Slow Cooker Italian Chicken is made with only two ingredients, making it an extremely easy yet surprisingly delicious chicken recipe for sandwiches, wraps, salads, and more. – Jump to Recipe
Everyone needs recipes like this one, because it makes life so much easier. Since I originally shared this two-ingredient chicken six year ago, I’ve had multiple friends tell me they love making it. Requiring only two ingredients that don’t need any prep, this shredded chicken seasoned with Italian dressing is pretty effortless and super versatile.
I don’t usually measure this recipe when I make it, because all you need is enough Italian salad dressing to more or less cover the number of chicken breasts you’re using. It’s better to err on the side of using too much, though, so your chicken doesn’t end up dry.
After this is cooked and shredded, I like adding it to sandwiches or salads. The flavor is somewhat subtle, so you could add it to a variety of dishes and it shouldn’t overpower everything else. I’ve also added this chicken to rice or pasta with some of the dressing it cooked in.
You could really make this with any type of chicken. Since it’s cooked in the crock pot, it falls apart by the end of the cooking time. I prefer chicken breasts because I don’t have to worry about picking out bones, skin, or fat at the end. I just shred it when it’s time, and it’s good to go!
Two-Ingredient Italian Chicken in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen or fresh)
- 1 cup Italian dressing
Instructions
- Combine chicken and Italian dressing in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
- Shred the chicken and put it back in liquid before serving.
If you don’t have Italian dressing on hand but want to try this, you can easily make your own. I’ve done this by Googling recipes. Maybe some day I’ll share a recipe here, considering Italian dressing is my go-to. The base of it is just olive oil, red wine vinegar, and seasonings. Something like my Olive Oil & Vinegar Dressing could also work.
You could also make this with the packaged Italian dressing seasoning if that’s what you have; just add water/oil/etc. according to the package’s directions. Pretty easy!
This is a pretty forgiving recipe, but it seems to always come out delicious!
Editor’s Note: The original version of this post was published on March 10, 2014.
I’ve bookmarked this for friday!! After shredding, there’s no more cooking right? Just letting it rest in the liquids? Do you just pack it into the fridge afterwards with or without draining the liquid?
Awesome! Glad you’re trying it out. No, you don’t have to cook it anymore after shredding. Sometimes I’ll leave it in for a little longer just so the chicken can soak up more of the liquid. And it’s up to you on draining the liquid or not before storing int he fridge. I usually keep it, so the chicken retains all the flavor, and then when I go to throw it on a sandwich or something, I might drain it. It’s up to you though. 🙂