This Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken is SO easy and flavorful, you wouldn’t believe it only has just a few ingredients! The perfect easy dinner recipe for busy weeknights!
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Fall is on its way and I’m busting out all the easy slow cooker, one pot and Instant Pot recipes!
We have been kind of obsessed with chicken this summer, so I always have a ton in the freezer.
This slow cooker chicken 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 over here, 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!
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!
My goal this fall (really, every fall) is to bring you more recipes for Real Life. Because summer is over and life goes back to Crazy, dinner time is rushed and spending hours in the kitchen is often the last thing on our minds.
The other reason, obviously, is that I need easy recipes like this too!
With a lot of slow cooker recipes, I find you sacrifice either flavor or texture or both. Browning meat beforehand can really help with that, but often even after that the juices need to be spiced up because after cooking for so long, the flavors just become muted.
With this chicken, though, there are no issues like that! You dump and go, and the sauce is the perfect consistency when it’s done and the flavor is awesome! So creamy and comforting, and yet only a small amount of cream or evaporated milk.
Tips for making this slow cooker chicken recipe:
- 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, REALLY recommend 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
- 3/4 cup tomato pasta sauce
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Add tomatoes and pasta sauce to a 3-6 quart slow cooker.
- Whisk together cream and corn starch and add to the slow cooker. Stir in garlic, salt, basil and pepper.
- 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!
Nutrition Information
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Joe says
Does it matter if the chicken breasts are frozen?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Joe, I haven’t tried it this way myself, but others have with success. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Samantha says
Used all ingredients as directed. Horrible
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry this didn’t come out as expected for you, Samantha. This has worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would of been a hit for you too.
Katie says
This was delicious! Even better the next day for lunch. I followed the recipe exactly and then added mushrooms & spinach. I served over fettuccini noodles. Will definitely be making again. Thank you!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Katie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Savannah says
Very easy to make! Before serving, I shredded the chicken. My whole family loved it, even my pickiest eater. My husband said it just needed a little more salt and pepper but that was it.. I will be making this again!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Savannah! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Sally Tonyan says
Anyone tried this recipe in the instant pot? My daughter just did the slow cooker version and her family LOVED it!
Katie says
Haven’t tried this yet since I have a 2.5 Quart slow cooker. Would I be able to use that?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Katie! You might have to reduce the recipe in half in order to make it in a 2.5 Q.
Samantha medley says
If we have a dairy allergy, Is there anything you could recommend for replacement for the evaporated milk or heavy cream?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Samantha! Possibly a full fat non dairy milk? But I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so I can’t say for sure how it will work. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Samantha medley says
Going to try a coconut sub, I’ll let you know. ❤️
Courtney says
Ugh I was so disappointed! The finished meal looked delicious and smelled great.. but tasted BLAH. I followed the recipe to a T! Idk why it wasn’t flavorful 🙁
The Recipe Rebel says
Have no idea what could of caused it to be blah for you. The tomatoes flavored with Italian herbs, plus dried basil, fresh basil, salt and pepper are more than enough to give it great flavor!
Samantha says
Same here, zero flavor very bland
Dorothy says
This recipe is AWSOME!!!!!!!. I made it exactly as per recipe except used fresh grape tomatoes from my garden. I put the chicken breasts in frozen and cooked on low for 5 hours. My ENTIRE family said “This is DEFINITELY a keeper”
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Dorothy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hannah says
Hi can you please tell me what is ‘tomato pasta sauce’ is it a shop bought jar?
The Recipe Rebel says
Anything label past sauce that is tomato based. Hope you enjoy it!
Dee says
Loved this recipe! It was so easy to through together. Very delicious. Will definitely make this again.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Dee! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Angela says
So so sooo good!! And super easy too!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Angela! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Elizabeth says
This was fantastic! My family loved it!
I added a little extra seasoning it was great! Highly recommend we did 4 hours with 4 chicken breasts frozen
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Elizabeth! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Katherine Roe says
How long did you cook it for since they were frozen chicken breasts?
Edna Davidson says
I made this using fire roasted tomatoes (14oz can) and Roas vodka sauce. I also seasoned the chicken before putting it in the crockpot. Served with steamed baby potatoes and French beans, and my family LOVED it! It’s now in my rotation. Thanks for the recipe.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Edna! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Sarah B. says
We made it in a 6qt crock pot with 4 chicken breasts… the sauce was not thick! Very liquidity, like water. Any suggestions of what to do next time?? Or might have went wrong?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sarah, this is a creamy sauce but not necessarily a thick sauce. It should come be as thick as you see it in the video. If you want a thicker sauce, maybe try adding a little more cornstarch?
Alexa McLelland says
Mine was the same way, will try more cornstarch next time. Other than that flavor was great!
Kayla says
Quick question about the can of tomatoes with Italian herbs. The recipe says a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, but the video appears to use a larger can (maybe 28 oz). So I just want to verify what size of can to use please. Thanks!
Renee H says
This was delicious!! I tried substituting fresh diced tomatoes to use up what I had from my garden and it tasted wonderful! I have made it twice in one week already. Thank you for a great recipe!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Renee! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this review!
Kim says
LOVED this recipe – so easy and had all the ingredients needed on hand! Next time I will salt and pepper the chicken ahead of time… but other than that it was awesome! Thank you!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kim! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this review!
Liz says
I made this tonight for myself and my two children and it was a hit! I thought it was very flavorful…that creamy tomato sauce was delicious! I served it with a dinner roll and roared asparagus.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Liz! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this review!
Lori says
Would love to try this recipe, but I only have chicken thighs on hand (bone in, skin on). Any recommendations on preparation/ cooking time changes?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lori, I haven’t tried it myself but others have with success. I would start with a minimum of 4 hours and keep a check on your internal temperature. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Michaela says
Would this be something I could freeze and reheat later?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Michaela! It could definitely be frozen as long as you use heavy creamy — low fat dairy doesn’t freeze well. Hope you enjoy it!