Juicy Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing

Juicy chicken, savory stuffing and a creamy herb sauce cooked together in one pot: Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing tastes like a holiday side dish and a Sunday chicken dinner rolled into one. It takes about 15 minutes to put together. The slow cooker does the rest while the kitchen starts to smell like Thanksgiving.

The chicken breasts cook gently in a sauce of cream of chicken soup, sour cream, broth, onion, celery and thyme, so they stay moist instead of drying out. The stuffing goes on top for the last hour, where it soaks up just enough of that sauce to turn soft and savory without going to mush.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• About 15 minutes of hands-on work. Dice an onion and some celery, whisk the sauce, and let the slow cooker take it from there.
• Juicy, not dry. The chicken is covered in sauce the whole time, and the cooking time is built around chicken breasts, which dry out when they cook too long.
• Stuffing with texture. Adding it later keeps it fluffy on top and saucy underneath.
• A whole meal from pantry staples. A box of stuffing mix, a can of soup and a carton of broth are easy to keep on hand.
• Easy weeknight comfort food. It tastes like a holiday dinner with none of the fuss.

Ingredient Notes

Chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless breasts of about the same size cook evenly. Make sure they are fully thawed: USDA food safety guidance says to thaw meat and poultry before slow cooking, because frozen pieces can stay too long at temperatures where bacteria grow. Boneless, skinless thighs also work and are even more forgiving (see the substitutions below).

Cream of chicken soup. Use the condensed kind, straight from the can and undiluted. Cream of mushroom or cream of celery works the same way.

Sour cream. It makes the sauce richer and a little tangy. Full-fat sour cream holds up best over long cooking; plain Greek yogurt works in a pinch.

Chicken broth. Low-sodium broth keeps the salt in check, since both the soup and the stuffing mix are already seasoned. Half goes into the sauce and half moistens the stuffing.

Onion and celery. They are the classic stuffing flavor. Dice them small so they soften fully in the sauce.

Stuffing mix. Any 6-ounce box of chicken-flavored stuffing mix works; add the seasoning packet with the bread cubes. Herb or cornbread stuffing mixes are good too.

Butter. Tossing the dry stuffing with melted butter gives it rich flavor and helps the top stay tender instead of pasty.

How to Make Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing

The full recipe card with every step is at the top of this page. Here is the method in short:

1. Layer the chicken. Season the thawed chicken and lay it flat in a greased 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Make the sauce. Whisk the soup, sour cream, half the broth, the onion, celery and thyme, then pour it over the chicken.
3. Cook the chicken first. LOW for 3 hours or HIGH for 2 hours.
4. Add the stuffing. Toss the stuffing mix with the butter and the rest of the broth, spread it on top, and don't stir.
5. Finish and check. Cook until the stuffing is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F, then let it stand uncovered for a few minutes before serving.

LOW and HIGH Cooking Guide

• LOW: 3 hours before the stuffing, then 45 to 60 minutes after it. About 3¾ to 4 hours in total.
• HIGH: 2 hours before the stuffing, then 30 to 45 minutes after it. About 2½ to 2¾ hours in total.

How to tell it's done. USDA and FoodSafety.gov list 165°F as the safe minimum internal temperature for poultry. Check the thickest piece of chicken with an instant-read thermometer rather than going by time alone. The stuffing should be soft all the way through, with no dry, crunchy cubes left on top.

Slow cookers vary. Newer models often run hotter than older ones, so start checking at the early end of each range. For best results, the slow cooker should be one-half to two-thirds full; this recipe fills a 6-quart cooker to about that level.

Recipe Notes

• Slow cooker size. Written for a 6-quart slow cooker. A 5-quart cooker works, though the layers will be deeper; check the chicken at the later end of each range.
• Salt. The soup, stuffing mix and broth all contain salt. Taste before adding more at the table.
• Keep the lid closed. Lift it only to add the stuffing and to check doneness. Each peek lets out heat and adds cooking time.

What to Serve With It

The chicken, stuffing and sauce make a full meal, but a vegetable side brightens the plate:

• Green beans, steamed broccoli or a crisp green salad
• Amish-Style Slow Cooker Honey Glazed Carrots for a sweet contrast
• Cranberry sauce, which works just as well here as it does with Thanksgiving turkey
• A scoop of Corn Casserole for a holiday-style spread

If your family loves this flavor combination, try the oven-baked Creamy Chicken Stuffing Bake or the Rotisserie Chicken Stuffing Casserole, which skips cooking raw chicken altogether. For another hands-off slow cooker dinner, try Crockpot Chicken and Gravy.

Storage, Reheating and Freezing

Refrigerator. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow, airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour if the room is above 90°F). They keep for 3 to 4 days.

Reheating. Reheat leftovers until they reach 165°F. In the microwave, warm single portions covered for 1½ to 2 minutes, stirring halfway. In the oven, spread leftovers in a baking dish, add a splash of broth, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes. Don't reheat leftovers in the slow cooker, which heats food too slowly.

Freezing. Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. The stuffing turns softer after freezing, so the dish is at its best fresh. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.