Crockpot Creamy Tuscan Chicken is chicken breasts slow cooked in a garlic Parmesan cream sauce with Dijon, Italian seasoning and smoked paprika, studded with sun-dried tomatoes and finished with fresh spinach. Everything goes straight into the slow cooker, with no searing and no stovetop. It serves 4, with about 5 minutes of prep.
How to make it: Season the chicken in the slow cooker, whisk the cream, broth, Parmesan, cornstarch, Dijon, seasonings and garlic, and pour it over. Scatter on the sun-dried tomatoes, cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3, then stir in the spinach for the last 10 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Five minutes of prep: no searing, no extra pans.
- Restaurant-style sauce: creamy garlic Parmesan with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.
- Easy weeknight dinner: set it in the morning or after lunch.
- Goes with everything: pasta, mashed potatoes or rice.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken breasts: Four boneless, skinless breasts, about half a pound each. Use breasts of normal thickness. Thin-sliced breasts, tenders and small pieces cook so fast they can overcook before the sauce thickens. If yours are very thick, slice them to about 1/2 inch or pound them evenly.
Heavy cream: Three quarters of a cup, and do not substitute it. The fat in heavy cream is what keeps the sauce from curdling or separating during the long cook.
The sauce: Half a cup each of chicken broth and grated Parmesan, a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken, Dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika and three cloves of minced garlic.
Sun-dried tomatoes: Half a cup of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and blotted. Dice them if they are large.
Spinach: A cup and a half of fresh baby spinach, stirred in at the end so it just wilts.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1/2 pound each, about 2 pounds total)
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (do not substitute)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, blotted and diced if large
- 1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
How to Make Crockpot Creamy Tuscan Chicken
1. Season the chicken. Spray the slow cooker insert with cooking spray if you like, add the chicken and season it with the salt and pepper.
2. Whisk the sauce. In a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup, whisk the cream, broth, Parmesan, cornstarch, Dijon, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika and garlic together. It will not be smooth because of the cheese and garlic. Pour it evenly over the chicken.
3. Add the tomatoes. Scatter the sun-dried tomatoes over and around the chicken.
4. Slow cook. Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for about 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Do not cook longer than 5 hours unless the chicken is not done.
5. Stir and add spinach. In the last 10 minutes, stir the sauce well, stir in the spinach, cover and cook about 10 minutes more, until the spinach wilts.
6. Season and serve. Taste the sauce and add more salt, pepper or paprika if needed. Serve right away, with extra Parmesan if you like.
How to Keep the Cream Sauce from Curdling
The one thing that can go wrong with a cream sauce in a slow cooker is that it breaks: it curdles or separates instead of staying smooth. These five habits prevent it.
Use heavy cream, nothing lighter. The fat in heavy cream is what keeps it from curdling or separating over hours of heat. Do not swap in milk or half-and-half.
Cook on LOW when you can. The cream is less likely to curdle or separate with low, slow heat. HIGH works when you are short on time.
Do not overcook. Stop at about 5 hours on LOW. Going much longer risks a broken sauce, so only keep going if the chicken has not reached 165°F.
Stir near the end. In the last 10 minutes, stir the sauce well to bring it together before the spinach goes in. If it has separated a little, stir until it turns smooth again.
Use the right chicken. Normal-thickness breasts cook in the same time it takes the sauce to thicken. Thin cuts and tenders finish too early and dry out while you wait on the sauce.
Tips for Success
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes. Boneless, skinless thighs work in place of the breasts; use about 2 pounds.
How do I make the sauce thicker?
Stir a little cornstarch mixed with water into the sauce after the chicken is cooked and let it bubble a few minutes.
How do I know the chicken is done?
Check the thickest piece with a food thermometer: it is done at 165°F.
Can I use frozen chicken?
Thaw it first. Meat and poultry should always be thawed before it goes into a slow cooker.
Variations
- Chicken thighs: Use about 2 pounds of boneless, skinless thighs.
- Add onion: Stir a little diced onion or onion powder into the sauce.
- Regular paprika: Use plain paprika if you do not have smoked.
- Low-carb plates: Serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate: Put leftovers in shallow covered containers in the refrigerator within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Reheat: Warm gently on the stove or in the microwave, covered, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Do not reheat it in the slow cooker.
Freezing: Cream sauces do not freeze well, so this one is best kept in the refrigerator.
What to Serve With It
Spoon the chicken and sauce over pasta, mashed potatoes or rice.
In a hurry? Make Instant Pot Tuscan chicken instead. For more creamy chicken dinners, try marry me chicken, creamy garlic chicken, chicken Florentine or slow cooker cream cheese crack chicken. Love these flavors in a bowl? Make creamy Tuscan tortellini soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my cream sauce curdle in the slow cooker?
Usually it was cooked too long or too hot, or a lighter dairy was used. Use heavy cream, cook on LOW and stop at about 5 hours. If it separates a little, stir it until smooth.
How long does Tuscan chicken take in the crockpot?
About 4 to 5 hours on LOW or 2 to 3 hours on HIGH, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Do I need to sear the chicken first?
No. Everything goes straight into the slow cooker, with no stovetop searing.
When do I add the spinach?
In the last 10 minutes. Stir it into the sauce, cover, and let it wilt.
Can I use half-and-half instead of heavy cream?
No. Lighter dairy is more likely to curdle or separate over the long cook; heavy cream is needed here.
Final Notes
Use heavy cream, keep it on LOW, and stir before the spinach goes in for a smooth, creamy sauce. If you make this crockpot creamy Tuscan chicken, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Crockpot Creamy Tuscan Chicken
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Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1/2 pound each, about 2 pounds total
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 3/4 cup heavy cream do not substitute
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated, plus more to serve
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained, blotted and diced if large
- 1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Spray the slow cooker insert with cooking spray if you like, add the chicken and season it with the salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup, whisk the cream, broth, Parmesan, cornstarch, Dijon, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika and garlic together. It will not be smooth because of the cheese and garlic. Pour it evenly over the chicken.
- Scatter the sun-dried tomatoes over and around the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for about 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Do not cook longer than 5 hours unless the chicken is not done.
- In the last 10 minutes, stir the sauce well, stir in the spinach, cover and cook about 10 minutes more, until the spinach wilts.
- Taste the sauce and add more salt, pepper or paprika if needed. Serve right away, with extra Parmesan if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
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