Crockpot Italian grinder chicken is creamy, tangy, and full of flavor. It’s an easy slow cooker dinner that tastes great on a toasted hoagie rolls or over pasta.
Big Italian Flavor: Every bite is creamy, tangy, and full of savory Italian seasoning flavor.
Great for Leftovers: The shredded chicken heats up well, so lunch the next day is already done.
Make It Your Own: Use chicken thighs, banana peppers, or Greek yogurt to switch things up.
Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Chicken thighs work great too and stay nice and juicy.
Pepperoncini: Use mild peppers if you don’t like much heat. You can also use banana peppers.
Cream Cheese: This makes the chicken rich and creamy. You can use plain Greek yogurt instead for more protein.
Italian Dressing Mix: This adds lots of flavor with very little prep.
Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan melts best, but pre-grated works too.
This is one of those dinners that makes the crock pot worth pulling out. If you love easy slow cooker meals, you should also try my Crockpot Tuscan Chicken, Crockpot Crack Chicken, or Crockpot Parmesan Garlic Chicken Pasta.
Add Everything to the Crockpot: Add the chicken, pepperoncini, chicken broth, dressing mix, and garlic to a 4-6 quart crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
Shred and Make It Creamy: Shred the chicken with two forks. Add the cream cheese and Parmesan. Stir until melted and creamy. Give it a good stir, then make Italian chicken sandwiches or serve over pasta.
Don’t Drain the Peppers: That pepperoncini juice adds tons of tangy flavor to the chicken.
Soften the Cream Cheese: Softened cream cheese melts into the sauce much more easily.
Toast the Rolls: If you’re making sandwiches, toast the hoagie buns first so they don’t get soggy.
Make It Even More Grinder-Like: Top the sandwiches with shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, red onion, or provolone.
Slow Cooker: A 4-6 quart slow cooker is the perfect size for this recipe.
Fridge- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through.
Freezer- Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.