Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes
109 Comments Nov 21, 2023
Updated Jun 10, 2025
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This slow cooker meal combines tender chicken and well-seasoned potatoes for an easy, comforting dinner with classic ranch flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fall off the bone chicken
- Fork-tender ranch flavored potatoes
- Dinner will be ready when you get home
- Economical ingredients
Key Ingredients
Here’s what brings all the flavor and heartiness to this simple recipe:
- Chicken Thighs – A rich, flavorful cut that turns tender as it cooks.
- Red Potatoes – Hearty and perfect for soaking up savory juices.
- Ranch Dressing Mix – Delivers that classic herbed, tangy flavor.
- Butter – Adds richness and helps the seasoning coat everything evenly.
- Oil – Used for browning to lock in flavor before slow cooking.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes
- Start by giving the chicken a quick sear to build flavor.
- Layer everything into the slow cooker with seasoning and butter.
- Let it slow cook until the chicken is tender and the potatoes are perfectly soft
Cook’s Tips & Variations
Want to switch it up? Italian dressing mix or Lipton onion soup mix both taste great with the chicken and potatoes.
Other vegetables you can add to the crock are green beans, baby carrots, mushrooms, and onions.
If you want to use boneless chicken, you’ll want to add a 1/2 cup of chicken broth.
Featured Comment
The best recipe I have ever done!!!!
– debbi
Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes
How to Video
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
- 2 lbs. red potatoes, cubed
- 1 oz. pkt. ranch dressing mix
- 3 Tbsp. salted butter, melted
Instructions
- In a large skillet set to medium-high heat, add the oil after the pan is hot. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides, no need to cook through. Set aside.
- Add the red potatoes to the slow cooker. Sprinkle over half of the ranch packet. Drizzle over the butter.
- Add the chicken thighs on top of the potatoes.
- Sprinkle over remaining dressing mix over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More crockpot chicken recipes:
Chicken and Gravy, Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken, and Chicken, Potatoes and Green Beans are easy, comforting favorites. If you want a creamy chicken and potatoes meal, try my Creamy Ranch Chicken and Potatoes recipe.
Try Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken, Crockpot Whole Chicken, or Crokcpot Tuscan Chicken for rich, flavorful meals with minimal prep.
Fiesta Chicken Casserole and Chicken Enchilada Casserole are bold, cheesy dishes your whole family will love.
What other dressing would be good on the chicken and red potatoes?
Maybe Italian dressing?
For a family member who doesn’t like dark meat chicken, would a skin-on, bone-in chicken breast work as well?
Yes, that will work fine. Make sure it’s cooked to at least 165 degrees before serving.
Can i use skinless boneless chicken thigh. If so should i had chicken broth?
This looks AMAZING!! This may be a really stupid question seeing as this is a SLOW COOKER site, but do you think this is doable in an instant pot using the pressure cook setting? Typically you have to add a liquid to it for the pressure cooking to work, so it might alter it too much. But I’d love your thoughts? (And any other recipes you want to modify for the instant pot because I’m ALWAYS throwing dinner together at the last minute!)
You can do it in the instant pot, but you’ll need a cup of liquid added to it. It may end up a little soupy though.
I definitely want to try this recipe….Can I use chicken legs in place of thighs? Will that alter cook time?
Yes, and the cook time will be the same.
Can you use boneless?
Yes, though you’ll want to add a 1/2 cup of chicken broth or water.
100%
Can you swap out the red potatoes for sweet potatoes? Does cooking time need to be adjusted?
I believe you can go for a little less time, here is a similar recipe with sweet potatoes and I only do 4 hours on high. https://www.themagicalslowcooker.com/slow-cooker-chicken-and-sweet-potato-dinner/
Can I cook on low ?
yes, you’ll need to cook on low for 7 – 8 hours.
My wife and I were amazed by this meal. So simple, but so good. I was afraid of using the Ranch Dressing mix, since I thought it would be too strong and salty. Turned out the chicken and potatoes were perfectly seasoned, and perfectly done – the chicken fell off the bone and the potatoes were tender but not mushy. I made a couple of slight mods – browned the thighs on the grill for 5 minutes a side, and added a chopped onion with the potatoes. Definitely a keeper!