Description
This Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken is a comforting and flavorful dish that combines tender chicken breasts with a rich, creamy tomato basil sauce. Perfect for an effortless weeknight dinner, this recipe uses simple ingredients cooked low and slow to develop deep flavors and a luscious texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Tomato Basil Sauce
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Garnish
- Fresh basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Place the boneless, skinless chicken breasts directly into the slow cooker, arranging them evenly in a single layer.
- Mix the sauce ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, heavy cream, chicken broth, grated Parmesan cheese, finely chopped onion, minced garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Stir well to blend all the flavors.
- Combine chicken and sauce: Pour the prepared tomato basil sauce over the chicken breasts in the slow cooker, ensuring the chicken is completely covered by the mixture.
- Slow cook the chicken: Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on the low setting for 4 to 6 hours, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Optional blend the sauce: After cooking, carefully remove the chicken breasts and set them aside. Using an immersion blender, blend the tomato sauce inside the slow cooker until it reaches a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Recombine chicken and sauce: Return the chicken breasts to the slow cooker and stir gently to coat them evenly with the creamy tomato basil sauce.
- Garnish and serve: Spoon the creamy chicken and sauce onto plates, and garnish generously with freshly chopped basil leaves before serving to add brightness and fresh herbal flavor.
Notes
- For extra heat, leave in the crushed red pepper flakes or add more to taste.
- The sauce can be blended or left chunky depending on your preference.
- Serve with pasta, rice, or crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Ensure chicken is fully cooked through before serving.
