It's 5:40 on a Tuesday, the kids are circling the kitchen, and you have exactly zero interest in standing at the stove. You pull the slow cooker insert out of the cabinet, dump in chicken and a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, and walk away. That's this recipe.
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Marry Me Chicken usually means pan-searing, deglazing, and babysitting a cream sauce. In the Crock Pot you trade the crispy skin for hands-off time, and the sauce comes out silkier than the skillet version because it never gets the chance to break. That's the trade-off, and it's a good one on a weeknight.
The one thing you can't skip is the last step: stirring in a cornstarch slurry and letting the sauce bubble and thicken for the final 20 minutes. Skip it and you get soup. Do it and you get the sauce people spoon over rice like it's the main event.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
2.5 lb (1.1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 large)
Thighs work just as well and stay juicier if you tend to overcook things; use boneless skinless thighs and check them at 3 hours on low. Look for breasts that are similar in size so they cook evenly.
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
Any neutral oil works here; avocado oil has a higher smoke point if you're browning. Don't skip it, it carries the garlic flavor.
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 cup / 160g)
Shallots are a sweeter swap if onions upset your stomach. Frozen diced onion works fine, no need to thaw.
4 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tbsp)
Jarred minced garlic is acceptable in a pinch; use 1 tbsp and add it with the liquid, not the oil. Fresh garlic gives a sharper, brighter bite.
3/4 cup (100g) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
Buy the ones packed in oil, not dry-packed; dry ones stay leathery in a slow cooker. Save 1 tbsp of the oil to stir in at the end for extra depth.
1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
Better-than-bouillon paste plus water is a solid substitute; use 1 tsp paste to 1 cup water. Low-sodium matters here because the Parmesan is salty.
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
Half-and-half will thin the sauce and can curdle; if you must, use 3/4 cup half-and-half plus 1 tbsp cornstarch. Coconut cream works for a dairy-free version but tastes sweeter.
1/2 cup (50g) grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Grate it yourself from a block; pre-shredded Parmesan has starch that makes the sauce grainy. Pecorino is sharper and saltier, so cut it to 1/3 cup.
1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp black pepper
Italian seasoning is a fine one-for-one swap for the oregano. Cut the pepper flakes to 1/4 tsp if you're feeding kids.
2 tbsp cornstarch whisked into 3 tbsp cold water
Arrowroot powder works as a 1:1 swap and thickens at a lower temperature. Whisk it fresh right before adding, it settles fast.
1/4 cup (15g) fresh basil, torn, for serving
Flat-leaf parsley is the easy substitute in winter. Add it off the heat so it stays green instead of turning olive-drab.
Tips & Tricks
Don't add the cream at the start
Cream that simmers for 5 hours on high will curdle and taste flat. Add it in the last 30 minutes, off a rolling boil, and stir gently.
Thicken at the end, not the beginning
The liquid from the chicken and broth thins everything out. The cornstarch slurry in the final 20 minutes is what turns broth into sauce.
Use low-sodium broth
Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes are both salty. Regular broth plus cheese plus tomatoes can push the whole pot past pleasant.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Season the chicken
Pat the 2.5 lb of chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and the 1/2 tsp black pepper. Dry chicken means the seasoning sticks and the sauce doesn't get watery.
2. Build the base
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, 375°F (190°C), and cook the diced onion for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent at the edges. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned, then scrape everything into the slow cooker.
3. Add chicken and tomatoes
Nestle the chicken into the slow cooker, then scatter the 3/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tsp oregano, and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes over the top. Pour in the 1 cup chicken broth.
4. Slow cook on low
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 to 2.5 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part on an instant-read thermometer and shreds easily with a fork. Don't lift the lid in the first 2 hours.
5. Shred the chicken
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred or slice it. Whisk the 2 tbsp cornstarch into 3 tbsp cold water in a small bowl until smooth, then stir the slurry into the slow cooker liquid.
6. Add cream and cheese
Stir in the 1 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan, return the chicken to the pot, cover, and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes until the sauce bubbles gently at the edges and coats the back of a spoon. Taste and add salt only if it needs it.
7. Finish and serve
Turn off the heat, tear the 1/4 cup basil over the top, and let it sit 5 minutes. Serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes with extra Parmesan.
Delicious Variations
Spicy Marry Me Chicken
Add 1 diced jalapeño with the onion and bump the red pepper flakes to 1 tsp for a sauce with real heat.
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Cook 12 oz penne separately and stir it into the sauce at the end with 1/4 cup pasta water for a one-pot meal.
Dairy-Free Version
Swap the cream for 1 cup full-fat coconut cream and the Parmesan for 1/4 cup nutritional yeast; add it at the same 20-minute mark.
How to Store Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken
Refrigerator
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The sauce thickens as it chills; loosen with a splash of broth when reheating.
Freezer
Freeze the sauce and chicken together for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Cream sauces can separate slightly after freezing, so whisk vigorously while reheating.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, 250°F (120°C) equivalent, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes until steaming but not boiling. Microwaving on 50 percent power in 1-minute bursts also works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I put frozen chicken in the Crock Pot for this recipe?
Yes, but add 1 to 1.5 hours to the cook time and use a thermometer to confirm 165°F (74°C) before shredding. Frozen chicken releases extra water, so you may need an extra 1 tbsp of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
Q: Why did my marry me chicken sauce curdle?
The cream was added too early or the pot boiled too hard. Add cream only in the last 30 minutes on HIGH and keep it at a gentle bubble, never a rolling boil.
Q: Can I make Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken ahead of time?
Yes, cook it fully, cool it quickly, and refrigerate up to 4 days; the flavor actually improves overnight. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth so the sauce doesn't break.
Q: What do you serve with marry me chicken?
Pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes are the classics because they soak up the sauce. Crusty bread or polenta works just as well if you want something different.
Q: Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Yes, boneless skinless thighs are more forgiving and stay juicy even if you overshoot the time. Cook them on LOW for 3.5 to 4 hours and check for 165°F (74°C).
Pull out your slow cooker tonight, grab a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, and let this one cook while you do literally anything else. Then tell me what you served it over. Keep it small, keep it going.
Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken
Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken makes juicy slow-cooker chicken in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce with almost no hands-on work.
🧂 Ingredients
- 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 large)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 cup / 160g)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tbsp)
- 3/4 cup (100g) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
- 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (50g) grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp cornstarch whisked into 3 tbsp cold water
- 1/4 cup (15g) fresh basil, torn, for serving
📋 Instructions
- 1Season the chicken — Pat the 2.5 lb of chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and the 1/2 tsp black pepper. Dry chicken means the seasoning sticks and the sauce doesn't get watery.
- 2Build the base — Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, 375°F (190°C), and cook the diced onion for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent at the edges. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned, then scrape everything into the slow cooker.
- 3Add chicken and tomatoes — Nestle the chicken into the slow cooker, then scatter the 3/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tsp oregano, and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes over the top. Pour in the 1 cup chicken broth.
- 4Slow cook on low — Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 to 2.5 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part on an instant-read thermometer and shreds easily with a fork. Don't lift the lid in the first 2 hours.
- 5Shred the chicken — Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred or slice it. Whisk the 2 tbsp cornstarch into 3 tbsp cold water in a small bowl until smooth, then stir the slurry into the slow cooker liquid.
- 6Add cream and cheese — Stir in the 1 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan, return the chicken to the pot, cover, and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes until the sauce bubbles gently at the edges and coats the back of a spoon. Taste and add salt only if it needs it.
- 7Finish and serve — Turn off the heat, tear the 1/4 cup basil over the top, and let it sit 5 minutes. Serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes with extra Parmesan.
