Easy Crock Pot Chicken And Gravy With Ranch
This Crock Pot chicken and gravy with ranch is a dump-and-go dinner made with chicken, ranch seasoning, cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth. It’s ready for the slow cooker in about 5 minutes and cooks for 7 hours.
I grew up on Southern comfort food, and this is one of my favorite back-pocket meals for those busy days. It’s reliable, budget-friendly, and always comes out rich and flavorful.
The Perfect Comfort Food Recipe
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Servings | Prep Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 7 hours | 4 | Beginner + |
Featured Comment
Jenny says:
“My kids favorite meal, they ask for it several time a week!’
We love this particular recipe over homemade 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 it 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.
I also love to add some 3-ingredient drop biscuits on the side to dip into the gravy. And if you love these super easy dump-and-go recipes, give my 4-ingredient slow cooker sour cream chicken a try.
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 the 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.
How To Make Crock Pot Chicken And Gravy (With Ranch)
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.
Next, pour the cream of chicken soup over the top and spread it out.
Sprinkle the ranch seasoning over the top of the soup and chicken.
Finally, pour the water into the slow cooker. Try pouring the water over the ranch so it cooks a little better and doesn’t dry out on top. Replace the lid and cook for seven hours on low.
Once the chicken is finished cooking, remove the lid, shred the chicken, and top some mashed potatoes.
Julie’s Info And Tips
- The gravy mixture is not a typical thick or lumpy gravy, but it ends up with a buttery, rich flavor and is one delicious gravy.
- If you want thicker gravy, add a tablespoon of cornstarch to the meal about 30 minutes before it gets done cooking. Be sure to mix the cornstarch with water before adding it to the slow cooker, or it will be lumpy.
- Don’t overcook – be sure to shred the chicken as soon as it is done cooking.
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 – this will make it more savory, like a Sunday dinner.
- Cream of celery soup – this gives the dinner a lighter, herb flavor.
- Cream of cheddar cheese soup – this makes the flavor a little bit richer.
- Pork or chicken seasoning – this is best when you want a more traditional, roast-chicken style gravy flavor.
- Taco seasoning – best for a Tex-Mex twist. You can serve it with rice and top it with shredded cheese.
- Gravy seasoning (brown or white gravy mix) – best for quick flavor changes: brown makes it richer, and white makes it a creamy classic.
- Fajita seasoning – this will give it a peppery, onion-y kick. It’s great to eat it in bowls with pepper and onions.
- Onion soup mix – this seasoning will give it a French onion soup flavor.
- Sour cream – you can stir this in at the end, and it will give it an extra-creamy finish.
FAQs
Can I use frozen chicken?
I have used frozen chicken, but it’s safer to use refrigerated chicken. If you’re short on time, use partially thawed chicken and make sure it reaches 165°F.
Cook time HIGH vs LOW
Cook on low for 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 3.5 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F and is tender.
How do I thicken the gravy?
To thicken the gravy, use a cornstarch slurry. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch + 3 tablespoons of water, stir it in, and cook on HIGH for 10–15 minutes until thickened.
Can I use other cuts of chicken?
Yes, you can use chicken thighs, breasts, or cutlets. The cooking times will be the same.
Is this gluten-free?
This recipe is not. But it can be if you use gluten-free ranch seasoning mix and a gluten-free condensed soup.
Can I double it?
Yes! There is a place on the recipe card to adjust the serving size. The measurements will adjust accordingly.
Can I add veggies?
You can add veggies to the dish. I would stir the veggies in toward the end of the cooking time so they won’t get mushy.
Other Delicious Chicken Recipes
These are some of our favorite chicken dinners, great as back-pocket meals.
- There’s nothing more comforting than baked chicken and gravy served up with your favorite sides for a cozy family meal.
- Perfect for busy weeknights, this cheesy chicken casserole slow cooks into a creamy, satisfying dinner everyone will love.
- Tender chicken and hearty potatoes soak up all the flavor in this slow cooker creamy ranch chicken and potatoes recipe.
- I love easy dinners, and slow cooker Sweet Baby Ray’s chicken is only 5 ingredients, and you can dump-and-go with this recipe.
Easy Crock Pot Chicken And Gravy With Ranch
Ingredients
- 4 skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ounce dry ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
- 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.
Looks scrumptious. Comfort food. Could serve over noodles, too
Over noodles would be delish!
@Virginia,
Have you ever tried making dumplings with this? Do you think that there would be enough liquid to do so?
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.
I would like the recipe for Beef Manhattan
Hi Kim, I don’t have a recipe for Beef Manhattan, but here’s one I found: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/beef/ellens-roast-beef-manhattan.html
Hope that helps!
Can I cook on high for 4 hours ???
Yes, that should be fine. Hope you love it!
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!
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!
How much is one serving?
Hi Jen,
One chicken breast would be one serving. I always put four chicken breasts in and it’s four servings, but you can adjust the serving size in the recipe card to suit your needs. Hope you love it!
@Julie Pollitt, thank you! I feel better making it now. Lol
I hope you love it!
Can I use frozen chicken or does it need to be thawed?
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!
What is the gravy?
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.
@Julie Pollitt, how much starch?
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!
Can we use chicken gravy instead of the ranch seasoning?
You can! You can also use taco seasoning, or anything like that. It will be delicious!
I need to make this using 6 chicken breasts. Could I just add 2 extra breasts.
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!
Is there a reason that you don’t mix the ingredients and then pour that over the chicken breasts? Do you lose flavor?
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.
Would this work with an instapot?
I think it would. You would have to check the owners manual to see the time difference, but I think it would taste great!
If I’m only making this for two people with two chicken breasts, should I cut the other ingredients in half?
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.
These recipes are amazing. My family loves them. Please email me more
Hi JoAnn, That’s great to hear! Did you sign up for my newsletter? I try to email one or two recipes a week.
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.
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?
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?
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!
Is it make a difference if my chicken is frozen 🤔
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!
What is the weight on the amount of chicken needed, a pound, pound and a half?
Hi Krystal,
I use four breasts, which is right around a pound of chicken. Hope you love it!
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?
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.
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!
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!
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!
That’s great to hear! Thanks so much for sharing. How long did you cook it in the Instant Pot?
Never did say how much water or broth to use.
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!
Could you use leftover thanksgiving turkey instead of chicken?
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!
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.
Hi Imsen, that’s great! I am glad to help. 🙂
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
Adding frozen veggies is a great idea! I would put them in about two hours before the recipe is done, though.
This looks fabulous . I pinned it for later. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
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
Thank you so much, Miz Helen!
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 💕
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.
Hello. This recipe looks great. Can I use a rotisserie chicken instead? Should I shred and put it in for less time?
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!
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!!
HI Laurie,
Thanks so much. Spicy ranch sounds great! What a good idea. Thank you for sharing that!
Hi there. Could I use boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts for this recipe? 🙂
Hi Jessica,
Yes, you can use boneless thighs instead. I would keep the cook time the same. Hope you love it!
Super tasty! I throw in a small can of peas towards the end.
Great idea!
Would love to see more of your recipes! I’m all about simple but yummy! Thank you!
Thanks so much Candice! I love easy recipes and love to share!
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.
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.
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.
Sometimes those lower sodium soups can still be salty. But, glad you liked it!
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.
That sounds wonderful! What a delicious meal!
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!!
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.
Love this recipe but it’s just me and my husband so we have leftovers. Can I freeze the chicken mixture?
Hi Betty,
You can! Just make sure it is in an airtight container that is freezer safe.
@Julie Pollitt, Thanks so much!
You’re welcome!
Can you use Dutch oven?
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!
Can this be made with frozen chicken breasts..
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!
My kids favorite meal, they ask for it several time a week!
I love to hear that!
I got 4 chicken breast. Package says 2.3 pounds. Should i add more of the other ingredients? If so how much?
Thanks
I would keep the same amounts. I used four chicken breasts in the recipe. Enjoy!
@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?
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!
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..
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!
I have been trying to find more meals that are good for you less salt and sugars thank you.
You’re welcome! Glad you are here!
This looks and sounds yummy and quick and easy to me! Thank you!!
Hi Gloria!
It is super duper easy. We love it here! Thank you so much!
What size Crock Pot do you use for most of your recipes?
Hi PJ,
I use a 6-quart slow cooker for my recipes. It will hold a lot of food.
I make a similar dish, but instead of the Ranch seasoning, I use an envelope of dry brown gravy mix. We love this over potatoes.
Brown gravy is always such a great idea! I love all of those seasoning packets. Thanks for sharing!
we don’t like ranch can you offer an alternative seasoning?
Hi Dee,
You could try onion soup and dip mix, chicken taco, or hibachi chicken and rice. I would stick to the one ounce size. Check out the aisle at the grocery store where they have the one ounce packets. There are a ton to choose from and I think a lot of them would taste fantastic!
what temperature do you set the crackpot on? high or low for 6 hours
I always cook it for 7 hours on low. But if you did six, I would start out the first hour on high and then turn it down to low. If you can let it go to 7 hours on low, it will be so tender. Hope you love it!
After shredding the chicken I thickened the juice then added corn and carrots (no one wanted peas). Was great!! Next time I will eat it over biscuits
That sound amazing! Thank you for sharing that so we can try!
I made this yesterday (four breasts) using our Instant Pot and cream of mushroom soup. Loved the result! The chicken fell apart without resistance. We’re going to make chicken pot pies for the freezer with most of the meat but we need a good plan for all the extra liquid. Thanks!
That’s great to hear! I love that you are making chicken pot pie out of them!
I live in Australia we don’t have ranch seasoning what else can I use
thanks
Hi Chris,
Here is a recipe for homemade dry ranch: https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/homemade-ranch-seasoning/
Or, you can use another favorite seasoning packet such as dry Italian seasoning, taco seasoning, fajita seasoning, or onion soup mix. Hope you love it!
Delicious and so easy!! could I put some cooked carrots or corn in it or would that ruin it? Thank you for the recipe!!
You’re welcome! I don’t think it would ruin it. But I would put the veggies in the last hour so they aren’t mushy.
which is better ? water or chicken broth ?
Either works, but chicken broth will have more flavor.
I just tossed mine into the crock pot! I used water so I added a tiny amount of buillion seasoning since I usually use reduced sodium broth. Just for a little more flavor. I also added carrots because roasted/slow cooked carrots sounds like a good idea for this recipe.
Carrots would be delish!
I love comfort food more than fancy food. This dish doesn’t disappoint. So easy and so flavorful. Don’t add any salt as you get plenty with the can soup and Ranch seasoning. I used about 2 1/4 pounds of chicken tenders instead of the breasts. My crockpot runs hot so everything was done around 2 hours and 15 minute (test to 165°). I added an additional cup of water/broth for more gravy. I also added a dollop of sour cream when it was done. I cooked some Yukon Gold potatoes (skin on, so really smashed potatoes) and served the chicken and gravy on top. Oh my. So, so good! I’ll be cooking this again for sure. Love how easy and few ingredients there are. Thank you for sending the recipe my way!
Hi Judy,
I am so glad you liked it! I am like you – I love comfort food and this fits the bill! I love your additions to the recipe, too!
hi was wondering if I can cube my chicken breast I’m doubling the recipe. do I have to shed my cubes or can I serve chunks
You can serve chunks. It will still be very tender.