Crockpot Marry Me Chicken

Crockpot Marry Me Chicken is the best slow cooker dinner. Tender chicken slow-cooks all day in a velvety sun-dried tomato cream sauce loaded with garlic, Parmesan, and Italian herbs until every bite tastes rich, romantic, and completely unforgettable. You need just a few simple pantry ingredients and about ten minutes of prep.

Love More Crockpot Recipes? Try My Garlic Parmesan Chicken Crockpot or this Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The most luxurious, creamy sauce from a slow cooker — tastes like something from an Italian trattoria.
• Sun-dried tomatoes add a sweet-tangy depth that makes this sauce completely unforgettable.
• Ten minutes of prep — your crockpot earns every bit of the compliments.
• Impressive enough for company, easy enough for a random Wednesday night.
• Spoon it over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes — the sauce works on absolutely everything.

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Ingredients You’ll Need

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 cup chicken broth, low-sodium
• 1 cup heavy cream (half-and-half works for a lighter version)
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped (packed in oil is much better than dry-packed)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons cold water, for thickening
• Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Why These Ingredients Work

Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil are the irreplaceable star of this sauce. They bring a concentrated, sweet-tangy, slightly chewy bite that regular tomatoes simply cannot deliver — their intense flavor infuses the entire sauce during the long slow cook and makes every forkful taste deeply layered and complex.

Freshly grated Parmesan melts into the cream sauce smoothly and adds a salty, nutty backbone that ties all the other flavors together. Reach for the block and grate it yourself — pre-shredded Parmesan has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting properly and leave the sauce grainy instead of silky.

Smoked paprika gives the sauce a gentle warmth and a beautiful golden-orange color that makes the finished dish look as stunning as it tastes. It adds subtle depth without making the sauce feel spicy, and it complements the sun-dried tomatoes in a way that feels both rustic and sophisticated.

Heavy cream creates the velvety, spoonable sauce that gives this dish its legendary status. The fat in the cream carries every herb and garlic note, making each spoonful feel indulgent and complete rather than thin or watery.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• 6-quart slow cooker
• Small bowl for cornstarch slurry
• Whisk
• Two forks or hand mixer for shredding chicken
• Ladle for serving
• Box grater for fresh Parmesan

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Season the Chicken

Season the chicken breasts or thighs generously with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning on both sides. Place them in a single layer in the bottom of the slow cooker. Seasoning directly on the meat rather than just in the sauce means the spices penetrate the chicken from the inside out during the long cook.

Step 2: Build the Sauce

In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, heavy cream, minced garlic, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes. Pour the mixture directly over the seasoned chicken. Scatter the chopped sun-dried tomatoes evenly over the top — they will sink into the sauce slowly as everything cooks and release their rich, concentrated flavor throughout.

Step 3: Slow Cook

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F and shreds apart easily with a fork. Resist lifting the lid during cooking — the steam inside is working hard, and every peek sets back the cook time by 20 minutes.

Step 4: Thicken the Sauce

Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together until completely smooth. Stir the slurry into the hot sauce in the slow cooker. Replace the lid and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes until the sauce thickens to a glossy, spoonable consistency that coats the back of a spoon beautifully.

Step 5: Add Parmesan and Finish

Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan and let it melt into the hot sauce for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring gently. Taste now and adjust salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes. The Parmesan will add saltiness, so taste before adding any extra salt. Shred or slice the chicken and return it to the sauce.

Step 6: Serve Beautifully

Spoon the chicken and that gorgeous sun-dried tomato cream sauce over pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and extra Parmesan. Serve immediately while the sauce is at its most silky and the aroma fills the whole table.

You Must Know

Add the Parmesan only after the slow cook is complete — never put it in at the beginning. Cheese in a slow cooker for hours breaks down and turns the sauce oily and grainy instead of smooth. Stir it in at the very end after you thicken the sauce and it will melt into something beautiful.

Do not use pre-shredded Parmesan — this cannot be stressed enough. The anti-caking coating on pre-shredded cheese prevents proper melting and will ruin the silky texture of the sauce. Grating a block takes 90 seconds and the difference is dramatic.

Personal Secret: Stir one tablespoon of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar into the sauce right before serving. That herb-infused, tomato-scented oil adds a layer of richness and flavor that makes the sauce taste restaurant-level without a single extra ingredient.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• For an even deeper flavor, sear the chicken in a skillet with olive oil for 2 minutes per side before adding to the slow cooker.
• Sun-dried tomatoes in oil are far better than dry-packed — the oil version is softer and more flavorful without needing rehydration.
• If the sauce is too thick after adding cornstarch, stir in a splash of warm chicken broth until it reaches the consistency you love.
• Stir the Parmesan in gradually rather than dumping it all at once — it incorporates more smoothly.
• Fresh basil added at the very end keeps the herb flavor bright and fragrant — dried basil stirred in at the start loses all its freshness.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Add 8 ounces of sliced cremini mushrooms to the slow cooker at the start for an earthy, meaty depth that makes the sauce feel even more luxurious. Mushrooms soak up the creamy sun-dried tomato flavor beautifully and make the whole dish more satisfying.

For a lighter version, swap heavy cream for full-fat coconut milk — the coconut flavor is subtle against the bold sun-dried tomatoes and Italian herbs and gives you a naturally dairy-free sauce that is still wonderfully rich and creamy.

Stir a large handful of baby spinach into the hot sauce in the last 15 minutes of cooking. It wilts down to almost nothing but adds beautiful color, nutrients, and a fresh green note that balances the richness of the cream and Parmesan.

Make-Ahead Options

Assemble the chicken and sauce ingredients in the slow cooker insert the night before, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, pull the insert from the refrigerator, set it in the slow cooker base, and press start. The cold insert will add about 30 minutes to the cook time, so plan accordingly.

Fully cooked leftovers store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The sauce thickens further as it chills — stir in a splash of chicken broth or cream when reheating over medium-low heat to bring it back to that gorgeous, silky consistency. Freeze the chicken and sauce for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

What to Serve With Crockpot Marry Me Chicken

Angel hair or linguine pasta is the most classic pairing — the delicate noodles let the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce take full center stage rather than competing with a thick, heavy pasta shape. Toss the hot pasta directly in the sauce and serve the chicken on top.

Creamy mashed potatoes are a deeply comforting alternative that turns this dish into something that feels like pure Sunday supper magic. The potatoes absorb the sauce in the most satisfying way imaginable, and the combination is genuinely unforgettable.

Crusty Italian bread or a warm baguette alongside this dish is practically required. That sun-dried tomato cream sauce deserves to be soaked up completely, and good bread is the best tool for the job. Do not skip it.

A glass of chilled Pinot Grigio or a dry Rosé pairs beautifully with the cream and sun-dried tomato notes. For non-drinkers, sparkling water with a twist of lemon provides the crisp acidity that balances the richness of the sauce perfectly.

Allergy Information

• Contains: Dairy (heavy cream, Parmesan)
• Gluten-free: Naturally gluten-free — serve over GF pasta or rice
• Dairy-free: Use full-fat coconut milk instead of cream and dairy-free Parmesan alternative
• Lower fat: Substitute half-and-half for heavy cream — still rich but noticeably lighter

Storage & Reheating

• Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low with a splash of broth or cream — avoid high heat which can break the sauce.
• Microwave in 60-second intervals, stirring between each, covered with a damp paper towel.
• Freeze sauce and chicken (without pasta) for up to 3 months in a sealed freezer bag.

FAQs

Why is my sauce too thin?

Slow cookers produce steam condensation that dilutes sauces over time. Use the cornstarch slurry step and cook uncovered on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes at the end — both steps together produce a perfectly thick, glossy sauce.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?

Chicken thighs are actually preferred for this recipe — they stay juicier than breasts over a long slow cook and shred into gorgeous, tender pieces that absorb the sauce beautifully.

What pasta works best with Marry Me Chicken?

Angel hair, linguine, and pappardelle all work wonderfully. The sauce is rich enough to coat lighter pasta shapes without feeling heavy, and wide, flat noodles hold onto every drop of that gorgeous cream sauce.

Can I make this in the oven instead?

Yes — place everything in a covered Dutch oven and bake at 325°F for 1.5 to 2 hours until the chicken is fork-tender. Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes to help the sauce reduce slightly.

Is this dish spicy?

As written with 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, it has a gentle background warmth rather than real heat. Omit the flakes entirely for a completely mild version, or double them if your family loves a kick.

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