Tender chicken, flavorful red potatoes, and fresh green beans all come together for a one-pot meal dressed with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and spices in Slow Cooker Chicken with Green Beans and Potatoes. If you’re a fan of easy dinner recipes for busy weeknights, then this might just be your new favorite go-to!
A great example of how sometimes keeping things simple is the best way to get a nourishing and delicious meal on the table that the whole family will enjoy!
The absolute best white elephant gift I have ever won was a small crockpot! I thought I scored GOLD. I started using it for all kinds of new recipes that winter many years ago- soups, chilis, and of course a good one-pot dinner every week. I realized quickly that it's important for a slow cooker recipe to be foolproof. Because the last thing you want is for dinner to spend all day slow cooking, lighting your house up with decadent smells, and ending up dry or flavorless. Aint nobody got time for that!
This recipe is by far my favorite foolproof slow cooker meal. What’s better than a complete meal that takes around 15 minutes of active time in the kitchen and turns out consistently good every time?
Make this recipe when you want a healthy meal that is 1.) easy to throw together and 2.) takes minimal effort for when you don’t have extra time and aren't looking for anything fancy.
I shared this great meal with my mom after she had heart surgery a few years ago, and she makes it all the time now, too. True comfort food! I hope it becomes a favorite of yours, too! 🙂
Serve this Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans, and Potatoes with some 4 Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies or Air Fryer Apples for Dessert!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans, and Potatoes
- Ingredients in Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans, and Potatoes
- Instructions for Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans and Potatoes
- Substitutions
- Variations for Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans, and Potatoes
- Equipment You'll Need
- Meal Prep and Storage for Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans, and Potatoes
- Top tips
- FAQ for Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans, and Potatoes
- Related
- LOOKING FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans, and Potatoes
EASY - one of the best part of slow cooker recipes is they tend to be so easy! Let the flavors simmer together while you go about your day. It’ll be ready for you in time for dinner.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS - the only 4 fresh items you’ll grab at the grocery store are chicken, potatoes, green beans, and lemons!
FLAVOR - I have a really hard time getting flavorful juicy chicken when I bake it. And I don’t have a grill. So I love making chicken in the slow cooker to let it get nice and tender. The key here for extra flavor is using FRESH lemon juice in the marinade. More on that below!
NOURISHING - as a dietitian, I personally think the best part of this chicken dinner is all the great nutrition it provides.
Potatoes get a bad rep. But red potatoes are nutrient-packed with fiber, Vitamin C, potassium and other vitamins. In fact, potatoes have more potassium than a banana! And when prepared this way, they are a healthy option for both you and your family.
Chicken is a lean protein and contains iron. Green beans are a good source of vitamins A, C, and K. The lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic in this recipe provide their own set of health benefits. There’s too much goodness to even get into it all here in one post. Just trust me, this is a nourishing dinner that will leave you feeling great!
Ingredients in Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans, and Potatoes
*Be sure to check the recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.
- BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREAST: I use 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts which is around 1.5 lbs of chicken.
- GREEN BEANS: I suggest using fresh green beans instead of frozen for this recipe!
- RED POTATOES: 2 large red potatoes is all you need.
- LEMON JUICE: be sure to use FRESH lemon juice from 1-2 lemons. Using bottled lemon juice doesn't have the same flavor and this is the key to getting the right flavor in the marinade.
- GARLIC: mince a couple cloves of garlic for depth. Plus, did you know garlic has antimicrobial properties?
- EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL: another staple in the marinade. It also adds heart-healthy fats.
- ITALIAN SEASONING: an easy blend of spices.
- ONION POWDER: dried onion powder works perfect so you don't even have to chop an onion!
- PARSLEY: a pinch of dried parsley is optional.
- SALT AND BLACK PEPPER: to tie all the flavors together.
Instructions for Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans and Potatoes
*The full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below but here are some visuals that I hope you will find helpful!
Step 1: Dice the red potatoes into about 1 inch pieces, cut the green beans in half (optional), and mince the garlic cloves.
Step 2: Make the marinade in a small bowl by mixing together the fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and spices.
Step 3: Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker in an even layer. Then, add the potatoes on one side of the chicken and the green beans on the other side. The vegetables will pile up a bit.
Step 4: Pour the marinade evenly on top of the chicken and vegetables and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low. The chicken is done when internal temperature reaches 165℉ and the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top for extra flavor!
Hints: the first time I made Crockpot Chicken Potatoes and Green Beans, I didn’t add enough liquid. You want to be sure there’s a little bit of extra liquid at the bottom for all the flavors to soak into the dish.
I love shredding the chicken in this crockpot chicken dinner. It helps soak up all the flavors. If you want to shred the chicken, simply do so with a fork about 30 minutes before it’s done, around the 3 hour mark if cooking on high heat and the 6 hour mark on low heat.
Substitutions
Vegetable: if you don’t like green beans, you can absolutely sub it for a different vegetable. Use carrots, zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, or brussel sprouts for something different!
Chicken: you can sub skinless chicken thighs for the breasts.
Potatoes: use russet potatoes or even sweet potatoes if you want! I prefer the texture and taste of red potatoes, but use what you love. From a nutritional perspective, red potatoes are slightly lower calories than russet potatoes. Sweet potatoes contain the same calories as russet potatoes, but are higher in Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
I don't recommend to use minim potatoes (baby potatoes). Mature red potatoes which are the larger ones have a firmer texture so they hold up nicely in the slow cooker.
Spices: If you want to make this recipe even easier, you can use a pre-made Italian dressing. But I really recommend taking the extra 2-3 minutes to make the homemade marinade! If you want to change up the spices, try adding garlic powder, turmeric, or paprika.
Variations for Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans, and Potatoes
- Add more color - If you like your potatoes recipe more colorful, be sure to keep the skin on the red potatoes or use sweet potatoes! I have made it both ways and love them both. But with a green bean recipe, red potatoes are totally the way to go if you ask me!
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes, cayenne, or chili powder to make it a bit spicy.
- Deluxe - add freshly chopped onion and add a couple diced carrots.
- Kid friendly - use your kids favorite vegetable if they don't like green beans!
Equipment You'll Need
If you don't have a crockpot, you can grab a great one with a digital timer here to make this recipe super easy for you!
Meal Prep and Storage for Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans, and Potatoes
Meal Prep
As simple as the prep for this full meal is, the last thing you want to do when rushing to get the kids out the door or get to work on busy days is chop veggies. A great way to make this recipe even easier on busy days is to meal prep ahead of time. To do this, simply dice the potatoes and cut the green beans the night before! Store them separated in an airtight container. Then, add them to the crockpot with the other ingredients in the morning or afternoon when you’re ready to turn on the slow cooker!
Storage
Store this crockpot recipe in the fridge and have leftovers for lunch or the easiest dinner the next day!
Fridge: store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days (use your judgement). To reheat, simply throw it in the microwave or on the stovetop over high heat.
Freezer: this one will stay good in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When ready to reheat, do so in the slow cooker on low heat.
Top tips
For Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans and Potatoes
- Cut the green beans in half to help them fit in the slow cooker better. If you prefer whole green beans, that’s totally fine, too and will make this recipe even easier. But I do prefer to cut mine in half!
- When pouring the marinade over the ingredients, be sure to pour it evenly over the chicken, potatoes, and green beans to make sure they all soak up the flavors.
- I really recommend using fresh lemon juice for this one. Packaged or bottled lemon juice isn’t as fresh and won’t add as much flavor to the dish.
- You can cook this recipe on low or high heat! If you cook it on low heat, it will be a bit more tender. But if you want it ready in just 4 hours, high heat is the way to go.
General Slow Cooker Tips
- No need to open the lid to check on slow cooker recipes. Every time you open the lid, you let heat out and it adds to the cooking time.
- Don’t overcrowd your slow cooker! Leaving some space between ingredients helps the flavors to meld together during the slow cooking process.
- The cooking time will vary depending on your slow cooker. Mine takes around 4 hours but yours might take 4-5 hours, especially if you use more chicken than the 1.5 lbs!
FAQ for Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans, and Potatoes
You can, but if using frozen vegetables, the recommendation is to let them thaw before adding them to your crockpot. This helps avoid the danger temperature zone of 40-140 ℉.
Yes! For this recipe, there is no need to brown the chicken or cook it at all before.
The best way to know when the chicken is done cooking is to check it with a meat thermometer. It should be at an internal temperature of 165℉ . The chicken should no longer be pink. Careful not to overcook the chicken because it will become dry if you do!
Shredding the chicken is my favorite way to eat this meal!
Related
Looking for other nourishing recipes like this? Try these:
LOOKING FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION?
Here are some of my educational posts you may enjoy:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram....I LOVE knowing there’s people out there trying out my recipes! 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans, and Potatoes, Easy Dinner
Equipment
- 1 crockpot (affiliate link)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large chicken breasts)
- 8 oz green beans, cut in halves (about 2.5 cups, ½ lb or 230 g)
- 1 lb red potatoes, diced (about 2 large red potatoes, 4 cups diced, or 460 g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (juice of about 1 large or 2 small lemons)
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Dice the red potatoes into about 1 inch pieces, cut the green beans in half (optional), and mince the garlic cloves.
- Make the marinade in a small bowl by mixing together the fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and spices.
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker in an even layer. Then add the potatoes on one side of the chicken and the green beans on the other side. The vegetables will pile up a bit, this is ok.
- Pour the marinade evenly on top of the chicken and vegetables and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low. The chicken is done when internal temperature reaches 165℉ and the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- Optional: Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top for extra flavor!
Notes
For Slow Cooker Chicken, Green Beans and Potatoes
-
- Cut the green beans in half to help them fit in the slow cooker better. If you prefer whole green beans, that’s totally fine, too and will make this recipe even easier. But I do prefer to cut mine in half!
-
- When pouring the marinade over the ingredients, be sure to pour it evenly over the chicken, potatoes, and green beans to make sure they all soak up the flavors.
-
- I love shredding the chicken in this crockpot chicken dinner. It helps soak up all the flavors. If you want to shred the chicken, simply do so with a fork about 30 minutes before it’s done, around the 3 hour mark if cooking on high heat and the 6 hour mark on low heat.
-
- I really recommend using fresh lemon juice for this one. Packaged or bottled lemon juice isn’t as fresh and won’t add as much flavor to the dish.
-
- You can cook this recipe on low or high heat! If you cook it on low heat, it will be a bit more tender. But if you want it ready in just 4 hours, high heat is the way to go.
General Slow Cooker Tips
-
- No need to open the lid to check on slow cooker recipes. Every time you open the lid, you let heat out and it adds to the cooking time.
-
- Don’t overcrowd your slow cooker! Leaving some space between ingredients helps the flavors to meld together during the slow cooking process.
-
- The cooking time will vary depending on your slow cooker. Mine takes around 4 hours but yours might take 4-5 hours, especially if you use more chicken than the 1.5 lbs!
Nutrition
References: Food Network (slow cooker tips)
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