This Crockpot Tuscan Chicken features juicy chicken breasts slow cooked in a rich and flavorful cream sauce. This recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep and makes the perfect dinner served over your favorite pasta!
Love your slow cooker? Enjoy more of the best Crockpot Chicken Breast recipes like Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breast, Crockpot Creamy Garlic Chicken and Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken.
This Baked Tuscan Chicken combines some of my favorite flavors into one delicious dish! There are days though that it feels really nice knowing that dinner is cooking away in the slow cooker (and we all love this Slow Cooker Chicken Breast!)
Enter this Tuscan Crockpot Chicken Recipe. It’s the best of both worlds!
It features those signature Tuscan flavors that we all know and love. Sun dried tomatoes, parmesan, spinach and more come together to create the very best flavor combo!
You can enjoy this creamy chicken dish all by itself with a side salad or veggies, or toss it on top of a heaping pile of rice or Buttered Noodles. It’s hard to go wrong with a meal that tastes this good!
Reader Rating
“This recipe is amazing! My husband literally could not stop eating it, and we all agreed that it tasted like something that you would get at a very nice Italian restaurant!” — Jenny
Why we love this crockpot chicken recipe:
- Easy: This is a true set it and forget it recipe. I love Crockpot chicken recipes like this one that require almost no prep work!
- Versatile: Add more or less spinach, garlic, seasonings, etc. This recipe is so easy to change up.
- Summery: With sun dried tomatoes and spinach, this recipe is lovely to serve during the warmer months when you’re craving some vibrant flavor.
Ingredients Needed:
- Chicken Breasts: I use boneless and skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will also work — you’ll need about twice as many or the same weight.
- Seasonings: We’re seasoning the chicken with a simple blend of salt, Italian seasoning, paprika and black pepper.
- Heavy Cream: The base for the cream sauce. You can lighten it up with half and half, but the sauce won’t be as rich and creamy, and won’t thicken quite as much.
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken the sauce as it cooks.
- Garlic: Use freshly minced garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Since the chicken is well seasoned, we just need a little salt and pepper to spice up the cream sauce.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: Choose oil-packed, but be sure to drain and chop the sun dried tomatoes into smaller pieces so they incorporate well into the sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly shredded parmesan for the best flavor.
- Chopped Spinach: I recommend using fresh spinach for this recipe. Frozen spinach will water down the sauce, so be sure to thaw and squeeze it out if you are using it.
How to make Crockpot Tuscan Chicken Breast:
This Crock Pot Tuscan chicken recipe is a simple, flavorful dinner that takes just 10 minutes to prep! For more details about the process, just scroll down to the recipe card.
- Place chicken breasts in the Crockpot. Combine salt, Italian seasoning, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle all over chicken.
- Add the cream, garlic, cornstarch salt and pepper to a medium bowl and whisk.
- Stir in the sun dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese and pour around and over chicken in the Crockpot.
- Put the lid on. Cook on LOW for 3 hours or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Stir in the fresh spinach.
Variations and Substitutions
- Chicken: You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts. I would aim for 2 lbs of meat.
- Cream: You can use a lighter cream, but keep in mind that the sauce will not be as thick and rich. If you go this route, you may want to increase the cornstarch to compensate.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spinach: Try swapping the sun dried tomatoes for roasted red peppers or the fresh spinach for kale if that’s what you have on hand!
- Artichoke Hearts: one commenter asked about adding artichoke hearts to the recipe — it’s a nice way to add more veggies to the dish.
How to store leftover chicken:
You can store leftover Tuscan chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat for 30 seconds at a time in the microwave until warmed all the way through and be careful not to scald the cream sauce!
Can I freeze tuscan chicken breasts?
Yes! Let the creamy chicken completely cool to room temperature prior to freezing in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Let it thaw prior to reheating.
To quickly thaw frozen chicken, place it in a bowl of cool water and allow it to sit until thawed. Change the water out every 20 minutes so that it doesn’t get too warm. If you have more time, just place the chicken in the fridge until it defrosts.
Serving suggestions:
I love to serve the finished chicken sliced over a pile of Garlic Mashed Potatoes and topped off with a scoop of extra cream sauce! These Roasted Green Beans or Honey Glazed Carrots are great way to add veggie to your plate as well.
More Crockpot dinner recipes you’ll love!
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef — skip the takeout!
- Crockpot Salsa Chicken — just a few ingredients!
- Crockpot Meatloaf –so juicy and tender!
- Sun Dried Tomato Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes — a complete meal in one.
Crockpot Tuscan Chicken recipe
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts , (about 2 lbs)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Tuscan Cream Sauce
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 cloves garlic, (finely minced)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, (oil packed, drained and chopped)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, Italian seasoning, paprika, and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the chicken.
Tuscan Cream Sauce
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream, cornstarch, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Stir in the tomatoes and Parmesan and pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the chicken reaches 165°F. If the sauce separates as it cooks, simply stir it until smooth. Stir in the spinach.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Remove from the slow cooker and serve.
Video
Notes
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts. I would aim for 2 lbs of meat.
- You can use a lighter cream, but keep in mind that the sauce will not be as thick and rich (you may want to increase the corn starch to compensate)
- Try swapping the sun dried tomatoes for roasted red peppers or the fresh spinach for kale if that’s what you have on hand.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Terri says
I love this recipe. It was different. I did add some arugula, mushrooms, and some artichokes. I too also doubled up on the sauce, but instead of adding more cream, I added some almond milk a little bit of chicken stock cornstarch just a thicken it a bit I have an old crockpot, but I noticed I had put mine on high. Overall, this is a great recipe and you can definitely add what you have on hand to this. I made a big Batch of rice because it’s what I had but I think next time I would do it over pasta or egg noodles.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Terri!
Tanya says
Not sure how this is 5 starts with so many complaints.
It cured, did it for 3 hrs low, was not ready and not pretty.
Very disappointed with wasted time and money.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Tanya! It gets so many 5 star reviews because it’s fantastic 😀 It sounds like something went wrong and I’m sorry it didn’t turn out for you.
Donna Evans says
Wanted to love it because it was so easy. But no. I doubled the spices. My chicken breasts were large. Cooked on low 3 hours. Chicken was way overcooked. We ate it, the sauce helped, but I won’t make it again.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Donna! Sounds like your slow cooker cooks very quickly. If you see the second part of the cooking instructions where it says to cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, I think you’ll have a lot more success with that.
Kristen says
I doubled the sauce as my chicken breasts were pretty large. (Threw out the package before looking at the weight)
My spinach was expired so I improvised and added in capers. Delicious! My 7 year old loved it! It was so good.
I was a little short on heavy cream so I added sour cream and added salt to taste at the end.
Thanks so much for sharing! We will make this again!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Kristen!
Bill Gosztonyi says
This recipe was so good my wife asked me to make it again.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Bill!
Kristina Probasco says
I made this with plant based alternatives (dairy allergy) and it turned out great! Even my 2 year old ate it.
Maria says
Thanks so much for sharing this! Can you share what you used in place of the cream? Thanks! (Children with dairy sensitivity here too)
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Kristina!
Rose Mack says
This is absolutely delicious! It’s hard to believe it’s a one pot meal. I’ve made this several times. It’s best with fresh spinach but I have also used frozen, well drained spinach. The first time I made it exactly as written, loved it! I like the sauce so much that now I double the sauce and spice mix that goes on the chicken (but not the salt, just a personal preference). I serve it over rice for my daughters and angel hair for me. Tonight I am making it for guests because it’s the most fail proof fantastic recipe out there. Everyone always raves and asks for the recipe. 5 stars!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you so much Rose!
Judi Christophersen says
It’s the best!!!!!!!! My family loves this recipe of Tuscan Chicken! When they came in the house all of them said what’s for dinner it smells so good ! I made a lot and there were no leaf overs! I’m making it tomorrow and they all can’t wait ! I already have chili on for tonight’
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad it was a hit!
Cyndi says
I am making this today and was wondering if anyone has added artichokes?
Brittany says
I doubled up on the sauce portion because the chicken was large, but WOW. I have been breaking into it early because I can’t wait for dinner. I am throwing it over fettuccini noodles. I’m very excited to share with the family. THANK YOU!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you love it!
Adrijana says
This is a fantastic recipe! I made it exactly as written except that my crockpot doesn’t have a low setting for 3 hours, so 4 hours on high it was. Turned out incredible and the whole family loved it. Will be making again for sure!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing!
Kara says
This recipe was very good, I saw someone asking if they could add mushrooms, so I volunteered as guinea pig. I added mushrooms and sliced onion, the flavors worked really well with the sundried tomatoes and seasonings. My sauce did separate however that is on me, I didn’t increase the cornstarch when I increased the cream and seasonings, I think I can probably heat up the sauce with a little bit more cornstarch and emulsify it back together, the mushroom and onion also probably released some extra liquids. Also did bone in thighs (7.5 hours on low to account for bones, and because I put it on when I went to bed and didn’t want to wake up 4 hours later lol)
It would be fine to make exactly as written, I just always mcGuyver dishes. I did see someone mention they didn’t find it flavorful, and I tasted the cream before it cooked and my best guess is they skipped one of the salt add ins. Taste as you go, salt brings out lots of flavors, and I think some people are afraid to salt their dishes.
Thank you for coming to my Ted talk, sorry for the wall of text LOL.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Kara!
Sandra says
About to try it tonight and am excited and nervous to try it. Followed the recipe but added a little more sauce since the chicken I bought were big. Also, what would be anyone’s take on substituting salt for season all? Would that alter the taste negatively?
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Sandra! I’ve never used Season All so I can’t say how that would affect the flavor. Enjoy!
Ginny says
husband and I loved this flavor!!! only thing I’m going to do different next time is double the sauce recipe. if y’all like a good bit of sauce (especially if you do it over pasta like we did) I’d double it:)) 10/10!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Ginny!
Kris says
I also had an issue with the cream curdling. Low setting and followed the recipe as instructed. I assumed this would happen with heavy cream being the main component of the sauce but I trusted the process. I’m going to attempt to blend these chunks of cream in a blender but definitely did not go as planned. Tastes great but lumpy sauce is kind of a turn off for me.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Kris! It sounds like maybe your corn starch wasn’t whisked in well enough and that could be causing clumps. I make this recipe often and have never had it curdle on me, and heavy cream really shouldn’t, especially on low temp.
Paula says
My family doesn’t like tomatoes. What can I substitute for the dried tomatoes? Do I have to use something in their place for the recipe to come out correctly?
Ashley Fehr says
You could omit but it will be lacking in flavor. You could use roasted red peppers in their place.
Carolyn Sanford Bobowiec says
My sauce did curdle. Followed the recipe completely so am wondering if you can advise me as to why it curdled. Doesn’t affect the taste I am sure and will use it for dinner!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Carolyn! I have unfortunately never made this recipe and had those results so I can’t say for sure, but heavy cream should withstand high cooking temperature without curdling. The sauce may separate but it should come together when stirred. If you used the pre-shredded parmesan from the container it’s possible that this left clumps.
Dawn Young says
Absolutely delicious. I measured my garlic and Parmesan from the heart, so very good
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Dawn!
Lex says
Low ? For 3 hours?? That’s doesn’t sound like it will cook the chicken usually it’s high for 4 hours or low for 8???
Ashley Fehr says
Please come back and leave your review after you have actually made the recipe 🙂
Debra says
My friend made this for us last night. She followed the recipe exactly and the chicken wasn’t done after 4 hours in the crockpot. The chicken was chewy. The sauce was amazing.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Debra! Chewy chicken is more likely overcooked than undercooked. Did you check the internal temperature?
JP says
Good concept, but no flavor. I even doubled the seasonings and it still wasn’t flavorful.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it as much as the rest of us!
Kristin says
Have you ever put mushrooms in it?
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t but you definitely could! You can either saute them first or just toss them in.
Gretchen says
Please tell me which heat setting on the crockpot? I want to try your recipe. High or Low heat for 3 hours? Thank you!