7 Simple Additions To Add To Your Slow Cooker Chicken That Will Make It To Die For

The beauty of slow cooker chicken is how easy it is. Toss a few ingredients inside, close the lid, and in a few hours you're ready to eat a hot meal. And because the meat cooks slowly, it retains moisture, so tender and juicy chicken can be achieved without much effort. That said, slow cooker chicken recipes can get a bit monotonous and boring if you don't switch it up and try some new flavor combinations.

After cooking big batches of chicken at restaurants and at home, I've learned a few simple additions to throw in the slow cooker that pack a punch. The best part is that these ingredients are common items that are affordable and easy to prepare. With these ingredients and minimum effort, you can easily take your slow cooker chicken recipes to the next level and enjoy some truly delicious meals that are to die for.

Bourbon chicken is a popular dish on many American-style Chinese food menus. And while you can always stir fry this in a pan or a wok, you can also produce similar results with a slow cooker. For this recipe (and many others here), I recommend using chicken thighs because they contain more fat than chicken breasts. The extra fat in the thighs ensures that the chicken will stay succulent, unlike chicken breasts which can become tough if they're overcooked. 

Rub the chicken thighs with an equal mix of brown sugar and salt, then drizzle a few splashes of bourbon, tossing to coat. Let the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge. Transfer the chicken to your slow cooker and cook over low heat until the chicken is fully cooked through. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is at least 165 degrees F before eating it.

The sticky sweetness of the brown sugar and the smoky, woodsy flavor of bourbon combine to create a sauce that's absolutely delicious on chicken. Once the chicken is ready, drizzle it with sriracha, top with chopped green onions, and enjoy it with a warm bowl of rice.

The combination of roasted tomatoes and chipotle peppers adds some heat and acidic zing to chicken that makes them perfect for enchiladas. The acids in tomato juice end up tenderizing the chicken, while chipotle peppers add some exciting spice into the mix. What's great about this recipe is that both of these ingredients are canned, so preparing this really couldn't be easier. It's just a matter of adding the canned tomatoes and chipotle peppers to the slow cooker and letting the magic of time work its wonders.

Once the chicken is cooked, let it cool down until it's safe enough to handle and use a fork to shred it apart. Drizzle some of the juices from the slow cooker back onto the chicken and roll a couple of spoonfuls into tortillas. Put the rolled tortillas into a casserole dish or cast iron skillet, drizzle more sauce over the top, and add shredded cheese; then, just bake until the cheese is bubbly.

The brightness of lemons and garlic is a popular combination for good reason. When garlic is raw, it has a pungent taste that can almost be overwhelming — but when it has time to simmer and soften, it undergoes a transformation. The sharpness of the garlic mellows out and it takes on a sweet, roasted flavor that's remarkably complex. Because slow cooker chicken cooks for several hours, the garlic has plenty of time to reach a delicious and complex flavor profile.

The most important thing to remember here is to use fresh bulbs of garlic instead of the jarred kind. Jarred garlic tends to have an almost pickle-like taste from being submerged in a preservative brine. Fresh garlic, on the other hand, has a much more vibrant flavor.

Combine crushed whole fresh garlic cloves with salt, pepper, and olive oil, then toss your chicken in it. Once the chicken is cooked in the slow cooker, slice fresh lemons and add them as well. By adding them at the very end of cooking, you're allowing the lemon flavor to retain a freshness that adds a tasty pop to the chicken. This lemon garlic chicken is excellent with steamed rice or on salads and pitas.

The warming flavor of curry mixes with juicy chicken to create a tasty dish that provides a full meal straight out of the slow cooker. What's important to note about this recipe is the layering of ingredients in the appliance. Toss sliced raw potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, then layer them on the bottom of the slow cooker, which allows them to soak up some of the fat from the chicken.

Rub the chicken with cooking oil and curry powder and place the curry chicken on top of the sliced potatoes. As the chicken cooks, it drips over the potatoes, softening them and infusing them with the flavors. The end result is a meal that's filling and delicious. Garnish with some sliced chilis, chopped fresh herbs, and a dollop of creamy yogurt to round everything out.

Slow cookers are a smart appliance to use to enjoy an easy taco night. Start by rubbing the chicken in taco seasoning and searing it in a pan until browned on all sides. You don't need to cook the chicken all the way through here, you just want to lightly brown it before adding it to the slow cooker where it will finish cooking.

Once the chicken is seasoned and lightly browned, add the chicken to the slow cooker, along with either jarred and freshly-made salsa. Try to use chunky salsa so that little bits of onions and tomatoes are there to add some texture. When the chicken is fully cooked, slice it for tacos or burritos and top with cheese, shredded lettuce, jalapenos, sour cream, and a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce. If you have any leftovers, this chicken makes an excellent topping for nachos. Be sure to pull out the slow cooker for your next Taco Tuesday and see what you've been missing out on.

Buffalo chicken and ranch dressing go hand-in-hand. So why not use a slow cooker to capture those same flavors in a healthier recipe that doesn't require any frying?

Cut chicken into bite-size chunks and add it to a bowl, drizzle in some cooking oil, and then rub the meat with ranch seasoning until each piece is well-coated. Let the chicken marinate in the ranch seasoning in the refrigerator for at least an hour, then add it to the slow cooker and cook over low heat. Meanwhile, make your buffalo sauce. Melt unsalted butter in a pan and add hot Frank's Red Hot sauce. Whisk until the butter and hot sauce have been fully combined into a smooth, velvety sauce. When the chicken is finished cooking, toss it with the buffalo sauce and enjoy with sliced carrots and celery. The ranch seasoning and buffalo sauce combine to form a truly delicious version of slow cooker chicken that's tasty without having to deal with the mess of frying chicken.

Creamy chicken and broccoli is a combo that works in soups and casseroles, and it just so happens that it can also be made in a slow cooker. Start by seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper, then add it to the appliance with salsa verde and water. Salsa verde has tomatillos in it that help tie the flavors of broccoli and chicken together. Cook the chicken on low for a few hours until it's fully cooked through.

When the chicken is cooked, add in fresh broccoli florets, a little cream cheese, and a few splashes of fresh cream. Cover the slow cooker again and simmer on low for about half an hour. Once the broccoli has softened, stir everything together and enjoy. If you really want to go the extra mile, shred some cheddar and add it to the top of your bowl along with some steamed rice.