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Dinner

Crockpot Italian Grinder Chicken

This creamy and tangy slow cooker chicken captures all the best flavors of a classic Italian grinder sandwich.

By Recipes By Nani· 🌍 Italian American· August 29, 2026
Crockpot Italian Grinder Chicken
recipesbynani.com
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
6 hours
Total
6 hours 10 minutes
Serves
6

If you love the zesty, melty goodness of a deli grinder sandwich, you are going to fall in love with this easy dinner. It brings that classic Italian combination of tangy peppers and savory cheese right into your kitchen with almost zero effort. It is the perfect meal to throw into the slow cooker on a busy weekday.

My favorite thing about this dish is how versatile it is. You can pile the shredded chicken onto toasted hoagie rolls for a hearty sandwich, or serve it over your favorite pasta for a comforting bowl of goodness. Pro tip: make sure to leave the pepperoncini juice in the jar when you add it to the crockpot because that is where all the zingy flavor lives.

🧺 Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 jar (8 ounces) sliced pepperoncini peppers with juice
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth
  • 1 packet Italian dressing mix
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed and softened
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

👩‍🍳Instructions

  1. 1

    Place the chicken breasts into a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.

  2. 2

    Pour the entire jar of pepperoncini peppers with their juice over the chicken.

  3. 3

    Add the chicken broth, Italian dressing mix, and minced garlic to the pot.

  4. 4

    Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours until the chicken is tender and pulls apart easily.

  5. 5

    Use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker.

  6. 6

    Add the softened cream cheese and the Parmesan cheese to the shredded chicken.

  7. 7

    Stir everything together until the cream cheese is fully melted and the chicken is coated in a rich, creamy sauce.

💡 Tips

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For serving, toast your hoagie rolls first to keep them from getting soggy, and top with shredded lettuce, tomato, and provolone to get that true grinder experience.

Made this recipe? Let us know how it went.

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