Marry Me Chicken stays juicy with savory glaze or seasoning—an easy anchor for dinner with simple sides.
Slow-Simmered Sun‑Dried Tomato Chicken with Creamy Parmesan Sauce
An easy, hands‑off slow‑cooker dinner that turns browned, juicy chicken thighs into a velvety, slightly tangy sauce perfect for weeknights or make‑ahead comfort meals.
This Ember Pot–style slow cooker dish from Cam Torres lives at the intersection of low effort and big flavor: you brown seasoned boneless, skinless chicken thighs briefly for color, then let the slow heat do the rest until the meat is fork‑tender. As it simmers, the kitchen fills with garlic and sweet onion notes, while the sun‑dried tomatoes—rich and concentrated—lend a bright, savory punch that cuts through the creaminess.
The sauce is a silky marriage of heavy cream, cream cheese and grated Parmesan; the cream softens and rounds, the cream cheese gives body and shine, and the Parmesan adds that savory backbone. Crushed red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning keep the profile lively rather than cloying, and a splash of chicken broth keeps everything saucy so the thighs stay juicy instead of drying out.
Practical steps make this reliably comforting: trim and pat the thighs, season, and brown them 2–3 minutes per side before transferring to the slow cooker. Toss chopped onion, garlic, drained sun‑dried tomatoes, seasonings and broth in the insert, nestle the thighs in, and cook on LOW for 4 hours (or HIGH 2–2½ hours) until the chicken is very tender. Finish by stirring in the cheeses and cream so the sauce becomes luxuriously smooth.
Serve it over mashed potatoes, polenta, buttered pasta or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce—the dish is a forgiving anchor for simple sides. It also plays nicely as leftovers: the flavors deepen overnight and it reheats gently for easy lunches or second‑night dinners, making it a great hands‑off option when you want comfort without fuss.
Ingredients
How to Make Marry Me Chicken
- Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and pat dry; season both sides with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the thighs 2–3 minutes per side until golden (they will finish in the slow cooker); transfer to a plate.
- Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the slow cooker insert along with the drained sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and the chicken broth; stir to combine.
- Nestle the browned chicken thighs into the tomato-broth mixture, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 hours (or HIGH 2–2½ hours) until chicken is very tender.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board, shred with two forks, and skim any excess fat from the surface of the slow cooker liquid; return the shredded chicken to the cooker.
- In a bowl whisk together heavy cream, softened cream cheese, and grated Parmesan until mostly smooth, then stir the mixture into the slow cooker; add the baby spinach and chopped basil and cook on LOW uncovered 10–15 minutes until the spinach wilts and the sauce is hot.
- Whisk cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry, stir into the slow cooker and simmer 3–5 minutes to thicken; finish with lemon juice, taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the Marry Me Chicken stew spooned over cooked pasta, rice, or with crusty bread, garnished with extra basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan if desired.
Recipe Card
Marry Me Chicken
Marry Me Chicken stays juicy with savory glaze or seasoning—an easy anchor for dinner with simple sides.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 4 hr
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and pat dry; season both sides with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the thighs 2–3 minutes per side until golden (they will finish in the slow cooker); transfer to a plate.
- Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the slow cooker insert along with the drained sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and the chicken broth; stir to combine.
- Nestle the browned chicken thighs into the tomato-broth mixture, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 hours (or HIGH 2–2½ hours) until chicken is very tender.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board, shred with two forks, and skim any excess fat from the surface of the slow cooker liquid; return the shredded chicken to the cooker.
- In a bowl whisk together heavy cream, softened cream cheese, and grated Parmesan until mostly smooth, then stir the mixture into the slow cooker; add the baby spinach and chopped basil and cook on LOW uncovered 10–15 minutes until the spinach wilts and the sauce is hot.
- Whisk cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry, stir into the slow cooker and simmer 3–5 minutes to thicken; finish with lemon juice, taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the Marry Me Chicken stew spooned over cooked pasta, rice, or with crusty bread, garnished with extra basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan if desired.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 11
- Saturated Fat
- 25
- Sodium
- 1100
- Fiber
- 2.5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 36.3
- Protein
- 49
- Fat
- 61
- Cholesterol
- 300
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 796
- Sugar
- 3