Slow cooker chicken ideas to see you through winter

We love using the slow cooker for red meat: lamb shanks, beef brisket and other cheap cuts that are tough when cooked quickly but turn to tender, melty deliciousness when cooked low and slow.

But the slow cooker isn’t just about making meat tender. Sure, chicken can cook super-quickly over a stove (and it can be delicious to boot!) but you won’t get the depth of flavour in any sauces or marinades that you can get when you cook it low and slow. Plus, who doesn’t love a meal you can just prep quickly then set and forget about until later?

Here’s a bit of inspiration for those of you wanting to slow cook chicken this winter. With everything from satay chicken to creamy soups, spicy curries to classic casseroles, you won’t be short of dinner ideas! Most of them are freezer-friendly too.

We’ve used all cuts here, from drumsticks to breasts, thighs to mince – so there are options, whatever you pop in the shopping trolley this month.

Slow cooker Mongolian chicken

Slow cooking chicken on the bone leaves it tender and flavourful. This garlic and soy flavours of this Mongolian’ chicken is a delicious variation.

French-style slow cooker chicken drumsticks

Serve this hearty slow cooker chicken drumstick to your loved ones with crusty bread to sop up all that delicious gravy.

Slow cooker honey mustard chicken

We all love a slow cooker recipe, but one you may not have tried before is chicken. For many, managing to keep a chicken moist whilst cooking it through is a skill that is yet to be mastered. But, I’m pleased to report that this recipe makes cooking the perfect chicken wildly simple. How to make our slow cooker honey mustard chicken: key tips You’ll notice that this recipe requires you browning the chicken before putting it into the slow cooker. Be sure not to skip this step as this is will lock in the moisture and keep the meat tender. What goes into our slow cooker honey mustard chicken recipe? This recipe is all about the chicken, so picking the right cut is the key to success. Thighs on the bone lend themselves really well to slow cooking as they don’t dry out at all. Skinless boneless thighs and chicken marylands would also work well. We recommend you serve this slow cooker honey mustard chicken recipe with rice, buttered pasta or mashed potatoes, and steamed green vegetables. Recipe and photo by Greer Worsley with additional notes by the Australia’s Best Recipes team.

Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

Beautiful moist chicken.

Slow cooker satay chicken

This recipe is so easy to throw together, you can set it at lunch time and it’ll cook and keep warm for dinner. Add as much chilli as you can handle.

Slow cooker creamy chicken with mushrooms

This creamy chicken with mushrooms will become a firm family favourite - perfect for a midweek autumn meal.

Slow cooker butter chicken

You won’t be able to resist this delicious butter chicken after enjoying the spicy aromas wafting from the slow cooker all day. Begin the night before by marinating the chicken in a simple spice mix, then just toss everything into the slow cooker ready for a delicious dinner.

3-ingredient slow cooker creamy chicken soup

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this recipe. With just 3 ingredients and only 3 steps, you will have a super tasty, creamy chicken soup. The potato and bacon develops a subtly smokey and salty flavour that is absorbed by the chicken breast. The best part about this dish is that it takes just 5 minutes to prepare and then you can let the slow cooker work its magic!

Slow cooker Asian-glazed chicken fillets

For a real crowd-pleaser try this Asian glazed, slow-cooked chicken served with steamed greens and rice.

Slow cooker chicken chasseur

‘Chicken chasseur’ means hunter’s chicken in French - it is a popular, hearty stew filled with rich flavours. Luckily for us, we don’t have to hunt any poultry to make it taste just as good as it has for centuries!

Slow cooker chicken cacciatore

Easy to prepare and packed full of flavour, this Italian-inspired chicken dinner with olives, capsicum, herbs and garlic is a real winner.

Paulene's slow cooker chicken and leek pie

Who doesn’t love a beautiful home-cooked pie – especially when the flavours of chicken and leek go together so well! Slow Cooker Central queen, Paulene Christie likes to serve this with sweet potato mash and peas, or other steamed green vegetables of your choice. She uses this filling to make a large family pie, but it could be used to make individual pies in a pie maker. It can also be served without any pastry topping as a chicken and leek casserole.