Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken & Gravy
Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken & Gravy is the kind of set-it-and-forget-it recipe that ticks all the boxes. Super easy, affordable, minimal ingredients, and your slow cooker does all the hard work. Come home to a delicious dinner, you deserve it!
This is one of those magic recipes. You throw a few ingredients into your slow cooker (yes, really just a few), walk away, and come back to the kind of chicken and gravy that tastes like it’s been simmering on a stovetop all day. It’s creamy, flavorful, and built for ladling over buttery mashed potatoes. It uses pantry staples, so you can almost always make it without an extra grocery trip.
Everyone loves this recipe, and if your Crock Pot is big enough, you can easily double the recipe. This is one of those “dump and go” recipes that really delivers. It’s not fancy. It’s not fussy. But it tastes like something your grandma made when she wanted to spoil you a little.
The Backyard Table
Get it NOW and level up your outdoor dining! The Backyard Table - Recipes for Summer Cookouts features 34 of Chef Jenn's BEST recipes for outdoor eating and entertaining.
You'll get ad-free recipes like:
- Grilled Corn Guacamole
- Grilled French Onion Burgers
- Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
- Blueberry Grunt
- and so many more!
Every recipe is created, tested and loved by Chef Jenn and her family - there's no AI here!
Get it now, at a special introductory price of $7.99. That's over 50 pages of foodie love at your fingertips!
Buy Now!
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – You can use bone-in chicken breasts, but they may take a bit longer to cook.
- Cream of chicken soup – Use low sodium to control the salt.
- Ranch seasoning mix
- Chicken broth – Use lower sodium chicken broth, or even just use water.
How To make Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken & Gravy That Practically Makes Itself
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
First, grab your slow cooker. I use a 6-quart model with a programmable timer so I can set it and forget it without worrying about overcooking. Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the insert. If your chicken is especially thick, slice the breasts in half horizontally so they cook more evenly and shred more easily later on.
Next, sprinkle the ranch seasoning mix evenly over the chicken. You don’t need to rub it in or mix; just let it sit on top. Then scoop the cream of chicken soup right out of the can and spread it over the top with a silicone spatula. The flexible head makes it easy to scrape every bit from the can without waste.
Pour the chicken broth (or water) around the edges of the pot so it settles underneath the soup. This little trick helps the moisture circulate better and prevents the edges from drying out. Now, pop the lid on your slow cooker, set it to LOW for 4 to 6 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, and walk away.
Once the chicken is fully cooked and fork-tender, it’s time to shred. You can do this with two forks, but I prefer using a hand mixer right in the slow cooker, on low speed; it shreds the chicken perfectly in less than a minute. Just make sure the pot is deep enough to prevent splatter. If you don’t have a hand mixer, meat shredding claws are another great tool and save your wrists a bit of effort.
Once shredded, stir the chicken and gravy mixture until it’s well combined and silky smooth. The soup, ranch, and broth will have cooked down into a thick, savory gravy that clings to every bite.
Spoon generously over a bed of mashed potatoes (or rice, or noodles) and dig in—you earned it.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Boneless and skinless chicken breasts cook the fastest, but you could use chicken thighs or even bone-in breasts.
- This dish can be a bit salty. To combat that, use low sodium soup, and low sodium or no-salt-added chicken broth.
- You can easily double this recipe for meal prepping. Just ensure there’s enough room in your slow cooker.
Recommended
Make It A Meal
Mashed potatoes are my favorite base for this; something buttery and fluffy to soak up all that gravy. But you’ve got options. Serve it over egg noodles, steamed white rice, or even toasted sandwich rolls for an open-faced hot chicken sandwich. Add a green veggie on the side (think roasted broccoli or peas) and maybe a crisp salad to round things out.
Want to stretch it further? Throw in a handful of frozen corn or peas during the last 30 minutes of cooking. It bulks it up and adds some texture without any extra work.
Storage
Leftovers store beautifully. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, just microwave until warmed through or reheat gently in a pan with a splash of broth.
You can also freeze Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken & Gravy. Let it cool completely, then portion into freezer bags or containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a saucepan or microwave. Stir well before serving to bring the sauce back to life.
Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken & Gravy
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 1 ounce ranch seasoning mix
- 1 cup chicken broth or even just use water.
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the ranch seasoning over the top of the chicken. No need to mix it in yet—it’ll blend beautifully as it cooks.
- Add the cream of chicken soup right on top, then pour in the chicken broth or water. I prefer broth for extra depth, but water works just fine in a pinch.
- Cover and slow cook on LOW for 4–6 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours, depending on your schedule. You’re looking for chicken that’s fork-tender and easy to shred.
- Shred the chicken using two forks or a hand mixer right in the pot. If you’ve never used a hand mixer to shred chicken, it makes fast work of it with zero effort.
- Stir everything together so the chicken gets coated in that creamy, ranch-packed gravy.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered noodles. I mean it when I say mashed potatoes are the move here.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Boneless and skinless chicken breasts cook the fastest, but you could use chicken thighs or even bone-in breasts.
- This dish can be a bit salty. To combat that, use low sodium soup, and low sodium or no-salt-added chicken broth.
- You can easily double this recipe for meal prepping. Just ensure there’s enough room in your slow cooker.
