Slow Cooker Chicken with Bacon Gravy


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Made with chicken breasts, crispy bacon, and chicken gravy mix, this Slow Cooker Chicken with Bacon Gravy is a delicious, one-pot substitute for a restaurant-style dinner. It’s packed with so much flavor, that your family is sure to request this comfort food more often.

Serve this delicious meal alongside a generous helping of Slow Cooker Sour Cream and Onion Mashed Potatoes and Slow Cooker Green Beans.

chicken with gravy with bacon with spoon in it.

Why you should try this chicken with creamy bacon gravy recipe

You may have seen my other recipe for slow cooker chicken and gravy. It has always been a great basic recipe for adding extra ingredients to, but never bacon. The idea for this recipe came to me when I had a delicious crispy breaded chicken with bacon gravy the other night at our favorite restaurant.

Although I can’t do crispy chicken in the slow cooker, I sure can do the chicken and bacon gravy! I’ve found this chicken and gravy recipe to be super easy to make, especially with minimal ingredients. The prep time is quick and the cooking time is perfect for yielding fork tender chicken. My family loved this restaurant-style rendition of smothered chicken with creamy gravy – yours will too!

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for chicken with bacon gravy on a table with text of what the ingredients are.
  • Chicken Breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts are the best option to use for this recipe both for cooking evenly and shredding easily.
  • Chicken Gravy: You’ll need two packets of chicken gravy dry mix.
  • Bacon: Sliced and cooked.
  • Seasonings: Pepper, dried thyme, and minced garlic (or garlic powder) are the only seasonings you need for an amazing taste.
  • Water: Mixed with the chicken gravy.
  • Heavy Cream: This is added at the end as a thickening agent. You can use light cream or even half and half.

Step-by-Step Directions

3 images showing how to add chicken, bacon and gravy mix into a slow cooker.

Step One – Add the chicken to the slow cooker. Sprinkle over the pepper, thyme, garlic, and cooked crispy bacon.

Step Two – In a small bowl mix together the gravy mix packet and the 1¼ cup water until smooth.

Step Three – Pour the gravy over the chicken.

3 images showing chicken being shredded, cream being added and the finished dish in the slow cooker.

Step Four – Cover and cook on HIGH for 3.5 hours or on LOW for 6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time. When the cooking time is done, shred the chicken with 2 forks.

Step Five – Add the heavy cream.

Step Six – Give everything a good stir and serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or a side of your choice. Enjoy!

chicken in a creamy bacon gravy with a metal spoon in it.

How to serve

  • This delicious chicken and gravy can be served over a bed of rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles.
  • If you want to pair it with sides, I recommend green beans, roasted carrots, or a baked potato.
chicken and gravy with bacon on top of rice.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use chicken thighs in this recipe?

Yes. Just make sure they are boneless and skinless for the best results.

Will the gravy thicken by itself?

Yes. The gravy thickens during the cooking process. If you want it thicker, you can make a thickening slurry with flour and water or milk. Add the flour mixture after or with the heavy cream.

How do I store leftovers?

Place any remaining chicken and gravy in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to re-enjoy the leftovers, they can be warmed up over medium heat. This meal can also be frozen.

Can I use frozen chicken breast? If so, how much longer should I let it cook?

I don’t advise on frozen chicken for some studies suggest that it isn’t safe.

Can I cook this in an Instant Pot?

I have not personally tried it, but a reader did, and this is what she said: “I did the recipe as normal, on high pressure for 7 mins, and it came out fine! Not quite as flavourful as when done in the slow cooker but definitely a great option for when you need it in a hurry!”

Chicken, gravy, rice and broccoli on a plate.
chicken with bacon gravy in a slow cooker on a spoon.

Slow Cooker Chicken with Bacon Gravy

4.74 from 23 votes
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 4
Tender chicken breasts cooked in a chicken bacon gravy.
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How to Video

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 6 slices bacon, sliced and cooked
  • 1.74 oz. chicken gravy dry mix packets, (2 PACKETS that are .87 oz. each)
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream, ADD AT THE END

Instructions 

  • Add the chicken to the slow cooker. Sprinkle over the pepper, thyme, garlic and bacon.
  • In a small bowl mix together the gravy mix packet and the 1¼ cup water until smooth. Pour the gravy over the chicken.
  • Cover and cook on HIGH for 3.5 hours or on LOW for 6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
  • When the cooking time is done, add the heavy cream. Shred the chicken with 2 forks and give everything a gentle stir until the gravy and the cream are mixed.
  • Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.
  • Enjoy!

Sarah’s Notes

  • Place any remaining chicken and gravy in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to re-enjoy the leftovers, they can be warmed up over medium heat. This meal can also be frozen.
  • Chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breasts, just make sure they are boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Nutrition

Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 1056mg | Potassium: 734mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 681IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

Made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes:

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken is perfect for meal prep or adding to your favorite recipes.
Chicken, Potatoes and Green Beans or Mississippi Chicken make easy, all-in-one comfort meals.

Italian Chicken and Gravy and Fiesta Chicken Casserole bring bold, satisfying flavors to the table.

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas are great for a Tex-Mex night, and a Slow Cooker Whole Chicken is always a classic.

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Recipe Rating




272 Comments

  1. Sharni says:

    What gravy mix does everyone use for this recipe?

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      I used Walmart brand, only because McCormick was out of stock. Still turned out great.

    2. Tara says:

      I prefer McCormick as it is without MSG… came out great…

  2. Jenny Hostetler says:

    Just made this for dinner, it was delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe!!

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      Thanks for coming back and letting me know how you liked it! It made my day!

  3. Brooke says:

    Do you cook bacon then add to crockpot ? Or slice and allow to cook while in crockpot ? I do not like crunchy bacon this is why I’m asking !

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      I cook it in a skillet on the stove top, then add it to the slow cooker. It won’t be crunchy after the cooking time in the slow cooker. 🙂

  4. Jennifer says:

    Do you think you could cook on low for 7 hours? Or will it not come out the same

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      I’m thinking it would be fine! Let me know how it works for you.

  5. Mary says:

    This looks so good…..bacon-gravy! Yum! Does the bacon keep its crispness? So many times it does get wimpy after cooking in a liquid. Thanks for any help.

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      It does get wimpy but has great flavor and not fatty feeling if you know what I mean. You could save half the bacon to put on as a topping at the end though.

      1. Mary says:

        Thank you so much for your reply! It helped immensely. Have a fun weekend!

      2. Tawnie says:

        Can I make this with a crockpot

  6. Roxanne says:

    Awesome recipe! The fussiest member in the house (toddler) loved it and ate all of her dinner 🙂 I replaced heavy cream with coconut cream and added 2tbsp of cornflour (cause I added too much water). Still turned out great. Thank you!

    1. Cheryl says:

      Coconut Cream sounds delicious…

  7. Kelly says:

    This looks and sounds incredible!

    xx Kelly
    Sparkles and Shoes

  8. Kimberly Tolly says:

    This sounds delicious! I will be trying it over this weekend. Thanks for all the good recipes that you share on here.

  9. Kathi says:

    This is a very good tasting recipe. The only thing I changed was I made sure that the gravy packet was from McCormick Shilling as there is no MSG in that product. I am highly allergic to MSG to where it can hospitalize me. Thanks for another great recipe.

  10. Mick says:

    Sounds great. I think it would be good over noodles.
    Also. you have the 6 slices of bacon listed twice in the recipe.
    Thanks for all the great recipes.

    1. Tiffany Humphrey says:

      Can we cook the bacon or leave it raw an put it in there and let it cook wit the chicken

      1. Sarah Olson says:

        It will make the sauce very greasy if left raw, browning it adds more flavor to the gravy.

      2. Ramona says:

        What chicken gravy do you buy? I see it’s yellow but most are brown gravy ?????

      3. Sarah Olson says:

        It’s chicken gravy, not brown 🙂 And I believe that was Walmart brand.

      4. HayHayl says:

        I live in Cambodia, so have no access to Walmart. Is the gravy a stock cube or one of the self thickening oneso

      5. Sarah Olson says:

        The gravy packets we have here are flavored and they thicken up with water.

    2. Gina says:

      Looks amazing, I make dinner for my folks and this on the menu for this week! I wanted to know if there was a way to make it for more people, we usually have at least 6 people at dinner, so I’m crossing my fingers there is a way. Love your recipes, thanks for sharing.

      1. Nancy says:

        Just double the recipe