Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy
Delicious chicken and gravy in the slow cooker. No cans of soup or gravy packets, just old-fashioned comfort food made with simple ingredients.
My family and I just wrapped up a five-state road trip! We visited Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. These were a few of the closest states we had left on our homeschool “Visit All 50 States” bucket list.
Even though we had a blast, we were all missing home and home-cooked meals by the last day. My boys said, ” I don’t care if I ever see another restaurant for a long time.” LOL
We visited some amazing sites and restaurants but Lord have mercy, homemade food made with quality ingredients just can’t be beat. It’s like our bodies were craving real food.
Since we’ve been swamped with rain, I thought now was the perfect time for some good ol’ comfort food.
I whipped out my crock pot and fired up this comforting, old-fashioned chicken and gravy!
Why I love this slower cooker chicken and gravy recipe
For starters let me just say that I just absolutely LOVE the whole concept of using my crock pot, yet I always seem to forget about it.
The whole set it, forget it, run errands, and come back to the smell of dinner ready is incredible, isn’t it?
This chicken and gravy recipe is nothing to shake a stick at (omg, I’m starting to talk like my Georgia relatives!!) regarding appearances, but it’s so simple, comforting, and wholesome.
It’s just tender, seasoned shredded chicken and fresh vegetables (if you choose to add them) smothered in a creamy, from-scratch gravy.
Let’s make it!
That Delicious From-Scratch Gravy Recipe!
Before we begin, I need to get something out of the way. I don’t know how to say it so, I’m just gonna say it real fast You’llneedtomakethegravyinaseperatepotfirst.
Whew. I hope this doesn’t scare you off. I know some people HATE having to do any “pre-cooking” when using the crock pot.
But since we aren’t using canned condensed soups or gravy packets, this is the way to go to get that home-cooked creamy gravy taste.
You’ll be glad you did though, because this delicious creamy gravy is easy and super forgiving if you mess up!
I usually make it up in two batches (and freeze one) during my weekly meal prep. But really, this gravy comes together in minutes! Think I’m kidding?
Here are the steps:
- Melt butter in skillet over medium heat and cook garlic until fragrant.
- Whisk in flour and stir until flour is golden and smooth.
- Slowly whisk in chicken broth and spices.
- Simmer until gravy begins to thicken enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
- Pour gravy into crock pot.
See, that’s it! Throw the chicken in (and some veggies if you’d like), and come back in a few hours for dinner!
Choose Your Base
Normally, I serve this slow-cooker chicken and gravy over garlic and herb or cream cheese mashed potatoes. I mean, can you really go wrong with this combination? But we also love it served over egg noodles! Here are a few more suggestions to try.
Serve it over:
- Rice (It’s good over herbed rice or yellow rice )
- Mashed Potatoes( We love this over mashed potatoes)
- Pasta (It’s delicious over fluffy egg noodles)
- Biscuits (Yep, chicken and gravy will always be a hit with tender buttermilk biscuits in my book)
- Cornbread dressing (Great over cornbread dressing)
- Texas toast (This is delicious over any type of thick, toasted bread.)
What to serve with Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy
- Meal Idea #1: Chicken and gravy over herb rice, garden salad, and garlic bread
- Meal Idea #2: Chicken and gravy over cornbread dressing, candied yams, collard greens and yeast roll
- Meal Idea #3: Chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes, garden salad, and Texas toast.
- Meal Idea #4: Chicken and gravy over egg noodles, grilled cheese sandwich sticks, and garden salad.
Grab These Simple Ingredients:
- Skinless chicken breasts
- Fresh garlic, minced
- Seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, celery seed, poultry seasoning, smoked paprika, thyme, and parsley.
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Chicken broth (I use Better-Than-Boullion paste if I don’t have homemade)
How To Make it!
Here’s a brief run-down on how to make chicken and gravy in the crock pot. You can find the full recipe at the bottom of this post.
INSTRUCTIONS
- To make the gravy, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Whisk in flour a little at a time, stirring until all the flour is combined and golden.
- Slowly pour in chicken broth while continuing to whisk until mixture is smooth.
- Stir in spices.
- Bring to a simmer and simmer until the gravy has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Pour gravy into the crock pot.
- Season the chicken generously on both sides and place it into the crock pot.
- Place the lid on the crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours. (Shred the chicken at the 3-hour mark and continue cooking for the remaining time) *times may vary depending on your slow cooker and how thick your chicken is.)
- When ready to serve, stir, taste and add more seasonings if desired. (see note about gravy texture)
- Serve over noodles, rice, mashed potatoes, biscuits, or dressing.
My Crock Pot
I recently purchased this casserole crockpot and love it! It’s only a 4 qt size, but I find it works great for my family of 4. It’s especially useful for certain casserole-type meals. I can just bring the dish to the table ready to serve.
Tips for making this chicken and gravy in the crock pot
- Add veggies! Feel free to throw in a 1-1 1/2 cups of vegetables. I love it with chopped carrots, onions, and celery.
- Make your gravy beforehand. Even though the gravy is super easy and quick to make, making it ahead can really save time on a busy day. It freezes well and thaws out quickly by running it under hot water.
- Flatten the chicken. If you chicken breast are really thick, try flattening them so that they cook under all of that delicious gravy.
How to Store Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also place in the freezer for meal prep. Use a freezer storage container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Common Questions
- Can I use chicken thighs? Yes, but chicken thighs will make the gravy a bit greasier.
- My gravy is too thick; how can I thin it? Stir in a little chicken broth.
- My gravy is too thin. How can I thicken it? Spoon half a cup of gravy from the pot and place in a bowl. Stir in a little cornstarch until you have a cornstarch slurry. Stir this back into the gravy to thicken it. (I’ve never had to do this with this recipe, but that is usually how I thicken loose gravies. ) Taste and season.
- Can I cook this on high? I’ve only cooked this on low. I’ve always been told that for slow cooker recipes with homemade gravy, you should cook them low and slow. This may be a myth but I’ve never thought to experiment, if I do I’ll update the post.
- Can I use cream of chicken soup and/or chicken gravy mix? These aren’t needed in this recipe since we are making it from scratch. It’s delicious!
- Can I add other vegetables? Sure can! It’s great with mixed vegetables.
Get the Recipe:
Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy
Ingredients
Gravy
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth (I use better-than-bouillon)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
Chicken
- 2 lbs chicken breast (flattened if really thick)
- ½ teaspoon salt (can use seasoning salt)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- To make the gravy, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the garlic and saute until the garlic is golden and fragrant.2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Gradually whisk in the flour, stirring until flour is completely mixed in. Cook the flour for a few minutes to remove the raw taste.⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- Slowly stir in the chicken broth while whisking the entire time.4 cups chicken broth (I use better-than-bouillon)
- Stir in gravy seasonings.1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon parsley , ½ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- Bring to a simmer and cook until the gravy thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Taste the gravy and add more seasonings if desired. (remember the flavor will intensify as it cooks, so be careful not to over-salt)
- Pour the gravy into the slow cooker.
- Mix together the chicken seasonings and season both sides of the chicken generously.2 lbs chicken breast (flattened if really thick), ½ teaspoon salt (can use seasoning salt), ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Place the chicken into the slow cooker.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours. (may need more or less time) Shred the chicken during the last hour.
- Taste and add more seasonings if desired.
- Serve chicken over seasoned mashed potatoes, yellow rice, or herb pasta.
Delicious! I added onions, carrots, and celery to the gravy and served it over Grandma Barb’s buttermilk biscuits. This recipe makes great leftovers- it’s quickly become one of my favorite meals.
Cooked it once and my family asked for it again. Delicious and a great weeknight dinner.
I made this a little thicker than the recipe says, because my husband prefers stews, and it was a hit!!!!! Thank you for this recipe as I was trying to make a one pot meal that is healthy and full of veggies, and this hit the mark without appearing to be too “soup-y!!!” The biscuits were a plus with this!!!!
so yummy and quick 🙂