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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!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]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

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292 Comments
Bonnie
0We loved it! Great flavor. Thank you!
Crystal G.
0I made this recipe over the weekend and it turned out delicious! Prep was easy even for me who only cooks once a week. I always turn to Wholesome Yum to find healthy recipes.
Sandra
0What is a good substitute for the spinach ? I don’t like it cooked, but will eat it raw. You can call me weird, lol.
Barb
0Could try to just sprinkle some fresh parsley over the top when serving. Still have the green and a little added flavor.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sandra, No worries, everyone is different! You could use kale or fresh basil instead of spinach, or just omit it.
LENNY O.
0The Photo of the ‘finished’ product looked SSSSSO GOOD That I was actually ‘Salivating’!!!! I can’t wait to do my own this coming Sunday. Thanks w/ much Respect.
Grace
0Yummy
maggie
0I want to do this with a combo of thighs & breasts: I prefer white meat, hubby is a big fan of dark. should I start them all together, then watch the thighs for doneness (instant read thermometer) and pull them out when they’re Almost done? Then add them back to the crock pot for the last several minutes to finish cooking & reheat?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Maggie, I would put all the chicken in at the same time. Since it’s the slow cooker, there isn’t really much concern with overcooking.
Caroline
0What would be best to serve this dish over? Would rice be good?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Caroline, Yes, rice works great! I have other suggestions in the post above if you need them.
hct
0Excellent and easy recipe, took it to a Mom with a new baby- family loved it I did too!
Tiffany
0Unfortunately my chicken came out way too dry. Maybe best to cook on high for the 3-4 hours. I cooked it on the low for the specified time frame (it was maybe a bit less than 7 hours) while my hubby loved the sauce, he said the chicken was inedible.
Nicky
0How can you make so the sauce isn’t watery?
Harmony Ritter
0I use a little cornstarch to thicken.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nicky, I mentioned in the post that it’s a thin sauce, which is great for drizzling over the chicken and the base you serve it with (see my post for ideas). If you want it thicker, check out my tips in the post above for 2 options to thicken the sauce.
Beverly Brauer
0I purchase my chicken breasts at Sam’s Club and they are definitely large! They weigh just over 1/2 a pound a piece. Is that what you consider large or do I need to cook them longer than 8 hours on low?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Beverly, That size chicken breast should work fine in this recipe.
al
0Hello… It’s just now in the crock pot. Stay tuned. Looks good…. more later. Thank you.
Amber
0Seriously 10/10! I am just now starting to cook & this was easy & soooo good. My husband, who is an amazing cook, said he wouldn’t change a thing about it!
Melissa
0This recipe is amazing! I’ve made it several times now. It’s the first time I’ve made chicken that didn’t come out dry, seriously!
I have a question – do you think the same directions would work with a different sauce, maybe like a teriyaki sauce? I’d love to make some different versions of this but keep the method, crockpot, etc.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked this enough to make it several times, Melissa! Thank you! Yes, I think this would work with other sauces, though I haven’t done teriyaki specifically. Let me know how it goes if you try that!
Jonny
0Hey there!
So I got sun dried tomatoes (the ones that are in a bottle of olive oil for preservation) and didn’t chop them and forgot to wrap them in paper to soak up excess oil. Threw the sun dried tomatoes in the crockpot with everything else, and now my tuscan chicken is swimming in an oil bath! What do you recommend for next time? Chop and then dry? Drying them with paper towels the best way?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jonny, Yes, you can just dry them with paper towels next time before adding to the slow cooker.
Debbie
0Could this be made in the oven?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Debbie, I’m sure you can, but I’ve only made it in the Crock Pot so I don’t have specific instructions for the oven. Let me know how it goes if you try it in the oven!
Sarah
0Tried making it, the sauce was a gluey hot mess. There’s no way I could get 3/4 of a cup of shredded parmesan to melt into the liquid. I ended up needing to cook the chicken with globs of half melted parmesan and liquid on top. I don’t have high hopes.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sarah, This recipe calls for grated parmesan (the kind that is like a powder), not shredded. That was probably your issue. I do recommend making sure the parmesan melts fully before adding the sauce to the chicken.
Linda Hornick
0This is a great meal! I served with rice.
Cherie Krutilek
0Could you add capers and mushrooms to the crockpot chicken recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cherie, Sure, why not? I would recommend sauteing the mushrooms with the garlic, so they don’t water down the sauce.
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.