Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes
There’s nothing quite like coming home to the aroma of crockpot chicken and potatoes waiting for you. This hearty, one-pot dinner pairs juicy bone-in chicken thighs with buttery, perfectly seasoned baby potatoes — all from just 10 minutes of prep and a simple blend of pantry-staple spices inspired by rotisserie chicken. It’s naturally gluten-free, family-friendly, and exactly the kind of cozy, hands-off meal you want on a busy fall or winter weeknight.
The Most Comforting Crockpot Dinner 🍗✨
The chicken is seasoned with a simple blend of spices (pantry staples, don’t worry!) that are inspired by rotisserie chicken. It’s juicy, comforting, and the perfect cozy dinner to get you through fall and winter.
Serve with a simple green vegetable or salad and your dinner is ready! It’s…
😋 Seriously delicious: The chicken becomes fall-apart tender while the potatoes soak up all those incredible savory flavors.
🛒 Made with simple ingredients: Everything you need is probably already in your pantry and fridge.
⏰ Minimal prep time: Just 10 minutes of chopping and seasoning gets dinner started.
🍽️ Complete meal: Protein and carbs all cook together in one pot, simply add a green vegetable on the side.
👨👩👧👦 Family-friendly: This chicken is seasoned very simply, it’s perfect for families. Though we’ve had our moments over the years when my oldest would only eat the potatoes and the youngest would only eat the chicken. 😉
💰 Budget-friendly: Uses affordable cuts of chicken and basic pantry staples.
If you lean on easy crockpot meals to get you through the week, you’ve got more options. My crockpot chicken and gravy leans even cozier with just four ingredients. On the nights you want a little spice, crockpot salsa chicken comes together with barely any effort and can be used in so many ways. And when you’re craving something with a sweet-savory edge, crockpot teriyaki chicken is the one to keep in your back pocket.
I am making this recipe right now. It is the fourth time I have made it and it is one of our very favorite meals. We buy chicken thighs on sale and love how many servings we get with my large crock pot. I have made it with red potatoes, yukon potatoes, and russets… all come out beautifully. I give this recipe 6 stars… it is that good! –Kate
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring these slow cooker chicken thighs to the table: chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on), oil, baby potatoes, butter, sea salt, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: Choose baby potatoes or Yukon Gold over russets, they’ll hold their shape throughout the long cooking process instead of turning into mush.
- Feeding kids without pressure: I would recommend serving a piece of chicken and potato in a pinch bowl (taster bowl) if it’s a new or learning-to-like it food. Serve the meal with a few items you know your kids will eat, like fruit, milk, and bread with butter.
- Variations: Feel free to switch up the seasonings if you like. You could also use a premade spice blend. Greek, Za’atar, Jerk spice, Berbere, etc. would all be delicious.
- Looking for more simple dinner ideas? Check out my ultimate weeknight dinner collection with 100+ recipes.
Crock Pot Chicken Thighs and Potatoes Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3-6 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
The BEST crockpot chicken and potatoes recipe! Just 10 minutes to prep and perfectly juicy chicken thighs with flavorful, tender potatoes.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. sea salt, divided
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided
- 2 1/2 lbs. chicken thighs (about 6 skin-on, bone-in thighs)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 lbs. small-medium golden yukon or red potatoes
- 2 Tbsp. butter
Instructions
- Prep ingredients:
Mix together the chicken seasoning. In a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon sea salt, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Season chicken on both sides with the remaining 1 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Place potatoes in the bottom of 6 qt. slow cooker. (Cut in half if necessary, if they are bigger than 4-5 inches long) - Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sear chicken, skin side down first, for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Cook in batches if necessary.
- While the chicken is searing, dot butter over the potatoes and sprinkle with 1/2 of the dried seasoning mix.
- Add chicken and any juices from the pan over the potatoes in a single layer (skin side up) and sprinkle with the remaining chicken seasoning mix.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours, or until chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F, but for the most tender and juicy chicken, cook to 175-185 degrees F.
Notes
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days or freeze in portion-sized containers for up to 3 months. Reheat chicken and potatoes in a 350 degrees F oven for best results, or reheat in the microwave, just until heated through.
Ingredients: Bone-in, skin-on thighs are worth it here — the skin renders during the sear and the bone keeps the meat from drying out over the long cook. Searing skin-side down first is what builds the golden, savory flavor before everything goes in the crock.
Prep ahead: You can prep all ingredients the night before and store in the refrigerator, then dump everything in the crockpot in the morning.
Helpful tools: A 6-quart slow cooker works best for this recipe size, and a meat thermometer ensures perfectly cooked chicken every time.
Serve with: Crusty bread for soaking up the delicious sauce, steamed green beans, or a simple side salad to round out the meal
Serving Suggestions
All this slow cooker chicken and potatoes meal needs is a green veggie side! Here are a few of our favorites:
FAQs
The best way to keep chicken from falling apart in the slow cooker is to give it a quick sear before you cook it, which we do before placing the chicken thighs into the slow cooker. You also want to make sure that you don’t overcook the chicken as that will also cause it to fall apart completely. We don’t want mush, so be careful to not overcook it.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
If you like this crockpot chicken and potatoes recipe, you might also like some of these other easy chicken recipes:
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer and founder of My Everyday Table, where she helps busy families take the stress out of weeknight dinners. With a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and almost 20 years of experience, Emily specializes in simple, nourishing recipes and weekly meal plans that actually work for everyday life. She’s a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who believes delicious food and good nutrition go hand in hand.
Get started: Weeknight Dinners Guide | Weekly Meal Plans | About Emily
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
Videos by Tried and Tasty.
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Loved how this meal turned out! Thank you, .
Just made this for dinner and my husband asked me to “definitely make this again.” Always happy to hear that, especially when it was so easy to make!
YAY!!!! Thanks for letting me know, love hearing this.
I can’t believe how good this is! Tastes like it takes a lot more work than it actually does. My kind of recipe. 🙂
Haha, same here. Thank you, Sara!
Can you substitute bone-in breasts? And if so, any modifications needed? Thanks!
Yes, you could definitely use bone-in breasts! Let us know how it turns out!
I make this all fall and winter long! It’s become a family favorite. Thank you!!!
It’s a staple at our house, too! Thanks Sam.
I enjoy your recipes but the amount of ads keeps me from using your site as often as I do others. The ads continuously cover the content. My husband loved the chicken!
Noted and I appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback for me. Thank you!
I am making this recipe right now. It is the fourth time I have made it and it is one of our very favorite meals. We buy chicken thighs on sale and love how many servings we get with my large crock pot. I have made it with red potatoes, yukon potatoes, and russets… all come out beautifully. I give this recipe 6 stars… it is that good!
Thank you, Kate! So glad to hear that you and your family love it! I have a chicken and rice version coming soon… 🙂 Thanks for sharing the other potato varieties that you have used as well!
This is unbelievably good!! Most crock pot chicken is so dry, but this was amazing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Do you have to sear the chicken or can you put it in the crockpot raw
It’s best to sear as it browns up the skin and gives it better flavor! You could skip it, just be sure it’s cooked to 175 degrees F and you may need to remove the skin before serving as it won’t have a nice texture.