Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken
Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken is a comforting dish packed with loads of flavor. Tender pieces of chicken are slow cooked in a rich and creamy sauce consisting of sun-dried tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, caramelized onions, heavy cream, stock, and seasonings. It’s served over al dente spaghetti with a topping of Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and sliced cherry tomatoes!
The slow cooking process guarantees super tender and juicy chicken cutlets, infused in the flavors of the rich sauce. Simply set-it-and-forget-it, ready for you to serve over freshly boiled spaghetti as a standalone meal for dinner or with your favorite side dishes.
I love to get this going in the crock pot, for an easy weeknight meal. Even if it’s more than two of us can eat, the leftovers are out of this world. It’s delicious!
Why is it called “Marry Me” chicken?
“Marry Me” chicken has a rather cute backstory, whether true or fabricated is not as important as the message behind it! Legend has it that this dish earned its name when someone, after tasting it, jokingly declared it was so good it could prompt a marriage proposal – hence, “Marry Me Chicken.”
So be careful of the power of this recipe – if you serve this to someone, they might be so captivated by its flavor that they’re compelled to propose!
All joking aside, whether you’re preparing this Tuscan chicken pasta recipe for a special date night or treating the family to some comfort food, it’s definitely the kind of meal that you’ll fall in love with.
Slow cooker marry me chicken ingredients
- Chicken: You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (as a leaner option), cut into cutlets. I recommend using chicken that is organic or free-range and avoid chicken that has been injected with water or additives.
- Chicken stock: Feel free to use store-bought or homemade chicken stock. Vegetable stock works too.
- Heavy cream: Key for building a luxuriously creamy and flavorful sauce.
- Garlic: Freshly pressed garlic cloves will provide the best depth of flavor!
- Sun-dried tomatoes: I prefer the oil-packed sliced sun-dried tomatoes since it has better flavor than the dried sun-dried tomatoes. You can also use some of the oil from the jar to sear the chicken in a heated pan, if desired.
- Tomato puree: Combined with the flour to create a paste which thickens the sauce while also adding a boost of rich tomato flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Thickens the creamy sauce. A cornstarch slurry could be used instead.
- Spaghetti: I like to make this slow cooker marry me chicken with spaghetti, but you could also use another favorite type of pasta.
- Seasoning: This one-pot dish is seasoned with a combination of black pepper, oregano, paprika, chili powder (optional), and salt. The chili powder gives this dish a lovely subtle kick of heat, which you can increase, if desired.
- Fresh basil: Sprinkled as garnish for serving.
- Parmesan cheese: Always use freshly grated/shredded Parmesan cheese for the best flavor. It makes this creamy chicken dinner truly Italian!
- Cherry tomatoes: Sliced and topped for garnish.
How do you make slow cooker marry me chicken?
Assemble in the slow cooker:
- Whisk together the tomato puree and flour in a small bowl until smooth to create a paste.
- Add the chicken stock, flour paste, heavy cream, and seasonings to the slow cooker and whisk until well combined.
- Stir in the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Add the chicken and press the pieces down in the sauce. You can sear the chicken before adding to the slow cooker, if you like.
Set the slow cooker:
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
Cook the pasta separately:
- Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Combine, garnish, and serve:
- When the chicken is done, garnish it with Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and sliced cherry tomatoes.
- Plate the pasta and serve the chicken over it. Enjoy!
Serving
This comforting slow cooker marry me chicken is great with a side salad or portion of roasted vegetables. Enjoy something light and refreshing, such as Greenhouse Salad, or something a bit heartier like Roasted Yam Arugula Salad, Baked Spicy Delicata Squash Salad with Feta, or Roasted Carrots with Whipped Feta.
A serving of Hot Herb Bread or Garlic Cheese Bread will help you soak up any saucy bits left on the plate!
If you don’t want to serve your chicken over pasta, consider mashed potatoes, brown rice, or quinoa instead.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Reheating: Reheat your leftovers in a skillet over low heat, adding in a splash of stock or heavy cream to loosen the sauce which may have thickened.
- Low-carb version: Swap the pasta for zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash. You could also serve this slow cooker marry me chicken over cauliflower rice or mash.
- Reserve pasta water: I usually reserve pasta water, even if a recipe doesn’t specifically call for it. It gives you the option to adjust the sauce in a dish without diluting flavor.
- Sauce consistency: You can adjust the sauce in the slow cooker to suit your preference. For a thinner sauce, add in some reserved pasta water or extra broth. If your sauce isn’t thick enough, mix in some heavy cream or add a cornstarch slurry.
- Cuts of chicken: This recipe works with boneless skinless chicken thighs (which add more flavor) or chicken breasts (for a leaner option). Make sure to cut your chicken in similar sizes so that they cook at an even rate.
- Sear the chicken: For a golden crust and added flavor, consider searing your chicken in a heated skillet with sun-dried tomato oil before transferring it to the slow cooker with the sauce mixture.
- Add greens: Stir in some baby spinach just before serving for an extra boost of nutrition.
- Gluten-free: Use a cornstarch slurry instead of all-purpose flour and serve the cooked chicken over gluten-free pasta to make this slow cooker Marry Me chicken gluten-free.
For more irresistible chicken dinners, check out our One-Pot Paprika Chicken Thighs, Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup, or Skillet Lemon Chicken.
More “marry me” recipes you may want to try:
- Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
- Marry Me Chicken Orzo
- Marry Me Caesar Wedge Salad
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta Recipe
Get the Recipe:
Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into cutlets
- 1 ¾ cups chicken stock
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ tsp chili powder, optional
- salt to taste
- 1 pound spaghetti pasta
- Fresh basil, chopped, for garnish
- Grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish
- Sliced Cherry tomatoes for garnish
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato puree and flour until smooth to create a paste.
- In the slow cooker dish, add the chicken stock, flour mixture, heavy cream, black pepper, oregano, paprika, and chili powder. Whisk until well combined.
- Stir in the pressed garlic and diced sun-dried tomatoes.
- Add the chicken breast cutlets to the slow cooker and press down them in the sauce. *Optional to sear the chicken on the pan before adding to the slow cooker.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on HI setting for 3 hours or LO for 6 hours.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions al dente (about 1 minute less). Drain and set aside to serve with the chicken.
- When the chicken is done, garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh basil, and sliced cherry tomatoes.
- Serve the chicken over your favorite pasta.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
