Juicy Slow Cooker Chicken Breast Recipe

This slow cooker chicken breast recipe is an interesting one, as you can look at it one of two ways, and both will yield great results. On the one hand, you can call this a complete recipe that yields a finished foodstuff ready to serve as your protein entree. On the other hand, you can think of it as merely producing one ingredient needed to add to another recipe. Chef and recipe developer Susan Olayinka of The Flexible Fridge says: "This chicken is so versatile, it can be put in different dishes like pasta, sandwiches, or wraps, and it even pairs well with rice. It's really versatile."

And along with the versatility of the finished product, you'll appreciate the ease of the recipe. "As a working mother and a busy person," says Olayinka, "I love to get delicious food on the plate in an efficient manner. A slow cooker allows me to do so because I don't have to babysit a pot at the stove." Once your initial prep work is finished and the chicken is cooking, the work will be entirely hands-off for three entire hours as the meat slowly cooks into tasty tenderness that goes so well with so many other eats.

This easy-to-make recipe is also pretty basic in the ingredient department. In fact, you very likely have everything you need to prepare this chicken on hand already. If you don't, it won't be difficult to find what you need at your local grocery store.

The recipe calls for two cups of chopped chicken breast, chicken broth, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, rosemary, onion powder, butter, and, depending on how you'll be serving it, optional fresh chopped parsley.

"If somebody doesn't like spice, they can totally omit the chili powder," Olayinka says. "And if someone loves spice, then they can add more."

Slice the chicken into cubes if need be, then wash the meat and pat it dry. Now into the slow cooker go the chicken cubes, the chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, dried rosemary, onion powder, the broth, and the butter. Next, stir to mix the raw chicken, broth, and spices together, and then put the slow cooker on low and let it cook for three hours.

"Do not lift up the lid of the slow cooker," says Olayinka. "It slows down the cooking of the chicken, so please, do not be tempted — just let it do its thing and cook the chicken." Once three hours have passed, the meat is ready to be enjoyed, whether as an entree in its own right or as a component in another favorite recipe.

However you cook your chicken, you need to make sure it is cooked safely, which means hitting a minimum internal temperature of at least 165 degrees, according to the United States government's own food safety website (and according to your mother, most likely — yep, she was right). A reliable slow cooker should have chicken breasts cooked through in a few hours when you are using the high setting, but it's still always a good idea to use a meat thermometer to check a few pieces of the meat.

If you don't have a meat thermometer handy, slice all the way through a couple of the thickest pieces of chicken and ensure the meat is white throughout, with no semi-translucent pink areas.