Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken

Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken is juicy chicken simmers low and slow in a garlicky tomato sauce with plenty of sweet basil, soaking up all that rich, comforting flavor. It’s easy enough for a busy weeknight, but delicious enough to spoon over pasta or rice and call it a proper family dinner.

Love More Recipes? Try My Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken or this Slow Cooker Chicken Stew next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Just 5 minutes of prep and then you’re hands-off — Dump and go is not an overstatement — this recipe truly requires almost no effort and rewards you with something that tastes deeply developed and rich.
• Creamy tomato sauce that’s absolutely dreamy — The heavy cream transforms a straightforward marinara into something velvety and indulgent without making it heavy.
• Incredibly versatile — Serve it over pasta, rice, polenta, or zucchini noodles — this chicken adapts beautifully to whatever you have in the pantry.
• Family-friendly and crowd-pleasing — Mild flavors that kids love, sophisticated enough that adults come back for seconds, and easy enough to double for a crowd.
• Makes the whole house smell incredible — There’s something deeply comforting about walking in the door after a long day to a kitchen that smells like slow-simmered tomatoes and garlic.

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Ingredients You’ll Need

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs total)
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, juice and all (if you prefer no chunks, substitute with an extra cup of marinara)
• 1 cup marinara or tomato pasta sauce (choose your favorite brand — the better it tastes on its own, the better this dish will be)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (evaporated milk works too — do not substitute regular milk)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped, added at the end
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Why These Ingredients Work

Good marinara sauce is doing the heavy lifting in this recipe, which means your choice of jar matters more than it might seem. A well-seasoned marinara brings layers of tomato sweetness, herbs, and depth of flavor right out of the jar so you don’t have to add dozens of individual spices. Pick one you’d happily eat on plain pasta — it’ll make your chicken taste that much better.

Heavy cream is essential rather than optional here. The acidity in the tomatoes and the long cook time are hard on dairy — regular milk and low-fat cream curdle in these conditions. Heavy cream and evaporated milk have enough fat content to stay stable and smooth throughout the entire cooking process, giving you that silky, restaurant-quality sauce consistency when you lift the lid.

Cornstarch whisked into the cream before it’s added to the pot is the clever move that thickens the sauce to exactly the right consistency. Without it, the sauce can be too thin and watery; with it, every strand of pasta gets perfectly coated.

Fresh basil added at the very end is what makes this dish taste alive and vibrant rather than just like a jar of sauce with chicken in it. Cooking basil for hours dulls its bright, anise-y freshness — add it at the end and you’ll immediately taste the difference.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• 4- to 6-quart slow cooker
• Small bowl and whisk for mixing cream and cornstarch
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Garlic press or sharp knife for the garlic
• Instant-read meat thermometer
• Tongs or forks for removing and slicing the chicken
• Large pot for cooking pasta to serve alongside

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Build the Tomato Sauce Base

Open the can of diced tomatoes and pour it — juice and all — into the slow cooker insert. Add the marinara sauce, minced garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, dried basil, and black pepper. Stir everything together until combined. The slow cooker should have a nice layer of vibrant, seasoned tomato sauce covering the bottom.

Step 2: Add the Cream

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the heavy cream until there are no lumps — this takes about 30 seconds of whisking. Pour the cream mixture into the slow cooker and stir to incorporate it into the tomato sauce. At this point the sauce will look a little pale and orange-pink, but don’t worry — it deepens and intensifies beautifully as it cooks.

Step 3: Add the Chicken and Cook

Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce, pressing them down gently so they’re mostly submerged. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours. Check for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the largest breast — you’re looking for 165°F. Start checking at 2.5–3 hours if your chicken breasts are on the smaller side.

Step 4: Add Fresh Basil and Taste

When the chicken is cooked through, stir in the fresh basil and taste the sauce. This is your moment to adjust seasoning — a pinch more salt if it needs brightness, a tiny pinch of sugar if the tomatoes taste too sharp. Give everything one final stir and let it rest on the WARM setting for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Serve and Finish with Parmesan

Carefully transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board and slice them thickly, or shred them right in the pot if you prefer a more pasta-sauce style finish. Spoon generously over cooked spaghetti, fettuccine, or rice, and finish with a good shower of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

You Must Know

Do not use frozen chicken breasts in this recipe. Frozen chicken stays at an unsafe temperature for too long in the slow cooker’s initial heating period. Always start with fully thawed chicken — if yours are frozen, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before using.

The biggest risk with this dish is overcooking the chicken, which turns it dry and stringy rather than tender and juicy. Slow cookers vary significantly in how hot they run — some models cook fast, some slow. Start checking the internal temperature at 2.5 hours on low, especially for smaller chicken breasts, and remove them the moment they hit 165°F.

Do not substitute milk or half-and-half for the heavy cream. The acidity of the tomatoes combined with the long cook time will cause lower-fat dairy to curdle into small, unappetizing white specks throughout your sauce. Heavy cream and evaporated milk are the only options that hold up reliably.

Personal Secret: If fresh basil is nowhere to be found — which happens often outside of summer — substitute 1 to 2 teaspoons of good basil pesto stirred in at the end. The pesto carries that same bright, herbaceous freshness that dried basil simply can’t replicate, and it takes the sauce from tastes-fine to genuinely outstanding.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Use a slow cooker liner for effortless cleanup — tomato sauce can stain ceramic inserts and is a pain to scrub.
• Always check the chicken temperature at 2.5 hours — don’t assume 4 hours is needed. A fast-running slow cooker can have perfectly done chicken by the 3-hour mark.
• For extra flavor, stir a tablespoon of tomato paste into the sauce before cooking — it deepens the tomato richness beautifully.
• A pinch of red pepper flakes added with the garlic gives this dish a gentle warmth that makes the tomato sauce taste more complex without being spicy.
• Bone-in chicken thighs work in this recipe but add 1–2 hours to the cook time and should be removed and deboned before serving.
• Use the best-quality marinara you can reasonably afford — it directly determines the depth of flavor in the finished sauce.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

For a Tuscan-inspired twist, stir in a cup of baby spinach and a handful of sun-dried tomatoes during the last 20 minutes of cooking. The spinach wilts into the sauce in minutes and the sun-dried tomatoes add a concentrated, almost jammy sweetness that pairs beautifully with the fresh basil.

If you love things with a little spice, add a generous pinch of cayenne or a teaspoon of red pepper flakes along with the garlic at the start. The heat builds slowly over the long cook time and gives the finished sauce a warm, pleasant kick that adults especially appreciate — and that doesn’t overwhelm the kids’ portions when you serve it family style.

Make-Ahead Options

This recipe is excellent for meal prep. You can make the entire dish up to two days ahead, cool it completely, and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. The sauce actually deepens in flavor overnight, making day-two leftovers arguably even better than the fresh version. When reheating, add a small splash of chicken broth to loosen the sauce if it’s thickened during storage.

For freezing, cool completely, then portion into freezer-safe bags or containers with as much sauce as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a little broth to bring the sauce back to the right consistency.

What to Serve With Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken

Spaghetti is the most natural, classic pairing — pile the sliced or shredded chicken over a generous tangle of noodles and spoon the creamy tomato sauce over the top. The sauce clings to every strand beautifully, and the whole bowl is incredibly satisfying.

If you’re skipping pasta, a big pot of creamy polenta makes a stunning alternative that feels equally Italian and deeply comforting. Spoon the chicken and sauce over soft polenta and finish with extra Parmesan for a truly beautiful plate.

A simple side salad with crisp romaine, shaved Parmesan, and a light lemon vinaigrette is the perfect counterpart to the rich, creamy sauce. The brightness of the dressing cuts through the indulgence of the chicken and refreshes the palate between bites.

Garlic bread or warm focaccia alongside this dish is practically mandatory for soaking up every last drop of creamy tomato sauce. Set a generous basket of it on the table and watch it disappear.

Allergy Information

• Dairy: Contains heavy cream and Parmesan. Use full-fat coconut milk in place of cream and omit the cheese for a dairy-free version (note the sauce will have a subtle coconut flavor).
• Gluten: The chicken and sauce are gluten-free — just serve over gluten-free pasta or rice instead of wheat pasta.
• Egg: No eggs in this recipe.
• Nightshade sensitivity: The entire sauce is tomato-based, so this recipe isn’t suitable for nightshade-free diets without significant modification.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently and adding a splash of chicken broth or water to restore the sauce consistency. Microwave reheating works too — cover the dish and heat in 60-second intervals, stirring between each. For frozen portions, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating as directed.

FAQ

Can I cook this recipe on HIGH instead of LOW?

Yes — cook on HIGH for 2 to 2.5 hours. Check the temperature at 2 hours. However, LOW and slow produces more tender, juicy chicken, so use HIGH only when time is short.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?

Absolutely — boneless, skinless thighs work beautifully in this recipe and stay even more tender than breasts with the same cooking time.

My sauce looks curdled — what happened?

This almost always means low-fat dairy was used instead of heavy cream. Only heavy cream or evaporated milk will stay stable in this acidic, long-cook environment. Unfortunately, a curdled sauce can’t be rescued, but you can strain out the solids and still use the flavored liquid.

Can I add pasta directly to the slow cooker?

I don’t recommend it — pasta overcooks quickly and becomes mushy in the slow cooker. Cook pasta separately and spoon the chicken and sauce over the top at serving time.

Can I make this recipe ahead for a dinner party?

Yes — this is a wonderful make-ahead dinner party dish. Make it the day before, refrigerate, and reheat gently in a large pan on the stovetop the day of. Add the fresh basil right before serving.

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