Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken Thighs

5 from 5 votes

This crock pot chicken thighs recipe is perfect for dinner! My Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken Thighs are an easy slow cooked chicken dinner with just a few ingredients! So flavorful with minimal effort.

This recipe pairs perfect with mashed potatoes and quick fix homemade rolls.

pouring pesto in boneless chicken thigh recipe

An Easy Crock Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe

You are in for the ultimate treat with this boneless chicken thigh recipe. The chicken comes out perfectly tender with flavorful pesto seasonings throughout. With just three simple to find ingredients, you get a delicious home cooked meal for the family.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • This slow cooked chicken dish could not get simpler. You literally toss the ingredients into the crock pot or slow cooker, close the lid and forget about it for a few hours.
  • This is a perfect back to school, no-stress easy dinner idea that you don’t have to think about while your managing getting back on a schedule if your kids have already started school.

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ingredients for boneless chicken thigh recipe

What You’ll Need

One of the best parts about this recipe, is there’s only three ingredients needed! See the recipe card located at the bottom of post for full details.

  • boneless skinless chicken thighs– Find chicken thighs in the meat department near the chicken breasts.
  • prepared pesto– Prepared pesto is in the pasta isle of the grocery store near the sauces and pasta.
  • Ranch Dressing Seasoning packet– Check down the salad dressing isle for the packets of Ranch Dressing Seasoning.

Can I Use Other Chicken Parts?

You can use chicken breast and even tenders if you’d like. Adjust cooking time accordingly.

boneless chicken thighs in crock pot

How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe

  1. Place Chicken and Seasonings Into Crock Pot. Turn crock pot to high setting. Place chicken thighs, pesto, ranch dressing and chicken broth into crock pot. Stir gently to combine all seasonings.
  2. Slow Cook Chicken Thighs. Close with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

adding pesto to crock pot of chicken thighs

What Are The Benefits Of Using A Slow Cooker

  1. Have a meal at home in the slow cooker eliminates the temptation to order take-out which is often less nutritious and more expensive.
  2. Slow cookers usually allow one-step preparation. Placing all the ingredients in the slow cooker saves preparation time and cuts down on cleanup.
  3. Slow cookers are useful throughout the year. Coming in from a cold winter day, the aroma of hot soup is welcoming. Slow cookers also work well for summertime use; they do not heat the kitchen the way an oven might.
  4. As a result of the long, low-temperature cooking, slow cookers help tenderize less-expensive cuts of meat.
  5. A slow cooker brings out the flavor in foods. A wide variety of foods can be cooked in a slow cooker, including one pot meals, soups, stews and casseroles.
  6. A slow cooker uses less electricity than an oven.

pesto spread over chicken thighs in crock pot

The pesto gives the chicken thighs ultimate flavor. Just spoon it over the chicken and let it slow cook.

Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken Thighs

The Ranch Dressing mix also acts as a major seasoning to this dish. The flavor that comes from the two is amazing. I wouldn’t skip it. Sprinkle your Ranch Seasoning Mix over top.

boneless chicken thigh recipes

Add the chicken broth and give a little stir then close the lid. Kick your feet up while your crock pot does all the work.

boneless chicken thigh recipes

Recipe Tips For Success

  • Feel free to use other chicken parts. I’ve also used chicken breast which is great too.
  • Don’t leave out one of the ingredients. The Pesto with the Ranch mix gives great flavor when slow cooked!
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Use shredded over salad for another meal idea.

How To Serve Chicken Thighs?

Serve with potatoes. Match made in heaven. Roasted vegetables are another great pairing along with nice green salad.

How To Store Leftovers

Refrigerate. Store leftover chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating Instructions. Reheat chicken on a heat proof plate, loosely covered for 60 second intervals until hot.

Freezing Instructions

Freeze chicken thighs in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat as instructed above.

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Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken Thighs
5 from 5 votes

Crock Pot Pesto Ranch Chicken Thighs

This crock pot chicken thighs recipe is perfect for dinner! My Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken Thighs are an easy slow cooked chicken dinner with just a few ingredients! So flavorful with minimal effort.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 217kcal
Author: Jenny
Cost: $25
Print Pin Rate

Equipment

  • Crock Pot / Slow Cooker
  • measuring cups

Ingredients

  • 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 6 ounce jar of pesto
  • 1 package Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth

Instructions

  • Turn crock pot to high setting. Place chicken thighs, pesto, ranch dressing and chicken broth into crock pot. Stir gently to combine all seasonings. Close with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
  • Serve with a side of mashed potatoes and a simple salad.

Notes

  • Feel free to use other chicken parts. I've also used chicken breast which is great too.
  • Don't leave out one of the ingredients. The Pesto with the Ranch mix gives great flavor when slow cooked!
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Use shredded over salad for another meal idea.
How To Serve Chicken Thighs
Serve with potatoes. Match made in heaven. Roasted vegetables are another great pairing along with nice green salad.
How To Store Leftovers
Refrigerate. Store leftover chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating Instructions. Reheat chicken on a heat proof plate, loosely covered for 60 second intervals until hot.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze chicken thighs in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat as instructed above.

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 362mg | Potassium: 288mg | Vitamin A: 455IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Keywords: boneless chicken thighs, boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes, chicken dinner, chicken thigh crock pot recipes, chicken thigh recipes, crock pot chicken thighs, how long to bake chicken thighs, how to cook chicken thighs, pesto, slow cooker chicken thighs

photo collage of crock pot chicken thighs

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173 Responses
  1. Masey Arnold

    After smelling this cook all day, it was so worth the wait! I didn’t add anything to it, just did what it called for! My only regret…wish there was more! 🙂

    1. Jennielynn

      I have 3 teenagers and this is one of their favorite meals. You can stack this if you want to double it. I layer 6-8 thigh on the bottom with 3/4 the jar of pesto and 2 tbs of ranch powder. The I lay another 4-6 on top of that and put the rest of the pesto and ranch on them. I pour the chicken broth over and set the crock pot. It works really well for those with a big family or big eaters.

  2. Masey Arnold

    I have the chicken in the crockpot right now! It smells AMAZING! Can’t wait untill dinner tonight. 🙂

  3. Nyteflame

    You could probably throw some baby carrots and red-skinned potatoes in on top of the other ingredients, so they cook right along with the chicken – One pot meal.

  4. chelsea

    I’ve got this in the crock pot right now for dinner tonight. It’s been in there just over an hour and already smells amazing. I used low fat, low sodium chicken broth to make it a little healthier. As my side I’ve got asparagus and mushrooms marinating in a balsamic vingerette/paramasan cheese sauce and will be baking that later as the chicken gets closer to being done. I’m so excited to try it. This was so easy to make.

  5. Stephanie

    WOW! I just made this, and cannot believe how great it turned out! I did 4 chicken thighs for 3 hours, reducing the amount of pesto and just using onion and garlic powder and italian seasoning spices, instead of the Ranch mix, basting occasionally. So tender…it fell apart and was delicious! Served with rosemary roasted potatoes, roasted cherry tomatoes and roasted broccoli (with red pepper flakes). Sooooo easy! Will definitely make again!

  6. Emily

    Great thing to do with leftovers is to make a pizza. I used a can of biscuits for the crust and topped with some mozzarella cheese and it was FAB!

  7. Kameron Bybee

    Love this! My kids request it regularly now. I use chicken breasts (frozen – straight into the crockpot) and shred them before we eat. Delicioso!!!

  8. Emily

    I absolutely LOVE THIS!! It was so easy and simple to make. All together I made 7 thighs. My husband ate 5 and I ate 2 WHOLE THIGHS! Definitely the best and easiest recipe I have gotten online!

  9. Pam

    I made this tonight. Big hit. Totally easy. All ingredients I already had. I paired it with roasted red pepper alfredo linguine.

  10. Colleen

    I made this tonight with boneless skinless chicken breasts. Terrific!
    My modifications: I combined the basil, ranch dry dip and chicken broth
    and whisked them together. I placed trimmed chicken breast in the crockpot
    and poured the mix over. Served with whole wheat penne pasta.
    This is moving into the regular dinner rotation.

  11. Mary Beth

    Made this a few night ago….. added more chicken stock, then reduced the sauce on the stove top and poured it back over the chicken that I shredded up. made panini the next day with the leftovers….. really, really good. Next time I am gonna add cooked whole wheat pasta, artichoke hearts, chopped tomato, and parm into the crock pot after the chicken is shredded to meld together for a bit. Think it will be fab!!!!

    1. Kelly

      This lady knows what she’s doing 😉 thanks for some great ideas. Trying paninis tonight with the yummy chicken pesto filling

      1. Brenda

        My son made two wraps out of the remaining pesto chicken with a little lettuce and no need to shred the thighs first. Family loves this new recipe. Delicious!

  12. Darcy

    I make a similar dish, but use frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts and take them straight from the freezer to the crockpot,which means that I don’t need the chicken broth, as there is enough water in the frozen chicken.

    1. Raychillar

      Oh my gosh! That is so good to know. I made it with frozen chicken and it came out a bit watery—still DELISH though. Next time I will not add he broth. Still, this is a winner in my small family.

  13. Cooking on a Dime

    I am always looking for great crockpot ideas (so nice to have a hearty meal after work). This is great!

  14. Kelly Senyei (Just a Taste)

    I have been on the hunt for crockpot recipes and am adding this to my winter lineup! Thanks, Jenny!

  15. Elizabeth@ Food Ramblings

    definitely making this!!! I think I’ll make it with chicken breasts, like Sara suggests above!

  16. Heather at Kitchen Concoctions

    This is perfect! I have some homemade pesto in my freezer from this summer that I need to use up.

  17. Carlas Confections

    Loving these super easy dinner recipes! I just love the crockpot this time of year. I cant wait to pull mine out and get a-cookin!

  18. kim@hungryhealthygirl

    I love these stress-free easy recipes with very few ingredients. I will definitely be making this for dinner sometime next week.

  19. Heidi @foodiecrush

    Chicken thighs are my favorite part of the bird to cook with and with just 4 ingredients in this recipe, yes a total no-brainer like you said! And perfect for your life right now. Hope things are on the upswing with the little man 🙂

  20. Hope @ With A Side Of Hope

    This looks simple yet delicious! I definitely want to make this next week for dinner 🙂

  21. Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel

    I’m so making this next week! I am OBSESSED with pesto (it could probably be my blood type) and adding ranch is an unexpected twist. Delish!

  22. Ana Cooks

    chicken with pesto?…huummm…looks good!
    i only use pesto in pasta, but i might try this recipe sooner than i thought. 🙂
    Thanks!

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