Our Best Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes for Low-Hassle Dinners

If you like paella, then you’ll love this Latin American chicken and rice entrée. After just 15 minutes of prep time, you can give your slow cooker chicken dinner the rock-star treatment by bubbling it in a colorful blend of peppers, olives, peas, and—of course—a slew of sassy seasonings. 

Here’s one of our best slow cooker chicken recipes for kids (or for when you want to feel like a kid again!). Gooey mac and cheese meets barbecue chicken and bacon. You can feed a crowd with this slow cooker recipe, so it's great for toting to potlucks and parties.

Buy It: Crock-Pot Cook & Carry Slow Cooker ($40, Bed Bath & Beyond)

Put those takeout menus away! Not only can you make your favorite Chinese restaurant dish at home, but you also can set and forget it by using this slow cooker chicken recipe as a guide. Serve the chicken over egg noodles for a complete meal.

Related: DIY Asian-Inspired Main Dishes Way Better Than Takeout

Yes, you can make pizza in your slow cooker! It's a good thing too—you won't find these sweet and spicy slices at any old pizza chain. Psst ... this slow cooker BBQ chicken is a brilliant pick for days when you have leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken handy to give you a head start.

We'll never say no to buffalo chicken, especially when it takes next to no effort. Enter: this slow cooker chicken breast creation that practically cooks itself after you invest 15 minutes of prep. Once it’s fully cooked and spiced just right, spoon the hot and spicy chicken over brown rice for a meal in a bowl.

If Indian cuisine is your takeout genre of choice, you'll swoon over this curry-spiced chicken. The secret to its hot, golden glaze: jalapeños and cayenne. The flamin' duo make a kickin' slow cooker chicken dinner that only gets better when you garnish with a handful of chopped cashews for crunch.

This slow cooker herb chicken dish (that just so happens to fit the Mediterranean diet) is totally company-worthy. But don’t just take our word for it. One BH&G home cook raves, “The flavors are bold and complementary. It’s a great meal to serve to family and guests.” That’s because a rich rub of oregano, parsley, and basil coats the chicken breasts for maximum flavor, while spinach and grape tomatoes perk up the colors and nutrition.

Chicken soup heads south of the border—with scrumptious results. Tomatillos, jalapeños, cilantro, and lime juice give this chicken broth-based slow cooker chicken tortilla soup some Mexican flair. After it simmers all day, top the cozy dinner with sour cream, chopped bell peppers, and tortilla chips.

While this slow cooker chicken breast recipe is beautifully complex-tasting and layered with flavor, it will cost you only 15 minutes of prep time. The warm flavors of aromatic curry and ground ginger blend in this colorful, easy meal that will please even the least adventurous eaters. Pour each serving over basmati rice.

Marinated in a rich combination of rice vinegar, soy sauce, and coconut milk, adobo is a classic Philippine dish with global appeal. Sweet potatoes and skillet-browned chicken halves, thighs, and/or drumsticks (you choose!) braise together in your slow cooker for an all-in-one meal. Don’t let the somewhat lengthy ingredient list for this slow cooker chicken thigh recipe fool you: Many of the items are common spices and staple ingredients, and it takes only 20 minutes to toss together.

“Five stars, this is fantastic, and addicting! I've made it several times,” says one BH&G reader of this sassy, just-sweet-enough dinner. The tropical take on slow cooker chicken includes a spicy medley of cinnamon, ginger, and chipotle pepper to perk up the chicken. Mango nectar and fresh pineapple complement those savory and spicy qualities with some sweet.

Tender shrimp adds a dose of Cajun personality to juicy, fall-off-the-bone chicken, while an easy sauce of tomato and seasonings infuses the poultry with a taste of the Caribbean. Can’t decide between chicken thigh or breast meat? This will be one of our best slow cooker chicken recipes for you since you can use either or both.

The keys to rustic French cooking are fresh ingredients and simple flavors. Thyme and herbes de Provence bring their subtle flavors to chicken and fresh vegetables in this simply delicious slow cooker herb chicken. The stew mix calls for 4 ounces of white wine—what you do with the other 21 ounces in the bottle is up to you. (Pouring a glass for each adult dining on the dish seems like the ideal solution!)

Garlic-lovers, unite! The over-the-top blend of 12 garlic cloves, delicate herbs, and fresh lemon results in a slow cooker chicken recipe that's made even richer with tangy, nutty artichoke hearts. Serve this well-balanced chicken dinner over warm brown rice or any slightly nutty whole grain you like.

Homemade can be better than restaurant fare. Made fresh in the trusty countertop appliance, this popular Asian recipe calls for classic ingredients like soy sauce and colorful bok choy. Bonus: By making this slow cooker chicken dinner yourself, you’ll likely consume far fewer calories and much less sodium than if you ordered out.

Related: 6 Healthy Restaurant Remakes

Here’s proof that not all Italian dinners are loaded with carbs and calories. Cannellini beans, chicken, fennel, tomatoes, and yellow bell peppers make this a warm, hearty meal that's low in calories and high in protein. Sprinkle the slow cooker chicken thighs or drumsticks with fresh parsley to brighten things up before bringing the platter to the table.

Here's a game-day recipe the whole crowd will cheer about. The creamy four-ingredient dip cools the heat of the spicy slow cooker chicken recipe. If you’re hosting a larger team, feel free to make a double batch in a larger slow cooker

Buy It: Hamilton Beach 10-Quart Slow Cooker ($50, Target)

Cassoulet, a slow-cooked pork and bean casserole from the south of France, warms a chilly evening. For an easier-than-usual (yet still tasty) slow cooker chicken dinner, try our simple six-ingredient version. Chicken, turkey sausage, and a pinch of oregano sing in the marinara sauce-based soup.

Stretch chicken thighs and/or drumsticks and mushrooms into a huge, rib-sticking meal with this slow cooker herb chicken recipe. Chicken, thyme, and basil star in the pasta dish (that would also taste incredible served over quinoa or rice). Get creative and personalize your plate with a variety of mushrooms. 

This hearty slow cooker chicken breast is the weeknight dinner winner we all need in our lives. You can truly dump it all in and go on about your day. Then all that’s left to do come dinnertime, if desired, is boil some noodles to toss it all with. Since it serves eight, you might be lucky enough to have leftovers to enjoy for lunch tomorrow.

Think of this dish like slow cooker chicken tacos you can enjoy by the bowl-full! With frozen veggies and pantry staples such as salsa, diced tomatoes, and cannellini beans, this zesty chicken chili is convenient and delicious. Serve these unique bowls with a side of corn tortillas or tortilla chips to scoop up every last bite.

Cinnamon isn’t just for pumpkin spice and sweet rolls. A dash of cinnamon and curry permeate this slow cooker chicken thigh recipe with Moroccan-inspired flavor. Those spices accent not only the chicken but also the prunes, baby carrots, and onion in this fan-favorite dish.

Upgrade plain cheese quesadillas with some sauce. Tender slow cooker pulled chicken, zesty barbecue sauce, chile peppers, green onion, and lots of cheese fill these restaurant-quality quesadillas. Serve with salsa and sour cream to lend kick and coolness, respectively.

Bottled Alfredo sauce is the key to ace the creamy texture in this hearty stew. But we don’t stop there—green chile peppers balance out the richness of that Italian sauce with a touch of heat. As you’re considering side dishes, might we recommend a basket of breadsticks? It’s pretty much a must with this slow cooker chicken recipe!

Slow simmering makes this tangy sweet-and-sour chicken melt in your mouth. The slow cooker chicken dinner is spiked with frozen lemonade concentrate (trust us!) for a citrusy-sweet element that plays nicely with the vinegar, brown sugar, and ketchup in the sauce. Pair it with vegetable fried rice … and fortune cookies, naturally.

Go ahead, channel your inner Julia Child. This slow cooker chicken thigh entrée features beefy onion soup mix and red wine. Mushrooms, carrots, and onions complete the stew that's begging to be placed atop a big bed of buttery mashed potatoes. We can speak from experience—the luscious results are supremely comforting on a cold, wintry day.

Comforting creamed corn gets the main dish treatment in this slow cooker chicken recipe. Tender chicken, carrot, onion, corn, and celery stud a thick, creamy base made with cream of chicken soup and cream-style corn. Top the hearty soup with salty, crispy bacon pieces (since everything is better with it!).

Take a break from the basic bowl of red this week and go green with your chili recipe instead. This chicken and white kidney bean chili gets some color and flavor from green bell peppers and jalapeño pepper, plus cumin, oregano, and garlic. If you'd like, spoon the small-batch slow cooker chicken soup into store-bought bread bowls to serve.

Any Italian nonna (aka Grandma) would be proud to see a dish this saucy and colorful hit the table. With this variation and 25 minutes of prep, you can look forward to coming home to a ready-to-eat slow cooker riff on an Italian classic. While the chicken here is succulent and well-seasoned, it’s all about the sauce. The hearty slow cooker chicken and noodles dish is brimming with onions, mushrooms, and seasoned tomatoes.

You’ve probably tried pairing savory meat and sweet fruit together before (think pork chops and applesauce). But have you braised chicken with pears before? The licoricelike flavor of fennel makes a serendipitous match with the juicy pears and tender chicken. And because the fruit is dried rather than fresh, you can make this slow cooker chicken recipe anytime of year.

Related: 19 Dump Dinner Recipes for Easy Slow Cooker Dinners

Save time by making this soup with Mexican-seasoned chicken broth and canned tomatoes. Those two pantry staples plus four more ingredients are all that is required for this crazy-easy chicken dinner. Fresh jalapeños add a pleasant dose of heat to the slow cooker chicken tortilla soup.