The “Lazy” Slow Cooker Chicken I’ve Been Making for 20 Years

I made it a one-pot meal by adding baby spinach.

By
Deborah Koenig
Debbie Koenig
Deborah Koenig
Debbie Koenig has been writing about food for more than 20 years, beginning in the early days of food blogs. She's written for Epicurious, Yummly, Eating Well, Cooking Light, the New York Times, Simply Recipes, and many more publications, and her cookbook, Parents Need to Eat Too.
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Published January 08, 2026
Debbie Koenig
Chicken breasts seasoned and baked with baby potatoes and garnished with herbs and cheese served on a platter

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
  • Just six common ingredients and no stovetop work make prep fast and hassle-free.
  • Dinner cooks all in one pot, so there are almost no dishes to wash.
  • Both chicken breasts and thighs work in this recipe.

Back in the early aughts, I spent a lot of time on a women’s message board, an outgrowth from an indie wedding planning group. As members transitioned from rebellious brides to newlyweds to overwhelmed parents, one by one we became slow cooker converts.

A single recipe won over more women than any other: Lazy Italian Chicken. And it’s no wonder, since it called for just six ingredients: boneless, skinless chicken cutlets, potatoes, bottled Italian salad dressing, Italian seasoning, garlic, and parmesan cheese.

There’s no stovetop work; you just layer everything in the slow cooker, turn it on, and walk away. The end result, though, tastes like it’s straight out of a nonna’s kitchen.

In search of a way to make the recipe even lazier, I added an extra ingredient—baby spinach—for the final few minutes. A little bit of green turns this into a one-pot meal. That might be why, almost twenty years after I first made it, this recipe remains a family favorite.

Plated chicken and potatoes garnished with herbs prepared meal centerpiece

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

Tips for Making Lazy Italian Chicken 

  • The Italian seasoning: The recipe calls for Italian seasoning, but it’s flexible. If you don’t keep a jar on hand, swap in dried basil and oregano, in roughly equal amounts. 
  • The cheese: If your family leans more towards pecorino than parmesan cheese (as my husband’s Sicilian one does), go right ahead and use that instead.
  • Slow cooker timing: Slow cooker recipes have a wide range of cooking times because there’s no uniformity from one brand to the next—my machine might cook faster or slower than yours. Start checking for doneness at the low end of the recipe’s cooking times.
  • Chicken doneness: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts overcook easily, so a kitchen thermometer is your friend. Test the thickest part of a chicken breast. At 155°F, switch the machine to “keep warm” and let it rest for 20 minutes. The meat will continue to cook, reaching the ideal 165°F.
  • Use chicken thighs: You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the breasts. Because they’re naturally fattier, they’re less likely to dry out. The cooking time range doesn’t change, but they will take longer than breasts. Use a thermometer to test—they’re not as prone to overcooking as breasts, so aim for 165°F.
A platter with cooked chicken breast slices and whole small potatoes garnished with herbs

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

More Lazy Slow Cooker Meals

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 4 hrs
Total Time 4 hrs 5 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings
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Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • 1 pound baby potatoes, halved

  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1 cup store-bought Italian salad dressing (such as Newman’s Own or Ken’s)

  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

  • 1 cup (2 ounces) grated parmesan cheese, divided

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

  • 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 pounds total)

  • 2 (5-ounce) packages baby spinach

Method

  1. Layer the vegetables:

    Lightly coat the bowl of a slow cooker with cooking spray, then add the potatoes and garlic. Top with half of the Italian dressing, half of the Italian seasoning, about 1/3 of the parmesan, and half of the salt.

  2. Add the chicken:

    Place the chicken over the potatoes and top with the remaining dressing and seasoning, then another third of the parmesan and the remaining salt.

  3. Cook the chicken and potatoes:

    Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, or on low for 3 to 4 hours. The timing will vary depending on your slow cooker. Set the machine to “keep warm” once the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 155°F—it will continue to cook, and this helps to prevent it becoming dry. After 20 to 30 minutes check again; the meat should have reached 165°F.

  4. Meanwhile, wilt the spinach:

    Add the spinach when the chicken hits 155°F. Move the chicken and potatoes around to submerge the spinach in the sauce. Cover and leave on “keep warm” as directed above—by the time the chicken has finished cooking, the spinach will be completely wilted.

    Serve with the remaining grated parmesan sprinkled on top.

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To avoid overcooking the chicken when reheating, thinly slice it, then reheat with the potatoes and spinach on the stovetop over medium-low heat.

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    Sliced chicken breast roasted potatoes and sauted greens on a plate

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
517 Calories
18g Fat
25g Carbs
62g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 517
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 161mg 54%
Sodium 951mg 41%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 62g
Vitamin C 21mg 105%
Calcium 186mg 14%
Iron 4mg 25%
Potassium 1199mg 26%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.