Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken cooks low and slow until tender: saucy, savory, and mostly hands-off for busy weeknights.
Slow-Cooker Comfort: Saucy Chicken That Does the Work for You
A hands-off, four-hour slow-cooker dinner that turns simple chicken breasts into a rich, tomato-scented sauce perfect for weeknights and leftovers.
This is the kind of recipe you reach for when you want big, cozy flavor without babysitting the stove. Chicken breasts go into the slow cooker after a quick sear, and four slow hours turn them silky and tender while the sauce concentrates into a bright, savory finish. The result is effortlessly impressive — spoonable sauce and fork-tender meat with almost no fuss. Ideal for busy evenings or when you want a melt-in-your-mouth dinner without last-minute work.
What makes the sauce sing is contrast: toasted onion and garlic start things off, tomato paste adds a caramelized backbone, and a mix of crushed tomatoes and chicken broth keeps the texture glossy and lush. Sun-dried tomatoes bring an umami punch and a little chew, while Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes give warm herb notes and a whisper of heat. Searing the chicken first isn’t about cooking it through so much as building those browned fond flavors that lift the whole dish.
Practically speaking, this is a great make-ahead meal. Brown the chicken and sauté the aromatics in one skillet, dump everything in the slow cooker, and let it do its thing for about 4 hours. It stores beautifully — fridge for several days or frozen in portions — so you can reheat for quick lunches or a no-stress dinner later in the week.
Finish it how you like: toss shredded chicken and sauce with pasta, spoon over creamy polenta or steamed rice, or serve with crusty bread to mop up every last drop. A sprinkle of fresh basil and a grating of Parmesan brightens the dish and adds a fresh, salty counterpoint to the deep tomato richness.
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