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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
SHANNA
0This is a fantastic recipe! It is one of the first recipes that I made at Wholesome Yum. Now I am a huge fan. It is a must try recipe!
Jennifer
0This recipe was easy to make. I sun dried the tomatoes in the oven and they came out perfect. Chicken falls apart easily and the sauce gave the chicken so much flavor! It’s hard to like chicken when you’re on a high protein diet, but this made it easy! Even my 14 yr old daughter loved it and went for 2nds. This will be my new go to!
Jeanette
0Can this be made in there Instant Pot/pressure cooker?
Courtney
0Excited to try this one out today! I’m using chicken thighs, would you recommend a shorter cooking time?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Courtney, It would be pretty close, but feel free to check on them sooner to see. It also depends on whether they are boneless or bone-in.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jeanette, That would probably work, but I don’t have a recipe specifically for that. You could use the slow cooker setting on your Instant Pot with the same instructions I have here.
Lucy Cash
0Thank you so much for this recipe!! My whole family loves it and so do I! I feel like we are eating at Carrabas when we have this. Best part is I can make it early, so when it’s time to eat and I’m exhausted, it’s ready.
Mikella
0Can you use frozen chicken?
Alyssa
0I used frozen and came out fine.
Melissa
0This is the most amazing recipe. It’s truly the first time I’ve been able to make chicken that isn’t too dry. I don’t know what the difference is, but it’s amazing! Thank you!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mikella, Yes, but thaw the chicken before placing it in the Crock Pot.
sama
0This recipe is amazing! My family loved it. I doubled it so we had lunches for a couple days. Also, I doctored it a bit by adding a chopped bell pepper (I think I had an orange or red one so that’s what I used) and I chopped up 3/4 of a large red onion. I poured a small jar of RAO Sun Dried Tomato Pesto sauce over the recipe sauce and mixed it a little before starting the cook time.
Morgana
0I made this yesterday. Very easy to put together and tastes excellent!
Lisa
0Wow I made this tonight and it was just amazing. The flavors were delicious altogether and the recipe was easynto follow. I love uncomplicated recipes for the slow cooker and this was just that! I followed the directions exactly except i lightly seared the breasts before putting in the crock pot. Then made my sauce in the same pan which had some of the brown chicken scrapings in it. Thanks for the recipe!
Ariel
0My new favorite ? ? ? ❤️ ? ? ? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lora
0Soooo delicious! I will definitely make this again!
Sheela
0I have not made this recipe, but it looks delicious and I plan to. Can I make the sauce the night before and then assemble the ingredients in the crockpot before I go to work or does the sauce have to be hot when poured over the chicken?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sheela, Yes, you can make the sauce the night before and refrigerate it. The only issue is it will probably solidify in the fridge, so you’d need to heat it gently before pouring it over the chicken, so that it’s not just a solid chunk. Let me know what you think when you try it!
Jill
0This recipe looks absolutely delicious, I can wait to make it next week. Thank you Maya!!
jess
0Thank you so much for sharing this amazing chicken dinner recipe! You are adding flavor to my boring weekly meals.
Sheila G
0My family went crazy for this! My youngest just asked me to make it again!
Jessica
0We absolutely loved this recipe! It was easy and my picky kids even begged to have it again for next week. Thank you!
Robyn
0Loved this! Next time I would add kalamata olives too? Loved it
Ann
0I made this as written. It was very tasty. Went back for seconds! But I was not a fan of the sun-dried tomatoes, so I will omit those the next time I make this. The sauce was delicious, just very runny…next time going to make keto rolls.
Tracy
0Great recipe!!! Step 2 doesn’t say to add the parm. into the sauce.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Tracy! The parmesan does not get added in step 2, it gets added in step 4.
Sharon
0Made 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
0I 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
0Hello. I am doubling the recipe. Do I have to adjust cooking time. Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lorie, Yes, you might need a little more time, but not by a lot. Maybe an extra 30 minutes.
Emily G.
0Loved 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
0Wow! 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
0So 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
0Do you have an Instapot conversion of this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Diane, I don’t have a tested version that uses the pressure cook setting, but you can use your Instant Pot’s slow cook setting. You can make the sauce in the Instant Pot and then add the seasoned chicken. Just spoon the sauce over the chicken before slow cooking. Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes.
Jeremy K
0Good 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
0I 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
0This is amazing! I baked it in the oven instead of the crockpot & it turned out amazing! Definitely recommend!
Deborah
0Simple and tasty
J O Banks
0This 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
0Dear 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
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Katy, Yes, I have stovetop instructions in the post above.
Sandie
0Would this be able to be done in an instapot?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sandie, If you use the slow cooker function on your Instant Pot, then yes, you can!
Sonia Marquez
0This recipe is amazing. So delicious. My husband loved it.
Thank you
Jennifer Fuller
0Can I freeze this please?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jennifer, Yes, but the sauce texture does change a bit. I have instructions above.
Sarah W
0Haven’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
0I’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
0Hi! 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
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sharyl, Yes, you can use frozen spinach, but the measurement is different. I’ve added notes on this to the post above.
KarenTheCondimentQueen
0Used 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
0Really good and super easy! Thank you for the recipe
Susan
0Will try this one!! What would you serve with it… salad?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Susan, Yes, you can serve it with a salad, but I recommend a base that can soak up the extra sauce. I’ve got suggestions in the post above.
Eva
0This 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
0I seriously LOVED this recipe. Made it with my daughter, and it was a great new recipe for us both!
Sandy vasquez
0It was a delicious keto crock pot meal would make again soooooo gooddd
Jennifer
0Turns out the oil on the tomatoes didn’t matter, but my chicken fell apart. What did I do wrong?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi 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
0This 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?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jennifer, Your sauce might turn out a little more oily, but I think it will still be good. You could pat dry next time if you want to avoid this.
Michelle
0I 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
0Hi Michelle, Oh no, that’s so frustrating when that happens! I think the recipe should still turn out fine. Enjoy!
Tiffany
0For 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
0This recipe looks magical. I’d love to try to make it slightly lower fat – can the cream be replaced with half and half?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sarah, Yes, that will work fine. The sauce will be a little thinner.
Jennifer
0Could I substitute the heavy cream with plain greek yogurt, I’m a diabetic
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jennifer, I have not tested this recipe with Greek Yogurt, but I don’t recommend this because I think it will curdle. Heavy cream is very low carb, so it’s diabetic friendly. You could also use full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream if that works better for your needs.
Brenda
0Love 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
0Hi 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
0Made 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
0Great recipe! My guys loved it …me too!!