This Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken is SO easy and flavorful, you wouldn’t believe it only has just a few ingredients! The perfect easy dinner recipe for busy weeknights!
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Fall is on its way and I’m busting out all the easy slow cooker, one pot and Instant Pot recipes!
We have been kind of obsessed with chicken this summer, so I always have a ton in the freezer.
This slow cooker chicken comes together in no time with just a handful of ingredients that we usually have on hand — which makes it a win in my books!
The creamy tomato flavor combo is always a hit over here, and we love this chicken over a plate of spaghetti but it can really be a stand alone meal with a side salad if that’s your thing!
If you love this recipe, you might enjoy this Slow Cooker Chicken Breast or this Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings — they are both easy Crockpot meals!
My goal this fall (really, every fall) is to bring you more recipes for Real Life. Because summer is over and life goes back to Crazy, dinner time is rushed and spending hours in the kitchen is often the last thing on our minds.
The other reason, obviously, is that I need easy recipes like this too!
With a lot of slow cooker recipes, I find you sacrifice either flavor or texture or both. Browning meat beforehand can really help with that, but often even after that the juices need to be spiced up because after cooking for so long, the flavors just become muted.
With this chicken, though, there are no issues like that! You dump and go, and the sauce is the perfect consistency when it’s done and the flavor is awesome! So creamy and comforting, and yet only a small amount of cream or evaporated milk.
Tips for making this slow cooker chicken recipe:
- I made this recipe in a 4 quart slow cooker — if you want to double it, I suggest a 6 quart slow cooker (I have both, and use them for different things!).
- I really, really, REALLY recommend using slow cooker liners. I will gladly pay the 50 cents or whatever they cost to not have to wash that beast!
- Please always, always check the temperature of your chicken with a meat thermometer before serving just to be safe! All slow cookers cook differently.
Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
- 3/4 cup tomato pasta sauce
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Add tomatoes and pasta sauce to a 3-6 quart slow cooker.
- Whisk together cream and corn starch and add to the slow cooker. Stir in garlic, salt, basil and pepper.
- Add chicken breasts and press down into the sauce.
- Cook on low for 3-5 hours, until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. The exact cook time will depend on your slow cooker — a fuller slow cooker will take longer to cook, so a larger one will cook faster.
- Stir in fresh basil and serve over pasta, rice, or with a salad and veggies!
Nutrition Information
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Ruth Ann Mackson says
This was delicious! For those who found it bland, I added 4 fresh cloves of garlic, a heaping tsp. of Italian seasoning ( I had plane diced tomato), a bit extra basal and pepper, and sprinkled a moderate amount of shredded Mozzarella cheese over each dish. I did use the evaporated milk as I did not have any heavy cream on hand. It was fine. It did taste better the next day reheated as it thickened nicely.
Kaitlin says
Any tips for making this recipe in the instapot?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kaitlin! It’s not a simple swap for the Instant Pot so I haven’t included Instant Pot instructions. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
Alisha says
5 stars!! This was delicious!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Alisha! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Kelly says
How long will it take if I use frozen chicken breast?? Looks delicious
The Recipe Rebel says
For food safety reasons chicken breasts shouldn’t really be cooked from frozen in a slow cooker because they stay at an unsafe temperature for too long. It can be done though 🙂
Lipi says
Can I use boneless skinless chicken thigh for this?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lipi! I haven’t tried it myself, but other readers have with great success!
Lindsey Schuck says
This was incredible! It had so much flavor and my husband and kids loved it! My hubby was literally scraping the crockpot clean! ☺️ This will definitely be in our weekly rotation
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lindsey! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Kelsey says
We love this recipe! My husband wanted me to add to our meal rotation, and I’m super happy that it’s easy and quick. We love a lot of flavor, and just seasoned it according to taste preference, and found it amazing. Thanks for the recipe!
Do you think it would work to freeze this before hand or would the cream get gross? Trying to see if I can meal prep it ahead of time. Thanks for your thoughts!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kelsey, I haven’t tried but I think it could work! It’s not usually recommended to freeze dairy, but the higher the fat content the better it will freeze (so heavy cream could be fine)
Tara says
Loved this recipe! Super easy to put together, and bonus- our picky toddler loved it too! The only change I made was just adding a couple handfuls of spinach.
Faith says
Not much flavor…. have to find ways to jazz it up a bit
Disappointed. Probably would not make it again.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry this wasn’t to your taste, Faith. The flavors have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would of been a hit for you too.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Tara! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Lauren says
I only have a 7 quart slow cooker. Do you think I can do this recipe without having to double it?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lauren, that should be fine, I would just tart checking the temperature at 3 hours. Enjpy!
Kayleigh says
How can I make this non dairy? Would coconut milk be a good substitute?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kayleigh! I haven’t tried with dairy free milk unfortunately! It should work, I’m just not sure how it will alter the flavor.
Tanya says
Hello, Have you cooked this in the oven? If so, what temp and how long? I’ve cooked it in the crockpot and it is delish!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Tanya! I don’t have an oven version but I do have a stovetop version: https://www.thereciperebel.com/creamy-tomato-basil-chicken-breasts/ Hope this helps!
Stevy says
Made this for my family this evening and it was a hit, even with my 10 and 7 year old! I did use fire roasted diced tomatoes because that’s all I had and the flavor was great!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Stevy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
TMC says
I made this last night and it came out great! I used Bertolli pasta sauce and heavy cream. I did all the ingredients in a small bowl together, whisked, then poured in and then added chicken. Super easy & came out great! Served with pasta and green beans. I will definitely add this to my rotation.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi TMC! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
kelsi says
definitely had to fulfill this with some seasonings. if you follow this recipe to its core, your dish will not have much flavor. it was pretty disappointing unfortunately.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t to your taste, Kelsi. Myself (and others) have enjoyed it with the amounts listed, so I wished it would of been a hit for you too!
Becky says
I was super disappointed with this recipe. I am not sure if the evaporated milk was part of the problem or not. It needed a lot more seasoning and my husband, who is not picky was very vocal about not liking it. He said it reminded him of an elderly menu that had no flavor.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t to your taste, Becky. Myself (and others) have enjoyed it with the amounts listed, so I wished it would of been a hit for you too!
Sky says
How long would you cook this on the low heat setting?
kendra says
3-5 hours on low, which is a large window, I would wait 3 full hours and then check every 30-60min.
For high, the time is relatively cut in half, so 1.5-2.5 hours. After the 1-1.5 hour mark, I would check it.
Shanae says
I subbed in chicken thighs for a more moist, tender meat (that part was great!). But unfortunately, as others have found, we thought this was extremely lacking in flavor. It’s not bad, but it wasn’t particularly good. Definitely needs something for the tongue! Almost a great, easy recipe.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sky! It’s listed in Step 4 of the instructions! 3-5 hours.