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Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breast

written by Ashley Fehr

Updated October 30, 2024

4.90 from 724 votes
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This Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breast is SO easy and flavorful, you wouldn’t believe it only has just a few ingredients! The perfect easy crockpot chicken recipe for busy weeknights!

overhead image of slow cooker creamy tomato basil chicken breast in white crockpot.

If you’re looking for more crockpot chicken breast recipes, check out this Crockpot Creamy Garlic Chicken, Italian Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes or this Crockpot Tuscan Chicken!

Table of Contents

Life is busy and I’m busting out all the easy slow cooker, one pot and Instant Pot recipes to keep us sane! This Crockpot Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken is well-loved here around the dinner table.

Chicken is such a versatile protein so we always have a stash in the freezer!

This slow cooker chicken recipe 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, 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!

Reader Rating

“So easy and delicious! Followed the recipe exactly. 3 hours and was so moist. Served over spaghetti with fresh green beans Picky husband and foodie son went back for seconds!” — Liz

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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!

Why we love this Slow Cooker Chicken Breast recipe:

  • it’s a Real Life recipe: it’s easy to prep, mostly hands off and the family loves. We all need more of that!
  • it’s a slow cooker win: with a lot of slow cooker recipes, I find you sacrifice either flavor or texture or both. With this chicken you dump and go, and the sauce is the perfect consistency when it’s done and the flavor is awesome!
  • it’s quick to prep: being a dump and go slow cooker, you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen, which is a plus on busy weeknights!

Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Ingredients:

ingredients needed for slow cooker tomato basil chicken.
  • Chicken breasts: we always use chicken breasts for this recipe but boneless, skinless chicken thighs would also work well. If you choose bone-in chicken the cook time will increase significantly.
  • Tomato pasta sauce: this is simply a tomato sauce that you would use on pasta with herbs and seasonings, i.e., a marinara or something similar. This is not tomato paste. Choose your favorite well-seasoned brand!
  • Diced tomatoes: If you don’t like the chunks of tomato you can sub this out with an additional cup of tomato pasta sauce.
  • Garlic and seasonings: I’ve kept things simple, but feel free to experiment if you prefer. Add some red pepper flakes if you like things spicy!
  • Cream: I recommend heavy cream or evaporated milk in this recipe. I find that they have the lowest chance of curdling when cooked with the acidic tomatoes. I do not recommend low fat cream or milk, but you are always welcome to try!
  • Corn starch: A little corn starch helps to thicken our sauce. You can swap this out with flour if you don’t have any.
  • Fresh basil: fresh basil can be hard to find in the cooler months. Basil pesto is my favorite swap because it adds more of that fresh flavor than dried basil.

How to make Creamy Tomato Basil Crockpot Chicken Breast:

This is a simple overview to help guide you! Scroll down to find the detailed recipe in the pink recipe card.

  • Stir together sauce, tomatoes and herbs.
  • Whisk the corn starch into the cream.
tomato sauce and seasonings added to slow cooker for chicken recipe.
Stir together sauces and seasonings.
cream and corn starch whisked together for recipe.
Whisk together cream and corn starch.
  • Add the cream to the slow cooker and stir.
  • Add the uncooked chicken and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
cream added to tomato sauce in slow cooker for crockpot chicken recipe.
Stir cream into slow cooker
chicken breasts added to sauce in slow cooker.
Add chicken and cook

How long to cook chicken breasts in the crockpot?

Not overcooking slow cooker chicken breasts is the key to having juicy and flavorful chicken.

I usually recommend 3 hours on low — this might be a little less if your chicken breasts are small or a little more if your chicken breasts are large.

If you’re cooking on high, check the internal temperature at 2-2.5 hours and add time as needed.

side angle of crockpot chicken breast in tomato basil sauce.

Can I use half and half or milk?

Low fat dairy has more of a tendency to curdle.

For that reason, the addition of the tomatoes and the long cook time, I prefer not to take the chance. My exception is low fat evaporated milk, which I find works really well in slow cooker recipes.

You are always welcome to try it!

What kind of tomato pasta sauce do I need?

Choose your favorite brand of tomato-based pasta sauce, i.e., marinara sauce or something similar.

You’re looking for a relatively smooth and well-seasoned tomato sauce, rather than a can of plan crushed tomatoes.

sliced tomato basil slow cooker chicken breast on a plate of pasta.

Tips for making this slow cooker chicken recipe:

  • Don’t overcook it — I find 3 hours is plenty for the usual size of my chicken breasts. I recommend checking the temperature at 2.5 hours for smaller breasts, and 3 hours for larger breasts, and adding time as needed.
  • 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 love 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.
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Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken

written by Ashley Fehr

This Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken is SO easy and flavorful, you wouldn't believe it only has a few ingredients! The perfect easy dinner recipe!
square image of tomato basil slow cooker chicken in white crockpot.
4.90 from 724 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
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Ingredients 

  • 1 can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, with juice (14oz or 398ml)
  • 1 cup marinara sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic, (finely minced)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts , (about 2 lbs)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions 

  • Add the tomatoes, sauce, garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, basil, and pepper to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and cornstarch and add to the slow cooker.
  • Add the chicken and press down into the sauce.
  • Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F.
  • Stir in the basil, taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve with the Parmesan.

Video

Notes

*Some sauce was removed from the pictures in the slow cooker to show detail. The recipe makes plenty of sauce for pasta!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Chicken: this recipe will also work with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or try it with chicken meatballs, sausages, or another cut for something unique!
Tomato pasta sauce: choose any tomato marinara-style sauce you like. The more flavor in the pasta sauce, the more flavor your chicken will have. 
Diced tomatoes: if you don’t like the chunks of diced tomatoes, I recommend just swapping with additional tomato sauce.
Cream or evaporated milk: Heavy cream or evaporated milk will work best because they do not curdle. Please do not use regular milk or a light cream. 
Herbs & seasonings: feel free to adjust the herbs and seasonings to your tastes. Like it spicy? Add some cayenne or red pepper flakes!
Fresh basil: we make this recipe all year round but fresh basil can be impossible to find. I like to swap with basil pesto for that fresh basil flavor.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 210cal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 1099mg, Potassium: 977mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 657IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 191mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Brandi says

    OH MY WORD! This recipe is amazing! Had dinner guests coming on a Saturday night and not a whole lot of time to prep a meal. I typically NEVER serve a dish I haven’t tried before when expecting guests but took a chance on this one because you can throw it in the slow cooker and forget about it. I ended up serving it over angel hair pasta along with freshly baked bread and green salad. The only thing I changed was adding Italian seasoning to the canned diced tomatos because I couldn’t find canned diced tomatoes with added herbs. OUTSTANDING is all I can say. My guests were blown away. They had two servings each! I have printed the recipe out and it is now permanently in my recipe book. You will not be disappointed in this recipe.

    Reply

      • G. Gentile says

        I love all your recipes!! One thing I think I’ve noticed correctly is the high sodium in a lot of the recipes. Although delicious, would prefer less sodium. Do you have a list of lower sodium recipes?
        Ty, Ashley.

      • The Recipe Rebel says

        Hi G! No, I’m sorry I do not. You can typically find ways to reduce sodium by using low sodium or no sodium canned goods and removing the salt but it would change the flavor some.

  2. Michaella says

    This meal was absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I paired mine with angel hair pasta garnished with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. The recipe made me feel like I’d gone out to a nice Italian restaurant!

    Reply

  5. Emma says

    During the recent spell of freezing weather in the uk I wanted to make something hearty and warming that I could just chuck in my instant pot slow cooker at lunchtime and it would be ready and waiting when we finished work. This was absolutely amazing and so easy to prep! The chicken was so tender it fell apart and was lovely to mix with the pasta. There was loads left for the freezer, and it will become a regular dinner dish in our house. Next time I make it I might chuck in some chilli flakes. Thanks for a delicious recipe!

    Reply

  8. Brittany says

    Could this be made as a make ahead freezer meal? Looking to make for a friend that just had twins-that way they have meals that just need to be put in the crock pot

    Reply

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Brittany, 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)

      Reply

      • Emma says

        Hi, I shredded the chicken and mixed it back into the sauce, then froze it in foil containers as portions for 2. It’s really easy to microwave from frozen. I cook it on about 70% power (so the sauce doesn’t split) for 3 mins, stir then another 3 mins usually does the trick. 😍

  10. Alli says

    So so so good! Seasoned and seared chicken first then topped with fresh grated Parmesan. Excellent I make this at least 2 times a month because of the simplicity and how delicious this really is!

    Reply

  11. Christine says

    This recipe is absolutely amazing! I love chicken in the slow cooker. This sauce is so much better than anything you could ever buy. Works beautifully with any pasta you would like. I used palmini noodles for myself and animal pasta for my son. He loved it too, kid approved! I will make this again and again.

    Reply

  14. Chris says

    To those using coconut cream, it might yield more of a mild curry but I’m sure it would still taste great. I seared the chicken and added some white wine to deglaze. Some pecorino added at the end. Thanks alot madam

    Reply

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      I’m sure it would, you will just have a different result than the one you see here. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!

      Reply

      • Laura says

        I’m going to make this today, looks amazing. I plan on shredding the chicken, do you think this will freeze well?

      • The Recipe Rebel says

        Hi Laura! 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)

  17. Mary OConnell says

    Mary, made this dish last night and it was delish. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I had on hand and served it over fettuccine with the basil and park on top. It was a huge hit and so simple. Will make again and share recipe.

    Reply

  19. Dana says

    After my first bite: “Mm….MM….. Oh my god… I will be making that again.” This is so good! I added Spinach and sprinkled with parmesan cheese! So so good.

    Reply

      • The Recipe Rebel says

        Hi Brittany! I’ve only tested the recipe as is so I’m not sure how the coconut cream would work out but if you decide to experiment I’d love to know how it goes!

4.90 from 724 votes (552 ratings without comment)

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