by 
Looking for an easy weeknight dinner? Try this Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole recipe that will leave your taste buds wanting more. With a little morning prep, you can sit back and relax while the slow cooker does all the work!
Slow cooker recipes are some of the most popular recipes on Healthy Little Foodies and I can understand why. Life is busy and slow cookers make mealtimes easier for many families, regardless of their working situation or kids' ages.
This slow cooker chicken casserole is a complete meal that will be ready and waiting for you at dinner time. Stress-free.
Jump to:
Reasons to Love this Recipe
- Easy to prepare - Minimal prep, and the slow cooker does the rest.
- Hearty and comforting - A rich, flavourful meal for the whole family.
- Complete meal - Chicken, vegetables and potatoes all cooked together in one pot.
- Freezer-friendly - Great for batch cooking and freezing for later.
Ingredient Information & Alternative Suggestions
- Chicken thighs: Chicken thighs work well in slow-cooker recipes because they stay tender during cooking, but chicken breast can also be used if preferred.
- Potatoes: Baby potatoes hold their shape well during slow cooking, but regular potatoes chopped into chunks work too.
- Bell peppers (capsicum): I usually use red bell peppers for sweetness, but any colour will work.
- Leek: Adds a mild onion flavour to the casserole. If you don't have leek, you can simply add an extra onion instead.
- Chicken stock (or chicken broth): Use low-sodium stock if cooking for younger children or if you prefer to control the salt level yourself.
- Cornstarch (optional): For a thicker sauce, stir together cornstarch and water and add during the final 15 minutes of cooking. Cooking uncovered helps the sauce thicken further.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Coat chicken and make sauce: Toss the chicken pieces in flour. In a jug or bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, tomato paste and Dijon mustard.
- Fill the slow cooker: Add the potatoes, vegetables, raw chicken, oregano and sauce mixture to the slow cooker.
- Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
- Finish: If you prefer a thicker sauce, stir in a cornstarch slurry during the final 15 minutes of cooking and cook uncovered until thickened. Stir through the lemon juice and fresh parsley before serving.
Serving Suggestions
This Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole is a complete meal in itself, with chicken, potatoes and vegetables all cooked together in a rich savoury sauce. However, it's also delicious served with some crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Allow the casserole to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
- Freeze: Allow the casserole to cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freezing potatoes: Potatoes are safe to freeze, but their texture can become a little soft or grainy once thawed. If making this recipe specifically for freezing, I sometimes leave out the potatoes and serve the casserole with mashed potatoes instead.
- To thaw: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this recipe can be suitable from 6 months +, once your baby is developmentally ready for solids, with a few considerations.
Sodium: Use low-sodium or homemade chicken stock and avoid adding extra salt during cooking. Remove your baby's portion before seasoning for the rest of the family.
Allergens: This recipe contains gluten from the flour used to coat the chicken. To make it gluten-free, skip the flour and thicken the casserole at the end with a cornstarch slurry instead.
Serving: The vegetables and potatoes can be mashed or served in larger soft pieces, depending on your baby's stage and feeding approach. The chicken becomes very tender and can easily be shredded.
No, this recipe used to involve this step but after testing, I found that it works really well as a simple dump-and-go slow cooker meal.
If you have a little extra time, browning the chicken and sautéing the vegetables first does add a little extra depth of flavour and creates a slightly richer, more balanced sauce. However, after testing both methods, I found the difference fairly minimal compared to the extra time and washing up involved.
If you do choose to brown the chicken first, you'll need a little oil for frying and can deglaze the pan/ skillet with a splash of red wine vinegar before sautéing the vegetables.
Other Slow Cooker Recipes
Looking for more healthy kid recipes?Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new family friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more kid-friendly inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 8 (approx. 1kg) skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp flour, (all purpose / plain)
- 430ml (1¾ cups) chicken stock
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 750g (1.6lb) baby potatoes, quartered
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 1 medium leek, thinly sliced
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper (capsicum), chopped into large chunks
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ lemon, juice of
- 1 small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
Optional - for a thicker sauce
- 1-2 tablespoon cornflour / cornstarch Use 1 -2 tablespoon depending on how thick you like your sauce
Instructions
- Add the chicken pieces to a large mixing bowl and coat in the flour.
- Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, garlic and mustard to a jug/bowl and mix to combine.
- Add the potatoes and vegetables to the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with the chicken and pour over the chicken stock mixture and sprinkle with the oregano.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 6-7 hours.
Finishing
- (Optional for a thicker sauce) In the last 15 mins of cooking, remove ¼ cup of the broth and mix with the corn flour (cornstarch). Pour the mixture back into the slow cooker and stir. Cook on high, uncovered for 15 mins to allow to thicken.
- Stir through the lemon juice and fresh parsley before serving.
Linda
Hello, could you make this without using leek and mushrooms ?? Thank you 🙂
Amy
Hi Linda, yes you can. Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Linda
Hi Amy, this is the best chicken slow cooker recipe I’ve tried, thank you so much !! The chicken was so tender and the flavour is delicious!
Amy
Fantastic, thank you so much Linda 🙂
Sammi l
How much volune is a serving? 1 cup?
Amy
Hi Sammi, I can't remember to be honest. I find serving sizes so hard as everyone has different thoughts, perhaps cups is a good way of doing this in the future.
Sinead
Great recipe! Big hit with both adults and kids in this house! Made this several times
Amy
So happy you like it, Sinead. Love a slow cooker recipe!
Wendy
Sensational! I didn’t have carrots so I added yellow and red capsicum. I put mushroom at beginning instead. I didn’t have mustard either. But it still turned out amazing. I added thickened cream and a bit of cheese when I served it and my goodness it was incredible!!!
Amy
Thank you so much, Wendy. So glad you liked it 🙂
Food challenged mom
Really delicious!! Thanks Amy for another amazing recipe. My 2 year old loved it as well as me and my husband
Amy
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂