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This easy ranch chicken Crock Pot recipe yields flavorful, tender, shredded meat that’s delicious in sandwiches and wraps, in tacos or burritos, and on salads or rice bowls. With just 10 minutes of prep, it’s a quick, simple, and family-friendly weeknight dinner!
Table of Contents
If you love easy chicken crock pot recipes, be sure to try this fiesta crockpot chicken, classic crockpot BBQ chicken, a batch of crock pot Mississippi chicken, and this Coca Cola chicken, too!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy. This is one of those great one-pot meals that you can just dump-and-go. Shred the meat and your work is done!
- Flavorful. Some Crock Pot chicken recipes can taste bland and watered down, but not this one! Between the herby Ranch seasoning and the additional herbs and spices like garlic powder, onion powder, chives, dill, and parsley, this creamy shredded chicken is anything but boring.
- Versatile. There are many different ways that you can adapt this recipe to suit your family’s preferences or to take advantage of the ingredients in your pantry. See my “Recipe Variations” section below for specific suggestions, such as making it spicy with cayenne or red pepper flakes, adding bbq sauce for a smoky and sweet flavor on the sandwiches, or using cream cheese instead of condensed soup.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for our favorite Crock Pot creamy ranch chicken. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Cream of chicken soup: the creamy base of the sauce. Use a “Healthy Request” or reduced-sodium variety if you’d like to limit the sodium in this dish. You can also swap out the chicken soup for a different flavor, such as cream of celery soup. Cream cheese is another great substitute (see my notes below for that variation).
- Ranch seasoning mix: I like the Hidden Valley salad dressing and seasoning mix packet, but you can certainly sub with your own homemade ranch seasoning if you prefer.
- Water or chicken broth: to thin the sauce just enough that you can mix it. You don’t need much, since the the condensation in the pot and the liquid and fat rendered from the chicken will further thin the sauce.
- Garlic powder, onion powder, dried chives, dried parsley flakes, dried dillweed, ground mustard, ground black pepper: additional seasoning that adds an extra punch of Ranch flavor to the sauce. No watered-down chicken allowed!
- Chicken: use boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs — whichever you prefer.
How to Make Ranch Chicken in a Crock Pot
We all love a dump-and-go slow cooker dinner, and this easy recipe is no exception! In fact, it’s adapted from my Crock Pot ranch pork chops, which are equally delicious crowd-pleasers. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Whisk together the sauce in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Add the chicken and toss to coat.
- Cover and cook until the chicken is done.
- Shred the chicken with two forks (I do this right in the slow cooker so that I don’t have to wash an extra dish!).
- Add a little bit of extra water or broth to thin the sauce, if necessary.
- Garnish with chopped fresh herbs or sliced green onions and serve!
Serving Suggestions
This crockpot ranch chicken recipe is delicious on sandwich rolls with a drizzle of bbq sauce, in chicken tacos, on top of leafy green salads, in wraps with bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato, or on top of rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes. On the side, pair the chicken with any of these easy options:
- Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Baked Potato Wedges
- Skillet Cornbread, Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Honey Cornbread, or Old-Fashioned Corn Sticks
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, Stovetop Shells and Cheese, or No-Boil Easy Mac and Cheese
- Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Easy Drop Biscuits
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Wedge Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, House Salad with Candied Pecans, or a Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Easy Potato Salad
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Southern Succotash
- Southern Collard Greens
- Fried Okra
- Broccoli and Cheese
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon
- Charleston Red Rice or Rice Pilaf
- Okra and Tomatoes
- Southern Squash Casserole
- Cheese Grits
- Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onion, Braised Red Cabbage, or Roasted Cabbage
Preparation and Storage Tips
- How to Store: Leftover ranch chicken will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- How to Freeze: Let the meat cool completely. Package in a large Ziploc bag or other airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- How to Reheat: Place the chicken and sauce in a saucepan or skillet. Cover and warm over low heat, just until heated through. Add extra broth, water, or a splash of milk to thin the sauce if it seems dry. You can also warm individual portions in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until they reach the desired temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is it ok to put raw chicken in a slow cooker? Absolutely! A slow cooker is designed to cook raw meat, so it’s perfectly safe to use uncooked chicken in this recipe. That said, food safety experts advise against adding frozen raw chicken to the Crock Pot. The frozen meat takes too long to come to a safe temperature, allowing for the potential growth of harmful bacteria. Always thaw your meat in the fridge overnight before adding it to a Crock Pot.
- How do you prevent the chicken from drying out or turning rubbery in the Crock Pot? The key to maintaining moist, tender, and juicy chicken in the slow cooker is not overcooking the meat. This often requires less time than you expect! The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Is it better to cook chicken on high or on low in the Crock Pot? Either the high or low setting will work well, so choose whichever method suits your schedule best. Whether you cook the meat on HIGH or on LOW, it’s important that you don’t overcook the chicken or it will dry out.
- Does the chicken need to be covered with liquid in the Crock Pot? No, not at all. The chicken releases liquid and the fat renders as it cooks. The lid keeps the condensation in the Crock Pot, so adding too much additional liquid can result in diluted, watered-down sauce. Instead, this ranch chicken stays creamy and flavorful!
Recipe Variations
- Use 8 ounces (1 block) of diced cream cheese instead of the condensed soup (like a “crack chicken” recipe). If using cream cheese, season the chicken with the herbs, spices, and Ranch dressing mix, add the water or broth, and then place the diced cream cheese on top of the chicken. The cream cheese will melt as the chicken cooks, creating the creamy sauce.
- Instead of the condensed cream of chicken soup, try another flavor like cream of celery soup or cream of mushroom soup.
- Add crispy crumbled or chopped bacon to the chicken and sauce at the very end.
- Make it spicy by adding cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, or a can of drained Rotel tomatoes and green chilies.
- To feed a larger family (or to have plenty of leftovers), double all of the ingredients and cook 4 lbs. of chicken. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
Expert Tips
- Every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature (which is why the recipe gives you general time ranges, rather than exact cooking times). Since my slow cooker tends to cook at a relatively high temperature, I find that the meal is best when cooked on HIGH for about 2 hours or on LOW for about 4 hours. Sometimes it’s done in as little as 1 ½ hours on HIGH, though. Just get familiar with your pot and adjust accordingly.
- The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. It will not be pink in the center, and it should be easy to shred with two forks.
- After you shred the chicken, you can thin the sauce with a little bit of extra water, broth, or even milk. It’s easier to add extra liquid at the end if needed, rather than dealing with a watery sauce if you include too much at the beginning.
- If serving the chicken in sandwiches or wraps, try drizzling a little bit of barbecue sauce on top. The sweet, smoky sauce is delicious with the herby, creamy chicken.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
Crock Pot Chicken and Gravy
4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Crock Pot Chicken Stew
8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Crock Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Ranch Chicken Crock Pot Recipe
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 10 minutes
Tender, juicy, and flavorful shredded ranch chicken comes together in the slow cooker with just 10 minutes of prep!
Ingredients
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 (1 ounce) packet dry Ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix (such as Hidden Valley brand)
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried chives
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dried dillweed
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley, chives, or sliced green onions
Instructions
- Grease the inside of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. In the slow cooker, whisk together the condensed soup, Ranch seasoning mix, chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, parsley flakes, dillweed, ground mustard, and ground black pepper.
- Add the chicken and turn to make sure that the meat is well coated in the sauce on all sides.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Shred the chicken with two forks and give everything a good stir so that the meat is well combined with the sauce. Taste and season with kosher salt and extra ground black pepper, if desired. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs or sliced green onions and serve!
Notes
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- Every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature (which is why the recipe gives you general time ranges, rather than exact cooking times). Since my slow cooker tends to cook at a relatively high temperature, I find that the meal is best when cooked on HIGH for about 2 hours or on LOW for about 4 hours. Sometimes it’s done in as little as 1 ½ hours on HIGH, though. Just get familiar with your pot and adjust accordingly.
-
- The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. It will not be pink in the center, and it should be easy to shred with two forks.
-
- After you shred the chicken, you can thin the sauce with a little bit of extra water, broth, or even milk. It’s easier to add extra liquid at the end if needed, rather than dealing with a watery sauce if you include too much at the beginning.
-
- If serving the chicken in sandwiches or wraps, try drizzling a little bit of barbecue sauce on top. The sweet, smoky sauce is delicious with the herby, creamy chicken.
- Use 16 ounces (2 blocks) of cream cheese instead of the condensed soup (like a “crack chicken” recipe). If using cream cheese, season the chicken with the herbs, spices, and Ranch seasoning mix, add the water or broth, and then place the diced cream cheese on top of the chicken. The cream cheese will melt as the chicken cooks, creating the creamy sauce.
-
- Make it spicy by adding cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, or a can of Rotel tomatoes and green chilies.
- Add crispy crumbled or chopped bacon to the chicken and sauce at the very end.
- Instead of the condensed cream of chicken soup, try another flavor like cream of celery soup or cream of mushroom soup.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the chickenCalories: 209kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 33gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 353mgPotassium: 880mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 529IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
