Easy Cheesy Crockpot Chicken Recipe: Beginner's Guide

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Last Updated on April 22, 2021

Annabelle Watson

A long-time contributor to SeriouslySmoked. Jim has had a lifelong relationship with the art of grilling, passed on from his father and grandfather to him.

Annabelle is an experienced food writer and editor. She focuses on common sense, easy to replicate recipes formulated to help keep things fresh and exciting while fitting into her day to day life as a wife and mother.

Crockpot chicken is one of the best dishes that you can make for your family. You can toss all the ingredients in your slow cooker in the morning and do a few quick things when you get home before putting dinner on the table. Not only did we find the best recipe for cheesy crockpot chicken, but we found the best electric smokers that you can use to put a twist on this classic dish.

Jump straight to each topic

Making Cheesy Crockpot Chicken at Home

Substitutions and Additions

Recipe Tips

What to Serve with Cheesy Chicken

Get More Flavor with Electric Smoked Chicken

Making Cheesy Crockpot Chicken at Home

The two most important recipes in this dish are the chicken and cheese. We made a full list of everything else that you need too.

Ingredients

4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1/2 chopped white onion, medium size
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1/2 cup water
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon garlic

Instructions

1. To make this dish, you'll want to place the chicken breasts in your slow cooker.

2. In a large bowl, combine the onion, chicken soup, cheddar cheese soup and water. Mix the ingredients thoroughly before pouring over the chicken.

3. Add the seasons in an even layer on top of the chicken.

4. Set the crockpot to low and place the lid on top. Let cook for six to eight hours.

5. Near the end of the cooking time, stir the ingredients to combine. You can then add the shredded cheddar on top and let the dish continue cooking until the cheese melts. Give the mixture another stir to incorporate the cheese before you serve.

Substitutions and Additions

Though this dish is perfect and delicious as-is, you can also make a few changes to the recipe, including:

Cheddar cheese soup is often hard to find. If you cannot find this soup in your local grocery store, you can use a second can of cream of chicken soup instead or add more cheese at the end.
If you do not like onions, you can leave them out or substitute the vegetable with a dash of onion powder.
To add more flavor to the recipe, consider sweating the onions in a small saucepan with a little butter and salt and pepper first. You may want to reduce the amount of salt that you add to the crockpot later.
Feel free to substitute your favorite type of cheese in place of the cheddar or use a combination of cheddar and another cheese.
Try adding a little chili powder or taco seasoning and a small can of diced jalapenos to make the dish spicier. You can also add Rotel or another type of seasoned tomatoes to the dish.

Recipe Tips

Save time cleaning your slow cooker with bags designed for use inside the appliance. You can place a bag flat in the bottom and put all your other ingredients on top. When you finish cooking, you can save the leftovers and throw the bag away.
It's helpful to skip the water until you see the consistency of the chicken dish. You may need to add more or less water to reach the right consistency.
Give the dish a brighter look with the addition of a little parsley. You can chop the parsley and sprinkle it over the top once you plate the chicken.

What to Serve with Cheesy Chicken

The combination of chicken and cheese in this dish has a pleasing taste that many people love. You might find that it’s not filling enough for your family though. This is one of those dishes that lends itself perfectly to rice.

Though you can use standard white rice, we recommend the yellow rice that is popular in Cajun cooking. You can make the rice when you get home at night on the stovetop or in the microwave. To give the rice more flavor, try cooking it in chicken or vegetable broth rather than water.

Speaking of vegetables, why not make the dish healthier with a side of veggies? A simple salad made from spinach leaves mixed with several types of lettuce is a good option. You can also steam some vegetables to serve on the side.

One alternative to this recipe that we found online called for the addition of ½ pound of carrots too. You simply add the carrots on top of the chicken before pouring in the liquids. If you go this route, we recommend either cutting or dicing the carrots. You can also use the carrot coins that are available in most grocery stores. All the ingredients can be bought easily, and they can easily be carried with a grocery bag.

Get More Flavor with Electric Smoked Chicken

We believe that food is always better with a little smoke. One way you can add more flavor to this crockpot cheesy chicken dish is when you smoke the chicken first. You can use our site to find the best electric smoker for chicken. While this will add some time to the recipe, it also adds a taste that no one will forget.

Brine the Chicken

At least a few hours before you smoke the chicken, prepare a brine. This should include a minimum of two quarts of water with your favorite spices, including black pepper and garlic. You’ll want to let the chicken sit in the brine for a few hours and preferably overnight. This will keep the chicken from drying out as it smokes.

Using an Electric Smoker

To get your smoker ready, set it to 225 degrees Fahrenheit and let it come up to temperature. Place the chicken inside and add your choice of wood. Once the chicken cooks through, remove it from the smoker and place it in your slow cooker. You can also place the chicken in your refrigerator until you’re ready to make the dish.

Cheesy Crockpot Chicken for Anyone

This is an easy recipe that you can make on a busy workday. Even if you opt for the smoker method, you can prep the chicken on the weekend and use it on a weekday. It’s a dish that your family will love and one that they’ll ask for again and again.