Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken cooks low and slow until tender: saucy, savory, and mostly hands-off for busy weeknights.
Slow-Simmered Marry-Me Chicken That Pulls Apart Tender
A hands-off, saucy weeknight dinner from Ember Pot: seared chicken slow-cooked in a sun-dried tomato–rich tomato sauce for deep, comfort-food flavor.
This version of Marry Me Chicken does what Ember Pot does best — it takes a few simple, honest ingredients and lets time do the work. Cam Torres keeps the steps straightforward: a quick sear for color, then low-and-slow cooking so chicken breasts become tender and the sauce concentrates into something glossy and spoonable.
The flavor comes from layering: browned chicken for savory depth, sweet softened onion and garlic, and punchy sun-dried tomatoes folded into crushed tomatoes and a hit of tomato paste. Italian seasoning and a pinch of red pepper flakes round things out — they lift the acidity and add warmth without stealing the spotlight. A splash of chicken broth loosens the sauce just enough so it clings to each bite.
In the finished pot the chicken is juicy and pulls apart easily, bathing in a saucy, slightly chunky tomato base that’s perfect spooned over pasta, creamy polenta, rice, or a mound of mashed potatoes; crusty bread is great for sopping up every last drop. Texture-wise you get tender meat against the little chewy pops of sun-dried tomato and the silky, reduced tomato sauce.
This is a truly make-ahead dish: flavors deepen if you refrigerate and reheat, and the sauce can be thinned or reduced to suit your plans. It’s a weeknight-friendly, mostly hands-off comfort dinner that still feels special — ideal when you want rich, layered flavor without standing at the stove.
Ingredients
How to Make Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken
- Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with the kosher salt and black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown the chicken 2 minutes per side until lightly golden; you do not need to cook through. Transfer the seared chicken to the slow cooker.
- Thinly slice the onion and mince the garlic; chop the sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces if large. In the same skillet, sauté the onion 3–4 minutes until softened, add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds more.
- Stir the tomato paste into the skillet with the onions and garlic, then add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth; scrape up any browned bits and bring the mixture to a simmer for 1–2 minutes.
- Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes over the top. Cover and cook on LOW for 3.5–4 hours or on HIGH for 2–2.5 hours, until the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and stir the shredded chicken back into the sauce along with the heavy cream, grated Parmesan, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
- Cook uncovered on HIGH for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the cheese melts into the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed.
- Stir in the chopped basil right before serving. Serve the Marry Me Chicken over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes and spoon extra sauce on top.
Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken
Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken cooks low and slow until tender: saucy, savory, and mostly hands-off for busy weeknights.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 4 hr
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with the kosher salt and black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown the chicken 2 minutes per side until lightly golden; you do not need to cook through. Transfer the seared chicken to the slow cooker.
- Thinly slice the onion and mince the garlic; chop the sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces if large. In the same skillet, sauté the onion 3–4 minutes until softened, add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds more.
- Stir the tomato paste into the skillet with the onions and garlic, then add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth; scrape up any browned bits and bring the mixture to a simmer for 1–2 minutes.
- Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes over the top. Cover and cook on LOW for 3.5–4 hours or on HIGH for 2–2.5 hours, until the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and stir the shredded chicken back into the sauce along with the heavy cream, grated Parmesan, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
- Cook uncovered on HIGH for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the cheese melts into the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed.
- Stir in the chopped basil right before serving. Serve the Marry Me Chicken over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes and spoon extra sauce on top.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 12
- Saturated Fat
- 10
- Sodium
- 780
- Fiber
- 3
- Unsaturated Fat
- 13
- Protein
- 50
- Fat
- 23
- Cholesterol
- 170
- Trans Fat
- 0.2
- Calories
- 540
- Sugar
- 6