Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken

This Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken is juicy chicken breasts slow cooked in a creamy Parmesan sauce with sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and a little crushed red pepper. I sear the chicken first for a golden crust, then let the slow cooker do the rest in just 3 to 4 hours on low, which is exactly why it stays tender instead of dry. The heavy cream and Parmesan go in at the very end, so the sauce turns out silky and smooth. It’s an easy weeknight dinner with about 15 minutes of hands on work, and it’s made for spooning over pasta or mashed potatoes.

The Ingredients That Matter:

All ingredients and their amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: I use 4 breasts, about 2 pounds total, so each one is roughly 8 ounces. Try to buy breasts that are close in size, because the slow cooker can’t cook a small breast and a huge one at the same pace. If you prefer dark meat, boneless skinless thighs work well and are more forgiving if they go a little longer. They are smaller, so I start checking them at 2.5 hours on low, just like in my Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs.

Pro Tip: If one breast is much thicker at one end, place it between two sheets of parchment and gently pound the thick part to about 1 inch. Even thickness is the single best way to keep every piece juicy.

Sun Dried Tomatoes Packed in Oil: These give the sauce its sweet, tangy flavour and those pretty red bits. I like the ones packed in oil because they are soft and plump, while the dry packaged kind stays leathery in the slow cooker. Chop them small so you get a piece in every bite. I scatter them right on top of the chicken instead of stirring them into the liquid, so they soften without disappearing into the sauce.

Heavy Cream: I recommend real heavy cream here, the kind with 33 to 36 percent fat. I’ve made marry me chicken with half and half and milk, and both are much more likely to split when they hit the hot cooking liquid. Heavy cream stays smooth and gives the sauce that rich, restaurant style body.

Freshly Grated Parmesan: I grate it from a block right before adding it. The pre shredded bags are coated to stop the cheese from clumping, and that coating keeps it from melting smoothly, so the sauce can turn grainy. Use the small holes on a box grater or a microplane so it melts in seconds.

How to Make Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken

Before you start: You’ll need a large skillet and a 6 quart oval slow cooker. The oval shape lets 4 breasts sit in a single layer, which is how they cook evenly.

Season the chicken. I pat the breasts dry with paper towels, then season both sides with salt, black pepper, and half of the paprika. Drying them matters more than it looks. A wet surface steams in the skillet, while a dry one browns.

Sear until golden. I warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and brown the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side, just until golden. The inside should still be raw, because it finishes in the slow cooker. Then I move the chicken to the slow cooker, pour a splash of the chicken stock into the hot skillet, and scrape up the browned bits. Those bits are pure flavour, so I pour every drop over the chicken.

Whisk the sauce base. In a bowl, I whisk the rest of the chicken stock with the cornstarch, garlic, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, and the remaining paprika. Whisking the cornstarch into cold stock is what keeps it smooth. If it hits hot liquid on its own, it clumps. I pour this over the chicken and make sure the breasts sit in a single layer.

Top with sun dried tomatoes and slow cook. I scatter the chopped sun dried tomatoes over each breast, cover, and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on high for 1.5 to 2 hours. I start checking at 2.5 hours on low with an instant read thermometer in the thickest part. The chicken is done at 165°F (74°C), and I take it out right then. Every extra hour past that point is what dries chicken breast out. The liquid will look thin and orange at this stage, and that’s exactly right.

Make it creamy. I lift the chicken onto a plate and cover it to keep it warm. Then I whisk the heavy cream and Parmesan into the hot liquid until the sauce is smooth. If it looks thinner than you’d like, switch the slow cooker to high and leave the lid off for 10 to 15 minutes. The extra heat finishes thickening the cornstarch.

Let it rest in the sauce. I return the chicken, spoon sauce over the top, and let it sit on the warm or low setting for 5 to 10 minutes. This short rest lets the juices settle back into the chicken while the sauce clings to every piece.

Finish and serve. Right before serving, I sprinkle fresh basil and extra Parmesan over the top. I add the basil last so it stays bright green instead of wilting into the heat.