Crockpot Marry Me Chicken
Crockpot Marry Me Chicken is both easy to prep and decadent. Tender chicken breasts get smothered in a rich, creamy Parmesan sauce with garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Serve over rice, pasta, or potatoes for a complete meal.
You’re going to want to add this slow cooker chicken recipe to your meal plan!
Why You’ll Love My Recipe
- Like many slow cooker recipes, most of the cooking is hands-off, so it’s easy!
- The creamy sauce turns simple chicken into serious comfort food.
- This impressive dish pairs well with inexpensive sides like pasta, rice, or potatoes.
It’s no secret that I love my slow cooker. No other appliance works as hard in my kitchen! I just really love a meal that basically cooks itself, like this crockpot marry me chicken recipe. I’ll show you how to cook chicken in a Tuscan-inspired creamy sauce with lots of Parmesan, garlic, herbs, and sun-dried tomatoes. It feels special enough for Sunday dinner, but it is easy enough for your busiest weeknight. Add pasta, rice, or potatoes, and dinner is done.
Ingredients
This is a brief overview of my tasty slow cooker recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with recipe tips, ingredient amounts, and more, please scroll down to the teal box below.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs both work beautifully. I am using chicken breasts here. Watch the internal temperature so the chicken stays juicy and tender instead of drying out.
- Chicken stock: Chicken broth or stock creates the savory base for your creamy sauce and helps keep the chicken moist. I like using low-sodium chicken stock because it lets me control the final seasoning.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: These add sweet, tangy tomato flavor and give the sauce that classic Marry Me Chicken look. Drain excess oil before adding them so the sauce doesn’t get greasy.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds loads of savory flavor to the sauce. If you love garlic as much as we do around here, add an extra clove to boost the flavor.
- Butter: Butter adds richness and helps round out the garlic, herbs, and tomatoes. Unsalted butter makes it easier to control the salt level.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream creates that rich, silky sauce you want in creamy Parmesan chicken. Lower-fat dairy can make the sauce thinner and more prone to separating. If you prefer, use light cream and cream cheese instead (see recipe notes for details).
- Cornstarch and water: Mix these together to create a slurry. This is your easy fix for a creamy sauce that needs a little more body. Always mix cornstarch with cold water before adding it to avoid lumps.
- Fresh Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan melts much more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese. It adds salty, nutty flavor and helps thicken the sauce.
- Seasonings: salt and black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and store-bought or homemade Italian seasoning are all used to add flavor.
Out of something you need? Check out our free ingredient substitutions printable!
Frequently Asked Questions
Searing the chicken with a little olive oil adds extra flavor, but it’s not necessary. Go ahead and just plop it right in the slow cooker!
Chicken releases liquid while it cooks, which can thin out your creamy sauce. Stir in your cornstarch slurry near the end of cooking, then let it thicken.
I personally like to puree the sauce mixture with an immersion blender so that the pieces of sun-dried tomato are incorporated into the sauce, which also thickens it a little.
Because chicken breasts are lean, they can dry out if they cook too long. Check them as they approach doneness instead of automatically leaving them in the slow cooker for the maximum cooking time.
Chicken thighs are also a great option. They tend to stay tender and juicy in the slow cooker.
Adding the cream and cheese too soon can cause the sauce to be grainy, so wait until the end to slowly stir it in. (See recipe notes for details).
You can experiment with half-and-half, but your sauce will likely be thinner and less rich. Heavy cream gives you a more reliable creamy texture. (See recipe notes about using light cream and cream cheese as a substitution).
You can add frozen or chopped fresh baby spinach right to the crockpot. This is an easy way to add a green veggie to the meal. You can also toss in kale, mushrooms, or artichoke hearts.
Technically, yes, you can freeze this, but I don’t recommend it. Unfortunately, creamy sauces like this one often separate or become grainy after freezing and thawing.
Serving Suggestions
Creamy polenta, ziti, or orzo are all a great base for this dish. Broccoli or green beans cut through the dish’s richness. Here are some other ideas:
- Red Skin Mashed Potatoes: Creamy mashed red potatoes made with sour cream, garlic, butter, and half-and-half are perfect for catching every bit of that creamy sauce.
- Quick Parmesan Risotto: This easy rice cooker risotto is creamy, cheesy comfort food without standing over the stove stirring. It is a great pairing when you want dinner to feel a little more special.
- Oven Roasted Broccoli: Garlic and Parmesan give this quick roasted broccoli loads of flavor. It takes about 20 minutes, so it is an easy vegetable to add while your chicken finishes.
- Pizza Dough Breadsticks: Store-bought pizza dough makes these buttery garlic and Parmesan breadsticks quick and easy. They are especially good for soaking up leftover creamy sauce.
For more ideas on what to serve with this delicious crockpot chicken recipe, check out these delicious side dish recipes.
Before You Grab the Recipe
I really hope this crockpot marry me chicken earns a spot in your dinner rotation. If you love it, please share it with a friend who could also use an easy dinner idea. Save or pin the recipe for your next busy weeknight, then come back after you make it and leave a comment about how your family liked it.
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Ang’s Recipe Tips
Tip colors: 95/5/133
Crockpot Marry Me Chicken
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Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 4 teaspoons fresh garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- fresh basil optional for garnish
Instructions
Chicken
- Into the slow cooker, add the chicken, stock, garlic, seasonings, and butter.2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 cup chicken stock, 4 teaspoons fresh garlic, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes to the top of the chicken.1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours. (Alternatively, cook on HIGH for 3 hours).
Sauce
- 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside while you finish the sauce.
- Warm the heavy cream in the microwave for 45 seconds, then stir it into the crockpot. (This helps to keep the cream from curdling.)1 cup heavy cream
- In a small bowl, combine cold water with the cornstarch to make a slurry. Slowly drizzle the slurry into the hot slow cooker. Stir in the cheese.1/2 cup cold water, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker, cover, and let the sauce and chicken rest for 10 minutes with the slow cooker on the WARM setting.1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- Serve with fresh basil, if desired, over pasta, rice, risotto, creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or with a side salad.
Equipment
- Immersion Blender optional
Notes
Ang’s Recipe Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken
- Use similarly sized chicken breasts so they cook at roughly the same rate.
- Freshly grated Parmesan is better than bagged shredded cheese, which often contains anti-caking ingredients that can keep it from melting smoothly.
- Taste before adding extra salt. Parmesan, stock, and sun-dried tomatoes can already bring plenty of salt.
- For extra flavor, add a spoonful of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar to the sauce.
- Keep the lid closed while the chicken cooks. Opening your slow cooker repeatedly releases heat.
- If your slow cooker runs hot, start checking the chicken earlier. Slow cookers can vary widely.
Recipe Variations
- Add in frozen baby spinach or kale with the chicken, or fresh baby spinach or kale after you add the cream. You can also stir in artichoke hearts or mushrooms if you like.
- Instead of heavy cream, use the same amount of light cream and add 1 tablespoon cream cheese.
- For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to puree the sauce in the crockpot before adding the chicken back. This usually results in a slightly thicker sauce because it incorporates the sun-dried tomatoes into the sauce.
Storage and Reheating
- Store leftover chicken and sauce together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. (These are my favorite airtight containers.)
- For the best texture, reheat leftovers gently on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of chicken stock or cream if the sauce becomes too thick.
- You can also microwave individual portions. Use shorter intervals and stir between each to avoid overheating.
Nutrition
More Easy Crockpot Chicken Recipes
If you love slow cooker recipes, add these to your meal plan next.
- Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken: creamy Tex-Mex chicken with black beans, corn, tomatoes, and plenty of flavor. It takes about 10 minutes to prep and works for tacos, rice bowls, and nachos. I like to double this one because it’s so versatile you can make it into Southwest chicken soup for the next day.
- Slow Cooker Chicken Marinara: tender chicken cooks in seasoned marinara for an easy meal starter you can use with pasta, sandwiches, soups, and casseroles. This is another cook-once, eat-twice recipe. I always double this and freeze half. Future me is always happy to grab a ready-to-go protein like this from the freezer when I’m short on time.
