Covered in a creamy parmesan sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, this slow-cooker Tuscan chicken recipe is a flavorful dish packed with protein. Serve it over pasta, potatoes, or rice for a family-friendly dinner idea.
Busy weeknights call for easy meals, and this slow-cooker Tuscan chicken recipe is exactly that. It’s made with minimal ingredients, requires minimal prep, and cooks on its own while you go about your busy schedule.
Plus, it’s incredibly versatile and can be served on its own with a side salad or steamed veggies, or served over pasta or with mashed potatoes for a hearty yet healthy and filling meal.
Why You’ll Love It
- High in Protein – With over 30 grams of protein per serving, this is a filling meal perfect for lunch, dinner, or meal prep.
- Full of Flavor – The combination of Italian-inspired seasonings and ingredients ensures this crockpot Tuscan chicken is full of flavor in every bite.
- Easy to Make – If you can add ingredients to a pot, you can easily make this dump-and-cook recipe!
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Chicken Breasts – To add some protein. The recipe calls for skinless chicken breasts, but you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes – To add some color and flavor. You can use dry-packed or oil-packed sundried tomatoes.
- Spinach – To add some greens, fiber, and micronutrients.
- Onion and Garlic – To flavor the cream sauce. The recipe calls for a small onion and garlic cloves, but you can use onion powder and garlic powder if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Cream – To add some healthy fats and make the cream sauce. The recipe calls for heavy cream (36% milkfat or higher), but you can use light cream (18% to 30% milkfat) if preferred.
- Parmesan – To add a bit more protein and ensure the sauce is extra thick and creamy.
- Broth – To cook the chicken, vegetable broth or water will also work.
- Italian Seasoning – To add some Italian flavor.
- Salt and Pepper – To season.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make It Gluten-Free: Serve the Tuscan chicken over gluten-free pasta or mashed potatoes.
To Make It Dairy-Free: This recipe cannot be made dairy-free.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
This crock pot Tuscan chicken is a good source of protein and healthy fats, and can be enjoyed on its own as a high-protein, low-carb meal; however, it can easily be made a more well-balanced meal by serving it over a source of complex carbohydrates such as pasta, potatoes, or rice.
Serving Suggestions
This slow cooker Tuscan chicken is a good source of protein and fat, while being relatively low in carbs and fiber. It can be enjoyed on its own or adapted or served with additional ingredients to create a balanced meal that suits your personal calorie or macro needs. For example:
- To make it higher in protein, add an extra 1/2 pound of chicken breasts to the recipe.
- To make it lower in fat, swap the heavy cream (36% milkfat or higher) for light cream (18% to 30% milkfat).
- To make it higher in carbohydrates, serve the chicken over cooked pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.
- To make it lower in carbohydrates, serve the chicken over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.
- To make it higher in fiber, serve the chicken over whole-wheat pasta.
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Once cooked, allow the slow cooker Tuscan chicken to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: Once cooled, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Once thawed, place the creamy Tuscan chicken in a pot on the stovetop on medium heat for 5-10 minutes or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes:
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Slow Cooker Tuscan Thicken
Covered in a rich and creamy sauce, this slow-cooker Tuscan chicken is a high-protein, easy, and healthy recipe. Serve it over pasta, potatoes, or rice for a well-balanced meal.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 3 hours
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Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
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Yield: 8 servings 1x
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Category: Dinner
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Method: Slow Cooker
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced, packed
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chicken broth, or water
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
To Serve:
- 1 pound cooked pasta of choice
- Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Grease the bottom and sides of a slow cooker with butter.
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and season both sides with the Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to the slow cooker, then top with diced onion, minced garlic, and chopped sundried tomatoes.
- In a large bowl, add the heavy cream and chicken broth and whisk to combine, then pour it over the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Cover the slow cooker with a lid, and turn it on to cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.
- Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside. Add the parmesan cheese and whisk until well combined with the cream mixture, then add the chopped spinach, and stir again to combine.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker, cover with the lid, and cook for a final 5 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- The Tuscan chicken can be served immediately over pasta or cooled and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
To Use Chicken Thighs: Swap the chicken breasts for 2 pounds of skinless and boneless chicken thighs.
To Use Onion Powder: Swap the onion for 1 teaspoon of onion powder and add it in step #4.
To Use Garlic Powder: Swap the garlic cloves for 2 teaspoons of garlic powder and add it in step #4.
To Use Frozen Spinach: Swap the fresh spinach for 1/8 cup of frozen spinach. Thaw it completely, then press it to remove any excess water, and add it to the slow cooker as per step #6.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 272 calories
- Sugar: 2 grams
- Fat: 15 grams
- Carbohydrates: 4 grams
- Fiber: 1 grams
- Protein: 30 grams
Is there anything you can substitute the heavy cream with? Eg: yogurt?
Unfortunately, not for this recipe.
This was delicious! Thank you!
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Erin, thanks for sharing!
This was so delicious. I do wish the sauce was thicker. Would there be a way to do that? I found it very tasty but very thin.
Happy you liked it a great question! In testing it, I noticed that the chicken breasts can affect the amount of liquid they release, which can affect the consistency. An easy fix would be to add a couple of tablespoons of flour to the cream mixture in step 4.
Thanks for the reply, and the suggestion. Will try that next time I make it.
My pleasure, happy to help!
I wish this wasn’t slow cooker, i’ve just seen the recipe and i want it tonight, looks soooo delicious!!