Chicken and Baked Beans Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient. A super easy slow cooker meal with just four simple ingredients! Tender chicken, sweet baked beans, smoky barbecue sauce, and onion cook together all day to make a warm, yummy dish the whole family will love.
This slow cooker chicken and baked beans recipe is the kind of simple, feel-good food that shows up at church potlucks and family get-togethers — and the bowl is always empty by the end! My uncle used to carry a big pot of this to spring parties at the grange hall, and people would stand around the slow cooker just waiting for the lid to come off. Only four things go in — chicken, canned baked beans, barbecue sauce, and onion — but after cooking all day, everything comes together into a thick, yummy sauce with super soft, fall-apart chicken. It’s great for busy days, big family dinners, or any time you want something filling without a lot of work.
You can serve this right from the slow cooker — just use a big spoon to scoop out chicken with lots of beans and sauce. It tastes amazing over rice, buttered egg noodles, or a big pile of mashed potatoes that can soak up all that good sauce. For a real Midwestern potluck plate, add coleslaw, a green salad, or green beans on the side. Don’t forget soft dinner rolls or cornbread to wipe up the bottom of your bowl! A jar of dill pickles or pickled beets on the table makes it even better.
Recipe Details
- Servings: 6
- Cook Time: 6–8 hours (LOW) or 3–4 hours (HIGH)
- Slow Cooker Size: 5–6 quart
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (around 4 big pieces)
- 2 cans (28 ounces each) baked beans in tomato sauce
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (use your favorite — regular or smoky both work great)
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into thin slices
Chicken and Baked Beans: Directions
- Spray the inside of your slow cooker with a little cooking spray or rub it with oil so food doesn’t stick and cleanup is easier.
- Lay the onion slices flat across the bottom of the slow cooker so they make a soft bed for the chicken to rest on.
- Place the chicken breasts on top of the onions in one layer. It’s okay if they touch a little at the edges.
- In a bowl, mix together the baked beans and barbecue sauce and stir until they are well mixed together. The mixture will look thick and shiny.
- Pour the bean and sauce mixture all over the chicken, making sure every piece is covered and tucked down into the sauce.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is very soft and cooked all the way through to at least 165°F (74°C). Cooking on LOW makes the chicken the most tender and gives the best flavor.
- When it’s done, give the sauce a little taste. If you want, add a tiny pinch of salt or pepper to make it just right.
- Serve the chicken breasts whole with a big scoop of beans and sauce on top. Or, use two forks to pull the chicken apart right in the slow cooker and stir it into the beans for a thick, stew-like dish — both ways are delicious!