5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

So easy to throw into the Crock-Pot and go: 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Italian Chicken gets most of its flavor from giardiniera! Sometimes, simple is good.

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If you ever just crave a good pulled chicken sandwich, the Crock-Pot makes it so, so easy! You have to love a good dump-and-go dinner, and today’s 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Italian Chicken is about as simple as it gets. The kids and I all enjoyed chicken sandwiches, fruit, & chips for dinner, with plenty of chicken left over for lunch the next day!

Note: I used Chicago-style giardiniera here, which I picked up at my local ALDI. The hot was pretty darn spicy, but mild will still have a good flavor without as much of the heat: Choose your poison. 🙂

I highly recommend serving your Italian pulled chicken on French rolls with a mild cheese to balance out the flavors. (If you’re low carb, instead try making a bowl and topping it with melted mozzarella.)

You might also be wondering what to do with the other half of your jar of giardiniera and box of broth. Well, I’ll tell you! Try cooking up this 30 minute beef & cabbage stir fry with giardiniera, for a deliciously different dinner. One flavorful ingredient sometimes just makes a dish, and giardiniera does it for both of these recipes.

5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

Ingredients

2.5-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup (half of a 16 oz jar) Chicago-style giardiniera
2 tsp minced garlic (about 4 cloves)

Directions

Trim the chicken and add it to the bottom of your slow cooker. Pour the broth over the chicken.

Season the chicken with Italian seasoning, then top it with the garlic and giardiniera.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours, then shred. You can choose to scoop the peppers out at this point, or leave them in for an extra kick. (I left mine in.)

It will look like a lot of liquid at first, but as you shred the chicken in, you just get juicy chicken with a bit of liquid left for dipping, if desired.

Recommended: Serve your pulled Italian chicken on French or deli rolls along with a mild cheese such as mozzarella or jack. Or, if you’re low carb, make yourself a bowl topped with cheese. Drizzle the rolls with the juices from the crock for extra flavor, too!

Note: My chicken was still very slightly frozen in the middle when I put it in, and shred easily at the 6 hour mark. If yours is fully thawed, it will likely be ready at 5-5.5 hours.

Italian Chicken is a nice change of pace

Italian beef is delicious, but Italian chicken is also delicious — and makes for a nice change of pace sometimes. I served mine here on Turano French rolls with Monterey jack cheese, which paired really well. Mozzarella would also be good; choose a mild cheese to mellow everything out.

And for an alternative: Very old recipes, anyone? If you’re looking for a more tomato-based shredded Italian chicken for sandwiches, try my slow cooker Italian pulled chicken sandwiches recipe instead. Or, if you’re looking for a more traditional Italian beef: Four ingredient slow cooker Italian beef might be your jam.

5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Italian Chicken, printable recipe

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5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

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So easy to throw into the Crock-Pot and go: 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Italian Chicken gets most of its flavor from giardiniera!

Course dinner

Cuisine slow cooker

Keyword 5 ingredients, chicken sandwiches, crock-pot, Italian pulled chicken, pulled chicken, slow cooker

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Rachel Singer

Equipment

slow cooker

Ingredients

• 2.5-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 cup Chicago-style giardiniera half of a 16 oz jar
• 2 tsp minced garlic about 4 cloves

Instructions

• Trim the chicken and add it to the bottom of your slow cooker. Pour the broth over the chicken.
• Season the chicken with Italian seasoning, then top it with the garlic and giardiniera.
• Cook on low for 5-6 hours, then shred. You can choose to scoop the peppers out at this point, or leave them in for an extra kick. (I left mine in.)
• It will look like a lot of liquid at first, but as you shred the chicken in, you just get juicy chicken with a bit of liquid left for dipping, if desired.
• Recommended: Serve your pulled Italian chicken on French or deli rolls along with a mild cheese such as mozzarella or jack. Or, if you’re low carb, make yourself a bowl topped with cheese. Drizzle the rolls with the juices from the crock for extra flavor, too!

Notes

My chicken was still very slightly frozen in the middle when I put it in, and shred easily at the 6 hour mark. If yours is fully thawed, it will likely be ready at 5-5.5 hours.

Recipes in the real world

Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!

Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!