Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Slow cooker Tuscan chicken is rich and creamy, with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and Parmesan adding big flavor. This is an easy, hands-off dinner that tastes like it took a lot of effort.
How long it takes: 3 hours, 25 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: slow cooker (4 to 6 quart), small bowl
Servings: 8
A Crockpot Dinner That Feels Like a Restaurant Meal
If you love marry me chicken pasta, you’re going to fall hard for this slow cooker Tuscan chicken recipe, too. It’s rich and creamy, but the sun-dried tomatoes add a sweet acidity that keeps it from feeling heavy. And the best part is, the slow cooker does all the work while you go about your day.
It’s not quite dump-and-go, but it’s pretty close. And what you come home to is absolutely worth it.
What makes it special:
- Tested, multiple times: I wanted to make sure the cream didn’t curdle from the heat of the slow cooker. We tried a few different things and found you can add it right away (YAY for the easiest method!) but it’s important to cook it on low.
- Hands-off cooking: The best thing about the crockpot is that it uses slow cooking to build flavor with practically no work at all.
- Lots of serving options: This saucy dish works well over pasta, but it’s equally delicious with rice and other grains, or just sop it up with crusty Dutch oven no-knead bread!
Ingredient Notes
You’ll find the full ingredient list in the recipe card, but here’s an overview of what you’ll need.
- Chicken breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts are my go-to for this recipe, but chicken thighs work too as long as they’re boneless and skinless. Just keep in mind they take a bit longer to cook.
- Creamy sauce: The base of the sauce is heavy cream, along with a small amount of chicken broth. I don’t recommend trying this recipe with half-and-half or milk because the sauce will be too thin and may curdle. Fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper season the chicken and creamy sauce.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: If you use oil-packed tomatoes, drain them first. Dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes can sometimes get tough, in which case you can soak them in warm water for a few minutes to soften them up and make them easier to chop.
- Cornstarch + water: This forms a slurry that thickens the sauce after the chicken is cooked.
- Parmesan cheese: I recommend using freshly grated Parmesan cheese, which melts smoothly into the sauce. However, I often grab shelf-stable grated Parmesan, and it works fine.
- Fresh spinach: Use baby spinach, which wilts quickly and adds nutrition without changing the flavor of the recipe. If you’re really not into spinach, it could be omitted.
- Fresh herbs (optional): Basil or parsley brighten everything up at the end.
My Slow Cooker
This is the slow cooker I have. I love that it has “medium” setting, a timer, and a lid that locks in place. It works great!
How to Make Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken
Add everything to the slow cooker. Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick spray to make clean-up easier. Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot. Pour in the cream and broth, then add the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic. Stir to combine.
Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for about 3 hours, or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender. I use my instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature in the thickest part of the chicken; it should be around 165 °F or even slightly under that because it will cook it bit more while you thicken the sauce. Try not to overcook the chicken because it can get tough (even in the slow cooker!).
Remove and prep the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board. You can leave the pieces whole, slice it, or cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks. It depends on how you want to serve it. I usually cut the chicken into small pieces so every bite is bathed in that creamy sauce.
Thicken the sauce. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Add the cornstarch slurry to the slow cooker along with the spinach and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the spinach begins to wilt, just a minute or two.
Finish cooking. Return the chicken to the slow cooker. Switch the heat to HIGH, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. (It will continue to thicken a bit as it cools.)
Serve. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Garnish with fresh herbs if you like, and serve warm.
Recipe Variations
- Add sliced mushrooms. They’re always fabulous in a creamy sauce! To keep them from making the sauce too watery, I advise browning the mushrooms first (follow the instructions for these sautéed mushrooms), and stirring them in when you add the spinach.
- Shred the chicken. While I prefer slicing or cubing the chicken, shredding it would work well if you’re serving this slow cooker Tuscan chicken with a short pasta or over mashed potatoes.
Serving Suggestions
Pasta (penne, linguine, or fettuccine). Spoon the chicken and sauce over the pasta or add the cooked pasta to the slow cooker, toss everything together, and serve.
Mashed potatoes or cauliflower. These Instant Pot mashed potatoes are creamy and dreamy! Mashed cauliflower, roasted cauliflower steaks, or cauliflower rice all work as lower carb option.
Rice or grains. Instant Pot polenta or heartier farro would be especially delicious.
Refrigerate: Store leftover slow cooker Tuscan chicken in a covered container for up to 4 days. Because this recipe is made with heavy cream, which is prone to splitting, I don’t recommend freezing it.
Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
More Crockpot Recipes
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
- 1 cup heavy cream (no substitutions)
- ½ cup chicken broth (low sodium or no salt added)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (drained if packed in oil)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cups firmly packed fresh baby spinach (roughly chopped)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
For Optional Garnish:
- fresh chopped parsley or basil
Instructions
- For easy clean-up, lightly spray the inside of a large slow cooker (4 to 6 quart) with nonstick spray. Arrange the chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker.4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Add cream, broth, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, sun-dried tomatoes and minced garlic to the crockpot. Stir lightly to combine and coat the chicken.1 cup heavy cream, ½ cup chicken broth , 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165ºF).
- Transfer the chicken from the crockpot to a clean plate or cutting board. If desired, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces when cool enough to handle.
- In a small bowl, blend the cornstarch and water until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture, spinach, and Parmesan cheese to the sauce in the crockpot, and stir until the spinach is wilted. Put the chicken back into the crockpot.2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water, 2 cups firmly packed fresh baby spinach, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Turn the crockpot to HIGH, cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly (it will thicken more as it cools).
- Taste and season with more salt or pepper, if needed. Garnish with basil or chopped parsley, and serve warm (see note).
Notes
- Serving suggestions: Serve creamy Tuscan chicken on cooked pasta such as penne, linguine, or fettucini. Polenta, steamed rice, or mashed potatoes are excellent, too, or simply warm crusty bread. For a lower carb option, I like to serve it with roasted cauliflower or cauliflower rice.
- Alternate serving idea: For an easier serving option, you can shred the chicken, stir it into the sauce, then add cooked pasta to the crockpot and stir everything together to serve. Shorter pasta would work best for this, such as penne, shells, or orecchiette.
- Storing & reheating: Store leftover Tuscan chicken in a covered container for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing it. Reheat individual portions in the microwave at 50% until heated, or larger amounts in a skillet over medium heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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