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Low carb Crock Pot recipes are great for so many occasions. Too busy to make dinner? Use the slow cooker. Too hot to turn on the oven? Use the slow cooker. Out and about all day? Use the slow cooker. And, this creamy Tuscan garlic chicken recipe is one of my new favorite things to make in mine!
This particular Crock Pot Tuscan chicken recipe actually came about in the first months after my daughter started daycare. Let’s just say we were not winning the influx of endless respiratory viruses she kept bringing home.
I tried dozens of supplements, but one of them surprised me – Clear Lungs from RidgeCrest Herbals. It wasn’t even necessarily something I thought I needed, until I tried it and felt like I took a breath of fresh air right inside my house. It was such an amazing feeling. In fact, I’m continuing to take it even when I’m not sick.
Then I wondered, what foods can I eat to support my lungs? It’s one of those things we don’t think about day to day, but something we literally cannot live without. And if you know me, you know I believe food is medicine. (Disclaimer: Just to be clear, please don’t take anything I say as medical advice!)
Benefits of Garlic
It turns out, garlic is one of those foods that has incredible benefits for the lungs. A study even found it to reduce the risk of lung cancer. Not to mention that it can help lower cholesterol levels, reduce overall cancer risk, and blood sugar control. It also has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. *, *
Let’s just say this is all great news for me as a big garlic lover! Some of my favorite garlic recipes are roasted cabbage steaks, garlic parmesan broccoli and cauliflower, and definitely anything I can enjoy with garlic butter, like filet mignon.
When we started getting sick more often over these last few months, it was the perfect excuse to create more garlic recipes. Granted, nothing beats the amazing qualities of raw garlic, but using it cooked in recipes in the next best thing. And, this creamy Tuscan garlic chicken with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes is right up there with the best! It’s a lot like my creamy tuscan salmon, made in the slow cooker for ease.
How To Make Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Spinach
The steps for how to make creamy Tuscan garlic chicken in the slow cooker are super simple. The Crock Pot does most of the work for you! Here are the basic parts:
Make the creamy Tuscan garlic chicken sauce
The only thing you really need to do that is hands-on is make the sauce for the creamy Tuscan chicken.
Saute the garlic (our star!) in a little oil, then add the chicken broth and cream. Simmer to thicken the sauce a bit. It will still be fairly thin at this point, but will coat the back of a spoon.
Once this happens, reduce heat so that the sauce doesn’t simmer, but is still over very low heat. Whisk in the parmesan cheese slowly. Do it about 1/4 cup at a time, making sure it melts before adding more. Keep going until it’s smooth. It should look like this:
Cook the Tuscan chicken in the Crock Pot
You can prepare the other parts of the Tuscan garlic chicken recipe while the sauce simmers. Place the chicken in the slow cooker, then season with sea salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes on top.
Pour the sauce over the chicken. Try to get as much as possible onto the chicken and not the bottom, because what’s on top will stick really well as it cooks and impart even more flavor.
Turn on the heat, and cook the Crock Pot Tuscan garlic chicken for 3-4 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low.
Add the spinach
Once the chicken is done, remove it from the slow cooker and cover to keep warm. We do this so that it’s easier to mix in the spinach into the liquid that remains behind.
With the slow cooker on High, add the spinach and stir for a few minutes, until wilted. The spinach essentially cooks in the residual heat.
Serve the Crock Pot Tuscan garlic chicken
You can return the chicken to the Crock Pot to keep warm if not serving immediately. Spoon the spinach and liquid over it, too.
When you’re ready to serve the Tuscan garlic chicken, transfer it to plates and top with the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and more liquid from the slow cooker. It will be so juicy!
Tips for the Perfect Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken Recipe
I picked up a few tips along the way when I created this creamy Tuscan garlic chicken recipe. Take a look so that yours is perfect every time:
- Make sure the sauce is the right thickness. Check the picture above to see how it should be – definitely thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, but still easy to pour. You can thin it out with cream if it’s too thick, or whisk in more parmesan cheese if it’s too thin.
- Save time by making the sauce ahead. Crock Pot Tuscan chicken is already a time saving recipe, but if you want to make it even more quick the day-of, you can make the sauce ahead of time. Simply store it in the fridge, then heat and thin out as needed before pouring it over the chicken.
- Prioritize the chicken when pouring the sauce. You want more of it on the chicken and less on the bottom of the Crock Pot. This way, you’ll end up with more sauce sticking to the chicken and the meat will be more juicy. Plus, the part on top of the chicken stays thicker.
- Watch the spinach carefully at the end. It wilts fast! Just don’t let it slow cook the whole time with the creamy Tuscan garlic chicken, because it will turn to mush. The spinach has to go in only at the end.
- Pile the toppings high and drizzle with more sauce. When you’re ready to serve, don’t forget to place the toppings from the bottom of the Crock Pot onto the Tuscan garlic chicken on the plate. Drizzle more of the sauce over the chicken for extra juicy deliciousness, too.
Enjoy the benefits of garlic for your lungs in the most delicious way ever – and for even more support, grab a bottle of Clear Lungs from RidgeCrest Herbals.
Crock Pot Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken Recipe
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Crock Pot Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken Recipe
Creamy Tuscan garlic chicken in the slow cooker makes an easy low carb dinner the family will love. Just 15 minutes prep for this Crock Pot Tuscan chicken recipe!
Recipe Video
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Ingredients
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for about a minute, until fragrant.
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Add the cream and chicken broth. Bring to a gentle simmer, then set heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. The sauce will still be thin, but thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.
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Meanwhile, place the chicken at the bottom of a slow cooker. Season lightly with Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper. Top with sun-dried tomatoes.
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When the sauce is ready, keep it at low heat, but not simmering. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup at a time, until smooth. Adjust salt to taste if desired.
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Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken in the slow cooker. Try to get as much sauce as possible on top of the chicken and less on the bottom.
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Cook for 3-4 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low.
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Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and set aside. The sauce in the slow cooker will be thin due to liquid released by the chicken, but the top of the chicken will have a layer of sauce that sticks to it.
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Turn the slow cooker on High, if it isn't already. Add the chopped spinach and stir for a few minutes, until the spinach wilts.
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Return the chicken to the slow cooker, and spoon the liquid, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes on top, or just pour them over the chicken to serve.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 large chicken breast with sauce and 1/4 of total tomatoes & spinach (1/4 of entire recipe)
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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153 Comments
Sharon
Made this first following the recipe mostly as written. Substituted thighs for breasts. Turned out so well, that friends wanted it again. Turns out I had no chicken so I used boneless pork chops instead.Not quite as good as the original but a keeper nonetheless. BTW, I have Maya’s cookbooks and they’re wonderful!
Lorraine
I made this recipe for the first time yesterday. Was feeding 10 people. I used the conversion on the top of the recipe, adding how many servings I needed. It did the rest. I did use less of the ingredients because my breast was small. The flavor was absolutely delicious. Everyone raved about it. It is definitely a keeper.
Lorie
Hello. I am doubling the recipe. Do I have to adjust cooking time. Thanks.
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Lori, Yes you will have to add more time for cooking.
Emily G.
Loved this!!! Made it for my husband for Valentines and it was perfect. I’m not a cook by any means and it was a recipe I could follow and I will definitely be making it again in the future!!! Thank you so much.
Paulette Walley
Wow! My husband and I both LOVED this recipe. I used chicken thighs and a small jar of the sundried tomatoes. At the end we also used a lot more spinach and I’m going to buy more for the leftover broth since we ate all the spinach! Took me like 10 minutes to throw together and 4 hours on high was perfect! I did wonder if the ‘oil’ from the tomatoes could be used in the recipe as I hated throwing it out.
Sally
So easy to make, and perfect for my garlic-loving family. I appreciate the clear directions. I’m a reluctant, inexperienced cook, so I need recipes like this one. Love it!
Diane
Do you have an Instapot conversion of this recipe?
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Diane, Yes! Use the ‘Saute’ function to cook the garlic and prepare the sauce. Proceed with the recipe as written with the slow cooker instructions. Enjoy!
Jeremy K
Good recipe! Ours came out a bit too juicy but maybe it was because of making it in Instant Pot. Flavor was on point
Claudette Morrison
I loved this recipe. It was easy to make, and I’m all about easy. I did add a little more garlic than the recipe called for but that’s just because I love garlic. I also added a little more Parmesan cheese and an almond flour rue at the end to thicken up the sauce. I cooked edamame fettuccine for me and regular fettuccine for my carb loving family. I served the chicken over the pasta. The chicken was so tender it fell apart. My family loved it! Will definitely make this again!
Danielle Roof
This is amazing! I baked it in the oven instead of the crockpot & it turned out amazing! Definitely recommend!
Deborah
Simple and tasty
J O Banks
This was delicious. I added 1/2 c of cream (and more chicken than called for) to the crock pot and did everything listed in steps 3-9 (plus bay leaves) then I made the garlic cream sauce with parmesan (steps 1 and 2) shortly before serving it for dinner with sautéd mushrooms and spooned it on top of the chicken. Additionally, in step 8, before adding the spinach, I used the immersion blender to blend the liquid in the crock pot before adding the spinach. I made a side of pasta noodles with some of the liquid from the crock pot for my carb loving guests. I’ll definitely make this again!
Katy
Dear Maya, I haven’t tried this yet but I love every other recipe of yours that I have tried…and they’ve all been amazing! This one looks especially delicious; the only problem is, I don’t have a CrockPot! Is there a way to cook/ bake it instead?
Thanks!
Katy
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Katy, Yes! You can absolutely get these same flavors while cooking your chicken in the oven, or on the stovetop.
Sandie
Would this be able to be done in an instapot?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Sandie, If you use the slow cooker function on your Instant Pot, then yes you can!
Sonia Marquez
This recipe is amazing. So delicious. My husband loved it.
Thank you
Jennifer Fuller
Can I freeze this please?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Jennifer, Yes! To reheat easily, store in individual portions.
Sarah W
Haven’t tasted it yet but already have a couple details to note:
1. If all you have are chicken thighs, they’ll work but you’ll want to scoop off the fat that will float to the top of the crock. If I had been paying closer attention, I would have done that a couple times throughout cooking. And then add a little more of the sauce later to make sure you still wind up with a nice creamy color.
2. I had some dry sun-dried tomatoes for salads that I used, not from a jar and not oiled. I probably should have oiled them or something because they sort of blackened throughout the cooking process. I think they’ll still taste okay with a little more sauce in there to rehydrate, but that’s a tip for anyone making this with that type of sun dried tomatoes. Keep them moist.
Regardless, smells great, and I’m looking forward to eating it!
Brandi
I’ve made this several times and we love it. I even heard my husband telling his mom on the phone about the delicious meal I made! Thank you.
Sharyl Winebar
Hi! I’m wondering if I could use frozen chopped spinach in a box instead of fresh spinach and how that would work?
Can’t wait to try this!
Thanks, Sharyl
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Sharyl, Yes you can use frozen spinach. Let it defrost then wring out the excess water; then it can be added to the recipe as written. Enjoy!
KarenTheCondimentQueen
Used a whole chicken with a rack under it, spooned sauce over the top once an hour and used mushrooms and broccolini in addition to sun dried tomatoes since I cannot eat spinach.
CAME OUT PERFECTLY !! Hubby ate 3/4 of a 3 lb. chicken! On my top 10 keto/slow cooker list.
Michelle
Really good and super easy! Thank you for the recipe
Susan
Will try this one!! What would you serve with it… salad?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Susan, Yes! Salad, cauliflower rice, or a fathead dinner roll would all be delicious!
Eva
This is my husbands favorite. I shredded the chicken after cooking so it soaked up a lot of the sauce. Its so good. highly recommend!
Charity Owens
I seriously LOVED this recipe. Made it with my daughter, and it was a great new recipe for us both!
Sandy vasquez
It was a delicious keto crock pot meal would make again soooooo gooddd
Jennifer
Turns out the oil on the tomatoes didn’t matter, but my chicken fell apart. What did I do wrong?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Jennifer, Nothing! The low and slow method a crock pot provides helps to break down connective tissues, thus making your chicken easy to shred. If you would prefer to serve whole breasts, then you will need to pull your chicken as soon as it’s cooked through. You will need a meat thermometer for this. Pull your chicken as soon as the thickest part of the breast hits 165 degrees. The amount of cook time will vary depending on the size of the chicken breasts you use.
Jennifer
This was my first time using sun dried tomatoes. I only poured the oil off the tomatoes, didnt really do a super good job of getting all of the oil off. Was that a mistake?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Jennifer, It shouldn’t affect the final result. Enjoy!
Michelle
I just put this in the crockpot and looks yummy – just noticed though that I forgot to add the Parmesan I the sauce! I tasted before I poured it onto the chicken so hopefully not too much of a fail!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Michelle, Oh no, that’s so frustrating when that happens! I think the recipe should still turn out fine. Enjoy!
Tiffany
For two days now I’ve wanted to make this but kept forgetting to put it in the crockpot. Tonight I made it exactly as the recipes called except in a skillet and used cherry tomatoes as I did not have sun-dried. Husband and I loved it!! Will definitely make again.Thank you!
Sarah
This recipe looks magical. I’d love to try to make it slightly lower fat – can the cream be replaced with half and half?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Sarah, Yes that will work fine.
Jennifer
Could I substitute the heavy cream with plain greek yogurt, I’m a diabetic
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Jennifer, I have not tested this recipe with greek yogurt, but the recipe should still work. You may need to adjust the amount of chicken broth to get the correct consistency for the sauce. Enjoy!
Brenda
Love this recipe and am about to make it for the fourth tome but getting to it and having to deal with the pop ups is very frustrating! Hate those dang pop ups! It’s even hard to type the comments because of them!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Brenda, I’m glad you like the recipe! There should be only one popup on the website, never more than that. Thanks for your feedback. Ads keep the Wholesome Yum website running and allow me to develop recipes that readers like you can access absolutely free. However, you may be interested in Wholesome Yum Plus, which includes an ad-free version of the website, along with other perks.
Pam
Made this last night and my husband raved about it. Said it was restaurant quality and would pay $40 a plate! Lol! It was so easy and delish!! I’m on keto and loved that it fit into my diet. Thank you!!
Beth
Great recipe! My guys loved it …me too!!
Courtney
Could you use chicken thighs instead?? Hmm
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Courtney, Yes! This recipe will be great with thighs.
Caroline Erez
Hi Maya, the recipe looks delicious but we need to avoid dairy over here. What do you think would be the best substitution – canned coconut milk maybe? Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Caroline, Yes, you can replace the heavy cream with canned coconut cream instead. However, the recipe also contains parmesan cheese. The sauce would not be as thick and the flavor would be different without it. You could try nutritional yeast as a replacement but have not tried it so can’t confirm the amount or how it would turn out.
Shelley
My stove isn’t working how do you suggest I make this without use of the stove beforehand? I bought all the ingredients the other day already and don’t want them going bad!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Shelley, Oh no! I’m sorry to hear about your stove. I think you can do this completely in a crock pot, although the sauce may not get as thick as it would on the stove. Set the crockpot to high and assemble the sauce ingredients in the vessel. You won’t be able to sauté the garlic like you would on the stovetop, so adjust the amount according to your taste. Whisk your sauce until it starts to thicken and then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Sarah
I substituted the sun dried tomatoes for diced Roma tomatoes and the heavy cream for hand n half (it’s what I had on had) so those substitutions may influence my rating. The flavor was good however my chicken was dry, like it was missing some creaminess. The recipe itself was very easy to make, which is wonderful if you don’t have a of time!
I will make this again and use heavy cream instead of half n half like I did and see if that makes my difference.
Anne
Can you make this recipe (creamy Tuscon Garlic Chickin) in the instant pot?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Anne, Yes! Use the ‘Saute’ function to cook the garlic and prepare the sauce. Proceed with the recipe as written with the slow cooker instructions. Enjoy!
Pamela Anne
Wow! I just made it tonight. Because of the lockdown, I didn’t want to make a trip to the store, so I used what I had, but this is a keeper and will follow it exactly next time.
There’s only 2 of us, so I halved the recipe and used my 4 qt crock. The white sauce is fabulous. My chicken breasts are huge as I buy from the Amish, but they were the most moist and tender I have ever made… I didn’t have the Parmesan grated but I did have the shredded and followed the directions to add just a small amount at a time to let it blend. I didn’t have fresh spinach, only frozen chopped kale. About 10 min before serving I put less than 1/2 c. in mostly for color. I did have about 1/2 c of sauteed mushrooms so I added those, which were great. The sauce, of course, mixes with the juices from the chicken, so yes, it’s “runny” as another commenter noted but it was delicious. I’m going to make this for company. I will make 1/2 the sauce for the crock to cook in and another 1/2 to spoon over the chicken when I serve it because it is so outstanding. So blessed to have found this site! BTW, my husband RAVED and said twice, you can make this again!
Joni Ryman
This was a wonderful dish!!!! I felt like a restaurant chef! I’m trying to think who to invite over for dinner so I can make it for someone! Loved it! Thank you, Joni
Stacy
Thought it tasted very good, although I added a brick of cream cheese to it, and to me, it really elevated the flavors and made the sauce a bit thicker & creamier. Will make again – thank you!
Charlynn Herman
How do you convert this to pressure cooker?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Charlynn, Use the pressure cooker to cook the chicken first. Then assemble the sauce and add it to the cooked chicken. Let the chicken and sauce simmer together on low for about 10 minutes, then add the spinach. Let the spinach wilt, then finish as described in the recipe.
Maritza Russo
I feel like I need to preface this by saying I am one of those people that never leave comments but this recipe deserves one. I made this as I’ve been on the keto diet for some time now and always looking for new chicken recipes. I made this recipe now probably 7 times now and my husband/family can’t get enough of it. It’s a weekly staple at this point. Followed the directions with one minor change, I use marinated roasted tomatoes I find from my local Wegmans prob 1-1/12 cups total in lieu of the sun dried tomatoes and also use lemon garlic marinated chicken breasts also from Wegmans. *I should work there I promote them so much. In the instant pot I’ve tried both high for 4 and low for 7 and equally turn out AMAZING. I can drink the sauce, the house smells of amazing garlic and it’s low carb what’s not to love. This is the epitome of “winner winner chicken dinner”
Erica
Can you use frozen chicken breast with this recipe?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Erica, It is best to thaw your chicken before putting it in the slow cooker.
Jackie Merlino
I need to make this for a group of about 12 people, Would I just double or triple everythng?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Jackie, The recipe as written serves 4, so I would triple the recipe. Enjoy!
Jo
I’ve made this a few times and do like it, but always forget it’s much too salty for my taste. Not sure why. I’ve even added water but still too salty
Kelli
I was disappointed. Followed the recipe exactly, did the slow cooker on high for 3.5 hours, the edges were gross and black. The whole thing just tasted like slightly burnt milk and sun-dried tomatoes. I don’t like to waste food, so it will get eaten, just not sure what I can do with it to minimize the taste. Maybe I can make nachos or something with it.
**it smelled good and I think if it was done in the oven in a casserole dish it might be a keeper.
Wholesome Yum A
Hi Kelli, so sorry to hear that. Some slow cookers run hotter than others, so it’s possible yours got overcooked.
Heather Vickery
Hello Maya I have made this Tuscan chicken twice and loved it. It is a favorite in my family. Thank you for your recipes. I made this dish in a skillet just cooked the chicken first was great looking forward to trying more of your recipes