Crockpot chicken and gravy is the easiest kind of comfort dinner: chicken breasts go into the slow cooker, a can of cream of chicken soup whisked with two envelopes of chicken gravy mix gets poured over the top, and the pot does the rest. After 4 to 5 hours on LOW you shred the chicken right in the gravy and spoon it over rice or mashed potatoes. It takes 5 minutes to prep and serves 4.
How to make chicken and gravy in the slow cooker: Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lay it in the crock. Whisk the soup with the gravy mix, adding ½ cup of water or broth for a thinner gravy, and pour it over. Cover and cook on LOW until the thickest piece reaches 165°F, then shred it with two forks and stir it through the gravy.
Why You’ll Love It
- 5 minutes of prep: season, whisk, pour, cover.
- Pantry ingredients: chicken plus a can of soup and two gravy packets.
- Tender, saucy chicken: it cooks slowly in the gravy and shreds easily.
- Serve it your way: over rice, mashed potatoes, egg noodles or bread.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken breasts: 3 to 4 boneless, skinless breasts. Boneless thighs work too and stay a little juicier.
Cream of chicken soup: one 10.5-ounce can of condensed soup, undiluted. It makes the gravy creamy. Cream of mushroom or cream of celery can stand in.
Chicken gravy mix: two 0.87-ounce envelopes. They season and thicken the sauce, so you don’t need flour or cornstarch.
Water or chicken broth: 1/2 cup, optional. Add it if you like a thinner, pourable gravy. Broth gives more flavor than water.
Salt and pepper: for seasoning the chicken. Go light on the salt, because gravy mix is already salty.
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Ingredients
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (10.5 oz)
- 2 envelopes chicken gravy mix (0.87 oz each)
- 1/2 cup water or chicken broth (optional, for a thinner gravy)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Hot steamed rice, to serve (or mashed potatoes, egg noodles or bread)
How to Make Crockpot Chicken and Gravy
1. Season the chicken. Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Mix the gravy. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup and chicken gravy mix. If a thinner gravy is desired, add ½ cup of water or chicken broth.
3. Pour it over. Pour the soup mixture over the seasoned chicken in the slow cooker.
4. Slow cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 4–5 hours, or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
5. Shred. Shred the chicken with two forks right in the slow cooker, mixing it with the gravy.
6. Serve. Serve the chicken and gravy over hot steamed rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles. Enjoy!
Grandma’s Crockpot Chicken and Gravy
This is the old-fashioned kind of slow cooker recipe that gets handed down on index cards: canned soup, gravy packets and chicken, cooked low all afternoon and served over something starchy. Nothing gets browned first and there’s no roux to stir. The soup and the gravy mix thicken on their own as the chicken cooks, and the juices from the meat loosen it into a smooth, savory gravy.
The Secret to Flavorful Chicken Gravy
- Season the chicken itself. Salt and pepper on both sides flavors the meat, not just the sauce. Garlic salt or seasoned salt adds more.
- Use broth, not water. If you thin the gravy, chicken broth keeps the flavor strong.
- Keep the lid closed. Every peek lets heat out and adds cooking time.
- Shred it in the pot. The shredded chicken soaks up the gravy instead of sitting in it.
- Taste at the end. Gravy mix is salty, so add more salt only after shredding.
- Thicken if needed. If the gravy looks thin, leave the lid off near the end so some of the liquid cooks away.
Variations
- Chicken thighs: use boneless, skinless thighs for richer, juicier meat.
- Other soups: swap in cream of mushroom or cream of celery.
- Other gravy packets: turkey or pork gravy mix work in place of chicken.
- Herbs: stir dried thyme or rosemary into the soup mixture.
- Extra creamy: stir in a spoonful of sour cream after shredding.
- Garnish: finish with chopped parsley or green onions.
Make Ahead & Storage
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Store the chicken and gravy separately from the rice or potatoes.
Freezer: The shredded chicken and gravy freeze well in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheating: Warm on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of broth, stirring, until it reaches 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Spoon it over steamed rice, mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, or ladle it over split biscuits or toast. Add green beans, peas or a simple salad on the side.
More slow cooker chicken dinners: 3-ingredient slow cooker cream cheese chicken, 5-ingredient slow cooker retro cream chicken, slow cooker creamy ranch chicken and slow cooker poor man chicken stew. For beef with gravy, try slow cooker pot roast with gravy or slow cooker ribeye steaks with rich gravy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make chicken and gravy in the slow cooker?
Season chicken breasts and place them in the slow cooker, pour over cream of chicken soup whisked with gravy mix, and cook on LOW until the chicken reaches 165°F. Shred and stir it into the gravy.
What are the three ingredients in crockpot chicken and gravy?
Chicken breasts, a can of cream of chicken soup and chicken gravy mix. Salt, pepper and a little water or broth are optional extras.
Can I put frozen chicken in the slow cooker?
No. Thaw it in the refrigerator first. Frozen chicken stays too long at unsafe temperatures while a slow cooker heats up.
Can I cook it on HIGH?
Yes, it cooks faster on HIGH. Start checking early and cook until the thickest piece reads 165°F.
How do I thicken the gravy?
Skip the extra water or broth, or leave the lid off near the end of cooking so the gravy reduces.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes. Boneless, skinless thighs stay tender and add richer flavor.
How long do leftovers keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat to 165°F.
Final Notes
Season the chicken, keep the lid closed and shred it right in the gravy. If you try it with thighs or a different gravy packet, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Crockpot Chicken & Gravy
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Ingredients
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup 10.5 oz
- 2 envelopes chicken gravy mix 0.87 oz each
- 1/2 cup water or chicken broth Optional, for a thinner gravy.
- to taste salt and pepper For seasoning the chicken.
- to serve hot steamed rice Or serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or bread.
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup and chicken gravy mix. If a thinner gravy is desired, add ½ cup of water or chicken broth.
- Pour the soup mixture over the seasoned chicken in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4–5 hours, or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Shred the chicken with two forks right in the slow cooker, mixing it with the gravy.
- Serve the chicken and gravy over hot steamed rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
