Slow Cooker Dill Pickle Chicken Recipe for Tender, Tangy Meal

This Crock Pot dill pickle chicken is an easy, flavor-packed meal of tender pulled chicken and tangy dill pickles that’s made with just a few ingredients.

Dill pickle chicken is simple to make in the slow cooker, and it’s perfect to serve as a sandwich filling or a topping for rice or noodles.

Dill pickle chicken on a sandwich bun, served on a white plate alongside potato chips.

If you’ve never tried it, Crock Pot dill pickle chicken might sound unexpected — but it works. Ranch seasoning adds savory herb notes while dill pickles and their juice bring bright, tangy flavor. The slow cooker makes the chicken tender and shreddable with almost no effort.

Using pickles and pickle juice in cooking is a long-standing tradition, especially in the South and Appalachia, where preserving foods and boosting flavor with what’s on hand shaped many familiar recipes. This dish borrows that idea: the pickle juice adds acidity and helps season the meat as it cooks.

It’s similar in approach to Mississippi-style chicken that uses pepperoncini, but the flavor here is distinctly dill-forward. This recipe is a handy, crowd-pleasing option for busy weeknights, potlucks, or game day sandwiches.

More Slow Cooker Recipes:

  • Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing
  • Crock Pot Sausage and Potato Casserole
  • Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs
  • Crock Pot Hash Brown Potato Soup
  • Crock Pot Chicken and Bisquick Dumplings
overhead view of a slow cooker liner filled with dill pickle chicken.

Ways To Serve Crock Pot Dill Pickle Chicken

The simplest way to serve this recipe is piled onto soft sandwich buns for dill pickle chicken sandwiches. Add cheese, lettuce, or tomato if you like.

It also shines spooned over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes so the savory-tangy juices soak into the starch. Tucked into wraps or served over a bed of greens for a warm chicken salad are other easy options. The recipe is flexible and adapts well to what you have on hand.

overhead view of a dill pickle chicken sandwich on a plate with potato chips, next to a Crock Pot filled with more of the shredded chicken and pickles.

How to Make Pulled Chicken Cooked with Dill Pickles

Making this chicken dinner is straightforward and hands-off.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Chicken breasts (2–3 large)
  • 1-ounce packet ranch seasoning mix
  • 1-ounce packet low-sodium au jus mix or brown gravy mix
  • Dill pickle chips with juice (8–16 ounces, undrained)

How to Make It:

Find the full printable recipe available below

Prepare the chicken. Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning evenly over the chicken, then add the low-sodium au jus or brown gravy mix. Pour the dill pickles and their juice over the top.

two photos; one shows chicken breasts and seasonings in a crock pot; the other shows dill pickle chips and juice added to the crock pot.

Cook and shred the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4–6 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and is tender. Transfer the breasts to a plate and use two forks to shred or pull the meat into chunks. Return the shredded chicken to the cooker and stir to combine with the pickles and cooking juices.

two photos; one shows chicken breasts being shredded with a fork in a crock pot; the other shows the shredded chicken and dill pickles in a savory broth.

Serve the dill pickle chicken. Use the pulled chicken as sandwich filling, or spoon it over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes. Leftovers stay flavorful and reheat well.

dill pickle chicken sandwich and potato chips on a white plate in front of a Crock Pot.

Notes and Adaptations:

  • Use two or three large chicken breasts depending on how much you want to make; no adjustment to other ingredients is necessary.
  • Because seasoning mixes and pickles contain sodium, choose a low-sodium au jus or brown gravy mix to avoid an overly salty result. You can use a full 16-ounce jar of pickles or just half the jar to reduce sodium. If you prefer, omit the pickle slices and use only the pickle juice for flavor.
  • Serve on buns, over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes — the chicken pairs well with many sides.
A bun filled with dill pickle chicken for sandwiches, served on a white plate with some potato chips.

Recommended Equipment:

  • Slow cooker
Dill pickle chicken served on a bun, placed on a white plate with potato chips on the side.
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Crock Pot Dill Pickle Chicken

Author: Chrysti Benner
Serves: 6 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cooked low and slow in the slow cooker, this dill pickle chicken is a flavorful filling for sandwiches and an easy weekday meal.

Ingredients

 

  • 2-3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 ounce packet of ranch seasoning mix
  • 1 ounce packet of low-sodium au jus mix or brown gravy mix
  • 8-16 ounce dill pickle chips, undrained

Instructions

  • Place chicken breasts on the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle ranch seasoning over the chicken, then the low-sodium au jus or brown gravy mix. Pour the pickles and their juices over everything.
  • Cover and cook on low for 4–6 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F and is tender.
  • Remove the chicken to a plate and shred with two forks. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the pickles and juices.
  • Serve as a sandwich filling or over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes.

Notes

  • You can use two or three large chicken breasts without adjusting other ingredients.
  • To control sodium, choose a low-sodium au jus or brown gravy mix and consider using half a jar of pickles or only the pickle juice.
  • Serve on buns or over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes for a complete meal.

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Nutrition

Calories: 61kcal
|
Sodium: 703mg

Nutrition info is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Don’t forget to save this recipe to your slow cooker board on Pinterest!

two photos; one shows a dill pickle chicken sandwich with potato chips on a white plate; the other shows the dill pickle chicken in a slow cooker.