CrockPot Chicken and Potatoes

This Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes is slow-cooked in a broth flavored with Mediterranean herbs. It's an easy slow cooker meal that requires only 10 minutes prep and a great way to get a healthy, hearty, satisfying dinner on the table with little effort! An easy recipe that the entire family will love.

Olives are ubiquitous at my house. They're always on the table. Special occasions call for olives. Sundays call for olives. We eat olives just about every day.

My kids' favorite part of black olives is putting them on their fingers and pretending to be monsters. I'm not saying you have to do that to make this recipe, but if you feel so inclined, it definitely adds to the charm.

Anyway, we tried this recipe recently and loved it. After a day in the CrockPot, the chicken is fall apart tender, the potatoes are perfect, and the feta and olives add a fresh zest of flavor. Everybody had seconds.

Why this is the best CrockPot chicken recipe

It's comfort food at its best. This is a very easy recipe with simple ingredients and preparation but lots of flavor.

This recipe is picky eater approved. It's a basic meat and potatoes meal that kids love as much as adults.

It's mix and go. Dump everything into your CrockPot and turn it on. The prep couldn't be any easier! It takes a couple of minutes to wash and chop everything, but after that, you can walk away for the afternoon and when you come back, dinner's ready.

It's easy to customize. You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs, and you can use whatever seasonings and herbs you want. I've suggested my favorites in the recipe below, but I've also included suggestions for variations.

It's healthy and hearty. While some crockpot chicken and potatoes recipes call for cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup, this recipe is healthy, using only broth for the cooking liquid.

It's allergy-friendly. This recipe as written is gluten-free, dairy-free (leave out the feta at the end), nut-free, egg-free, and soy-free.

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What you'll need to make slow cooker chicken and potatoes

EQUIPMENT

• CrockPot - Obviously, this is a slow cooker recipe, so you'll need a CrockPot or another brand of slow cooker. You can also make this recipe in an Instant Pot. You'll just need to adjust the cooking time and add a bit more chicken broth.
• Garlic press - I love my garlic press and use it almost daily. If you don't have one (you should get one!), go ahead and mince the garlic as small as you can with a sharp knife.
• Instant read thermometer - Chicken needs to have an internal temperature of 165ºF to be eaten safely. It's always a good idea to check the temperature of your meats when cooking. If you notice that your chicken is done and your potatoes are still firm, remove the chicken and cover it with foil until the potatoes are cooked through. If you overcook the chicken, it will get dry.

INGREDIENTS

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• Medium potatoes - I like Yukon gold potatoes best, but you can use russets (peeled - their skins are tough) or red potatoes as well. These should be washed and cut into quarters. You can peel them or leave the peels on, as you prefer.'These should be washed and cut into quarters. You can peel them or leave the peels on, as you prefer.
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts - You can use breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs, as you prefer. Either way, they should be cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Large onions - I like sweet vidalia onions, but you can use whatever you have on hand. They're going to cook so long that they'll get sweet and mostly break down anyway. These should be cut into petals (or a coarse chop will do).
• Fresh garlic - There is no substitute for fresh garlic. If you must, you can use minced garlic from a jar or even garlic powder, but your finished chicken and potatoes will not taste as good as they would if you used fresh garlic.
• Chicken broth - I use low sodium chicken broth from the grocery store, but you can use whatever chicken broth or chicken stock you have on hand.
• Dried oregano - This is what gives the finished chicken and potatoes its Mediterranean flavor. If you have something against oregano, you could use ranch dressing powder, thyme, Italian seasoning, or a different herb or spice.
• Table salt
• Ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil - I like the flavor of olive oil in this recipe but you could use another flavorless oil if you prefer.
• Feta cheese - The feta and olives are added at the very end, just before serving. I love both and use them generously. You could substitute grated Parmesan for feta, if you prefer.
• Black Olives - You'll want sliced olives. I buy them pre-sliced at the store, but you can also buy whole ones and slice them yourself if you like to do a lot of pointless work.

How to make CrockPot Mediterranean chicken and potatoes

1. Place potatoes in the bottom of the Crock Pot.
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2. Add onions.
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3. Top potatoes and onions with chicken.
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4. Press garlic on top.
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5. In a small bowl, mix chicken broth with spices. Pour over chicken and potatoes. You can stir it up now, if you want, but I usually don't.
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6. Top with oil.
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7. Cover. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
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8. To serve, top with a generous spoonful of feta cheese and a handful of sliced black olives. Garnish with some chopped fresh parsley if desired.
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Tips for the best Mediterranean chicken and potatoes

Make sure all your pieces of chicken, potato, and onion are roughly the same size. If some are bigger and some are smaller, the small ones will be overcooked while the larger ones will be undercooked. The smaller potatoes will disintegrate and the larger ones will be unpleasantly crunchy.

Use an Instant read thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken during cooking. Once it has reached 165ºF, it's best to remove it from the CrockPot and cover it with aluminum foil until the potatoes are done. Overcooked chicken breast gets dry and tough.

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Variations

I've suggested a lot of variations in the ingredients section above.

You can use Yukon gold potatoes, red skin potatoes, or russet potatoes (peeled).

You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs.

For the seasoning, you can use oregano as suggested, ranch dressing mix, Italian seasoning, thyme, or another herb as you like.

You can add a half teaspoon of cayenne or a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want spicy chicken.

You can add some veggies to the Crock Pot. Carrots and green beans both hold up well using a slow cooker.

What to serve with CrockPot chicken and potatoes

I like to serve chicken and potatoes with a vegetable like roasted beets, roasted asparagus, roasted carrots, roasted brussels sprouts, or 15-minute air fryer mushrooms.

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Storing leftovers

Transfer cooled Crock Pot chicken and potatoes to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

To reheat, place a serving on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30-60 seconds at a time until hot.

I don't recommend freezing cooked potatoes as they get weird after thawing, but you can freeze the chicken. Place it in a plastic freezer bag or an airtight freezer container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating as directed.

Can you put frozen chicken in the slow cooker?

No! You must always thaw meat before you put it in a slow cooker. If you put it in frozen, it may become unsafe to eat because it cooks so slowly that bacteria can grow as it thaws. You can put frozen meats into an Instant Pot because it cooks quickly, but you can never put frozen meats in your CrockPot.

Do you have to brown chicken before putting it in the slow cooker?

No, browning is not necessary. You can just put the chicken in the slow cooker raw.

How do you know when chicken is done?

You need to use a thermometer. I recommend this one.

Does slow cooking chicken longer make it more tender?

No. This does work for some meats, but chicken (especially chicken breast) gets dry and tough if it's overcooked, even in a slow cooker. Pay attention to the internal temperature of the chicken and remove it from the CrockPot when it reaches 165ºF.

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If you like this recipe, you'll love these:

• Crockpot Mexican Steak and Beans
• Crockpot Meatloaf
• Crockpot Beef Stew
• Slow Cooker Steak with Mushrooms and Onions
• Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup from Taste of Home
• Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
• Spicy Slow Cooker Jambalaya

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