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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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!
CC says
We made this recipe tonight and it was so easy and delicious! Perfect for our busy schedules. Thank you for sharing.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m glad to hear that!
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
Megan says
Thanks- this answered my question too 😊
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!
Ashleigh says
I don’t have evaporated or heavy cream (used it all up on my whipped cream last night, dang!!) is whole milk ok?
Ashley Fehr says
Whole milk will work but it may not be as thick.
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.
Trudy Bognar says
I have made numerous chicken recipes in the Crock-Pot and I’ve always used frozen chicken I did not know the FDA did not approve of this, although I never got sick from it but thank you from the tip
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.
Cristina Smith says
Hi, do you know if it would be possible to make this into an instant pot meal? And cook times? Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Cristina! I’m sorry, I haven’t tried this one in the Instant Pot because tomato based sauces and dairy products don’t do well in there
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