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GET IT NOWMy Crock Pot Tuscan chicken combines three of my food loves — creamy chicken dishes, Italian flavors, and easy, healthy recipes — into one amazing dinner. It’s as simple as tossing everything into the slow cooker and letting it work its magic. This dish is a winner over some easy roasted potatoes, noodles, or cauliflower rice on a hectic weeknight, or as a meal prep option. Make this slow cooker Tuscan chicken with me for a comforting, hands-off meal!
Why You Need My Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken Recipe
- Creamy, cheesy, and fall-apart tender – If you like my Tuscan salmon, this slow cooker Tuscan chicken is a lot like that, but with juicy, tender chicken breast and a thinner cream sauce (think drizzle!). It’s super flavorful with the garlic, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Simple ingredients – No condensed soups or processed foods here. I only use fresh, simple grocery staples, which are naturally gluten-free.
- So easy to make – My Crock Pot Tuscan chicken is mostly hands-off, with only about 15 minutes of hands-on time. I also have a stovetop option in my tips below.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my slow cooker Tuscan chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Chicken – I usually use boneless skinless chicken breasts. Boneless chicken thighs or tenderloins work, too.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is ideal, but a tablespoon of jarred minced garlic will do the trick. You can also saute some diced onions with it for extra flavor if you like.
- Olive Oil – To saute the garlic. Avocado oil is good, too.
- Heavy Cream – This will make your Crock Pot Tuscan chicken creamy! Full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream will work if you need a substitute. I don’t recommend using other types of milk, as the sauce will be super thin.
- Chicken Broth – I use reduced sodium store-bought, since the cheese adds enough salt. You can also make your own homemade broth or bone broth.
- Parmesan Cheese – Thickens the sauce and adds flavor. Grated parm melts more easily than shredded. Avoid softer cheeses, which can become stringy.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes – Make your own sun-dried tomatoes in the oven, or just use store-bought.
- Spinach – I highly recommend fresh spinach here. If you only have frozen, thaw and drain it, then use about one ounce. Or feel free to add more to your liking!
- Spices – Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper. If you want a kick, toss in some crushed red pepper flakes.
How To Make Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Saute the garlic. Just cook it in a saucepan in a little olive oil.
- Make the sauce. Add the cream and chicken broth, and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Then, lower the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese, until smooth and creamy. Add salt to your taste if needed.
- Season the chicken. Place it in the bottom of your Crock Pot (I have this one and it fits 4 chicken breasts nicely). Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, and top with chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
- Cook low and slow. Pour the sauce over the chicken, then turn on your slow cooker. You can cook on low or high — see my times on the recipe card below.
- Wilt the spinach. Remove the chicken, and turn slow cooker to high. Add the spinach and stir until wilted.
- Bring it all together. Return your creamy Crock Pot Tuscan chicken to the slow cooker. Spoon the toppings over it before serving.
My Recipe Tips
- If your sun-dried tomatoes are oily, pat them dry. This will prevent your sauce from turning out oily.
- Try to get most of the sauce directly on the chicken. NOT sitting at the bottom of the Crock Pot! Some will run off, but the chicken stays juicier this way, and the sauce on top stays nice and thick.
- Don’t forget the sauce and toppings at the bottom. When serving your Crock Pot Tuscan chicken, scoop those flavorful toppings from the bottom of the slow cooker, and drizzle the sauce over the chicken. It’ll be amazing over your side dishes, too!
- Prefer a thicker sauce? I love that the sauce is on the thinner side—perfect for drizzling over the chicken (and any sides like rice or potatoes). But if you want a thicker sauce, you can stir in some softened cream cheese after removing the chicken, or simmer the sauce in a saucepan with a little cornstarch at the end.
- Want to cook it faster on your stovetop? Just season the chicken and sear it in a skillet to brown (but not cook through). Make the sauce on the stove as usual (I just use the same skillet), then stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach to wilt. Add the chicken into the pan with the sauce, and simmer until cooked through. One thing I like about this method is the sauce is thicker! You can also just make my sun-dried tomato chicken or marry me chicken, which are very similar and use the stovetop.
Serving Ideas
This Crock Pot Tuscan chicken makes a lot of flavorful sauce, so I recommend serving it over a base to soak it up! Here are some options:
- Noodles – Choose your favorite pasta, or one of my healthier options, like zucchini noodles or baked spaghetti squash. Try microwave spaghetti squash if you need something fast.
- Rice – The cream sauce makes it so flavorful! My personal fave is cauliflower rice.
- Potatoes – My kids love this chicken over mashed potatoes, while my husband and I like mashed cauliflower (pictured above). Roasted potatoes also work well, or you could even opt for roasted rutabaga or air fryer butternut squash.
Want to add a vegetable? Try my sauteed eggplant, parmesan broccoli and cauliflower, or one of my Italian-inspired salads, like artichoke salad, Caprese salad, or roasted veggie salad.
Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken
My creamy Crock Pot Tuscan chicken has a rich sauce with garlic, parmesan, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes. Super easy in the slow cooker!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
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Add the cream and chicken broth. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce to medium-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 in the bottom of your Crock Pot. Season with Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper. Top with sun-dried tomatoes.
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When the sauce has thickened a bit, turn down the heat to low. Whisk or stir in the parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup at a time, until smooth. Adjust salt to your taste if needed.
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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 should 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.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chicken breast with sauce, or 1/4 of the entire recipe
- Tips: See my recipe tips above! I’ve got options for a thicker sauce or cooking this dish on the stovetop instead.
- Store: Keep leftovers covered in an airtight container the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Meal prep: This dish stores well, so you can make it ahead! You can also just make the sauce in advance.
- Reheat: I usually just pop this dish in the microwave, as it doesn’t dry out easily. You can also toss the Tuscan chicken in the Crock Pot again on the Warm setting, or in the oven at 350 degrees F.
- Freeze: The texture of this sauce can change a bit if you freeze it, but I do it anyway! Cool completely, transfer to zip lock bags, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken
274 Comments
Courtney
0Could you use chicken thighs instead?? Hmm
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Courtney, Yes! This recipe will be great with thighs.
Caroline Erez
0Hi 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
0Hi 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
0My 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!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Shelley, Oh no! I’m sorry to hear about your stove. I think you can do this completely in a Crock Pot, but the sauce will be very watery. You’d have to just whisk the sauce together. Otherwise if you have an Instant Pot, you could make the sauce in there using the Saute function and then just cook the chicken using the slow cook function.
Sarah
0I 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
0Can you make this recipe (creamy Tuscon Garlic Chickin) in the instant pot?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi 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
0Wow! 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
0This 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
0Thought 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
0How do you convert this to pressure cooker?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Charlynn, Sorry, I don’t have instructions for pressure cooking, but if you have an Instant Pot, you can cook in there using the slow cook function.
Maritza Russo
0I 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
0Can you use frozen chicken breast with this recipe?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Erica, It is best to thaw your chicken before putting it in the slow cooker.
Jackie Merlino
0I need to make this for a group of about 12 people, Would I just double or triple everythng?
Jo
0I’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
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jackie, The recipe as written serves 4, so I would triple the recipe. You’ll probably need to cook for longer, I’d estimate at least an hour longer, but check on it to be sure. Enjoy!
Kelli
0I 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.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kelli, So sorry to hear that. It sounds like your slow cooker runs hot. I would check on it sooner next time.
Heather Vickery
0Hello 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
Pollyanna
0How do I print recipe easily
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Pollyanna, There is a print button located in the recipe card. I hope this helps!
Erika
0My husband is on the optimist (once called medifast) diet, which is low carb and low sugar. I have been making the medifast version of this recipe and it is one of our favorites. It is a similar recipe with the biggest difference being plain yogurt instead of the cream. I double the 1/2 cup of yogurt and use a full cup, and I am very liberal with the sun dried tomatoes. I’m cooking this recipe in the slow cooker right now and can’t wait to try it! Thank you for the recipe, I have been wondering how it would turn out in the slow cooker!
Sandra Cail
0You sent me a recipe for Creamy Tuscon Garlic Chicken and we tried it that night. It was very easy and delicious. Every recipe we have tried of yours are really good and easy as well. Thank you for share with us.
George Suematsu
0Tasty, but too much work for a crock pot meal.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi George, Sorry to hear it wasn’t what you were expecting. I think this dish is pretty easy. I’m glad you liked the taste.
Johanna
0Can I use cherry tomatoes instead of sun dried?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Johanna, Yes, you can do that. The flavor will be slightly different and the consistency may be a little more watery. You could saute the tomatoes with the garlic to cook down some of the moisture. Let me know how it goes!
Ann-Marie Cunniff
0Can this recipe be used in the Instant Pot?
Debby
0Yes it can it will be ready quickly, thats all. That’s the beauty with an Instant Pot!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ann-Marie, Yes, but I haven’t tested to confirm the time. You can definitely use the recipe as written using the slow cook function on your Instant Pot.
Amy Peffley
0This was an amazing recipe! My family loved it! Highly recommend!
Christine Rubino
0I LOVE THIS RECIPE! I have made this 3 times it is amazing!
Alysa
0Hello! Quick question: Where do the 9 carbs come from? Obviously the cheese, maybe the tomato? I don’t quite understand where the 9 carbs per serving is. If i missed it in your original post – I apologize!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Alysa, The carbs come from the sun-dried tomatoes, cheese, cream, and spinach.
Annita
0What size package of spinach do you recommend using for the two cups of chopped?
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Annita, A smaller bag of spinach (6 ounces) should give you more than enough for the recipe.
Nancy
0I just had this for dinner. It’s so fabulous! Very easy, too. Thank you!
Jackie
0Liked it was using a slow cooker. Finish dish the chicken was dry to my taste. I might have cooked the chicken too long. Not the recipe’s fault. May try again.
Mary
0Excellent low carb meal that tastes amazing!!!
Trish
0Great flavor! Like a few others have said next time I will double the sauce. My slow cooker seems to cook fast so even on slow it was ready in less than 5 hours. The chicken was so tender it fell apart when I was trying to remove so I simply shredded after adding the spinach. Will definitely make this again!
Kalie Marsch
0Hi! I am soooo excited to make this recipe. Thanks for sharing! Quick question – my chicken seems to always be dry when I cook it in my slow cooker. Any tips on how to ensure this time around the chicken is moist, specially since it won’t necessarily be sitting in a liquid per se the entire time it cooks? Thanks in advance!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kalie, It sounds like you’re cooking the chicken for too long if it’s dry. Normally slow cooker chicken is very moist. Follow the time in the recipe and it won’t be dry.
Shon
0Thanks for the recipe. Loved the flavors. I will double the sauce next time.
Sarah
0Winner winner, crockpot chicken dinner! This was a hit with the entire family. including the kids. Props to you!
Beth Pierce
0So flavorful! Thanks for this scrumptious recipe!
Lexi
0Tasty!! I made this tonight for dinner. Super easy. My parents are very picky eaters and they loved it!! I doubled the recipe, used both chicken breasts and boneless chicken thighs. I did not put spinach but next time might want to try it with English peas.
Brandi
0Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I am on a keto diet and it has been hard to find time to make a lot of the dishes. This is simple to make and VERY TASTY!!!!
Rebecca
0Hi Maya! I can’t wait to try this one out. I have an Instant Pot though and no slow cooker. How would you adjust, do you think?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rebecca, I haven’t tested it in an Instant Pot. You can definitely follow the same instructions as the slow cooker by simply using the Instant Pot’s slow cooker setting. Otherwise it would need some experimentation to pressure cook.
Fiona
0There is no Chicken in the ingredient list. As this is what people tend to shop from can you please add it to recipes?
Trying this one tonight
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Fiona, Chicken breast is already in the ingredient list – it’s the 6th item. Ingredients are listed in the order they are used in the recipe. Hope you liked it!
Mindy Santosuosso
0I didn’t have the prep time so I had to change it up a bit. I sautéed the oil and (jarred pre-minced) garlic along with some broccoli and portabella mushrooms. Then I threw it all in the crockpot. I used a romano-parmesan cheese blend (because that’s what I had) & didn’t measure the cheese, or the salt and pepper. Once near done, I shredded the chicken into large pieces. I totally forgot about the spinach. I ate it straight and put the hubs over some pasta. It was a win, win. Will be making this one again!
Justine
0Omg! This is so delicious and easy to make. I added mushrooms as well. The alfredo recipe is so easy and better than restaurants ♡ Thank you!
Carla
0Loved it! Thank you. Husband says he hopes I will make this again. He is diabetic.
Ozie Mae Johnson
0This recipe is fantastic! Healthy, flavorful and colorful. The chicken was so tender. My house smelled amazing all day.
Clara
0I made this, ohhh so yummy!! Thank you for sharing
Courtney
0This was so good and easy to make! Definitely a keeper!
Sandi Moskowitz
0When I saw this recipe I decided it was time to buy a simple slow cooker. My Crock-Pot arrived Thursday night. We had Tuscan Chicken on Friday. Wow. It was awesome. Thanks so much for the wonderfully tasty recipe. Looking forward to making more deliciousness with my new Crock-Pot.
Teri
0I absolutely love your recipes and have a homemade keto recipe binder FULL of them. My question to you is where do you find chicken breasts that are 6 ounces? I really don’t pay much attention to the size because honestly I don’t eat that much meat. My husband eats most of it, and we keep some leftovers. However I just opened a packaged of chicken from Costco that was part of a larger multipack. It had two breasts and weighed in at 24 ounces. So each breast was DOUBLE in size what the recipe called for – not a problem at all, I simply cut them down but I would not have called them large in comparison to other packaged chicken breasts I have seen. Any way love the recipe just wondered about the breast size! Keep up the amazing work I’m a huge (mostly silent) fan.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Teri, I’m so glad you like the recipes! The size of chicken breasts will vary from brand to brand. It’s not really a big issue as you can cut them down like you said. 🙂
Judy
0One of our favorite dinners. My husband doesn’t know low carb from low tide but he knows what tastes good. This is more than good, it’s delicious and easy.
Chuck VanPatten
0I tried this recipe. While the sauce absolutely rocked, the chicken was overdone and dry. I used 6oz. boneless breasts and cooked on low for less time than directed. Should I be using bone-in breasts? Skin on or off? The photos appear to be boneless breasts. Also, I’m wondering how the sauce would be on fish, especially swordfish steak? Anyone tried that? Thanks. CVP
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Chuck, I’m glad you liked the sauce – yes, you can use it on fish, though I haven’t tried it. It’s possible that your slow cooker temperature runs hotter than mine and it needs less time, so you could try reducing it next time. I did use boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Carol
0From CrockPot brand crock pot: all crockpots are the SAME temperature, (I can’t remember exactly what, but around 250* seems like). They should be called “SLOW cookers. So, both on high and low, the crock pot will come to 250*, it just will arrive at that temperature slower on low.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carol, Crock Pot’s website says the temperatures for high and low are different, and that’s my personal experience as well with cooking in them.
ALISON BORELLI
0Made this for dinner last night — soooooo good. My hubby is leery of garlic and saw me mincing away 6 cloves of garlic…and he thought it was fabulous. So easy to make. Paired it with a low carb cheesy bread. Very satisfying. Will become a regular part of our food rotation.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Alison! Have a great day!
Antissia LeMalle
0If you don’t have the tomatoes on hand can they be omitted? Also I’m not a big spinach eater but my daughter loves. I have eaten a spinach dip does this kind of have that same kind of taste?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Antissia, Yes, you can omit the tomatoes if you’d like. It’s different from spinach dip since that’s typically sour cream or cream cheese based.
Serenity Simpson
0This was so delicious! I am thinking of making it for guests since it is also simple to make! Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Serenity! Thanks for stopping by!
Tricia
0WOW! I made this tonight and my family said it was hands down, possibly the best chicken dish they have ever had, better than an Italian restaurant!!! Thank you so much for the recipe and I will definitely try more 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love to hear that, Tricia! Thanks for stopping by!