Crockpot Chicken and Gravy

Crockpot Chicken and Gravy is the old-fashioned, Sunday-supper comfort food. You need just a handful of pantry staples and about ten minutes of prep, and the slow cooker builds all that deep, golden, soul-warming flavor while you live your day.

Love More Crockpot Recipes? Try My Crockpot Chicken Fajitas or this Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Thick, rich, golden gravy that is everything you hoped for and more.
• Chicken so tender it shreds with the lightest touch of a fork.
• Pantry ingredients only — nothing fancy, nothing hard to find.
• The whole house smells incredible all day while it cooks — better than any candle.
• Serve it over anything — mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, or biscuits — and it is perfect every time.

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Ingredients You’ll Need

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (thighs produce the most tender, juicy result — breasts shred more cleanly if you prefer that texture)
• 2 cans (10.5 oz each) cream of chicken soup (cream of mushroom adds a deeper, earthier flavor if you prefer)
• 1 packet (1 oz) chicken gravy mix
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons cold water (optional — for thickening the gravy further at the end)
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

For Serving:

• Creamy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, cooked white rice, or warm biscuits

Why These Ingredients Work

Two cans of cream of chicken soup create the thick, velvety base of the gravy without any roux-making, stovetop babysitting, or risk of lumps. The soup’s built-in starch thickens the cooking liquid from the chicken into a smooth, coating gravy that tastes like it took hours of careful stirring over a flame.

The dry chicken gravy mix packet adds a concentrated burst of savory, roasted chicken flavor that deepens the cream soup base into something that genuinely tastes like made-from-scratch gravy. It also adds salt and spices in exactly the right proportions — a one-packet shortcut that produces genuinely impressive results.

Chicken thighs are the preferred cut for this recipe because their higher fat content and connective tissue break down slowly over hours of gentle heat into fork-tender, juicy shreds that absorb the gravy deeply. Chicken breasts work perfectly if that is what you have but tend to shred into drier, more stringy pieces than thighs do after a long slow cook.

Smoked paprika adds a gentle warmth and a beautiful golden color to the gravy that makes it look as rich and appetizing as it tastes. It also adds a subtle depth that makes people think there is something more complex going on in the slow cooker than cream of chicken soup and a seasoning packet.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• 6-quart slow cooker
• Whisk for mixing the gravy base
• Two forks for shredding chicken
• Small bowl for the cornstarch slurry
• Ladle for serving
• Large pot for cooking mashed potatoes or noodles alongside

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Build the Gravy Base

Whisk together the cream of chicken soup, chicken gravy mix packet, chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried rosemary, smoked paprika, and black pepper in the slow cooker until completely smooth and combined. Take 1 minute to whisk thoroughly — any lumps of undissolved soup or gravy mix now become lumps in your finished gravy later.

Step 2: Add the Chicken

Place the chicken breasts or thighs into the slow cooker, pressing them down into the gravy base so each piece is at least partially submerged. Spoon a little of the gravy over the top of each piece. You do not need to add any oil or butter — the cream soup provides enough fat to keep everything rich and moist throughout the long cook.

Step 3: Slow Cook

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Resist lifting the lid during cooking — every peek adds 15 to 20 minutes to the cook time. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internally and pulls apart with almost no pressure from a fork.

Step 4: Shred the Chicken

Remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board and shred it thoroughly with two forks into bite-sized pieces. Return all the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir it into the gravy. If you love extra-thick gravy, whisk the cornstarch and cold water together until smooth, stir the slurry into the hot gravy, and cook on HIGH uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes until thickened to your preferred consistency.

Step 5: Taste and Adjust

Taste the gravy now before serving — this is your moment to make it exactly right. The gravy mix and cream soup both contribute salt, so taste carefully before adding any more. Add a pinch of black pepper, an extra pinch of thyme, or a tiny squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the gravy if it tastes flat. A final pinch of salt often brings all the flavors forward in a way nothing else does.

Step 6: Serve Over Your Favorite Base

Ladle the chicken and gravy generously over creamy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, fluffy white rice, or warm split biscuits. Scatter fresh chopped parsley over each plate. Serve immediately while the gravy is steaming hot and at its most luxurious, clingy, beautiful consistency.

You Must Know

Whisk the gravy base completely smooth before adding the chicken. Any lumps of undissolved cream soup or gravy mix powder in the slow cooker will stay lumpy throughout the entire cook — the slow cooker does not provide enough agitation or heat to break them up. Thirty seconds of thorough whisking at the start saves you a lumpy gravy at the end.

Taste and season at the very end of cooking, not at the beginning. The cream soup and gravy mix packet both reduce and concentrate as they cook, meaning the finished gravy is significantly saltier and more flavorful than the raw mixture tasted at the start. Always taste and adjust at the end — never just before you close the lid.

Personal Secret: Stir 2 tablespoons of softened butter into the finished gravy right before serving. The butter melts into the hot gravy instantly and gives it a glossy richness and roundness that makes the whole dish taste like it was finished by a professional cook.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Whisk every component of the gravy base together completely smooth before the chicken goes in — lumps will not dissolve during cooking.
• Use chicken thighs for the juiciest, most flavorful result — they forgive a bit of extra cooking time that breasts do not.
• Optional browning trick: sear the chicken in a skillet for 2 minutes per side before adding to the slow cooker — adds golden color and flavor depth.
• Keep the slow cooker on WARM after cooking — this gravy holds beautifully for up to 2 hours on warm without drying out.
• For an ultra-smooth, pourable gravy, use an immersion blender briefly in the pot before adding the shredded chicken back.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

For a mushroom gravy version, use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken and add a cup of sliced fresh cremini mushrooms to the slow cooker at the start. The mushrooms cook down into the gravy and add an earthy, deeply savory note that transforms the dish into something that feels more elegant and dinner-party worthy.

Add 4 oz of softened cream cheese to the slow cooker in the last 30 minutes of cooking for a richer, slightly tangy version of the gravy. Stir vigorously to incorporate — the cream cheese melts into the hot gravy and adds a velvety, restaurant-quality creaminess that makes every spoonful feel indulgent.

For a Cajun-spiced version, add 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne, and a diced green bell pepper to the gravy base. Serve over white rice instead of mashed potatoes for a Southern-inspired, deeply flavored bowl that feels completely different from the classic version.

Make-Ahead Options

This dish is ideal for meal prep. Cook the full recipe and refrigerate the chicken and gravy together in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The gravy actually thickens further and deepens in flavor overnight — you may need to stir in a splash of broth when reheating to bring it back to the right consistency.

Freeze in portioned airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally and adding chicken broth by the splash until the gravy returns to its original smooth, pourable consistency. Serve over freshly cooked mashed potatoes or noodles — always cook those fresh rather than freezing them with the chicken.

What to Serve With Crockpot Chicken and Gravy

Creamy mashed potatoes are the absolute best vehicle for this chicken and gravy — thick, buttery, and perfectly smooth so the gravy pools in the center and coats every single forkful. Make them as rich as you possibly can with plenty of butter and warm cream — this dinner deserves the best mashed potatoes in your repertoire.

Buttered egg noodles are the classic alternative that turns this into a deeply nostalgic, old-fashioned family dinner that feels like the kind of meal your grandmother would have made on a cold Sunday. The wide, flat noodles hold the thick gravy in every fold and crevice.

Warm, fluffy biscuits split open and smothered in chicken and gravy is Southern comfort food at its absolute finest — spoon the gravy generously right over the top so it soaks into the soft inside of the biscuit and creates that incredible, stick-to-your-ribs combination that no one at the table can resist.

Serve with a simple side of steamed green beans, roasted broccoli, or glazed carrots to add a vegetable element that cuts the richness of the gravy and adds color to the plate. The fresh, simple vegetable makes the whole dinner feel balanced rather than heavy, and the kids will eat their vegetables when they are next to this gravy.

Allergy Information

• Contains: Dairy (cream of chicken soup), Gluten (gravy mix, cream soup)
• Gluten-free: Use certified GF cream of chicken soup and a GF gravy mix packet — both are available at most major grocery stores
• Dairy-free: Use dairy-free cream of chicken soup alternatives and a dairy-free gravy mix
• Lower sodium: Use low-sodium cream of chicken soup and low-sodium chicken broth — the gravy mix adds most of the salt, so taste carefully before adding any extra

Storage & Reheating

• Refrigerate chicken and gravy in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low with a splash of broth, whisking to restore smooth consistency.
• Microwave in 60-second intervals, stirring between each, covered with a damp paper towel.
• Freeze in portioned containers for up to 3 months — always cook the starch base (potatoes, noodles, rice) fresh.

FAQs

Can I use frozen chicken in the slow cooker?

The USDA recommends against starting with frozen chicken in a slow cooker — the extended time spent below safe cooking temperatures raises food safety concerns. Always thaw chicken completely in the refrigerator overnight before slow cooking.

My gravy is too thin after cooking. How do I fix it?

Whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth, stir the slurry into the hot gravy, and cook uncovered on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes. The gravy will thicken noticeably. Repeat with a second slurry if you want it even thicker.

Can I use bone-in chicken thighs?

Yes — bone-in thighs produce an even richer, more flavorful gravy. Remove the bones after cooking before shredding the meat. The cook time stays the same but the flavor in the gravy is noticeably deeper.

My gravy has lumps in it. How do I fix it?

Use an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker and blend for 30 seconds until smooth — this works perfectly. Alternatively, ladle the gravy into a regular blender, blend smooth, then pour back into the slow cooker before returning the shredded chicken.

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