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, skillet 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!
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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Katherine says
Super delicious! I halved the recipe and actually baked mine in the oven as we are packed to move and I couldn’t find my slow cooker or instant pot haha. I also had unseasoned tomato sauce (which I used in place of diced tomatoes as my husband doesn’t like the chunks lol). I seasoned with 1 T brown sugar and 1 T Italian seasoning. I put all the ingredients except the fresh basil and cornstarch in a glass baking dish. I pounded the chicken before adding to the dish. Covered with tin foil and baked 325 for 1 hour. Then I put some of the sauce in a bowl, mixed in the cornstarch, poured it back into the glass dish and stirred it around. I returned the dish to the still hot, but now off, oven to thicken. Also added spinach and Parmesan cheese after removing from oven. I’m excited to try it in the slow cooker sometime!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Katherine! I will have to try it that way soon!
Lily says
The pictures looked really good, but even though I followed the recipe exactly I thought the sauce lacked flavor. I ended up having to adjust it with cheese and spices so that it wouldn’t be so bland. Also, when I cut the chicken, it became more shredded than sliced, which I’m not a fan of but that’s just a personal preference.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Lily! I would make sure you use a seasoned pasta sauce and seasoned tomatoes as that is where a lot of the flavor comes from. If you use plain pasta sauce, or plain tomatoes, or skip the fresh basil, it won’t have a lot of flavor.
Dayna says
You listed “tomato pasta sauce” in the ingredients. To avoid confusion, all you needed to do was to say “marinara”. I swear you recipe bloggers have the intelligence of a peanut.
Ashley Fehr says
My intelligence is just fine. Hey, I’m not even the one that finds “tomato pasta sauce” to be confusing! 😀
Jeff Brown says
So rude!!!
Julie says
Can you make prep this ahead of time and freeze it?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, definitely! Higher fat cream or evaporated milk freezes fine, just avoid low fat dairy.
Rich says
Very tasty! I’m making it for the second time right now since it was a huge hit a couple months ago. This time I swapped out the diced tomatoes for the same size can of petite diced tomatoes with green chilies (we like it a little spicy), the Red Gold version of Rotel.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Rich! That’s a great idea!
Michelle says
This was absolutely delish! The chicken was falling apart – soooo tender. The family is asking I make it again soon. We don’t do noodles so had over steamed cauliflower (was going to do it over zucchini noodles but didn’t have any zuc in the house – will do so next time for sure :)).
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Michelle!
Chelsey Schill says
Made this today and absolutely loved it!! I added two sliced bell peppers and about a dozen mushrooms, halved and cooked on low for five hours. So yummy! Will definitely make this again.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Chelsey!
Barbara says
This was delicious! I doubled the recipe and used half boneless skinless thighs and half boneless skinless chicken breast. The used the Bertolli Vodka sauce for the pasta sauce. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Barbara! I’m glad you liked it!
Nina says
Made this tonight and it was so good! Will be added into my dinner rotation for now on! Thanks for a great recipe
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad! Thanks Nina!
Lee says
Looking to make and wondering if I can use half and half, or light cream?
Rhea says
Hi Lee, I have made this multiple times with half and half (same volume) and it tasted great!
Thank you for this recipe, Ashley!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Rhea!
Lindsey says
Would you say the 4 chicken breasts are ~2lbs? The servings quantity says 4 and your picture looks like pretty good size chicken breasts. I’m cooking for 6 so just making sure there is enough. I’m excited for this recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Lindsey! I would say about 1.5 lbs
Hannah says
Can you use chicken tenderloins for this recipe?
Ashley Fehr says
You can, but they will likely cook a little quicker since they are smaller
Hollie says
If short on time do you recommend slow cooker at high for 3-4 hours?
Ashley Fehr says
3-4 hours on high is much too long for chicken breasts, especially since that is the original cook time on low. If you are cooking on high I would check them at the 2 hour mark
Jennifer says
Made this today because I basically had all ingredients in my pantry and freezer. Everyone loved it.
The winter weather has kept me from shopping (thank goodness we have power), so I took chicken breast out of freezer and searched for crockpot recipes as I am working from home and wanted to dump in the afternoon.
I didn’t have Italian herb diced tomatoes. So I added a Tablespoon of Italian seasoning and a pinch of sugar (as most canned diced Italian tomatoes have sugar) to the diced tomatoes. I don’t like to have leftover parts of cans so I added a full 15oz can of tomato sauce and evaporated milk. This kept ratio same. Added extra Tablespoon of cornstarch for more liquid. Finally added half a diced sweet onion
Jennifer says
Can’t believe I’m replying to my own comment but left out something important. When chicken done I basically shredded / chopped it and put it back into the sauce. So nice and easy to eat as a pasta bowl over penne. Only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is I think the recipe needs more garlic and black pepper. Which I’ll do next time because I’ll definitely be making again.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jennifer! I’m so glad you liked it! With more liquid added, it could be that the flavors were diluted somewhat.
C says
Jennifer- did you use frozen chicken?
Shannon says
This was a hit with the family! Always looking for something that can be homemade but quick because of our schedules and this was perfect. Added some onion to the mix before cooking. That was the only change we made. Served over homemade pasta and with a side salad. Kids had second helpings. Will put this in our rotation. Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Shannon! I’m glad you liked it!
Adele says
Loved this. Saw it on Pinterest as looking for low calorie meals and it said 210 per portion. Sadly after following the recipe and logging the calories per item packaging, it was over double this without adding anything like pasta. Very yummy and will make again, but only for a cheat meal!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Adele! It definitely will not be double that amount unless you are using heavy cream. The nutrition information is calculated with evaporated milk, so one chicken breast with 3 tablespoons sauce, 3 tablespoons evaporated milk and tomatoes and seasonings which really don’t have many calories at all.
Gail says
Ashley I forgot until close to dinner time this was a slow cooker recipe! I found Melissa’s instant pot version in the comments and sautéed chicken tenderloins, then added the tomatoes, spices and pasta sauce to the instant pot with the chicken and cooked it on medium high for 8 minutes. After doing a natural release I combined the cornstarch and regular evaporated milk and added that to the instant pot on sauté until thickened. Everything was creamy and delicious. It’s a great recipe, and when I checked it on WW it was only 4 points per serving! My husband loved it also and it’s so easy to cook using either an instant pot if I’m in a hurry or a slow cooker.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Gail! I’m so glad it turned out well for you!
Jen K says
Could I use frozen chicken breasts?
Ashley Fehr says
Cooking frozen chicken breasts in the slow cooker isn’t recommended by the FDA.
Jennifer says
I made this last night and unfortunately had no flavor. I followed the recipe exactly BUT I did use fat free evaporated milk which I think may have caused the problem. Just wanted to provide my feedback in case others were thinking of making my mistake. : )
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Jennifer! I often use low fat evaporated milk so I don’t think that is the problem. Did you use a seasoned pasta sauce or plain tomato sauce? That can make a big difference
Cherry says
This is a lovely recipe I enjoyed it very much. I have added it to my favourites, thank you
Cherry
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Cherry!
Maribel says
Could you do tomatoe sauce instead of pasta sauce ?
Ashley Fehr says
Tomato sauce and tomato pasta sauce are essentially the same thing. If you use a plain tomato sauce with no seasoning you may want to add additional seasoning
Allie says
Tomato sauce and tomato paste are VERY different products. I used tomato paste since that’s how the recipe reads. Tomato paste Is the wrong product for your recipe. Tomato sauce has significantly more fluid/water in it. This recipe only works with sauce. If you use true tomato paste it isn’t liquid enough. You may want to take out the word paste in the recipe.
Kara says
The recipe definitely says “tomato pasta sauce” and not “tomato paste.” Delicious recipe, Ashley! Spot on!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Kara!
Angela says
Easy, but a disgusting looking disaster. My evaporated milk and cornstarch curdled in the slow cooker. I am currently trying to fix it as I don’t have a back up meal planned because this looked so simple. I am not sure why the cornstarch and cream would be added before the chicken is cooked.
Ashley Fehr says
Evaporated milk will not curdle in a slow cooker. It just won’t. I would guess that the corn starch was not completely mixed into the liquid and it caused lumps. The corn starch is added at the beginning because it is a short cook time, and the corn starch won’t have time to thicken if you add it near the end.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m sorry you’re having a bad day Allie. I hate it when I read a recipe wrong and then it doesn’t turn out.
Tracy says
Allie, I thought that too but it actually says tomato pastA sauce…so I’m assuming spaghetti sauce.
Seona says
Can you use chicken thighs?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, absolutely!
Bonnie says
Have you ever tried this recipe with an instant pot? Just wondering on the cooking times.
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t — generally acidic things and dairy do not go well in the Instant Pot
Melissa says
I just made it in a pressure cooker. I browned the chicken breasts in some olive oil on sauté and cooked at high pressure for 10 mins with ten mins natural release after 10 mins did quick release. Just remove chicken and add the cornstarch and heavy cream at the end and turn on to sauté to thicken. I added some fresh baby spinach and then put the chicken back in the pot.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing!
Jennie says
This is the comment I was looking for. Thank you!
Dana says
Ashley this looks great but I’m short on time sooooooo Melissa do you have a minute to give me step by step pressure cooker details? The 10 minutes was with all the ingredients minus the cornstarch/cream step? Thanks!!!
Lisa says
Thanks for the instant pot tip!! This is exactly what I was looking for!! Love this recipe in the crockpot, excited to try in my new instant pot tonight!!
Sadie says
Hi! If doubling this recipe would I need to make any changes to cooking time? Also, is there a way to cook on low for longer?
Ashley Fehr says
You can double without changing the cook time much — if your slow cooker is large it will be about the same time. You can cook on low for longer, but the sooner you can eat chicken breasts after they are cooked, the better the results will be. I would switch to keep warm if you need to keep it in the slow cooker.
Judi says
Can you use coconut milk or cream without affecting the taste too much? We are a non dairy family.
Thanks
Ashley Fehr says
I honestly haven’t tried with coconut milk, so I can’t say how much it will affect the flavor
Dana E. says
Non dairy here too? Did you try it with the coconut milk?
Alison says
Could I use 2%milk instead of evaporated milk?
Ashley Fehr says
You can but it will not be quite as creamy
Sharon Kneubuehl says
This is a terrific family casual meal and made for great leftovers as well!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Sharon!
Venessa says
Could you use freshly diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning if you don’t have the canned ones already? Sorry if that’s dumb to ask
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, that would work great!
Rachel says
Could you substitute sour cream instead of heavy cream?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, you could but it will change the flavor
Riley Raney says
Super easy and delicious!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Riley!
Kristine says
Is it ok to leave this in the slow cooker on warm until I get home from work or will it dry out? It will be done cooking a few hours before I get home.
Ashley Fehr says
It will be fine, but the sooner you can eat chicken after it is done cooking, the juicier it will be 🙂
Megan Scott says
I made this and was amazed at how easy and delicious it was! I added the heavy cream and cornstarch at the end and didn’t have any curdling, just a lovely creamy texture.
I doubled the recipe, also increasing pasta sauce to 32 oz, and had plenty of creamy tomato broth left over. To the leftover broth I added some extra spices, also seafood (shrimp, mussels, and cod), and had a wonderful Cioppino to enjoy.
Thank you for this delicious recipe! It’s going into my files!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Megan! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Julie says
Could you cook this in the oven? I’m
Not a huge fan of chicken cook in the crock pot but this sounds so yummy
Ian says
Such a good comfort recipe, especially served over pasta. Only addition I made was to sauté a red onion and the garlic in a some butter before adding to the crock pot.
Ashley Fehr says
That’s a great idea!
Mary says
Is there a dairy-free option?
Ashley Fehr says
You could use dairy free milk if necessary
Amanda says
Using canned full fat coconut milk is a good substitute for heavy cream!
Maggie says
What do you mean by tomato pasta sauce? Canned tomato sauce or jarred marinara sauce?
Ashley Fehr says
Tomato based sauce that you would use on pasta.
Katie says
Can I used bone in chicken for this recipe? If yes, how long do I put it in the slow cooker?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, you definitely can! I would probably add an hour or two to the cook time, depending on how much larger the pieces are than what is called for in the recipe
Mary says
Can I make this on my stove top
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, definitely! You will just simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through
Judy Delgado says
Is the chicken thawed or frozen when placed in crockpot?
Ashley Fehr says
It is thawed
Ashtin says
Would it still work with frozen chicken? I forgot to take out my meat this morning! LOL
Ashley Fehr says
Cooking frozen chicken in the slow cooker is not recommended, but you could make the recipe on the stove top if you are in a pinch!