Description
This Crockpot Marry Me Chicken is a comforting Italian-American dish featuring tender chicken breasts cooked slowly in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce with garlic, herbs, and Parmesan cheese. Perfect for an easy, fuss-free dinner, it pairs beautifully with pasta or spaghetti squash.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Sauce
- Cooking spray
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ¼ lbs)
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 garlic cloves, minced (1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (drained and chopped)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Optional for Serving
- Hot, cooked angel hair pasta or cooked and shredded spaghetti squash
- Fresh basil leaves
- Additional Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare Skillet and Sear Chicken: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, spray with cooking spray and add olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add chicken breasts and sear for 2-3 minutes per side, just until browned but not fully cooked.
- Make Cornstarch Slurry in Slow Cooker: While chicken is searing, whisk together low-sodium chicken broth and cornstarch in the bottom of the slow cooker until no lumps remain.
- Add Seasonings: Stir in minced garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder, salt, and black pepper into the broth mixture; whisk to combine.
- Add Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Place seared chicken breasts into the slow cooker, turning once to coat with the broth mixture. Sprinkle chopped sun-dried tomatoes evenly over the chicken.
- Slow Cook Chicken: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours until chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Finish Sauce: Remove chicken breasts onto a plate. Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese to the liquid in the slow cooker and stir to combine into a creamy sauce.
- Coat Chicken in Sauce: Return chicken to the slow cooker and turn over several times to fully coat with sauce.
- Serve: Serve chicken breasts topped with sauce. Garnish with fresh basil and additional Parmesan, if desired. Serve over hot cooked angel hair pasta or shredded spaghetti squash.
Notes
- For a lighter option, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or coconut cream.
- Use gluten-free cornstarch to make this dish gluten free.
- Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil should be drained well to avoid excess oiliness.
- The sauce thickens as it cooks; if too thick, stir in a splash of chicken broth before serving.
- Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated gently on the stovetop or microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 346 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 745 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 135 mg
