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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Helen says
This recipe is always a smash hit. Thank you so much.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Helen! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Lynn says
What is tomato pasta sauce?
Is it tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, marinara?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lynn! It’s pasta sauce that is tomato based. So any should work. Enjoy!
Lorraine says
Very easy prep but the recipe was too bland for my taste. I would definitely season it with salt and pepper and onion powder next time.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lorraine! There is actually salt and pepper in the recipe for seasoning, along with garlic and basil, but feel free to bump up the seasonings to your taste.
Ashley says
Maybe I cooked it wrong, but mine came out very liquid consistency…I used the evaporated milk over the heavy cream, I wonder if that was the cause of it? I was just envisioning something a lot more creamy like consistency.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Ashley! Hope you were still able to enjoy it? Yes the evaporated milk will not provide the same consistency as heavy cream does. Hope this helps!
Julie says
It’s a good recipe. First time making it was a bit bland for my preference so next time I added fried onions, my own pasta sauce and I seasoned an fried the chicken in butter/olive oil before adding it to the pot…… next time I’ll add more veg like bell pepper and succini also to make it a complete meal
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Julie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and feedback!
Stephanie Smith says
Could you make it dairy free by usaing coconut milk?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Stephanie! I haven’t tried it myself but according to Google, coconut milk has to be put in at the end or it could curdle. So you might have to switch some of the steps around when adding it. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Joni Short says
This recipe looks crazy delicious! I’m just curious, as a person that has to watch my sodium level, how can some of this be eliminated? Any ideas would help. Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Joni! While I am not a registered dietitian or nutritionist when looking at this recipe you could easily buy low salt or no salt tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Pretty sure what you would normally do when looking at making a recipe for low sodium diets. Hope this helps!
Kayla Rueck says
I did three hours on low & still my chicken read over 200° upon removal. I get it’s sometimes finicky with different slow cookers but I think my new rule of thumb is breasts don’t belong in the cooker. The flavours were scrumptious! Just not a fan of the breasts.
Teresa Bliss says
This recipe was sooo delicious! I embellished a little by adding extra garlic…I measure that with my ❤️, a tablespoon of Italian seasoning and a splash of red pepper flakes. Definitely a keeper!
The Recipe Rebel says
Best way to measure! 😉 Glad you enjoyed it Teresa!
Suzanne Higbee says
This recipe is a keeper! The whole family enjoys this and it freezes well too. I tend to double the sauce on slow cooker recipes and I do for this one as well. Really excellent recipe. Thank you!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Suzanne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Allison says
Did you freeze this before making it or after? Was it frozen with the cream in it?
Bridget says
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!! It’s SO easy to make, and beyond delicious. The flavors are amazing, and the chicken is so juicy. I’ve put it over pasta noodles so far and it’s a great way to enjoy the recipe.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Bridget! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Elizabeth Cabrera says
Can I cook this meal on high for 4 hrs?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Elizabeth! That would be way too long to cook on high. I haven’t tried it myself but other readers have and cooked it around 1.5 to 2.5 hours. I would just keep an eye on the internal temperature. Enjoy!
Laura F says
Made this today! So good! Did add about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning along with the basil. And some red pepper chili flakes bc we like heat. Definitely a save! Will make again.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Laura! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Andrew says
Hi there! I’m definitely interested in making this. So I read if using a 6 quart to double the ingredients. Am I also doubling the time as well? Because this looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it 😋
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Andrew, no need to double the time. Enjoy!
Paula says
What do you mean by pasta sauce? Is it just tomato passato?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Paula! Yes you can use tomato passata! Enjoy!
Darrin says
Hi there! This recipe looks really good! If I were to cube the chicken before cooking, would it be the same cooking time? Also do you use the sauce from the recipe to your side of pasta or would use a separate sauce?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Darrin! I don’t believe it would be the same cooking time. Yes, I use the sauce from the recipe on the pasta. Enjoy!
Simon says
Hi Jenifer ,
Loving all the recipes and am now cooking this one
Can I freeze any leftover portions of the recipe
Thanks
Simon (uk)
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Simon, It could definitely be frozen as long as you use heavy cream — low fat dairy doesn’t freeze well
Tiffany says
How long would you cook it with thin frozen chicken breast?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Tiffany, 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, I just haven’t tested it myself. 🙂
Bridget says
Can I use half and half instead of cream for this recipe ?
The Recipe Rebel says
HI Bridget! I haven’t tried it myself but other readers have with great success. Enjoy!
Katie Bee says
How would you convert this to the instant pot?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Katie! I have not tested this out in the Instant Pot so couldn’t say. Here is my stovetop version: https://www.thereciperebel.com/creamy-tomato-basil-chicken-breasts/
Jennifer says
Can you sub diced tomatoes for crushed? Would I still add pasta sauce if so?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Jennifer! I would either add crushed tomatoes and the pasta sauce, or enough crushed tomatoes to equal those two ingredients. Hope this helps!
Don says
I made it with Boneless chicken thighs and it was fantastic. Anyone who did not like this probably should not have tried in the first place.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Don! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the kind review!