🍅🧀🌿 Easy Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken features tender chicken that slow cooks in a creamy, Tuscan-inspired sauce featuring sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and Parmesan! Slow cooking the chicken makes it melt-in-your-mouth wonderful and it’s all made in your Crockpot – no stovetop searing or transferring is necessary. Serve with pasta for a stress-free dinner that the whole family will love!
Easy Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Recipe
- This is the easiest way to make chicken that tastes like you just went to Tuscany!
- When I say easy, we’re talking about adding everything to the slow cooker, turning it on, and coming back in 4 hours and your meal is served!
- There’s no searing in a skillet first, no sauce making or thickening in a separate skillet – this is a Crock-Pot meal from start to finish!
- This Tuscan chicken slow cooker recipe is made with common fridge and pantry staples which is is great since you probably have half the ingredients on hand already. Bonus that it’s naturally gluten-free, too.
- Best of all, this is such a great weeknight chicken dinner recipe, especially when the weather is chillier. Set it and forget it!
- If you’re interested in a Stovetop Tuscan Chicken recipe rather than slow cooker, I’ve got you covered. It’s ready in about 45 minutes rather than hours.
- If you’ve seen Marry Me Chicken all over the internet, this is very similar except that instead of basil, this recipe uses spinach – although you could use both. Adding red pepper flakes will also give Marry Me Chicken vibes.
Ingredients in Tuscan Crockpot Chicken Recipe
- Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts although you may substitute with boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Liquids: Heavy cream and chicken broth. Do not use milk or even half-and-half because they don’t have as much fat in them and fat is what will keep the cream from separating during the slow cooking process. In general, dairy doesn’t like to be heated for a long duration but the fat content in heavy cream is insurance against the cream separating or curdling.
- Seasonings and Flavor Enhancers: Salt, pepper, cornstarch, Italian seasoning, paprika or smoked paprika, garlic, Parmesan cheese, Dijon mustard. For a bit of heat, use red pepper flakes.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: I use oil-packed sundried tomatoes that I drain and blot with paper towels before dicing and adding to the slow cooker.
- Fresh spinach: In the final 10 minutes, add the spinach, just long enough so it wilts. You could use another green such as kale or Swiss chard if you happen to have some on hand. Basil is also great here!
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Creamy Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken
- To a large 6-quart or 7-quart slow cooker, add the chicken and season it with salt and pepper.
- To a small bowl, add the broth, cream, cornstarch, Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic, grated Parmesan, and whisk to combine. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
- Evenly scatter the sun-dried tomatoes in the slow cooked and over and around the chicken.
- Slow cook on LOW for about 4 hours, or on HIGH for about 2-3 hours, or until chicken the interior of the chicken registers 165F measured by a digital thermometer.
- In the last 10 minutes, stir the sauce together, add the spinach and stir, allow it to wilt for about 10 minutes before serving this Italian dish! If you want it a bit spicier, sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes. If you have fresh basil on hand, it’s a great garnish.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.
what to serve with slow cooker creamy tuscan chicken
Plain pasta or buttered pasta is great, or rice, veggies like broccoli, carrots, or green beans, or your favorite simple side dish.
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken
🍅🧀🌿 Features tender chicken that slow cooks in a creamy, Tuscan-inspired sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and Parmesan cheese! Slow cooking the chicken makes it melt-in-your-mouth wonderful and it's all made in your Crockpot – no stovetop searing or transferring is necessary. Serve with pasta for a stress-free dinner that the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1/2-pound each; or about 2 pounds chicken in total
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ¾ cup heavy cream, do not substitute; the fat in heavy cream is necessary to prevent curdling or separating of the sauce
- ½ cup chicken broth, regular or reduced sodium; if using reduced sodium you’ll likely want to add more salt
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, regular paprika may be substituted
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and blotted (dice them if necessary because they’re on the bigger side)
- 1 ½ cups fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Spray the insert of your slow cooker with cooking spray if desired and add the chicken. Season it with salt and pepper. Set aside momentarily. Chicken Tips – Chicken comes in all shapes and sizes. I use breasts that are of an even , normal thickness and not "thin-sliced" which are NOT a great choice here nor are chicken tenders or small pieces of chicken because they will cook very quickly and can actually overcook before the sauce has thickened and reduced. If your chicken is very thick/big, slice it into 1/2-inch pieces; and/or pound with a meat tenderizing tool.
- To a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup, add the cream, broth, Parmesan, cornstarch, Dijon, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, garlic, and whisk to combine. It will not be "smooth" due to the cheese and the garlic which is fine. Pour the mixture evenly over the chicken.
- Evenly scatter the sun dried tomatoes over and around the chicken.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and slow cook for about 4-5 hours on LOW, OR about 2-3 hours on HIGH. Cooking Tips – If you have the time, I prefer low heat for this recipe because the cream is less likely to curdle or separate with low-and-slow heat. However, don't cook for more than 5 hours (unless chicken truly isn't done) because you will risk the sauce breaking or separating. Chicken is done when the internal temp reaches 165F.
- In the final 10 minutes or so of cooking, give the sauce a good stir to make it cohesive. Add the spinach, nestle it into the sauce by stirring it in, place the cover back on, and cook for another 10 minutes or until the spinach wilts.
- Taste the sauce, and make any necessary flavor adjustments such as more salt, pepper, paprika, etc. Optionally garnish the chicken with extra Parmesan and serve immediately with pasta, mashed potatoes, rice, or your favorite sides.
Notes
Storage: Anything with a cream sauce is always best when freshly made and consumed. However, leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave as desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 383cal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 134mg, Sodium: 1113mg, Potassium: 804mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 2169IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 183mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Amazingly PERFECT! I made this for 2 young boys, myself, my 2 adult daughters and 1 boyfriend. Everyone loved this dish & that says a lot because they each have a “thing” lol. Thank you. So easy…
I love hearing that your entire crew of different ages all loved this and that it’s saying a lot since they all have their little thing!
I usually try to make a recipe “as written” the first time, but in this case I used bone-in chicken thighs that I had on-hand instead of breasts. Second, I have a “thing” about putting raw meat in the slow cooker, so I did brown the chicken in a skillet (after removing the skin). The rest of the recipe was prepared as written. I found the preparation easy. Smelled great while cooking. Chicken was at temp at least an hour early, possibly because I browned it first. I served over cooked basmati rice. The finished dish was good, but lacked something, and seemed rather bland. I might try again with fresh herbs instead of the Italian seasoning? Fresh basil instead of spinach (or in addition)?
Bone in thighs have much less meat/flesh than a standard chicken breast. Thighs are smaller than breasts, and then you’ve got the bone. And then you browned them, so of course they would have been done quite a bit sooner than the cook time estimates but as I always say – with slow cookers, cook times always vary since they vary so much in their heat output.
With all due respect, I think you can get over your fear about raw meat going into a slow cooker and don’t brown it. If you take the temperature and it’s 165F at the end, it’s done. Done is done. Doesn’t matter how it started in this case.
Sounds like the dish needed more salt, which I always encourage people to add, to taste. Fresh herbs are always a bonus, you can always season heavier handed and always season to your own taste preferences. Easier to add than remove.
I cannot eat chicken (allergic, weird, I know), but my family does. I made this as a test for my husband. LOVED IT. Made it for my very picky relatives – asked for the recipe. I’m making it again for my kids and their fiance/es…
So far, it’s been a hit! I make it with rice or mashed potatoes, so I used the sauce from the chicken on that for myself. Add green veggies and it’s perfect and so easy!
Thanks for the 5 star review Lisa and I’m glad this was LOVED by your husband and picky relatives! That’s a relief when you’re cooking for people like that just hoping they like it – I’ve been there! Sorry to hear about your allergy to chicken too!
Absolutely delicious! I will definitely make this Tuscan chicken again! My husband and I loved it. Thank you for sharing this recipe. The chili flakes added a kick to it. So good! I also served with angel hair pasta. It was perfect!
Thanks Susana for the 5 star review and I’m so pleased to hear that this was perfect and that your husband loved it and you’ll definitely make it again! Glad the chile flakes were a nice touch too!
Outstanding. My husband and I stopped mid-bite, looked at each other and said OMG!!! … this is so good. Don’t be afraid of the cream, this dish is warm, comforting, but not at all heavy. I served with Angel hair pasta, and we were in heaven. Plus, the final product looked exactly as pictured in the recipe. I will definitely make this repeatedly.
Thank you for the high praise Liz and I’m so happy that it stopped you and your husband mid-bite to say wow omg! And I’m glad to hear that you did not find the dish heavy at all, but rather warm and comforting. And that your finished dish looked exactly as pictured and that you’ll make it repeatedly!
Easy and delicious recipe! I didn’t have heavy cream on hand, but I did have a can of full fat coconut milk. Between the garlic, parm, and sun-dried tomatoes, the coconut flavor was masked, so no worries there. Thanks!
Now that’s how you improvise and get it made! Love that you just went for it with the coconut milk – and that it was masked. Great to know because people tend to always ask me about coconut milk or not and if it’s a decent swap. Now I know!
Delicious! Would like to make again.
Could I use cream cheese instead of heavy cream? I have some and need to use it up.
Thanks for letting me know it was delicious and for the 5 star review, Robin!
I’ve not experimented with cream cheese rather than heavy cream. You could probably use some of it, and then you’ll likely want to increase the broth so that you have enough liquid mixture to cook the chicken in. The cream cheese will liquify as it heats too. If you try, let me know what you used and how it goes.
Excellent and easy! Makes me look like an accomplished chef!
Thank you Patty for the 5 star review and I love hearing that this was excellent AND that it made you look like an accomplished chef…perfect!
This was a big hit with my family, and I have 2 picky eaters so that’s saying a lot. I made with spaghetti as I didn’t have angel hair pasta but it was still delish and very easy to make. This will stay in our rotation.
Thanks for the five star review Angie and I love that this passed the picky eaters test! Great to hear that this will stay in your rotation!
This recipe is AMAZING!!!
One of my husbands favorites.
Thanks for the 5 star review Erika and I’m so glad to hear it’s been amazing and one of your husband’s favorites! Yay!
I put it together just before I went outpatient surgery this afternoon. It was a perfect meal to come home too, and I’m excited to have the leftovers. I went change a thing about the recipe, I only added some red peppers in.
I am sorry to hear that you had surgery. I have had plenty of surgeries and I understand what it’s like to prep and have food ready and waiting (a god send!).
Very smart of you to think ahead and so glad to hear this was perfect for you. Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery!
This recipe is absolutely delicious. Easy prep & one pot. I served it on Angel Hair pasta, but rice or mashed potatoes would also do. Very yummy.
Thanks for the 5 star review Maggie and so glad to hear that it turned out absolutely delicious for you!
This dish was fantastic!! I doubled all of the ingredients so I would have extra sauce. Served it over Angel hair pasta.
Thanks for the 5 star review Jeff and great idea to double so you’d have extra sauce and the angel hair pasta sounds perfect too!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a big hit. I served it with Polenta, which we love. I don’t see anyone else trying this.
Thanks for the 5 star review Kathleen and it’s fantastic to hear it was a big hit! Glad the polenta was a winner with it and I think many people may make rice or potatoes but polenta is a great one too.
This was outstanding! I made this in our RV and took it to a family dinner. I served it over bucatini pasta with a side of asparagus. Everyone loved it! Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Nancy, and I’m thrilled to hear it was outstanding AND even better…you made it in your RV, wow impressive! Glad to hear everyone at your family dinner loved it!
Can I use frozen chicken?
As long as it’s fully thawed before you add it to the slow cooker, yes sure thing.