Chicken and Sweet Potatoes Slow Cooker. This slow cooker chicken and sweet potatoes recipe is the kind of easy Sunday dinner trick my Amish neighbor has been doing for years. You just put four simple ingredients in the pot, turn it on, and go do other things. When you come back a few hours later, the chicken is super soft and falls apart easily, and the sweet potatoes are tender and bright orange — all sitting in a warm, yummy broth that is both sweet and savory. It feels cozy and homey, just like Amish cooking is supposed to be. Simple things cooked slowly turn into something that tastes way better than the work you put in.
A super easy 4-ingredient slow cooker meal with juicy shredded chicken and soft sweet potatoes cooked in a sweet and savory broth. Just layer everything, turn it on, and walk away — dinner is done!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1½ pounds)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into small pieces
- Kosher salt, to taste (for serving)
- Add a little black pepper if you like, when serving.
Chicken and Sweet Potatoes: Directions
- Rub a little butter or plain cooking oil all around the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. This keeps the food from sticking and makes washing up much easier later.
- Put all the sweet potato chunks in the bottom of the slow cooker and spread them out in one flat layer. Putting them on the bottom means they get more heat and make a nice soft bed for the chicken to rest on.
- Place the chicken breasts on top of the sweet potatoes in one layer as best as you can. It is okay if they touch or overlap a little — they will get smaller and very soft as they cook.
- Slowly pour the chicken broth all over the food so it spreads out evenly. It might not look like much liquid, but do not worry — the chicken lets out its own juices while cooking and makes a really tasty broth all on its own.
- Place the small butter pieces on top of the chicken, spreading them around. As the butter melts, it drips down over the meat and potatoes and keeps everything moist and tasty. Do not stir anything — let the layers stay as they are.
- Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. You will know it is ready when the chicken is very soft and a fork goes through the sweet potatoes easily. Cooking on LOW gives you the most tender, fall-apart results.
- Take the lid off and use two forks to pull the chicken apart right there in the slow cooker. Mix it around with the sweet potatoes and all the juices. The sweet potatoes will stay in soft pieces but might break up a little, and that is totally fine — it makes the broth a little thicker.
- Give it a taste and add salt and a good amount of black pepper. The pepper adds a little kick that goes really well against the natural sweetness of the potatoes and the rich buttery broth.
- Spoon the shredded chicken, sweet potato pieces, and lots of that yummy broth into warm shallow bowls or onto plates. Serve it right away and put extra salt and pepper on the table so everyone can add more if they want.
How to Serve
Dish this out into shallow bowls or on a white plate so the pretty orange potatoes and dark broth really pop. It is extra good spooned over:
- Buttered egg noodles
- Mashed potatoes
- Plain white rice
Add a simple green side to make the meal feel complete:
- Steamed green beans
- Cool cucumber salad
- Lightly dressed mixed greens
Put a little bowl of coarse salt and a pepper grinder on the table so everyone can season their own bowl just the way they like it.