Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken (Printable)
Slow-cooked chicken in a creamy Tuscan sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and Parmesan.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup fresh baby spinach, packed
03 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (in oil), drained and sliced
→ Dairy
06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Liquids
09 - ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
→ Spices & Seasonings
10 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (or a mix of oregano, basil & thyme)
11 - ½ teaspoon paprika
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How-To:
01 - Pat chicken breasts dry and season both sides evenly with salt, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, and dried Italian herbs.
02 - Spread the chopped onion, minced garlic, and sliced sun-dried tomatoes across the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
03 - Arrange the seasoned chicken breasts in a single layer on top of the vegetable base.
04 - Pour the chicken broth and heavy cream evenly over the chicken. Dot the surface with small pieces of unsalted butter.
05 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 4 to 6 hours, or until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
06 - About 20 minutes before serving, add the packed baby spinach and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir gently to wilt the spinach and incorporate the cheese into the sauce until smooth.
07 - Taste the creamy sauce and adjust salt and pepper as desired.
08 - Plate the chicken breasts and spoon the creamy Tuscan sauce generously over the top. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The creamy sauce practically builds itself while you go about your day, and the sun dried tomatoes infuse everything with a deeply savory, slightly tangy richness that tastes like it came from a restaurant kitchen.
- It requires zero babysitting, no searing, no deglazing, and yet the result feels indulgent enough for company.
02 -
- Resist the urge to lift the lid and stir halfway through cooking, because every peek adds roughly 15 to 20 minutes to the total time.
- If you want to lighten the sauce with half and half instead of heavy cream, know that it will be thinner but still delicious.
03 -
- Patting the chicken dry before seasoning makes a surprising difference in how well the spices adhere and how the surface texture turns out.
- Grate your Parmesan from a wedge rather than using the shelf stable powdered kind, because it melts into the sauce instead of turning grainy.