Crockpot Marry Me Chicken

A "set it and forget it" version of our reader favorite Marry Me Chicken. This recipe yields tender chicken breasts; a rich, seasoned parmesan-cream sauce; tangy sun-dried tomatoes; and savory fresh basil, giving you a dish you'll fall in love with!

Prep: 15

Cook: 3

Total: 3 15

Yield:4 servings

Equipment

Cutting board
medium mixing bowl
whisk
6-quart Crockpot or similar slow cooker
ladle or large spoon
internal meat thermometer
Large plate

Ingredients

For the Chicken

4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts approximately 2 pounds, see Notes
salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste

For the Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

1 cup chicken broth see Notes
2 tablespoons cornstarch see Notes
½ cup heavy cream at room temperature
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes up to ½ teaspoon if desired
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, plus more if desired
1 tablespoon oil from sun-dried tomatoes jar optional
⅓ cup grated fresh parmesan at room temperature

Serving Suggestions

chiffonaded basil to garnish
mashed potatoes
angel hair pasta

Instructions

Place chicken breasts on cutting board. Generously season tops of chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then flip chicken breasts over and season other side. Set cutting board aside.
Add chicken broth to medium mixing bowl. Slowly add cornstarch, whisking constantly to fully incorporate cornstarch into broth. Continue whisking until slurry mixture is completely smooth, with no lumps of cornstarch remaining. Once smooth, pour slurry into slow cooker.
Add heavy cream, garlic, oregano, dried oregano, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, and sun-dried tomato oil (if using) to slow cooker. Whisk all ingredients together until fully incorporated.
Place seasoned chicken breasts in slow cooker in one even layer if possible. Ladle sauce mixture over chicken breasts to cover.
Secure lid on slow cooker. Cook on HIGH 2 ½ to 3 hours, or cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours, until chicken reaches 160° Fahrenheit internally.
Once chicken reaches target temperature, carefully remove chicken breasts from slow cooker and transfer to large plate. Set chicken aside to rest 5 minutes.
Carefully remove slow cooker insert and set on trivet, stovetop, or other heat-resistant surface. Whisk sauce vigorously until smooth, then allow sauce to cool slightly.
Add room temperature parmesan to sauce and whisk until cheese has melted and is fully incorporated into smooth sauce.
Transfer chicken to serving dishes with preferred sides. Ladle parmesan sauce over tops of chicken breasts and garnish with chiffonaded basil. Serve immediately.

Notes

Chicken Breasts: Make sure the chicken breasts are all roughly equal in size and thickness. If needed, use a rolling pin or frying pan to pound out especially thick areas. For especially large chicken breasts, use 2 and cut them in half horizontally to create cutlets.
Chicken Broth: Use a low-sodium broth to better control the saltiness of the dish. You can always add more salt to the sauce later if needed.
Oil from Tomatoes: Totally optional! Adding a little of the sun-dried tomato oil to the sauce just gives it even more of that sun-dried tomato flavor.
Parmesan: Grate your own parmesan from a block of fresh parm. Pre-packaged grated parmesan contains additives and starches to keep it from clumping, which also keeps it from melting like it should.
Basil: To chiffonade the basil, stack leaves of fresh basil on top of each other, then roll them tightly from one side to the other. Slice perpendicularly to the roll, creating long, thin strips.
Make it Gluten Free: Make sure to use a gluten-free chicken broth.
Make it Keto: Replace the 2 tablespoons cornstarch with ½-1 teaspoon xanthan gum. Alternately, skip the slurry entirely and add the chicken broth straight to the Crockpot. To thicken the sauce, use ½-⅔ cup parmesan cheese.
Make it Lower Fat: Replace the heavy cream with half-and-half. Note that this swap will make the sauce slightly thinner.
Make it Whole30/Paleo: Check out our recipe for Whole30 Marry Me Chicken for the list of ingredients, but follow the cooking instructions outlined in this Crockpot Marry Me Chicken post.

Nutrition

Recipe By:Cheryl Malik