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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Malinda says
This is so easy and delicious! I added some home grown tomatoes from the yard and they really added to the flavor. Thank you for this recipe.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Malinda! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Lori Schafer says
Could I use oat milk instead of cream? Seems like the healthier option! Lol
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lori! Yes that should work. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Nick says
How would you reheat the leftovers from this dish?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Nick! You could either try reheating in a pan on the stovetop or in the microwave. If using a microwave I would reduce the power and watch your time so you don’t dry out your chicken.
Bron says
It’s very easy to make. It taste nice but needs a little ‘something’. Will work on it. Great base though. Will make it again.
Ashley Fehr says
The overall flavor will definitely depend on the flavor of the sauce and tomatoes. I love using a roasted garlic or fire roasted tomato sauce for extra oomph 🙂
Lisa says
Hi, I have the Ninja foodi and I haven’t tried the slow cooker function yet. This looks delicious. Would you be able to tell me the conversion to a pressure cooked preparation?
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Lisa! I have never made it in the pressure cooker but I believe there may be some in the comments who have
Toni says
This is a family favourite. Very easy to make, can be done when in a rush by just putting everything into the slow cooker and leaving it to do its work.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Toni! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Irene says
Absolutely AMAZING! chicken melts in your mouth. The flavors are amazing too! Tastes almost like a tomato Basil bisque sauce. Highly recommend
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Irene! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Laura says
I read the reviews that said it was bland, so I made sure to use extra seasonings. I tossed spaghetti noodles with olive oil and more seasonings, and put the chicken on top. I also made cheesy garlic bread (kinda like grilled cheese with tomato soup!). I thought it was AMAZING. Very light but also yummy. Definitely different, but in a good way. My 15yo loved it too. He even commented that the tomatoes were really good. My 12yo is the biggest fan of grilled cheese with tomato soup, so I figured he would love it, but he said it was partially bland and partially bad flavors. Not sure what happened there, but he wouldn’t eat his. More for me!!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Laura! The amount of seasonings required will definitely depend on the type of tomatoes and sauce that is used. I always use tomatoes with Italian herbs and seasoned pasta sauce, but there’s lots of room for customizing!
ABC says
Tried this and my whole family loved it. I followed the recipe exactly and everything was just delicious.
The Recipe Rebel says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Tauren says
This was very bland. Honestly confused about all the good reviews. was not good at all. 0 stars.
The Recipe Rebel says
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the recipe Tauren. Myself (and others) have enjoyed and wished it would of been a hit with you. We all have different taste, so you should definitely adjust the seasoning based on your needs.
Stephanie says
This is absolutely fantastic!! A real hit! I am so glad I found your site. Thank for sharing your amazing talent!! I can’t wait to try other recipes.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Stephanie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Alex says
I cooked mine in a regular crockpot and it was done in two and a half hours! Thanks for the recipe
Catherine Boyette says
Did you do it on high to cook it in that amount of time or low?
Dominic says
You should review your marcros.
Dominic says
*Macros
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi! I don’t actually calculate macros and actually have no knowledge of macros. The nutritional information is calculated automatically in the recipe card. When in doubt you should always use any free online resource that calculates nutritional information.
C. says
It’s one of my favorite meals! It’s easy and tasty. At the end of my meal I just want to lick the plate. Soooo good!!
Noni says
Hi, when using pasta sauce would I use like a jarred already seasoned sauce like Prego or just the unseasoned can of like hunts tomato sauce
Em says
Hi, I’ve made this dish a few times and I’ve always used seasoned sauce from the jar. Today I used Rao’s Arrabbiata sauce, which has a little kick to it. Excited to see how it turns out!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Em! Hope you enjoy it!
Molly says
I’ve always used a jarred sauce like Prego. I think unseasoned tomato sauce would lack flavor and be a little bitter.
Jaime says
Hi! I have light cream will that be ok instead of heavy cream ?
Angie Gettis says
Just made this chicken dish. It was so easy! And the taste is so good! I’ve tasted so far. Waiting for everyone to get here so we can eat! Next time I make this I’ll double recipe and let it slow cook all day!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Angie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Liza says
Can this be made in the instant pot?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Liza, I haven’t tried this in the instant pot before, but I do have a stove top version coming next Wednesday, so watch out for that one to post!
Sheila says
I’m making this for our dinner tomorrow. This will be my fourth time making it. It’s super delicious!!!! I serve ours over thin spaghetti. Definitely a favorite!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sheila, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Jordan says
If I doubled the recipe do you think I could leave it on low for the day while I’m at work or will it dry the recipe out/over cook? New job, full time working mumma now so trying to sort my life out 😅
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Jordan! I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so I wouldn’t be able to advise how that would work. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Cassandra says
Came to the comments to ask the exact same thing 😂 I’m in the same boat as you. We got this! 💕
Sarah says
I doubled the recipe and honestly it only takes about 6-7 hours to cook untill it is done, I forgot about about it and left it for 8 and nothing seemed dry just that the chicken fell apart on me which isn’t a big deal still super amazing
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks for your feedback Sarah!