3 Crockpot Chicken Dinners I’m Making This Fall

Some evenings, I want dinner to be one less thing to figure out. These are three cozy crockpot meals that fit into my week: garlic Parmesan chicken with potatoes and broccoli, chicken chili, and creamy salsa chicken bowls. They use ingredients I already like to keep around, and each one makes enough for dinner and leftovers.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken, Potatoes and Broccoli

This is my pick when I want the whole dinner to come together in one pot. The potatoes cook with the chicken, and I add the broccoli at the end so it doesn’t turn mushy.

Serves: 2, with generous portions

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 12–16 ounces baby potatoes, halved
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• About 1½ cups broccoli florets

Directions

1. Add the potatoes to the crockpot. Place the chicken on top, pour in the broth, and season with garlic, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
2. Cover and cook on low for about 4–5 hours or high for about 2½–3 hours, until the potatoes are tender and the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F. Check early if your chicken breasts are small; slow cookers vary.
3. Take the chicken out and shred it. Stir the cream cheese and Parmesan into the liquid in the crockpot. If the sauce looks thin, leave the lid off for 10–15 minutes while you stir it together.
4. Add the broccoli. Cover and cook on high for about 20–30 minutes, until tender. Return the shredded chicken, toss everything in the sauce, and serve.

If the chicken finishes before the potatoes, take it out rather than letting it keep cooking. You can add it back once the potatoes and broccoli are ready.

Crockpot Chicken Chili

This is the pantry-friendly one. It makes more than two servings, which means lunch is covered and there may be enough to freeze. I’m using ground chicken instead of the ground turkey I’ve used for chili before.

Serves: About 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (14–15 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• ½ cup corn
• ½–1 cup chicken broth, depending on how thick you like your chili
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Optional toppings: shredded cheese and plain Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Cook the ground chicken and season with taco seasoning.
2. Add the ground chicken, onion, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, broth and seasonings to the crockpot. Stir.
3. Cover and cook on low for about 5–6 hours or high for about 3–4 hours.
4. Serve with shredded cheese or a spoonful of Greek yogurt, if you want.

I like this as a simple dinner on its own, but it would also be good over rice or with a side of bread.

Creamy Salsa Chicken Bowls

These are easy to build into dinner and next-day lunch. The chicken cooks in salsa, then the cream cheese, corn and beans go in near the end. Serve it over rice and finish with shredded cheese.

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup regular salsa
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• ½ packet taco seasoning, or about 1 tablespoon
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• ½ cup corn, drained
• ½ cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup cooked rice, or more if you prefer
• ½ cup shredded Mexican-style cheese
• Optional: plain Greek yogurt for serving

Directions

1. Add the chicken, salsa, broth and taco seasoning to the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for about 5–6 hours or high for about 3–4 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
2. Shred the chicken in the crockpot. Stir in the cream cheese, corn and black beans. Cover for another 15–20 minutes, until everything is warm and the sauce is creamy.
3. Spoon over cooked rice and top with shredded cheese. Add a little Greek yogurt if you like it extra creamy.

I use regular salsa here, so there’s no need to hunt down salsa verde. The salsa and taco seasoning add plenty of flavor without a long ingredient list.

How I’d Work These Into a Week

The garlic Parmesan chicken feels like a complete dinner with the potatoes and broccoli. The salsa chicken becomes a bowl for dinner and an easy lunch the next day. I’d make the chili on a day when I want extra leftovers and save some for another meal.

That’s what I like about crockpot dinners in the fall: I can start them earlier in the day, then sit down to something warm and filling without making the evening feel rushed.