Crockpot Marry Me Chicken with Garlic Parmesan and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
By Emma Collins
Prep
20 min
Cook
180 min
Total
200 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Choose boneless, skinless chicken breasts of uniform size to cook evenly in the slow cooker and make tender chicken in the sauce. This Crockpot Marry Me Chicken recipe, which serves four, features seared chicken breasts simmered in a creamy garlic-Parmesan sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and gentle red-pepper warmth.
Sauce ingredients include chicken stock and cornstarch to thicken the cream sauce before adding to a slow cooker. Other flavorings include fresh garlic, Italian seasonings, paprika, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese provide concentrated tomato flavor and nuttiness. Fresh basil is added to the sauce before adding the chicken to give the final product some green color.
After browning, the chicken is cooked in sauce, covered, for three hours on low or one and a half hours on high in a slow cooker. Signs that the chicken is cooked include browned skin from pre-browning and chicken that slices easily after slow cooking. Mistakes to avoid when preparing this recipe include not pre-browning the chicken if you want browned chicken. While the slow cooker will make chicken tender, it will not brown the chicken. Do not count on the slow cooker to brown the chicken.
Hot chicken and sauce can be served with roasted vegetables, pasta, mashed potatoes, rice, and crusty bread. Store leftover chicken and sauce in an airtight container. Stir leftovers frequently when reheating and make sure they are thoroughly heated. You may want to add broth or cream to leftover chicken and sauce to thin it out if it thickened in storage.
Why this recipe works
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is a good choice because it will blend well with the other ingredients and offer the nutty flavor described in the recipe.
- Sun-dried tomatoes provide flavor and some tomato content to an otherwise creamy dish and may reduce the need for other ingredients.
- Boneless, skinless breasts readily take on garlic and Italian herb and paprika seasonings. A quick sear provides flavor and browning benefits not available from slow cooking.
- Heavy cream is a sauce ingredient mixed with garlic and herbs and other ingredients, including chicken and Parmesan cheese and tomatoes, for a casserole dish that needs no preparation during the long.
- Red pepper flakes provide mild to moderate heat to dishes containing dairy and Parmesan products. Red pepper flakes can be used or omitted to add or avoid heat in a recipe.
- Ten basil leaves add an herbal flavor to a four-serving sauce recipe to show how a small amount of basil affects the overall flavor of a sauce.
Ingredients
- •4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- •½ teaspoon salt
- •½ teaspoon garlic powder
- •½ teaspoon onion powder
- •¼ teaspoon black pepper
- •2 tablespoons olive oil
- •2 tablespoons butter
- •1 ½ cups chicken broth
- •3 tablespoons cornstarch
- •1 cup heavy cream
- •4 cloves garlic (minced)
- •1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- •½ teaspoon salt
- •½ teaspoon black pepper
- •½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- •½ teaspoon paprika
- •⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes (chopped and drained)
- •½ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- •10 leaves fresh basil (chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Season the chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- 2
Heat olive oil and butter in a pan.
- 3
Sear the chicken until golden brown, a few minutes per side.
- 4
In a small bowl, whisk the chicken broth and cornstarch until smooth.
- 5
Pour the broth mixture into the slow cooker and stir in garlic, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and paprika.
- 6
Add the sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and chopped basil to the mixture.
- 7
Nestle the seared chicken into the sauce.
- 8
Cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours or HIGH for 1 1/2 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- 9
Serve hot with your favorite sides, such as Broccoli Cauliflower Salad, or chilled Russian Apple Kvas.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
688
Reviews
Pin this recipe
Tap an image to save it to Pinterest.
