Easy Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy (Comfort Food, WW Friendly)

There are some meals that just feel like home. Chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes is one of them for me.

Not much makes my husband or me happier than sitting down to a plate of tender chicken, rich savory gravy, and fluffy mashed potatoes. It’s the kind of dinner that feels genuinely comforting — the sort of meal you look forward to all day.

This slow cooker version makes it almost effortless. Just five simple ingredients, about 10 minutes of prep, and the slow cooker does everything else. By the time dinner rolls around, the chicken is tender, the gravy is rich and savory, and the kitchen smells wonderful.

I adapted this from a recipe at The Magical Slow Cooker, tweaking the ingredients and proportions to keep it lighter and WW friendly. The result is one of those recipes I keep coming back to—especially in the colder months when comfort food cravings hit hardest.

And the leftovers? Equally wonderful. The next night I made open-faced hot chicken and gravy sandwiches, served with a simple green salad. Cook once, eat twice—one of my favorite strategies for making weeknight dinners easier.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep.
• Pure comfort food—tender chicken in rich, savory homestyle gravy.
• Only 228 calories per serving and WW friendly.
• Makes generous leftovers that reheat beautifully.
• Incredibly versatile—wonderful over mashed potatoes, rice, egg noodles, or toast.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts — About 2 pounds total, or 6 smaller breasts. Boneless, skinless thighs work well too and are even more forgiving in the slow cooker since they stay moist longer.
• Chicken gravy mix — Two packages of dry gravy mix. McCormick is my go-to. This is what gives the sauce its rich, savory depth without a lot of effort.
• Cream of chicken soup — One can of low-fat, low-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, used straight from the can without diluting. Campbell’s Healthy Request is a great lower-sodium choice. Yes, it’s the condensed variety — do not add the extra water called for on the soup can label.
• Water — Start with 1½ cups. If your slow cooker runs cool or you prefer a thinner gravy, add up to 2 cups. The full 2 cups is the original amount, but many readers find 1½ cups gives a better consistency.
• Black pepper — A good grinding of fresh black pepper rounds everything out.

For a from-scratch version
Skip the gravy mix and soup and cook the chicken in 2 cups of good chicken broth until tender. Remove and shred the chicken, then make a simple gravy right in the slow cooker on HIGH by whisking in a cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water) and stirring until thickened, about 15 minutes.

How Many Calories and WW Points in Slow Cooker Chicken with Gravy?

According to my calculations, each serving of the crock pot chicken and gravy (4 ounces chicken + 1/4 cup gravy) has 228 calories.

To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)

6 PointsPlus (Old plan)

How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy

Step 1: Place the chicken breasts in a 4-quart slow cooker (affiliate link).

Step 2: In a bowl, whisk together the dry gravy mix packets, condensed cream of chicken soup (straight from the can, undiluted), water, and black pepper until as smooth as possible.

Step 3: Pour the gravy mixture over the chicken.

Step 4: Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or until the chicken registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer (affiliate link) inserted into the thickest part of the breast.

Step 5: Serve over mashed potatoes, brown rice, egg noodles, or toast, spooning plenty of gravy over the top.

Tips for Success

• Whisk the gravy mixture thoroughly. Getting the gravy mix and soup as smooth as possible before pouring it over the chicken helps prevent lumps in the finished sauce.
• Adjust the water to your slow cooker. The recipe calls for up to 2 cups of water, but starting with 1½ cups often results in a thicker, more satisfying gravy. If your slow cooker runs hot or your chicken releases a lot of liquid during cooking, 1½ cups is the safer starting point.
• Use condensed soup straight from the can. Do not add the water called for on the soup label — the recipe already accounts for additional liquid. Using diluted soup will make the gravy too thin.
• Watch your cook time carefully. Slow cookers vary significantly in how hot they run. My 4-quart cooker runs hot and the chicken was perfectly done at 4 hours — not the 8 to 10 hours some older recipes suggest. Check with a meat thermometer (affiliate link) at the 3.5-hour mark. Overcooked chicken in the slow cooker becomes tough and stringy.
• Use a programmable slow cooker (affiliate link) if you can. Being able to set it to switch to WARM automatically after the cook time ends is a game changer for days when you’re not home to check on it. If you don’t have one, cooking on LOW for 4 hours and then switching to WARM manually works well.

How to Fix Watery Gravy

Some slow cookers and some chicken releases more liquid than others during cooking — especially if the chicken was frozen or partially frozen, or if it was injected with a saline or broth solution (which many commercially sold chicken breasts are). If your gravy turns out thinner than you’d like, here are a few easy fixes:

• Cornstarch slurry
  Whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water until smooth. Stir it into the gravy, turn the slow cooker to HIGH, and cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
• Flour paste
  Mix 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of softened butter into a smooth paste. Stir it into the hot gravy a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
• Reduce on the stovetop
  Pour the gravy into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until it thickens to your liking.

Leftover Ideas

This recipe makes a generous batch and the leftovers are wonderful. Some favorite ways to use them:

• Open-faced hot chicken sandwich — Spoon shredded chicken and gravy over thick-sliced toast and serve with cranberry sauce and a green salad. Absolutely delicious.
• Chicken pot pie filling — Use the chicken and gravy as the filling for a simple pot pie topped with a sheet of refrigerator pie crust or biscuit dough.
• Over egg noodles or rice — A simple, satisfying quick dinner the next night.
• Stuffed baked potato — Pile shredded chicken and gravy into a slow cooker baked potato for an easy, filling meal.

Serving Suggestions

This is classic comfort food—serve it over creamy mashed potatoes for the full experience. A simple green vegetable alongside—green beans, broccoli, or peas—and dinner is complete. A spoonful of cranberry sauce alongside is a personal favorite that adds a lovely sweet-tart contrast.

If you’ve made this Slow Cooked Chicken with Gravy, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

Here’s another way to make crock pot chicken and gravy:

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use condensed or regular cream of chicken soup?
Use condensed cream of chicken soup straight from the can—do not dilute it with water first. The recipe already includes 2 cups of water, which is exactly the right amount of liquid for a good gravy consistency. Using diluted soup will make the gravy too thin.

What size slow cooker works best?
A 4-quart slow cooker (affiliate link) is ideal for this recipe. Using a much larger cooker with just 2 pounds of chicken can cause the liquid to evaporate too quickly and the chicken to dry out.

My gravy came out too thin, what went wrong?
This is a common issue and usually comes down to the chicken releasing extra liquid during cooking—especially if it was frozen, partially frozen, or injected with a saline solution. See the “How to Fix Watery Gravy” section above for easy fixes.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Yes—boneless, skinless thighs work beautifully and stay moist and tender even with a longer cook time. Track points accordingly as thighs are slightly higher.

Can I cook this on HIGH instead of LOW?
Yes. Cook on HIGH for 2 to 2.5 hours instead. Check with a meat thermometer (affiliate link) at the 2-hour mark.

Can I add vegetables?
Yes, but keep in mind that vegetables like mushrooms, onions, and carrots release liquid during cooking, which can thin the gravy further. If you add them, consider starting with just 1 cup of water rather than 1½ cups to compensate. Peas or spinach are the exception—stir those in during the last 15–20 minutes as they don’t release significant liquid and don’t need the full cook time.

More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes You’ll Love

• Easy Creamy 2-Ingredient CrockPot Chicken
• 3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Chicken
• Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Peppers
• Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala
• Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
• 7 Easy Ideas for 2-Ingredient CrockPot Chicken