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.
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
- Simple To Make. 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.
- Great Back To School Meal. 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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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.
How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe
- 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.
- Slow Cook Chicken Thighs. Close with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
What Are The Benefits Of Using A Slow Cooker
- Have a meal at home in the slow cooker eliminates the temptation to order take-out which is often less nutritious and more expensive.
- Slow cookers usually allow one-step preparation. Placing all the ingredients in the slow cooker saves preparation time and cuts down on cleanup.
- 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.
- As a result of the long, low-temperature cooking, slow cookers help tenderize less-expensive cuts of meat.
- 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.
- A slow cooker uses less electricity than an oven.
The pesto gives the chicken thighs ultimate flavor. Just spoon it over the chicken and let it slow cook.
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.
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.
Recipe Tips For Success
- Use Other Chicken Pieces. Feel free to use other chicken parts. I’ve also used chicken breast which is great too.
- Ingredients! Don’t leave out one of the ingredients. The Pesto with the Ranch mix gives great flavor when slow cooked!
- Use Leftovers For More Dinner Ideas. 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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Crock Pot Pesto Ranch Chicken Thighs
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.
Nutrition
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Came across this recipe and it was absolutely delicous!!! I browned the thighs as suggested above and added crushed pine nuts to the pesto.
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They were a nice thought, but I didn’t taste enough ranch :/ Maybe I added too much pesto 😛
Any sub for the ranch powder? Just wondering as I don’t usually buy that kind of stuff due to gluten allergy in our house.
Can the thighs be frozen or should they be thawed? Wanting to make this tomorrow!!
I used thawed, but frozen would be fine, just crock pot them longer if you use frozen.
This is in my crockpot right now. Except I used chicken breasts, basil pesto, a little extra stock and put some potatoes right in with it just to try.
Made this today and it was amazing!! The meat was falling off the bone at about three hours on high. The flavor was so good, I couldn’t bear to get rid of any of the juices so I made a pan gravy with them and used it over mashed potatoes. Definitely a keeper!!!
I made this tonight. Amazing, so simple, flavorful
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
LOL – I see that someone else had the same idea I did. I had a jar of oil-packed sun dried tomatoes hanging around, so I figured I’d throw it in there. The chicken was absolutely amazing. Everyone gobbled it up. And what could be easier? Yum! This will definitely go into regular rotation around here.
So glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
My boyfriend and I love this recipe!!! We have it all the time. Usually we make panini’s out of it and it’s mouthwatering. Tonight we are putting it over a bed on quinoa. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Love to hear it Ashley! Thanks for sharing!!
Hi there! What is the equivalent amount if you’re using chicken breasts? Around 2 lbs.? Less/more? Thanks!!
Hi Carrie, yes, I’d say about 2 pounds. Hope you enjoy!
This is what is for dinner in my house tonight. Thanks for the recipe. Looking forward to the results in an hour or two.
I made this as instructed and the chicken was as dry as dust. I am new at slow cooker cooking and I am wondering if I need to know something I’m not connecting with.
Can you make this with boneless chicken? If so what would the modifications be? Thanks!!
I’ve made this several times for my family. We love it! I just wanted to let you know I linked to this post and used a photo on my blog (full credit given to you for photo and for recipe, I didn’t even include the recipe on my page so people have to come here). I know I’ve tried several other of your recipes too. They’re so great!
http://www.asmanyasgiven.com/2014/01/the-only-pins-that-matter.html
This looks so good! Pesto is my son-in-law’s favorite thing to put on pasta. I bet he will love this, and I would serve it with buttered noodles and parmesan cheese. Plus the salad, for sure! Yummy!
Yum! So easy and delicious. I made ranch dressing from scratch rather than packaged mix. Just buttermilk powder, dried parsley, chives, dill, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper
can you use ranch dressing instead of the ranch packet?
Wonderful recipe. Thanks! We tried it with just the pesto and broth this time (and added thighs and breasts)—silly us we had bought the ranch also but it was stuck to my husbands lunch somehow and so I skipped that.
My hubby and daughter dipped the pesto chicken into bottled ranch dressing and gave it a thumbs up (it was amazing plain also).
Next time we do the whole thing though.
Anybody have any ideas how to substitute the Ranch Mix? It has MSG, I love this recipe but want to try and make it without the bad stuff. Any substitute ideas?
That does look great! Simple too!
I add sun dried tomatoes and chopped artichoke hearts and serve over rotini whole wheat pasta and my family LOVES it! Thank you for this recipe.
can you make this for two servings?
I just made this tonight and added some chopped, sundried tomatoes. Scrumptious! I’m planning on shredding and freezing a couple of baggies to add to spaghetti sauce, make sandwiches….the possibilities are endless!
Thanks for commenting Sherri! 🙂
I just put this in the crockpot. I’m a vegetarian so I’ll let you know how my husband likes it, he’s excited about it already!!
Do you happen to know about how many calories this came out to be per serving?
Hi Michelle, no I’m sorry we did not calculate the calories in this dish.:)
I just finished making a batch of pesto and put half in the freezer. I will pull it out and make this. thanks for the inspiration.
You’re welcome Christa. 🙂
I made this recipe today after seeing it on Pinterest and it was awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Angie. Glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Making this today…looks and smells delish! Thank You for the recipe 🙂
I recently tried this pesto chicken thigh recipe and it was a big hit. The thighs were full of flavor and so tender and juicy. I am a pesto fan, so I may be a little biased. Def. will make this again. So easy and it’s a great meal to make on a weekday.
This looks good, but doesn’t the ranch over power the pesto? I like both flavors but not sure how I feel about both! lol
this is in the crock right now.. ill make some lovely green garlicky rice to accompany and green beans.. i know my family will love it….
Made this for dinner last week, and it was great. I used very little chicken broth as to not dilute the pesto flavor. It was delish. Found the link in pinterest
Just made this for dinner tonight. WOW!!! This is definitely going to be a regular meal at my house. It has A LOT of flavor and the chicken turns out so tender. ♥ it!
Just made this for my family. Man was it good. Had a lot of flavor and the chicken was so tender. This is definitely going to be a regular meal at my house!