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!
If you’re looking for more crockpot chicken breast recipes, check out this Crockpot Creamy Garlic Chicken or this Crockpot Tuscan Chicken!
Table of Contents
- Reader Rating
- Why we love this Slow Cooker Chicken Breast recipe:
- Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Ingredients:
- How to make Creamy Tomato Basil Crockpot Chicken Breast:
- How long to cook chicken breasts in the crockpot?
- Can I use half and half or milk?
- What kind of tomato pasta sauce do I need?
- Tips for making this slow cooker chicken recipe:
- Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Recipe
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
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:
- 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.
- Add the cream to the slow cooker and stir.
- Add the uncooked chicken and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
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.
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.
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.
Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs (398 ml)
- 1 cup tomato pasta sauce
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Add tomatoes, pasta sauce, garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, basil and pepper to a 3-6 quart slow cooker. Stir.
- Whisk together cream and corn starch and add to the slow cooker.
- 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!
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Harry says
Wow!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks!
Lynn luu says
Looks good and super easy to make but my kids wouldn’t eat it. The chicken was on the dry side.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lynn! Thanks for the feedback! I’m thinking if the chicken was dry it was cooked too long. What was the internal temperature at 3 hours?
Felicia Lucco says
This was fabulous! And easy. It was late in the day, so I cooked this on the stove top, simmering the chicken for about 20-25 min. I served it over riced cauliflower alongside green beans. Such a delicious meal, and we were shocked by the low calorie count! We’ll be adding this to our rotation.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Felicia! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the review and feedback on making it on the stove top!
Kim says
Hi, do you have a swap or suggestion for what could be used in place of the heavy cream?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kim! Yes! It’s listed in the ingredient section. It says “3/4 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream” Hope this helps!
Rose says
Hi, Ashley. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Since all chicken breast cuts aren’t the same, about how many pounds of chicken do you suggest for this recipe? Thanks, Rose
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Rose, I didn’t weigh them out but it will likely be 1-2 pounds. Enjoy!
Brandi Weber says
Could this be made non dairy? My daughter can’t have that or gluten but I think she would really like this
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Brandi! I haven’t tried with dairy free milk unfortunately! It will work, I’m just not sure how it will alter the flavor.
Keith says
I’ve just made this excellent I’m bit of a chilli addict so I added small amount of mild chilies will make this a regular rotation
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Keith! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
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.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Ruth Ann! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the review!
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.