Description
This Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken is a comforting and flavorful dish combining tender chicken breasts with a rich, creamy tomato sauce infused with garlic, herbs, and Parmesan. The slow cooker method ensures juicy, melt-in-your-mouth chicken perfect for a hearty family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Tomato Basil Sauce
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh basil leaves, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Place the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the slow cooker evenly.
- Make the tomato basil sauce: In a medium bowl, combine diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, heavy cream, chicken broth, grated Parmesan cheese, finely chopped onion, minced garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Mix the ingredients thoroughly to create a cohesive sauce mixture.
- Combine and cook: Pour the prepared tomato mixture evenly over the chicken breasts in the slow cooker, ensuring they are well coated.
- Slow cook the chicken: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours until the chicken is tender and fully cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Blend the sauce (optional): Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove the chicken breasts and set aside. Use an immersion blender to blend the tomato sauce in the slow cooker until smooth for a creamy texture.
- Recombine and coat: Return the chicken breasts to the slow cooker and gently stir to coat them with the blended creamy tomato basil sauce.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle chopped fresh basil leaves over the dish as garnish before serving to add fresh herbal aroma and color.
Notes
- You can substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or coconut cream for a lighter or dairy-free option.
- For extra spice, increase the crushed red pepper flakes or add a dash of cayenne pepper.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can carefully transfer the sauce to a regular blender in batches to blend smoothly.
- This dish pairs excellently with rice, pasta, or crusty bread to soak up the creamy tomato sauce.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
