5 ingredient chicken slow cooker meals for when you need a super easy meal with very little effort. All recipes include simple ingredients and are dump and go. It doesn't get much easier for a busy weeknight dinner.
Slow Cooker Meals for Busy Days
Busy weeknights call for easy recipes. Crockpot meals are one of my favorite ways to get dinner on the table without much hassle. You can't get much easier than throwing a few ingredients in a slow cooker and letting it cook all day while you go about your business. There's something that makes you feel like a super hero when dinner is basically done after breakfast. Nothing can stop me!
Since chicken is an economical protein that typically the whole family likes, I thought I would limit this list of easy 5-ingredient slow cooker recipes to chicken only. The recipes below use either chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Why 5 ingredients?
My mission is to help people feed their families well even when time and money are tight. I want to help remove so many of the barriers that hold people back from eating a home cooked meal instead of resorting to fast food.
By using a short ingredient list, it is less food to buy, which means less money spent.
It is also less work in the kitchen dealing with lots of ingredients, so it saves time as well.
These 5 ingredient slow cooker chicken recipes are great for:
- a new mom
- college students
- families on a budget
- busy families that just need an easy weeknight meal
5 ingredient chicken slow cooker recipes
1.Easy Crockpot Shredded Chicken: Let's start this list with a very basic crockpot chicken recipe that is great for meal prep. Use the seasoned shredded chicken in a variety of ways throughout the week: on salad, chicken salad, wraps, casseroles, soups, etc. Yes I know it actually has six ingredients because of the spices, but you could always leave out the onion powder and it would knock it down to five. Does salt count as an ingredient though?
2. Salsa Verde Chicken: This easy Mexican chicken couldn't be easier. It's a great recipe when you want big flavor without many ingredients thanks to the jarred salsa verde. Choose mild or medium salsa verde depending on which spice level you prefer. Serve in flour or corn tortillas or over white rice in a bowl.
3. Slow Cooker Orange Chicken: Orange chicken made in the slow cooker sounds like a winner to me. Chicken, bbq sauce, orange marmalade, soy sauce, and green onions. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice.
4. Creamy Italian Chicken: The cream cheese and cream of chicken soup make this creamy dish total comfort food. I would use an organic brand of cream of chicken soup to keep the ingredients a little healthier. Serve over noodles or rice.
5. Slow Cooker Butter Chicken: No boring crockpot chicken meals here. This uses a shortcut by incorporating an Aldi simmer sauce. Cut your chicken into bite sized pieces to get the traditional feel of butter chicken instead of shredded.
6. Salsa Chicken: This is such a simple recipe to use as a base for any Mexican recipe. I love using it for tacos. Chicken breasts or thighs can be used.
7. 5 ingredient chicken tortilla soup: Instead of using a rotisserie chicken like the recipe calls for, use 1.5 lb of chicken breasts or thighs and dump everything in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Shred chicken before serving.
8. Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans, and Potatoes: This is a full one dish meal. To make this with 5 ingredients, follow the directions in the recipe notes to use a dry Italian dressing mix and butter instead of the homemade dressing.
9. Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken: I love Buffalo sauce and this is much cheaper than a pack of chicken wings. Use the meat for sandwiches, top a salad, or top a baked potato or sweet potato.
10. Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs: This is one my favorite meals when I need to totally push the easy button. My whole family loves it. Just chicken, barbecue sauce, and seasonings. Serve as is with a salad or roasted vegetable or on a bun. If you have leftover chicken I love topping baked potatoes with the shredded bbq chicken and cheddar cheese.
11. Slow Cooker Italian Chicken: Italian seasoning, bell pepper, jarred marinara sauce, and sun dried tomatoes make this chicken flavorful and delicious on its own or on top of pasta.
12. 5 Ingredient White Chicken Chili: This is not originally a slow cooker recipe, but you could easily put two chicken breasts with the remaining ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Shred chicken before eating.
13. Honey Garlic Chicken: This one is very kid friendly. The flavorful sauce is made of honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and garlic. Serve over white or brown rice
14. Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken: Another sweet and tangy dish. The chicken is seasoned with barbecue sauce, garlic, bell pepper, and pineapple.
For more healthy slow cooker recipes, visit my 60 EASY AND HEALTHY SLOW COOKER RECIPES
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