11 Crockpot Chicken Dinners For High-Protein, Easy Weeknight Meals


As someone who doesn’t enjoy cooking, I love nothing more than a simple slow cooker recipe I can pull together in the morning and return to a finished product — minimal effort from me required. Even if you love being in the kitchen, having some slow cooker recipes on hand for busy weeks can be so, so helpful. These Crock-Pot chicken recipes are the perfect meals to pull out when you want something high in protein, nutritiously dense, and delicious.

And don’t worry: I’m not about to stick you with a bunch of soup recipes only and call it a day. Slow cookers can do so much more than make stews, chilis, and the like. You can cook a whole chicken in there if you want, which is ideal for meal prepping — kind of like grabbing a rotisserie chicken at the store you can pull from throughout the week. Or prep a big batch of flavorful chipotle wings before a party with ease.

If you’re trying to make enough food for a family, to have leftovers, or to meal prep, Crock-Pot chicken dinner recipes like these can also be a big help. These are no meager rations or two-person recipes. Nope — this is chicken tikka masala or barbecue chicken sliders for the whole fam.

01Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie With Garlic Cheese Biscuits

A Cookie Named Desire’s Crock-Pot chicken pot pie recipe looks absolutely delicious. She’s clear that her recipe serves four, so double up if you want more servings to eat for lunch this week. Her biscuit recipe is included and seems easy to follow, or you could top them with your own version, pop the filling inside a storebought crust… whatever floats your boat.

02Slow Cooker Chicken Nachos

Take whatever boneless cut of chicken you have — breasts or thighs — and pop them in the slow cooker with some seasonings. Set to low for six to eight hours or high for three to four, and there you have it: delicious shredded chicken to toss on some tortilla chips and top as you wish. Family Fresh Meals’ nacho recipe is tasty, nutritious, and fun. My son loves eating nachos right off the sheet pan alongside us, which means fewer dishes to do when we’re done.

03Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Pasta

Damn Delicious’ recipe for chicken parm pasta looks, well, exactly that. The chicken cooks low and slow all day so the spices really meld together, then you just add your boiled pasta and cheeses for 10 to 20 minutes at the end. Once it’s melty and generally irresistible looking, you serve.

04Chicken Taco Soup

All The Healthy Things’ chicken taco soup can be made on the stovetop or in the slow cooker. It takes two to three hours in the Crockpot on high, so the most work you’ll have to do is dicing the veggies and shredding the chicken when it’s done.

05Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

There’s something nice about just having a rotisserie chicken on deck in the fridge. Whether you pick at its little carcass for lunch or carve it up to put in other dishes, it’s just a great fail-safe. Fit Slow Cooker Queen’s slow cooker whole chicken produces a big ol’ tender, flavorful bird you can break down throughout the week however you wish.

06BBQ Chicken Sliders

Sliders don’t get enough hype — they’re perfectly portioned little sammies that are just as good for weeknight dinners as they are for football watch parties. These BBQ chicken sliders from Simply LaKita come together with very little effort in the slow cooker. Then just add the shredded chicken to some buns, top as you wish, and enjoy.

07Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken

You could Doordash pad Thai yet again and bemoan how expensive it is, or you could try this easy Crock-Pot Thai peanut chicken from Averie Cooks instead. Serve with rice, noodles, or whatever you like, and top with plenty of peanuts and green onions for full effect.

08Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken

If you want to serve an impressive chicken dish, or just want something extra cozy for dinner, this balsamic chicken from Foodie Crush with onions and mushrooms will definitely hit the spot. It’s shown here served with white rice, but man, imagine this with mashed potatoes (*drooling*).

09Chipotle Bourbon Chicken Wings

Whether your family loves wings and wants them for dinner or you have a big gathering at your place this weekend, these wings from The Curious Plate are worth a try. You literally just coat them in sauce and seasonings and cook them for a few hours, and you’re done.

10Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Not all slow cooker recipes have to be for soup…but, like, some of the best ones are. This chicken gnocchi soup from Averie Cooks looks so delish, and you don’t have to do any stovetop searing beforehand, so it doesn’t require you to do a ton of dishes. And, if you fall in love with this meal, she has a 30-minute stovetop version, too, for when you’re in a pinch.

11Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

Easy, budget-friendly, and nutritious — this recipe from Budget Bytes has it all, honestly. Teriyaki chicken with pineapple is a delicious flavor combo, and served over rice with a side of your favorite veggies, it’s a perfect lunch to meal prep for the week ahead.

So, which of these recipes are you adding to your weekly rotation? Don’t forget to throw some Crockpot liners in your cart at the store for easy cleanup.



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