Description
Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken features incredibly tender chicken breasts in a luxurious creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and Parmesan. This hands-off slow cooker recipe delivers restaurant-quality results perfect for romantic dinners or family meals!
Ingredients
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed), drained and chopped
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese (divided)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (divided)
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water (optional, for thickening)
Cooking spray or olive oil for slow cooker
Instructions
1. Pat chicken breasts completely dry with paper towels.
2. Season both sides of chicken generously with salt, pepper, paprika, and half the Italian seasoning.
3. If chicken breasts vary in thickness, pound to uniform thickness with meat mallet.
4. Spray slow cooker insert with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
5. Place seasoned chicken breasts in bottom of slow cooker in single layer (slight overlap okay).
6. In medium bowl, whisk together heavy cream, chicken broth, minced garlic, remaining Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes if using.
7. Pour cream mixture over chicken breasts, ensuring they’re mostly submerged.
8. Scatter chopped sun-dried tomatoes evenly over the top.
9. Sprinkle half the Parmesan cheese over everything.
10. Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
11. Check chicken internal temperature at minimum time, should reach 165°F.
12. During last 30 minutes, stir in remaining Parmesan cheese to melt and thicken sauce.
13. Optional: For thicker sauce, mix cornstarch with cold water to create slurry and stir in during last 20 minutes.
14. Check doneness with instant-read thermometer, chicken should reach 165°F and be very tender.
15. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes as needed.
16. Stir in fresh chopped basil just before serving, reserving some for garnish.
17. Serve chicken whole or sliced, spooning sauce generously over each portion.
18. Garnish with extra Parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
Notes
Don’t overcook beyond 165°F, even slow cooker chicken can dry out with excessive time.
Use chicken breasts of similar size for uniform cooking.
Ensure breasts are submerged in sauce to keep moist.
For large breasts (over 8 oz), reduce cooking time or slice in half horizontally.
Never use frozen chicken, always thaw completely for food safety and best results.
Store leftovers with plenty of sauce in airtight containers up to 4 days refrigerated.
Thin cold sauce with splash of broth or cream when reheating.
Freeze portions up to 3 months, though cream sauce may separate slightly when thawed.
Boneless chicken thighs can substitute, reduce cooking time to 2½-3½ hours on LOW.
Don’t lift lid during cooking, each peek adds 15-20 minutes to cooking time.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3-4 hours (LOW) or 2-3 hours (HIGH)
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American-Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 48g
- Cholesterol: 165mg
Keywords: marry me chicken, crock pot chicken, slow cooker chicken, creamy chicken, sun dried tomato chicken, easy chicken dinner, romantic dinner