope that helps!

  39. Can this be made with frozen chicken breasts..

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      As long as you cook them for the full amount of time. I stick frozen chicken breasts in the slow cooker all the time. Enjoy!

  40. My kids favorite meal, they ask for it several time a week!

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      I love to hear that!

  41. I got 4 chicken breast. Package says 2.3 pounds. Should i add more of the other ingredients? If so how much?
    Thanks

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      I would keep the same amounts. I used four chicken breasts in the recipe. Enjoy!

    2. @Julie Pollitt,
      Thanks for taking the time to reply. It was actually 2.94 pounds.

      I already doubled the other ingredients before i saw ur reply. Should i just scoop out excess before i shred chicken?

      1. Julie Pollitt says:

        If there’s a lot of liquid, I would probably scoop out a cup or two. That way, it won’t drown your mashed potatoes or whatever you put it on. Hope you love it!

  42. Can you use frozen chicken? If so what do I change the cook time to? Thank you! I’ve made this several times, it’s sooo good! Just don’t have the time to law the chicken this time around..

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Lacy,

      You can use frozen chicken and cook it for eight hours. You can actually check after seven, as they might be done and tender. If not as tender, you can cook it one more hour. So glad you like it!