This “set it and forget it” method of cooking Frozen Chicken in the Crock-Pot is a life saver when you forget to take it out of the freezer the night before.
We’ve all done it. A busy morning starts a busy day then we suddenly realize we haven’t taken any meat out of the freezer for dinner. So we make a busy day even busier by running to the store or reluctantly dialing the local pizza place whose number is now programmed into our phones and ordering an extra-large pie because we may want the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. And as we pace eagerly in anticipation of that knock at the door that informs us dinner has arrived, that frigid chicken sits on the other side of the freezer door, silently judging us for not having the foresight or sufficiently organized calendar to remove it from its ice-encrusted storage a day in advance. Yes, that pizza sure tasted great but it’s not the homemade healthy dinner we’d planned for.
Of course, had you this recipe, you could have avoided the pizza (wait… did I just say that??) and stuck to your original poultry-powered plan. It’s super simple and highly effective, taking your frozen chicken breasts, butter, and seasoning, and transforming it in a matter of a few hours into tender, juicy pull-apart chicken to use in any recipe you like!
This shredded chicken comes out bursting with flavor. It’s so versatile, too. Think tacos, sliders, pastas, chili, salads, soups… there are so many ways to use it you might just find yourself making chicken this way all the time! We’re so impressed with this chicken that we keep it on hand for those days that there’s just too much going on to remember everything! That’s most days for most of us, am I right?
Can I do this with any cut of chicken?
You sure can, though there are a few things to keep in mind. I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts because I find them to be low-maintenance. Without any skin or bones, they’re easy to shred and can be added to any number of dishes or draped in any number of sauces. I also find most people like white meat more than dark meat. Hence my decision to go with them. But bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks can also be used. They’re perhaps more flavorful and honestly, my guests scarf them down just as quickly as they do the breasts. Just know that bone-in chicken takes longer to cook; have that meat thermometer on hand to ensure it’s done. Also, the skin can be removed to reduce excess fat, though, with that fat goes some of the flavor. So it’s a trade-off. And because the thighs and drumsticks have more flavor, you may want to adjust the amount of seasoning used to accommodate that natural taste.
Ingredients
- 6 frozen, boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
How to Make Frozen Chicken In The Crock-Pot
Step 1: Place the frozen chicken breasts in the Crock-Pot and sprinkle evenly with the salt, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Dot the chicken with the thinly sliced butter.
Step 2: Cover the Crock-Pot and set to cook on LOW heat for 6-8 hours. For a quicker option, cook on HIGH heat for 4-6 hours.
Step 3: Ensure the chicken has reached a safe internal temperature of at least 165°F by using a meat thermometer.
Step 4: Once cooked, shred the chicken with two forks and use it as needed in your favorite recipes.
FAQs & Tips
First, let the chicken cool completely; it will turn to mush and become a breeding ground for bacteria if you store it away with its own steam inside your airtight container (you can also use a Ziploc bag). It should last in the fridge for up to three days. Any longer than that and its quality will suffer. If you want to keep it around longer, you can freeze it. I would divide it up into smaller portions so that you only need thaw what you intend on using at the time. It can be frozen for a month. To thaw, place it in the fridge overnight or microwave it on the ‘defrost’ setting.
Are you asking whether you can cook chicken in the Crock-Pot? The answer is a resounding yes! In fact, it’s one of my favorite ways to cook chicken as it reduces the chance of drying out your chicken breasts or overcooking them. I’ve developed a few recipes that incorporate slow-cooker chicken: Crock-Pot Salsa Chicken and Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken. There’s even Shredded Chicken Nachos (Slow Cooker)—you can use the chicken you’ve shredded in this recipe to adorn a massive plate of nachos and serve it up to your friends the next time you have them over.
Of course. If you know how you’re using the chicken you can pre-season it with any rub you like. This recipe is designed to prepare a simple a delicious chicken that you can use in a bunch of different ways, but if you know you’re making tacos, for example, go ahead and add chili powder to the chicken before you start! Adding it to pasta? Perhaps the addition of Italian seasoning will work a treat. Or a mix of paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder, if you plan on serving it at a barbecue. Want to reminisce about the south of France? An herb de Provence mix of thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and lavender will take your there. Adding it to an Indian curry? Use curry powder with spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, and ginger.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken is so versatile that there are countless ways of using it, limited only by your imagination. We’ve pictured it here used in a Greek-style pasta salad with olives, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, a few canned chick peas and some feta cheese – all tossed in lemon juice, good olive oil and a little fresh oregano. It’s simply delicious, covers all your food groups and comes together really quickly while the chicken finishes cooking. Chicken is known for its versatility so don’t be afraid to try it with your favorite dishes or as a part of ethnic cuisines. Curries, pastas, salads, sandwiches… the list goes on.
Easy Crock-Pot Frozen Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 frozen boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Place the frozen chicken breasts in the Crock-Pot and sprinkle evenly with the salt, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Dot the chicken with the thinly sliced butter.
- Cover the Crock-Pot and set to cook on LOW heat for 6-8 hours. For a quicker option, cook on HIGH heat for 4-6 hours.
- Ensure the chicken has reached a safe internal temperature of at least 165°F by using a meat thermometer.
- Once cooked, shred the chicken with two forks and use it as needed in your favorite recipes.
- To save for future meals, let the chicken cool, then transfer to a freezer-safe zippered bag and freeze for up to one month.
