7 No Sautee Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

SEVEN simple slow cooker chicken recipes that have a lot of flavor for very little effort! Easy to prepare and made with wholesome ingredients, these crockpot chicken recipes are meal prep friendly and can be frozen as crockpot freezer meals!

When it comes to easy dinners, you really can’t beat the convenience of a slow cooker, especially ‘dump and go’ dinners which do not require a sautee step. Today’s 7 slow cooker chicken recipes are such lifesavers because not only do they skip the sauteeing step, but they are easy to assemble and can even be frozen!

Like the viral 7 Chicken Marinade Recipes you can Freeze, these crock pot recipes are also going to make your dinners exciting and delicious with very little effort.

The next time boneless skinless chicken breast (or boneless skinless chicken thighs) go on sale, stock up and assemble a few of these crockpot chicken recipes. Freeze for later and you are going to be so happy to have easy dinners waiting for you!

Don’t forget to pin this post to save it for later!

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these recipes. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Tools & Ingredients

• 6 quart slow cooker (for a full batch)
• 2.5 quart slow cooker (for a half batch)
• 1/2 gallon Stasher bags
• 1.5 L silicone bags from this set of 6 (cheaper than stasher and work great)
• gallon sized freezer bags
• Jokari bag holders (optional but makes filling the bags so easy!)

How to cook these recipes

1. Place all your ingredients into the slow cooker- Because these recipes require no sauteeing, you can simply dump all your ingredients into the slow cooker and press start!

2. Cook! In my experience, using Crock Pot brand slow cookers, I can cook chicken breasts for no longer than 3-4 hours on low. After that, they are completely disintegrated. If you know your slow cooker and it cooks lower or slower than this, you may be able to leave your slow cooker on for longer. Use your judgement when it comes to cook times!

Need to start dinner earlier? Swap for boneless skinless chicken thighs. You can cook them for 4-6 hours!

3. Add veggies during the last hour of cooking- If you are looking to turn these recipes into well-rounded meals, you can certainly add some veggies. In fact, we always add bell peppers and onions to the fajitas. You could also turn the teriyaki and honey garlic chicken into a ‘stir fry’ by adding veggies during the last hour of cooking.

I recommend adding the veggies during the last hour of cooking so they don’t end up mushy.

How to Make Freezer Crockpot Meals

1. Label bags with recipe name, date, and instructions. We use dry erase markers on our silicone bags.
2. Use these handy baggie holders to hold open your freezer bags while you portion out the ingredients.
3. Squeeze out as much air as possible.
4. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To cook

1. Thaw completely before cooking.
2. Dump everything into the slow cooker and select appropriate cook time.
3. Enjoy!

FAQ:

1. Can I cook these recipes from frozen? No. If you read your manual, they say that you cannot cook meat from frozen, as they cannot guarantee that the internal temperature will get high enough to prevent food borne illnesses. Want food poisoning? I didn’t think so 😉 Make sure you thaw these freezer packs before cooking.
2. Can I half this recipe? Yes! These recipes have been tested halved but cooked in a small (2.5 quart slow cooker). If you are cutting these recipes in half, you will need a smaller slow cooker, as the liquid will be spread too thin on larger (5 or 6 quart slow cookers).
3. How long do I cook them? I always cook boneless skinless chicken breasts for 3-4 hours on low. If you know your slow cooker and it cooks faster or slower than this, use your judgement and adjust the cook time accordingly.
4. Can I use chicken thighs? Yes, boneless skinless chicken thighs would be great in all of these recipes! Adjust the cook time to 4-6 hours on low.
5. Can I use these recipes without freezing them?  Yes, absolutely! You can put them straight in the slow cooker, or assemble ahead and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking.
6. What if my chicken is already frozen?  Do not thaw your chicken if you are going to freeze again. Add the sauce ingredients to already frozen chicken and freeze.

7 Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

GRAB THE PRINTABLE SLOW COOKER BBQ CHICKEN RECIPE HERE (or scroll to the bottom for the recipe card)

1. Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

This simple crockpot chicken recipe combines bottled barbecue sauce with maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and chili powder. It is tangy, sweet and savory.

GET THE PRINTABLE SLOW COOKER HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN RECIPE HERE (or scroll to the bottom for the recipe card)

2. Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

A mix of sweet and savory Asian flavors, this recipe makes a sauce that is perfect for spooning over rice and vegetables! We also like to add small broccoli florets to the slow cooker at the same time as a cornstarch water slurry about an hour before serving. Works great with chicken breasts or chicken thighs.

GET THE PRINTABLE SLOW COOKER LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN RECIPE HERE (or scroll to the bottom for the recipe card)

3. Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken

This recipe is great with chicken breasts or thighs, and has a delicious buttery/garlicky sauce that is perfect for spooning over rice and vegetables.

GET THE PRINTABLE CROCKPOT SALSA CHICKEN RECIPE HERE (or scroll to the bottom for the recipe card)

4. Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

This is a super simple way to cook your chicken in the slow cooker; all you need are three ingredients! This slow cooker salsa chicken absorbs a surprising amount of flavor during the cook time and can be kicked up a notch with some extra jalapenos or some cayenne.

Find the printable slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe here (or scroll to the bottom for the recipe card)

5. Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

Sweet, savory with ginger and garlic flavors, this slow cooker teriyaki chicken is a great kid-friendly dinner option, and comes with a delicious sauce for drizzling over rice and vegetables. Like the honey garlic chicken, you can add some extra veggies towards the end of cooking and turn it into a ‘stir fry’. This one is also great with chicken thighs.

GET THE PRINTABLE SLOW COOKER CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN RECIPE HERE (or scroll to the bottom for the recipe card)

6. Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

This slow cooker recipe is a bit different from others you’ll find because we blend our cilantro right up with some lime zest and spices. This means you don’t get soggy chunks of cilantro, but you still get that fresh, herby cilantro flavor. You can also add onions and corn to make it more substantial (directions are in the link above).

GET THE PRINTABLE SLOW COOKER CHICKEN FAJITA RECIPE HERE (or scroll to the bottom for the recipe card)

7. Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

You might notice the bell peppers and onion slices are missing from the bag…that is because we prefer to add them towards the end of the cook time so they don’t get soggy. This slow cooker chicken fajita recipe is cooked in fire roasted tomatoes for some extra flayvah.

Recipe card

This post was originally published in 2018. It has been rephotographed and republished in 2019 with new tips and a recipe video. Same great recipes!