Crockpot Marry Me Chicken

Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken is a simpler, nearly hands-off version of my creamy, comforting, flavorful stovetop chicken recipe. Tender chicken breasts are slow-cooked in a garlic and sun-dried tomato broth, then finished with cream and parmesan cheese to create a silky, creamy sauce.

My Best Recipe, in the Crockpot!

My Marry Me Chicken recipe is by far the most popular easy chicken recipe on my site. Reader comments rave about the delicious flavor, the creamy sauce, and how simple it is to make on the stovetop.

But common questions I also get are, “How can I make this ahead of time and warm it up later?”, or, “How can I make this so that it’s easy to transport to a friend’s house?”

You’ve also specifically asked me to turn Marry Me Chicken into a slow cooker recipe, so here it is! The easier, crockpot version of my best chicken recipe.

Making Marry Me Chicken in the slow cooker is a mostly hands-off process. I let the chicken breasts simmer in a flavorful broth for a few hours before finishing the dish with heavy cream and parmesan cheese just before serving.

Serve this with mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, or keep it low-carb with steamed veggies (I like green beans or spinach). This is a crockpot dinner that your family will ask you to make again and again!

Ingredient Notes

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Chicken Breasts: I like to use whole, boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Boneless chicken thighs will also work.
• Chicken Stock: This adds flavor to the sauce, and the right amount of liquid to the slow cooker to perfectly braise the chicken. Chicken broth works perfectly well, too, or water with chicken bouillon. Choose a low-sodium option to control the amount of salt.
• Garlic: Four cloves of fresh garlic is my sweet spot for this recipe, but if you really love garlic, add an extra one!
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Look for a jar of sundried tomatoes packed in oil. I normally find this near the other Italian foods in the store, but sometimes it’s with the canned veggies. Take the tomatoes out of the jar and give them a rough chop before adding them to the pot. Save the tangy, savory oil to use in other recipes, or pour a little bit into the crockpot for even more flavor.
• Seasonings: Aside from salt and pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes give the chicken and the sauce the best taste. Leave out the red pepper if you don’t like things spicy. If you don’t have these specific dried herbs, an Italian seasoning blend also works.
• Cornstarch: This is a key ingredient for making a thick, rich sauce. In this recipe, I add the cornstarch at the beginning, with the chicken and broth, so that it thickens as it cooks. If your sauce needs a bit more thickening at the end, you can stir in a little more cornstarch slurry.
• Heavy Cream: Called double cream in the UK, I always have a carton of this in my fridge. As a finishing touch to this crockpot recipe (or any recipe), it adds all of that wonderful creaminess. I like to heat the cream slightly in the microwave before pouring it into the hot liquid in the slow cooker so that there’s no chance of it curdling.
• Parmesan Cheese: While it can be convenient to buy pre-grated parmesan, I really recommend grating fresh cheese from a block for this recipe. The flavor and texture are much better this way.
• Fresh Basil: Adding a garnish of fresh herbs is my favorite way to add brightness to creamy slow cooker recipes like this one. Basil adds great flavor, but parsley will also work well.

Crock pot Marry Me Chicken Recipe Tips

• Searing the chicken is optional. When I have the time, I like to sear the chicken to give it color and add extra flavor to the dish, but you can skip it! Without that step, this is a super easy dump dinner recipe that requires almost no prep time and minimal dishes to wash.
• Adjust the seasonings. I absolutely love the pop of flavor that comes from crushed red pepper, but some readers have found it too spicy. You can leave it out, or add it to taste.
• Finishing the sauce. Once you’ve let the cream and cheese warm through, your sauce will be ready. For a smoother, thicker sauce without chunks of sundried tomatoes, use an immersion blender in the crockpot after the chicken has been removed to blend it up.
• Try adding spinach! Toss in fresh baby spinach a few minutes before you add the cream and parmesan. It will wilt down quickly with the hot chicken in the crockpot.
• Heavy Cream Substitutions. If you’re worried about the cream curdling in the crockpot, you can replace it with cream cheese, half and half, or a non-dairy style cream. I add the cream in at the very end, and I warm it up so that it’s not cold. This seems to help me avoid any curdling or separating.

More Easy Crockpot Recipes with Chicken

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice

Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili

All Slow Cooker Meals →

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 5 votes

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Crockpot Marry Me Chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 2 hours hrs

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Author: Diana

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Print Rate Recipe

This slow cooker Marry Me Chicken is creamy, comforting, and packed with flavor. Juicy chicken breasts are slow-cooked in a garlicky broth with sun-dried tomatoes and Italian herbs, then finished with cream and parmesan for a silky sauce. It’s an easy, hands-off dinner that pairs perfectly with pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

6 Servings

This slow cooker Marry Me Chicken is creamy, comforting, and packed with flavor. Juicy chicken breasts are slow-cooked in a garlicky broth with sun-dried tomatoes and Italian herbs, then finished with cream and parmesan for a silky sauce. It’s an easy, hands-off dinner that pairs perfectly with pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Recipe Video

Equipment

• 5 or 6 quart slow cooker
• Skillet
• Whisk

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 4 (900 g) chicken breasts boneless and skinless (about 2 pounds)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ ½ cup (75 g) sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
• ▢ 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream (double cream in the UK) warmed slightly
• ▢ ½ cup (43 g) parmesan cheese grated
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves chopped

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Instructions 

• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat, then sear chicken for 2-3 minutes per side until lightly golden. Transfer to the slow cooker along with any leftover butter and juices from the skillet.
• In a bowl, whisk chicken stock with cornstarch, garlic, crushed red pepper, oregano, and thyme. Pour the mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker.
• Top each chicken breast with the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 1.5-2 hours, until chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
• Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm. Stir heavy cream and parmesan into the hot liquid in the slow cooker until smooth. Return chicken to the sauce, spoon sauce over the top, and let rest for 5-10 minutes on “warm.”
• Garnish with basil before serving.

Notes:

• 2 pounds of chicken breast is usually enough to make 6 dinner servings, but if your crew is extra hungry, plan on four servings with one chicken breast per plate. 
• Crushed red pepper is optional. It really elevates the dish and I love it, but some readers have found it too spicy, so add to taste or skip completely.
• You can skip the searing step if you prefer, but I like to sear the chicken to give it some color and extra flavor.
• For more flavor, add a teaspoon of the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes into the stock mixture.
• Warm the heavy cream slightly in the microwave before adding it to the hot juices in the crockpot. This will ensure that the cream does not curdle. 
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat gently.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 339kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 105mg, Sodium: 691mg, Potassium: 700mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 908IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 150mg, Iron: 2mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen

Can I reheat food in the slow cooker?

Reheating cold leftover food in the slow cooker is generally not a good idea, as the crockpot takes too much time to reach a safe temperature.

Instead, reheat your Marry Me Chicken in the microwave or on the stovetop gently, until it’s heated through. Then you can transfer it to the crockpot on the “warm” or “low” setting to keep it hot for serving.