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, Italian Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes 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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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!