Venturing into the world of keto does not mean you’ve got to sacrifice flavor or spend tons of hours in the kitchen.
And truth be told, making keto meals can feel hard when you have a busy life.
That’s why I’ve compiled the BEST keto crockpot chicken recipes on the internet!
There’s no denying that slow cooker chicken recipes have tender meat, bold flavors, and make the perfect dump-and-go recipes for any day of the week!
They literally can make your life easier and your body healthier.
This low-carb chicken roundup includes main dishes, appetizers, and so much more you can make in a crockpot.
1. Low-Carb Whole Crockpot Chicken
Keto angle: chicken skin and natural pan juices bring fat, with about 1 to 2 net carbs if you skip rice and potatoes.
Low-Carb Whole Crockpot Chicken starts with paprika, cayenne, thyme, onion, and chicken juices, and the crockpot makes it smell like dinner has been handled for hours.
When the lid comes up, you get juicy chicken with no added liquid, which is exactly the kind of payoff I want after doing very little.
I would make this for keto meal prep, when nobody has the patience for a fussy skillet situation.
The flavor is bold enough to carry a simple side, which helps.
Keep the serving setup easy and let people build their own plates.
Honestly, that is how crockpot dinners earn their counter space.
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large roasting chicken
- 1 cup chopped onion (optional)
Directions
- Mix all the spices in a small bowl.
- Remove the giblets, pat the chicken dry, and rub it all over with the spice mixture.
- Seal the seasoned chicken in a bag and refrigerate it overnight.
- Add the chopped onion to the bottom of the crockpot, set the chicken on top, and do not add liquid.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 to 8 hours, until the chicken is done.
- Serve with cauliflower rice, broccoli, or another low-carb side.
Prep: 15 hours | Cook: 4 to 8 hours on low | Serves: 4
Small tweak: Add a little wine to the spices, or cook seasoned potatoes on foil under the chicken.
2. Cream Cheese Chicken in the Crockpot
Keto angle: cream cheese and butter bring the fat, but use low-carb cream soup and check the dressing packet.
Ever open the slow cooker and immediately know the sauce is going to do the work?
That is the whole vibe here, with Italian dressing mix, butter, cream cheese, and broth rolling around the kitchen.
The finished dish lands as creamy chicken pieces, so it feels like more than a plain protein dump.
It works for a low-carb bowl dinner, especially when dinner needs to sit warm without getting dramatic.
Taste near the end, because slow cooking can soften sharp flavors.
A little salt, heat, or acid can wake the pot right back up.
Then serve it before everyone starts hovering.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken pieces
- 1 (2/3 ounce) package Italian salad dressing mix
- 4 tablespoons melted butter (divided)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
Directions
- In a crockpot, put the chicken pieces, sprinkle chicken with Italian seasoning. Then drop 2 tablespoon melted butter over the chicken.
- Cook chicken over low heat for about 4 to 6 hours.
- In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoon butter. Saute the garlic and onion over the butter. Add in cream of chicken soup, chicken broth and the cream cheese. Mix until mixture is smooth.
- Pour soup mixture to the crockpot over the chicken mixture. And cook for another 1 hour or until done.
- Serve warm.
Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 5 to 7 hours on low | Serves: 6
Worth trying: Add some mushrooms with the cream cheese mixture, Then top with crumbled bacons and chives before serving.
3. Cheesy Slow Cooker Chicken
Keto angle: cheesy sauce helps the fat count, but canned soups can add starch, so keep portions moderate.
Some recipes smell quiet, and some make people ask what is in the crockpot before they even take off their shoes.
This one gets there with cream soup, cheddar soup, garlic, and chicken.
The texture is soft chicken in cheesy sauce, which makes it feel cozy without asking much from you.
I like it for an easy keto-style dinner, when the whole point is keeping dinner moving.
Nothing here needs a big speech.
Just spoon it up, add the right side, and let the sauce do the talking.
That is usually enough.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Arrange chicken breasts into the crockpot.
- Mix the unmixed soups together. Add in garlic powder and drizzle over the chicken.
- Cover and cook over low heat for about 6 to 8 hours or until done.
- Serve with the sauce over cauliflower rice or steamed greens.
Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 6 to 8 hours on low | Serves: 8
Little switch: Slice boneless chicken into cubes before placing in crockpot, Serve over egg noodles, Use broccoli cheese soup in place of cheddar cheese, Serve with sauce and.
4. Cream Cheese Ranch Chicken
Keto angle: cream cheese, butter, and ranch-style seasoning make this rich, around 3 to 5 net carbs with clean soup.
Cream Cheese Ranch Chicken is not trying to be fancy, and I mean that kindly.
The crockpot pulls together cream cheese, butter, ranch mix, garlic, and herbs while you go deal with the rest of the day.
By serving time, you have thick creamy chicken and a kitchen that smells like you tried harder than you did.
This fits a fat-friendly keto plate, especially if people are eating in shifts.
Keep toppings or sides nearby so nobody starts customizing over the pot.
That always turns weird.
Ask me how I know.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 (1 ounce) package hidden valley ranch dressing mix
- 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 dash paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
Directions
- Rinse and strain chicken breasts. Arrange equally into the crockpot. sprinkle with some paprika.
- Drizzle chicken with Hidden Valley ranch salad dressing. then toss.
- Drop 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the chicken breasts.
- Cook covered for about 4 hours over low heat.
- In a medium saucepan melt remaining butter and saute minced garlic over the butter.
- Stir in cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup chicken broth, cream cheese, dried parsley flakes and dried oregano. Mix until mixture is smooth.
- Pour mixture into the crockpot and continue cooking for 1 to 2 hours over low heat.
- Serve over zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, or steamed greens.
Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 5 to 6 hours on low | Serves: 4 to 6
My move: Saute onion and garlic before adding, add one block of cream cheese and can of cream of chicken soup.
5. Garlic Paprika Chicken Thighs
Keto angle: chicken thighs carry more fat than breasts, and the seasoning mix stays around 1 to 2 net carbs.
The first good sign is the smell, because paprika, lemon pepper, onion, and lots of garlic does not stay shy for long.
The second good sign is the texture: fatty thighs with bold seasoning.
That combo makes this useful for keto chicken prep, when dinner needs to be ready without a lot of hand-holding.
I would keep the sides simple and let the sauce be the main event.
No need to pile on ten extras.
Two good sides beat a crowded plate almost every time.
Anyway, the crockpot already did its part.
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 cup paprika
- 1/4 cup lemon pepper
- 2 onions, sliced
- 10 garlic cloves, smashed not peeled
Directions
- Wash the chicken thoroughly and let dry.
- Meanwhile, combine the paprika with salt, and lemon pepper in a bowl.
- Rub chicken with the mixture and coat it up completely, adding up more if necessary.
- Put the chicken into the slow cooker and place the onions and garlic around the chicken.
- Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours at low setting or until cooked through.
Prep: 0 mins | Cook: 3 to 4 hours on low | Serves: 4 to 6
Flavor note: Use chicken drumsticks instead of thighs, and use a Ziploc bag to mix up the seasonings, and put thinly sliced onions with garlic on top, Use more peeled garlic.
6. Keto-Style Rotisserie Chicken
Keto angle: whole chicken with olive oil spray and seasoning is very low carb, usually under 1 net carb per serving.
Keto-Style Rotisserie Chicken starts with seasoning salt, olive oil spray, and chicken fat, and the crockpot makes it smell like dinner has been handled for hours.
When the lid comes up, you get whole chicken raised over foil, which is exactly the kind of payoff I want after doing very little.
I would make this for a keto chicken dinner, when nobody has the patience for a fussy skillet situation.
The flavor is bold enough to carry a simple side, which helps.
Keep the serving setup easy and let people build their own plates.
Honestly, that is how crockpot dinners earn their counter space.
Ingredients
- 1 whole roasting chicken
- Olive oil flavored cooking spray
- Seasoning salt, to taste
Directions
- Prepare 4 to 5 unfastened aluminum foil balls and place it in the slow cooker’s base.
- Wash chicken thoroughly from the inner parts to the outer parts. And rub with olive oil or simply spray chicken with non-stick olive oil spray.
- Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt.
- Place chicken into the slow cooker over the loose foil, with the back portion facing downwards.
- Cook at low setting for 5 to 7 hours.
Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 5 to 7 hours on low | Serves: 8
Easy riff: Simply pour and rub about to 3 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil over the chicken and also sprinkle with the salt and pepper and also use a “Rustic Tuscan.
7. Smoky Whole Crockpot Chicken
Keto angle: chicken and liquid smoke are basically carb-free, but avoid sugary sauces at serving time.
Ever open the slow cooker and immediately know the sauce is going to do the work?
That is the whole vibe here, with liquid smoke and chicken juices rolling around the kitchen.
The finished dish lands as smoky chicken without sauce, so it feels like more than a plain protein dump.
It works for a zero-sugar protein night, especially when dinner needs to sit warm without getting dramatic.
Taste near the end, because slow cooking can soften sharp flavors.
A little salt, heat, or acid can wake the pot right back up.
Then serve it before everyone starts hovering.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1/4 cup liquid smoke
Directions
- Wash chicken thoroughly and drain excess water.
- Season if desired.
- Put chicken in the crockpot with the breast side down.
- Pour liquid smoke into the crockpot over the chicken.
- Cover crockpot and cook over low heat until done.
Prep: 10 mins | Cook: until done on low | Serves: 1 smoked chicken
Tiny upgrade: Add chopped onions under the chicken and rub the meat with chicken seasoning.
More Low-Carb Crockpot Chicken Recipes From Around The Web
This Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Bowl Goes Hard on Game Day
Image from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Can we talk about how buffalo chicken is basically a personality trait at this point?
Like, if you don’t love buffalo sauce, we probably can’t be friends.
This slow cooker version uses Frank’s Red Hot (because there’s no substitute), some Worcestershire, a touch of green Tabasco, and monkfruit sweetener to balance out the heat.
You cook the chicken breasts on high for about 3 hours, then drain them and shred everything.
Serve it over cauliflower rice, and you’ve got yourself a bowl with 8 grams of carbs and 32 grams of protein.
The prep takes about 35 minutes, which is a little more involved than some of these other recipes.
But the payoff is worth every second, honestly.
This is the kind of thing I’d bring to a potluck and not even tell people it’s keto — they just eat it and ask for the recipe.
It’s also one of those high protein chicken crockpot recipes that actually tastes like you’d try.
Balsamic Caprese Stuffed Chicken Thighs That Feel Way Too Fancy for a Crockpot
Image from Sugar Free Mom
This is the one you make when you want to impress somebody.
Fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, sun dried tomatoes are all stuffed inside chicken thighs with Italian seasoning and balsamic.
In a crockpot.
I know it sounds like something from a cooking show, but it’s actually not that hard to pull off.
You pound the thighs flat, season them, stuff them with the good stuff, roll them up with toothpicks, and let the slow cooker do the rest for about 3 hours.
287 calories per serving, 7 grams of carbs, and 34 grams of protein.
The balsamic gets all sticky and sweet in the crockpot, coating everything in this gorgeous glaze.
If you’re someone who does low carb dump and go crockpot dinners on the regular, this is the fancy night version of that.
Date night at home, but you didn’t even turn on the oven – that’s a flex.
A 5 Minute Prep Chicken Cacciatore That’s Keto and Nobody Believes It
Image from Joy Filled Eats
Five minutes of prep.
I’m not exaggerating – you literally dump everything into the crockpot and walk away.
Chicken thighs, a can of whole peeled tomatoes, sweet pepper, onions, garlic, and dried herbs.
Thats the whole ingredient list.
Cook it low and slow for 6 to 8 hours (or 3 to 4 on high), and the chicken falls apart so tender you barely need a fork.
200 calories per serving and just 7 grams of carbs, which leaves you plenty of room for a side.
Serve it over zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash, and it’s basically Sunday dinner at your grandma’s house, but make it keto.
This one reminds me of something from a dump and go crockpot dinner list — except with Italian vibes and way less guilt.
Also, the leftovers taste even better the next day, which is a huge win for meal preppers.
If you want more recipes with minimal ingredients like this one, check out these easy chicken recipes with few ingredients.
Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken That’s Creamy Spicy and Totally Low Carb
Image from This Mom’s Menu
Have you ever had peanut chicken that made you close your eyes while chewing?
Because that’s what this recipe does.
Coconut milk, peanut butter, red curry paste, fish sauce, and garlic – all mixed together and poured over chicken breast in the slow cooker.
The sauce gets all thick and creamy and coats every single piece of chicken like a warm hug.
5 grams of carbs per serving, 39 grams of protein, and 432 calories if you’re tracking.
It’s got a 4.6 out of 5 rating from 35 people, which tells you it’s not just me being dramatic about how good this is.
Top it with chopped peanuts and cilantro and serve over cauliflower rice or shirataki noodles.
I made this for my sister once, and she literally texted me the next day asking for the recipe – and she doesn’t even do keto.
If you love creamy, saucy chicken, you should also check out these easy crockpot chicken recipes for more ideas like this one.
This is also a solid pick if you’re browsing frozen chicken crockpot recipes because chicken breast from frozen works surprisingly well here too.
Keto Satay Chicken Curry With All The Peanut Butter Vibes
Image from My Keto Kitchen
Wait… two peanut chicken recipes back to back?
Yeah, because they’re both that good, and honestly, they’re pretty different from each other.
This one leans more into the curry direction with coconut cream, sriracha, sugar-free soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, and ginger alongside the peanut butter.
It’s got layers of flavor that hit differently than the Thai version above.
You dice up chicken thighs (thighs are always juicier for slow cooking, honestly), toss everything in the crockpot, and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours.
409 calories, 7 grams of carbs, 29 grams of protein per serving.
Perfect 5 out of 5 rating from 26 people, so clearly it’s not just me obsessing over this one.
Serve it with cauliflower rice and a squeeze of fresh lime — it makes a real difference.
This recipe feeds 8, too, so it’s a great option when you’re cooking for the family or want leftovers that actually taste good reheated.
If you’re into chicken leg crockpot recipes you could probably swap the thighs for legs in this one and it’d still come out amazing.
Alright so that’s 6 low-carb crockpot chicken recipes that are all keto-friendly and actually taste like real food.
Not bland diet food – like food you’d actually be excited to eat.
The thing I love about all of these is that your crockpot does 90% of the work, and you just show up to eat.
Which is exactly how cooking should be on a busy weeknight.
If you want to keep going with the whole slow cooker thing, I’ve also got roundups for dump and go crockpot beef dinners and crockpot pork chop dinners that are just as hands-off.
Or if you need something the whole family will eat without complaints, try these crockpot dinners for kids.
And if gluten is also a thing you avoid, these gluten free crockpot dinners and gluten and dairy free chicken crockpot recipes have you covered, too.
The Crockpot Chicken That’s Basically Bacon-Ranch in a Bowl
Okay so you know how sometimes you throw something in the crockpot and then completely forget about it until the whole house smells insane?
That’s exactly what happens with this one.
Crack chicken, and yes, the name makes total sense once you taste it…
…is just chicken thighs slow-cooked under ranch seasoning and cream cheese until everything basically melts together into this ridiculously creamy situation.
Then you throw chopped bacon on top.
And shredded cheddar.
And green onions if you’re feeling fancy.
It’s 648 calories, 46 grams of protein, and only 3.3 carbs per serving, which… honestly feels like cheating in the best possible way.
This one works in the slow cooker, the Instant Pot, or the oven, so there’s literally no excuse not to make it tonight.
When Your Tastebuds Are Tired of Plain Chicken and Need a Whole Moment
Image via AllDayIDreamAboutFood.com
Girl, I am so tired of the same five keto chicken recipes that every single person on the internet swears by.
So when I say this Thai peanut version is lowkey one of the most underrated low carb crockpot chicken recipes out there, I mean it.
You’ve got chicken thighs sitting in a sauce made from peanut butter, tamari, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, and apple cider vinegar and after about four hours on low, the whole thing turns into this glossy, nutty, slightly spicy situation that genuinely tastes like takeout.
Only 5.2 grams of carbs per serving.
The trick is pulling the chicken out before you whisk the remaining sauce smooth in the pot — it gives you that restaurant-level finish without any extra work.
Chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and you’re done.
This one would hit different on a cold, rainy night when you’re craving something with actual flavor depth.
Four Ingredients and Your Crockpot Does All the Work – Yes, Really
Sometimes the best meals are the ones where you basically just… dump stuff in a pot and walk away.
This garlic ginger chicken is that recipe.
Sesame oil, soy sauce, fresh garlic, fresh ginger – just mix it right in the bottom of the crockpot, lay the chicken breast on top, and let it cook on low for six hours until it shreds apart without you even touching it.
You serve it over riced cauliflower, and suddenly you’ve got something that actually feels like a real dinner.
201 calories and one single gram of carbs per serving — this is the one you make on a Monday when your brain has completely left the building and you still need to eat something that doesn’t come out of a bag.
Keto Cashew Chicken That Actually Tastes Like the One From That Chinese Place
You know that specific craving for Chinese takeout that hits you at like 6 pm on a Friday when you’ve been good all week and don’t want to wreck it?
This is the answer.
Coconut aminos, rice vinegar, ginger paste, a brown sugar substitute, a little red pepper heat — all slow-cooked with bite-sized chicken and bell pepper for three to four hours, then finished with cashew butter and actual cashews stirred in at the end.
The xanthan gum mixed into olive oil acts as a natural thickener so you get that glossy sauce consistency without any cornstarch or flour nonsense.
34 grams of protein per serving, 10.7 carbs…
…totally works as a low-carb crockpot chicken recipe, especially served over cauliflower rice with fresh green onion on top.
This one rated 5 out of 5 stars, and honestly, I’m not even surprised.
Three Ingredients and a Slow Cooker Is All You Need Tonight
Okay, this is the recipe you text your sister when she says she “doesn’t have time to cook.”
Chicken breasts.
Taco seasoning.
Salsa.
That’s it, and after a few hours on low, you’ve got perfectly shredded chicken that works in bowls, lettuce wraps, over cauliflower rice, or just eaten straight from the pot with a fork because nobody’s watching.
Only 7 grams of carbs and 176 calories per serving, and it’s got a perfect 5-star rating from people who clearly have good taste.
This is that emergency weeknight dinner energy that we all need in our lives.
The Creamy Italian Chicken Situation That Makes Cauliflower Worth Eating
I know “chicken and cauliflower” sounds like punishment food, but please hear me out.
Two packets of Italian dressing mix, a full block of cream cheese sliced on top of everything, button mushrooms, and four hours on low and what comes out of that crockpot is honestly restaurant-level stuff.
The cream cheese melts into this rich, herby sauce that coats every single piece of chicken and vegetable, and you shred everything together until it’s completely combined.
44 grams of protein and only 5 grams of carbs per serving.
This is one of those low carb crockpot chicken recipes that’ll make you look like you actually tried.
The parsley on top is optional, but also not optional if you care about presentation at all.
Ranch Chicken and Vegetables for the Person Who Just Wants Dinner Done
Image via BakingOutsideTheBox.com
This is the kind of recipe that comes through for you on a Tuesday when your brain is fully checked out, but you still somehow need to feed people.
Chicken goes in the crockpot — fresh or still frozen, doesn’t matter — and then you just chunk up some butter and cream cheese, drop them on top, and dust everything with Hidden Valley ranch mix.
Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 5 to 7, then shred and serve over whatever vegetables you have lying around.
It’s simple, it works every time, and the ranch flavor gets into every single bite because of how everything cooks down together.
Perfect for meal prepping a batch at the start of the week and eating it three different ways – in bowls, in lettuce wraps, or just as-is with a side salad.
Ranch and Pepperoncini Slow Cooker Chicken With Some Actual Personality
Image via TheBestKetoRecipes.com
Okay, the pepperoncini peppers are the whole move here, and if you skip them, you’re genuinely robbing yourself.
This is basically ranch chicken’s cooler, tangier cousin – you throw everything into a small two-quart slow cooker, cook on low for eight hours, and come back to chicken that’s juicy, slightly tangy, creamy, and way more interesting than your average crockpot situation.
The pepperoncini soften and sort of melt into the cream cheese and butter, adding this mellow heat and vinegary brightness that makes the whole thing taste like something you’d order at a restaurant.
Only 1 gram of carbs and 203 calories per serving with 309 ratings sitting at 4.44 out of 5, this one clearly has a fanbase for a reason.
Serve it over zucchini noodles, riced cauliflower, or just eat it with a spoon, honestly.
Tuscan Garlic Cream Sauce Chicken That Belongs in a Fancy Restaurant Not Your Crockpot
There are meals that look impressive, and there are meals that actually taste impressive, and this Tuscan chicken is the rare situation where it’s both.
You start by making a proper garlic cream sauce on the stovetop – sauteed garlic, heavy whipping cream, parmesan added in batches until it’s smooth – and then you pour that over seasoned chicken thighs in the crockpot with sun-dried tomatoes scattered on top.
Three to four hours on high or six to eight on low, and what you end up with is something that genuinely looks like it took way more effort than it did.
41 grams of protein, 5 grams of carbs, 462 calories – this is the low carb crockpot chicken recipe you make when company’s coming over, and you want them to think you’ve been cooking all day.
Spinach can be stirred in at the end if you want to stretch it further without adding many carbs.
The Extra-Step Crockpot Chicken That’s Worth Every Single One of Those Steps
So this one requires browning the chicken before it goes in the crockpot, and I know that sounds annoying, but trust me, the texture payoff is completely worth it.
You coat the chicken breasts in glucomannan and salt, brown them in avocado oil, then transfer them to the crockpot, sitting on a bed of softened onion and celery with chicken stock and red wine vinegar doing all the heavy lifting.
The glucomannan acts as a natural thickener, so by the time everything’s done cooking, you’ve got a sauce with actual body to it instead of watery crockpot liquid.
53 grams of protein and only 6 grams of carbs per serving…
…this is the recipe for when you want something clean, comforting, and a little more layered than a dump-and-go situation.
Use the shredded chicken in wraps, over vegetables, or just eat it as-is with the cooking juices spooned over the top.
Mississippi Style Butter Chicken With a Tangy Kick That Goes Hard Every Time
If you’ve never made Mississippi-style anything in a slow cooker, I genuinely feel sad for your past self.
This one layers chicken breasts with chopped onion, ranch powder, gravy mix, pepperoncini peppers AND the pickling liquid, and a half stick of butter cut into pieces — then you just close the lid and let it cook for four hours on low.
The butter and pickling liquid combine into this glossy, tangy, savory sauce that coats every strand of shredded chicken in something that tastes like it’s been in the oven all afternoon.
Only 3 grams of carbs and 247 calories per serving… this works beautifully in bowls over mashed cauliflower, stuffed into low carb tortillas, or just piled high with some roasted vegetables on the side.
Honestly, one of the most satisfying low carb crockpot chicken recipes on this whole list.
Low Carb BBQ Chicken That Tastes Like Summer Even in the Middle of February
BBQ flavor on a keto diet is one of those things that feels impossible to get right, and then you find this recipe and realize you’ve been overthinking it.
The sauce is a from-scratch mix of tomato paste, ghee, low-carb brown sugar sweetener, cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, yellow mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme…
…which sounds like a lot, but it just gets whisked together in one bowl and poured over the chicken.
Cook on high for three to four hours or low for six to eight, then pull the chicken out to rest for ten minutes before shredding — that resting step is what keeps it from getting stringy and dry.
37 grams of protein and only 5 grams of carbs per serving and you can make a big batch because this keeps well and tastes even better the next day when the sauce has had time to really settle in.
Slow Cooker Mandarin Chicken With Five Spice That Somehow Feels Both Fancy and Easy
Image via IBreatheImHungry.com
Chinese Five Spice is one of those ingredients that makes everything it touches taste like a completely different kind of food and this recipe absolutely leans into that.
You rub chicken thighs with the five spice blend and salt, sear both sides for three minutes to get some color going, then nestle them into the slow cooker with no-sugar-added mandarin oranges, garlic, ginger, lime juice, sesame oil, red chili slices, and a sugar substitute.
The mandarin juice cooks down into this sweet, citrusy, spiced glaze that makes each bite taste layered in a way you genuinely don’t expect from a crockpot meal.
This one is gluten-free, low carb, and rated 5 stars.
And it would absolutely hit different served over a pile of bok choy or riced cauliflower with extra sesame oil drizzled on top.
Hidden Carbs in Crockpot Chicken Recipes
Chicken is easy on keto, but crockpot chicken recipes can still sneak in carbs through the sauce.
Cream cheese, butter, chicken skin, thighs, and whole chickens are your friends because they bring fat and keep the meat satisfying.
The things to check are canned cream soups, ranch packets, Italian dressing mix, seasoning salt, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, and anything served over noodles or rice.
A label that looks harmless can still have sugar, starch, or maltodextrin.
Use clean seasoning blends when you can.
For creamy chicken, swap canned soup for heavy cream, broth, cream cheese, mushrooms, garlic, and salt.
For smoky chicken, skip sweet sauce and use dry rubs, liquid smoke, butter, or pan juices.
Most plain chicken recipes land very low in net carbs, often 0 to 3 per serving before sauces.
Creamy packet recipes usually sit higher, around 3 to 6 net carbs depending on brands.
So yeah, the meat is not the problem.
The packet is usually where the little carb ambush happens.