35 Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes For Fantastic Daily Family Dishes

Every day is a day to prepare a delicious meal, and if you are a lover of chicken delicacies, you are in for a great treat. These slow cooker chicken recipes will get you excited and waiting in anticipation for that platter of delicious food that will soon be ready. 

These slow cooker chicken recipes are mouth-watering and simple to prepare, and there is no doubt that a couple of them or even all of them will become your family favorites.

If you make chicken for your family a couple of times a week, you will always have something new and delicious to prepare every week. 

Quick Table: Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

Recipes	Calories Per Serving	Preparation Time
Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken Sandwiches	398	5 Minutes
Slow Cooker Chicken Curry	345	10 Minutes
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Meatballs	395	20 Minutes
Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Piccata	142	10 Minutes
Slow cooker Thai Peanut Chicken	340	15 Minutes
Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Fettuccine	516	10 Minutes
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Pasta	489	20 Minutes
Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken And Veggies	549	20 minutes
Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga	223	15 Minutes
Slow Cooker Ohio Chicken Sandwiches	448	10 Minutes
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken	351	20 Minutes
Slow Cooker Chicken Spinach Artichoke Pasta	587	20 Minutes
Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken	184	5 Minutes
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken	67	5 Minutes
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken	317	5 Minutes
Slow Cooker Bruschetta Chicken	576	15 Minutes
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken	191	10 Minutes
Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas	289	15 Minutes
Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken	213	5 Minutes
Slow Cooker Pesto Mozzarella Chicken Pasta	633	15 Minutes
Slow Cooker Chicken And Dumplings Recipe	399	15 Minutes
Slow Cooker Cornish Game Hens And Baked Potatoes	1157	15 Minutes
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken	598	15 Minutes
Slow Cooker Crack Chicken	690	10 Minutes
Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Chicken	413	10 Minutes
Slow Cooker Chicken And Sweet Potato Dinner	631	20 Minutes
Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta	568	5 Minutes
Roasted Spatchcock Chicken (Butterflied Chicken)	271	15 Minutes
Slow Cooker Artichoke Mushroom Chicken	523	10 Minutes
Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken	356	5 Minutes
Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala	312	25 Minutes
Slow Cooker Black Pepper Chicken	266	15 Minutes
Slow Cooker Chicken Tater Tot Casserole	611	25 Minutes
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole	398	5 Minutes
Slow Cooker Bang Bang Chicken	626	10 Minutes

1. Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken Sandwiches

This delicious dinner choice only needs five ingredients to be easily found in your home. If you don’t have them, a simple visit to the grocery store will get you all you need, and they aren’t costly.

You will only need chicken breasts (boneless and skinless), cream cheese, ranch seasoning(must have), melted butter, and shredded cheese to make that fantastic topping for these delicious chicken sandwiches. 

You can make your own ranch seasoning mix three months in advance and store it in an airtight container and at room temperature. This is likely to become a family favorite.

This dish not only has a delicious taste that combines all the tasty flavors of the ranch, cheese, and chicken, but it also has a great nutritional value thanks to the skinless chicken breasts.

This is one of those cheesy ranch chicken meals that can be eaten for lunch or dinner, and if you love a heavier meal in the morning, why not a rank chicken sandwich to start your day and that of your loved ones on a high note? 

Calories Per Serving: 398 

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes 

2. Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

This is a straightforward dish to prepare, and the main ingredients are curry, and skinless chicken with fat is all you need. You can use any curry, from mild curry, mango curry, tikka masala, hot and spicy curry, or butter chicken curry.

You can try each curry on the different days you make your chicken curry, but they always turn out delicious. The sauce is always something to make you look forward to this meal. 

You can serve it with vegetables of your choice on the side along with rice. If you don’t want your chicken curry to turn into soup or veggies to turn mushy, steam the vegetables separately. 

Calories Per Serving: 345

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes 

3. Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Meatballs

This slow cooker chipotle chicken meatballs recipe can make fantastic chicken meatballs. All you need to do is slow cook your chicken meatballs in a chipotle-flavored sauce.

The aroma alone will leave your mouth watering and everyone hungry and eager to eat.

This healthy chicken meatball recipe is all you need for a well-rounded meal for your family that is nothing short of delicious. 

You might be wondering what chipotle is; chipotle pepper is not a new pepper, contrary to common belief. It is just a ripe smoke-dried jalapeno chili pepper. The chipotle is where the dark color of the chicken meatballs comes from.

The chipotle pepper is also the source of the distinct smoky, hot and sweet flavor of the chicken. This is one meal that everyone will look forward to. 

Calories Per Serving: 395

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

4. Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Piccata

This is a simple meal to make. The Recipe could be your family’s favorite because the meal result is this fantastic creamy lemony source coated noodles combined with this juicy cooked chicken lightly-coated in breadcrumbs with a hint of garlic and savory recipes capers as toppings.

There is no doubt about this tasty meal. It is also as healthy as it is delicious and will get even the weakest of appetites ignited! 

Calories Per Serving: 142 

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

5. Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken

This easy saucy Thai-inspired Peanut Chicken is heartwarmingly delicious and straightforward to make.

For the best result, you only need tender chicken, vegetables (mainly baby spinach), coconut milk, spices, ginger, and a peanut sauce, preferably homemade.

It is not spicy but has this rich and creamy taste that is so comforting. This meal is a wonderful comfort dish and has high nutritional value.

With spinach added at the end when all is cooked, this food has great nutrients such as magnesium and potassium to boost health.

Your family or guests will enjoy it. You can serve the Thai peanut chicken with rice or noodles to enjoy it better. 

Calories Per Serving: 340

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

6. Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

This dish contains great flavors, and the slow cooker makes it a straightforward recipe. Your choice of seasoning should determine the amount of salt you will use.

If you would love to prepare your chicken by cutting it into bite-sized chunks, place the kitchen in a large bowl and use your hand mixer to shred it.

It will be cooked and, therefore, will be tender and easy to shred. The dish will taste better when served with garlic bread, and if you are a wine drinker, a glass of wine will also do. 

Calories Per Serving: 516

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

7. Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan And Pasta

This chicken parmesan and pasta will make you repeatedly fall in love with cooked chicken. It might cook for four hours, but the result is the juiciest chicken.

To successfully prepare this dish, you will need boneless skinless chicken breasts, pasta sauce, penne pasta, seasonings(salt, oregano, and pepper), and cheese(preferably Mozzarella).

You can serve this dish with Asparagus or sauteed broccoli, breadsticks, garlic bread, french rolls, and caesar salad. 

Calories Per Serving: 489 

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

8. Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken And Veggies

For this Recipe, you will need chicken tenderloins, gold potatoes, baby carrots, and homemade garlic butter sauce. If you love butter, this is your Recipe because the stick of butter adds flavor to the entire dish.

Parsley, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper are added to this butter to create the most tantalizingly tasty garlic butter sauce.

You will need to pour the garlic butter sauce on the chicken, carrots, and golden potatoes. 

In this dish, the chicken is tender as the veggies are, and with the buttered potatoes, you will love being the eater of this food.

There is just something unique and hearty about this dish. It is one of the best chicken dishes popular with many families. 

Calories Per Serving: 549 

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes 

9. Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga

This is it if you are looking for the most delicious shredded chicken tacos. It is a breeze to make, thanks to your slow cooker. You will cook this chicken in a full-flavoured tomato-chipotle sauce with sliced onions and low heat.

Since this dish cooks for long hours, it is best to begin early or when doing one of those leisurely weekend dishes. 

Like every classic saucy chicken tinga, you will serve this dish as tacos or tostadas and for the best taste, top it with red onion, avocado, Cilantro, or crumbled cheese.

If you love BBQ chicken pizza, consider making your next one with the chicken tinga, and you will love it.  

Calories Per Serving: 223

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes 

10. Slow Cooker Ohio Chicken Sandwiches

The Ohio chicken sandwiches are a prized dish and very popular in Ohio towns, restaurants, homes, and most residents of Ohio will swear by this meal as one of their classics.

The dish is flavored with chicken cream, seasoning, and stuffing, which makes it so delicious and iconic to anyone who tastes it.

Like most pulled meat recipes, the stuffing sets this dish apart. The cream of chicken soup is used instead of a tomato sauce base, which makes this dish unique. 

You will find this meal in many Ohio potlucks, social and family gatherings, and at most dinner tables on most nights. Being an easy meal with a short preparation time, there is no reason why you shouldn’t give it a try. 

Calories Per Serving: 448

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes 

11. Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken

This dish is known for its sweet and tangy sauce and the onion and green bell pepper. It is perfect when served with steamed green vegetables or brown rice. It is one of those recipes that don’t need a lot of work.

This dish is a healthy dinner with ingredients such as pineapple, green pepper, bacon, sauce ingredients, and boneless and skinless chicken breasts.

It is common in Hawaiian homes and restaurants and outside Hawaii for those who love the deliciously sweet, tangy taste of chicken. 

Calories Per Serving: 351

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

12. Slow Cooker Chicken Spinach Artichoke Pasta

The spinach artichoke dip flavor is unique and delicious. It is made of boneless chicken breasts, artichokes, spinach, and some interesting twists that bring about that fantastic taste.

The best thing about this dish is that you don’t need to serve it with any other food because it is a complete meal and can be taken as it is and on its own without any side dish.

It has a high nutritional value because you get protein, vegetables, and fiber from the chicken, spinach, and artichokes. The pasta adds carbohydrates, and the other ingredients add other health benefits.

Those extras like garlic bread are also contributing to the nutritional value as well as the taste.

A great dish if you don’t want to prepare multiple dishes but just one. 

Calories Per Serving: 587 

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

13. Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

This is a well-seasoned and juicy homemade but restaurant-quality taco chicken delicacy. It has become a favorite for many families.

The seasonings and juices in this dish create this amazing, dreamy flavor. The Cilantro and limes are the game changer in this dish.

With such a super short prep time, it is one dish you can take a couple of times a week in your home.

If you have no time for long hours of preparation when cooking, this might be the ideal dish option because it is stress-free, delicious, and short, making it suitable for taking to a potluck you have been invited to. 

This dish is versatile. You can take it on its own, don’t decide to put the mixture in tortillas, tacos, or simply serve with rice. Packed with protein and gluten-free, this dish is healthy. 

Calories Per Serving: 184 

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

14. Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

This is a 5-minute recipe you will prepare and leave in the pot to cook as you do other duties. The 4 hours of cooking time is worth it because the dish usually turns out to be finger-licking good.

The dish is perfect for creating salads, pastas, sandwiches, tacos, quesadillas, soups, flatbread topping, or pizza.

The ingredients make it so delicious, and they are healthy, as you can tell from the low calorie number. 

Calories Per Serving: 67

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes 

15. Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken 

This very easy-to-prepare dish will go into the slow cooker with minimum special prep. The chicken here that falls apart is juicy and delicious.

It is sweet savory, salty, and satisfying. This will guarantee a couple of second helpings if you serve it to your family.

This Recipe is the perfect way to make a chicken meal for your guests or family at home, especially if you can’t afford to stand over the stove and watch the food cook for hours. 

Calories Per Serving: 317 

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes 

RELATED: Can You Put Frozen Meat In A Slow Cooker

16. Slow Cooker Bruschetta Chicken

In this recipe, you will have to use tender chicken breasts topped with melty mozzarella and a bruschetta tomato topping with ripe tomatoes, shallot, garlic, and balsamic vinegar.

True to its name, the bruschetta chicken recipe is originally from Italy, and different variations have been invented.

Still, the authentic bruschetta will always reign supreme no matter what variation is used to prepare this dish.

The word bruschetta comes from the Italian word “briscare,” which means roast of embers or coals.

The Italian bruschetta is savory and delicious in any way it is cooked, especially when topped with tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic. In this case, chicken is used actively and not bread. The result is always out-of-this-world deliciousness. 

Calories Per Serving: 576

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes 

17. Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

This dish is a slow-cooked, tender, spicy, and tangy-tasting chicken. You can use it for sandwiches, salads, dips, pizza, and more.

With so many options to use this dish, this makes it perfect for serving it for a couple of days at home without making your family feel like they are eating the same thing. 

The buffalo sauce combines hot sauce and butter, responsible for the super spicy, tangy, and rich-tasting sauce used to coat the fried chicken.

You might have to create a seasoning mix that includes herbs, spices, and buttermilk powder. The result is this tasty and creamy buffalo chicken. 

Calories Per Serving: 191

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes 

18. Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

You will love this slow cooker chicken fajitas recipe for those who love those sizzling fajitas when eating out.

Lime and cilantro have been used as a flavor for the chicken, then used as filling for the tortillas resulting in a delicious and satisfying homemade meal. 

This dish is easy to prepare, and you don’t have to marinate the chicken. All you need to do is chop the vegetables, set them in your slow cooker, and let them cook. The fajita s have a rich flavor and do not require taco or fajita seasoning. 

Calories Per Serving: 289 

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes 

19. Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken

This recipe is common in Mississippi, as its name suggests. This chicken recipe doesn’t require butter because the chicken thighs have sufficient buttery flavor.

The dish is not spicy but tangy and best served with white rice. You can cook the chicken with pepperoncini which results in a delicious sauce.

You can use this chicken to make sandwiches, but serving it with rice is the best option, and best enjoyed. 

Calories Per Serving: 213 

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes 

20. Slow Cooker Pesto Mozzarella Chicken Pasta

This is another perfect and easy recipe that will cook itself, allowing you to do other chores at home. All you need is a few minutes of preparation, then let it cook and create that yummy dinner.

The chicken, pesto, and lemon mix form this mouth-watering dish that everyone will ask for seconds when the pasta and mozzarella cheese are added.

This is a perfect dish for a busy week because all you need after hours of cooking is mozzarella cheese and pasta, and voila! A delicious dinner will be served!

Calories Per Serving: 633

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes 

21. Slow Cooker Chicken And Dumplings Recipe

If you love quick and easy recipes, this one is one that never disappoints. It is a must-have chicken dish on the menu every week.

You will need boneless skinless chicken breasts, cream of chicken, seasonings (freshly ground pepper preferred), chicken broth, condensed soups, and biscuits, preferably any other biscuit brand apart from the organic brand, which tends to become doughy.

If you have no biscuits, you can always use flour tortillas or crescent rolls. 

You only need 15 minutes to prepare and let it all cook, and during serving and eating, this meal doesn’t disappoint.  

Calories Per Serving: 399

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes 

22. Slow Cooker Cornish Game Hens And Baked Potatoes

This easy and quick recipe uses cornish game hen and baked potatoes to create one of the most delicious and satisfying dishes.

It requires minimal preparation and makes a wonderful meal for occasions like Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve, and Christmas. Still, you can cook it whenever you wish, even if you want to prepare it during a date night dinner. 

You are probably wondering what the cornish game hen is. Well, cornish game hens are a certain breed of chicken that is slaughtered earlier than the usual chickens.

These chickens are said to have less fat and calories than standard chickens.

The result, when cooked, is a delicious meal that will have your family or guests appreciating and approving. 

Calories Per Serving: 1157 

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes 

23. Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

This rotisserie-style seasoned chicken is super easy to make,, and the leftover dishes can be used to make other fantastic chicken dishes.

Make sure you cook your whole chicken at least for an hour and on high heat for the sake of food safety. A few minutes of prep time is all you need, and the rest will take care of itself.

Use paprika to give your chicken that brown look, and add lemon juice, appropriate seasonings, and butter for the best taste. 

Calories Per Serving: 598 

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes 

24. Slow Cooker Crack Chicken 

You will need chicken thighs, not chicken breasts, as common with other chicken dishes. The chicken thigh has more moisture, but you might want to trim the excess fat.

You will need other ingredients such as ranch dressing seasoning mix, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, cooked bacon, and green onions. 

This dish can be eaten as it is or served with toasted hamburger buns, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, crackers, and salad on the side with whatever you are serving it with. 

Calories Per Serving: 690

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes 

25. Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Chicken

This is a delicious dish in that tangy way that will work perfectly when served with mashed potatoes, steamed white rice, and toasted hamburger buns. If you want a unique way of making chicken breasts, this is the recipe.

Consider adding heavy cream to the chicken to mellow out the flavors and enable a unique taste of the sauce.

When done right, this could be your favorite chicken dish.  

Calories Per Serving: 413

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes 

26. Slow Cooker Chicken And Sweet Potato Dinner

This is a healthy and easy meal to make. All you need to do is cook the chicken thighs, onions, and sweet potatoes until they are well done.

This dish has a distinct flavor, especially when you add cinnamon and brown sugar among the simple ingredients that create it. 

The chicken is juicy, and the sweet potatoes require no additional sugar. The chicken thighs flavor up the sweet potatoes during cooking, creating this distinct delicious taste. 

Calories Per Serving: 631

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes 

27. Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta

It is possible to use alternatives if you don’t like pasta. You can make this dish without the pasta and serve it with rice or steamed vegetables.

You also don’t have to use cheese, you can substitute it for heavy cream, but the sauce will be less thick than expected. 

Note that this Olive Garden chicken pasta is thick like alfredo, but it bears that zesty Italian dressing flavor. It is a fantastic recipe that will have you cook this dish in different ways and enjoy the various flavors of each change.

Still, following the recipe to the letter is advisable for the best results. 

Calories Per Serving: 568

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes 

28. Roasted Spatchcock Chicken (Butterflied Chicken)

This spatchcock chicken is garlic and thyme seasoned, very juicy and tender with this crispy skin packed with many flavors.

Spatchcock chicken is called so because it is cooked while flattened or butterflied. You must remove the backbone and breastbone to put the chicken in this position.

Cooking your chicken this way means every part is cooked, juicy, tender, and moist. 

This cooking method also cooks the chicken faster than when cooking the chicken whole with all the bones still inside. 

You can serve this chicken with vegetables, toasted hamburger buns, or mashed potatoes. 

Calories Per Serving: 271 

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes 

29. Slow Cooker Artichoke Mushroom Chicken

This dish will tantalize your taste buds and have you and anyone who samples it going for second and third helpings. You will need boneless and skinless chicken breasts, dried basil, garlic, salt and pepper, mushrooms, cream cheese, chicken broth, and artichokes. 

Once cooked, you can serve this dish on cooked pasta, over steamed white rice, or with vegetables. This is a dish worth cooking.  

Calories Per Serving: 523 

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes 

30. Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken

You will love this meal, and once you know how to make it, you will want to make it every week. In most recipe blogs, this dish is like the crack chicken dish but more similar to the Mexican version. 

You will need boneless skinless chicken breasts(shredded), Rotel, black beans, ranch seasoning mix, corn, cream cheese, and onion(white onion).

If you want to make the dish lower in fat, consider leaving out the cream cheese, serving with fat-free or low-fat sour cream, or serving with salad or low-fat tortillas.

With such a short preparation time, this dish shouldn’t be complicated. 

Calories Per Serving: 356

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes 

RELATED: Can I Leave Slow Cooker On For 24 Hours (What’s The Longest Time)

31. Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

It is a delicious chicken dish that is done in raw mushroom vine sauce, and after it is done, a decadent cream is added just before serving, which could be done over mashed potatoes.

You can prepare this dish early in the morning and eat it for dinner.

It is perfect for those evenings when you don’t feel like cooking or don’t have the time. With the simple ingredients, you will eat a delicious dish that will have you appreciating your culinary skills. 

Calories Per Serving: 312

Preparation Time: 25 Minutes 

32. Slow Cooker Black Pepper Chicken

This is a delicious Asian-inspired meal that is so delicious, thanks to the ingredients involved in creating the dish.

You will need chicken thighs, vegetables (preferably diced onion and thick-cut celery), seasonings like soy sauce, black pepper, ginger and garlic, chicken bouillon, and rice white vinegar.

You will also need a thickening agent like a touch of cornstarch. 

You can serve the black pepper chicken over rice. It works best with rice. The dish is also freezer-friendly, which is why you can store leftovers for over a month, and it will still taste heavenly when you warm it up. 

Calories Per Serving: 266

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes 

33. Slow Cooker Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

This dish is one of the best tater tot casseroles you will ever experience.

Waiting for it for 5 hours so it can be well-cooked is the best 5 hours you will ever spend because when you finally sit down to eat this, you will be glad you cooked this dish. 

Remember, you don’t have to stick to a specific condensed soup because you can use any, just ensure that you always choose the creamy style, which is the best, and avoid the brothy kind like tomato and french onion.

You can choose the cream of mushroom soup, broccoli cheese soup, nacho cheese soup, broccoli cheese soup, and bacon soup. Definitely, a dish that is anything but bland. 

Calories Per Serving: 611

Preparation Time: 25 Minutes 

34. Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole

The enchilada chicken casserole is the simplest one-pot recipe for an enchilada, and it is made with a lot of cheese and tender chicken.

This recipe became quite popular and went viral on most cooking blogs. With many having tried this recipe and it worked, there is no reason why you shouldn’t try it as well.

It is one of the easiest slow cooker recipes to follow. You can use corn tortillas by cutting them into strips and deeping them in the cooked chicken and sauce for a better taste. 

Calories Per Serving: 398 

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes 

35. Slow Cooker Bang Bang Chicken

The slow cooker bang bang chicken recipe is one of the best drumsticks recipes whose dish is so addicting thanks to its creamy, spicy, and chilli sauce.

This dish is known for its delicious broth. When served with white or jasmine rice, it is spontaneous.

You can finish by sprinkling green onions all over the chicken as the finishing touch!

Cooking enthusiasts who have cooked this chicken recipe will tell you that it slaps so well and with an incredible big bang that will get you wanting second, third, and even fourth helpings.  

Calories Per Serving: 626

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes 

Frequently Asked Questions

Must You Add Liquid To The Chicken In A Slow Cooker? 

You don’t have to add water or any liquid because chickens usually have moisture and don’t need added liquid. If you put butter, the melted butter will add moisture to the chicken and cook nicely. 

What Is The Maximum Time To Cook Chicken In A Slow Cooker?

It is advisable to cook the chicken between 4 to 5 hours on a high setting, and when on a low setting, it should be 6 to 8 hours. Remember, the juices should run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the chicken with a knife.

After it is done, your chicken must rest for 20 minutes more before you begin carving. 

Do You Need To Brown The Chicken Before Slow Cooking It?

Browning the chicken is your choice. Remember, the chicken should be slow cooked from raw, but there is nothing wrong with browning or searing it first.

This can also help keep in moisture and speed up the cooking time or improve the appetizing appearance when the dish is finally done.