Easy Tuscan Chicken in the crock pot is the best easy way to make a simple dinner packed with a creamy sun dried tomato sauce. Low carb and gluten free.
Crock-pot Tuscan Chicken is so delicious!
We love this recipe for those days you "want something a little extra special" for dinner that you know will be a home run. This dinner has been around for over a decade but went viral recently on TikTok and is now called 'Marry Me Chicken' by some. It's seriously that good!
Is this recipe Italian? Tuscan chicken wouldn't be considered authentic Italian, but it does have Tuscan vibes with the sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and dried herbs. It took me going to Italy to understand that Italians don't cook with cream sauce, that's an American thing. They make cream sauces with melted cheese and pasta water. So consider this Italian American!
Ingredients list
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs - Fresh or frozen thighs or skinless chicken breasts will be great.
- Herbs & Spices - As always salt and pepper to taste, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika are what we used in this recipe.
- Heavy whipping cream - For a non-dairy option use only coconut cream or plant based whipping cream.
- Butter - Used for sauteing garlic and preparing the sauce. Ghee works great.
- Minced garlic - Use fresh garlic cloves, jarred minced garlic, or the frozen minced Dorot cubes (is what I often use). If you don't have those, garlic powder will work in a pinch.
- Sundried tomatoes - Jarred sun-dried tomatoes can come packed dry or in oil.
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- Baby spinach -Try using kale, swiss chard, or arugula in place of spinach.
- Garnish - Chopped fresh parsley
** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities *
Kitchen tools
- Crock Pot
- Saucepan for preparing your cream sauce.
How to make creamy Tuscany chicken
You make a quick cream sauce on the stove, dump most of the ingredients into the Crock Pot, and slow cook until the chicken is cooked through. Finish the dish by adding the baby spinach at the end.
Step 1: Heat the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium low. Saute the minced garlic for 1 minute, or until it's fragrant.
Step 2: Stir in the heavy whipping cream, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly to prevent the cream from burning, until the cream is hot.
Step 3: Add the shredded parmesan cheese in batches until it's melted, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted.
Step 4: Place the chicken thighs in the bottom of the crock pot. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Sprinkle the chopped sun-dried tomatoes over the top.
Step 5: Carefully pour the cream sauce over the top, trying to get as much of the sauce on top of the chicken thighs and not as much on the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step 6: Cook the chicken thighs for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. When they're cooked through, remove and set them aside.
Step 7: Turn the Crock-pot up to high (if it isn't already) and add the baby spinach to the pot, stir until they wilt.
Step 8: Add the chicken thighs back to the pot and spoon cream sauce over the top. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Jenni's tips
- Leftovers will keep up to 4-5 days in the fridge. If the sauce is too thick, add a little chicken broth or hot water to thin it out.
- We don't recommend freezing this since cream based sauces get a little grainy in the freezer.
- You can make this recipe dairy free by swapping the heavy cream, parmesan, and butter with your favorite plant based options.
Serving ideas
- Serve this with white or brown rice, pasta, gnocchi, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or sweet potatoes.
- For low carb ideas we love to serve this with roasted veggies, cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, or low carb pasta.
- This is a pretty hearty dish, just a green salad and bread would be great too!
Is this recipe keto?
We have a ton of low carb and keto friendly recipes on our website, so most recipes would be considered keto too! My husband lost 30+ lbs this way eating the recipes from our site.
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Recipe
Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken
Equipment
- Crock-Pot or Slow Cooker, 6 QT
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 3 teaspoons Minced garlic 6 cloves
- 1 cup Heavy whipping cream
- ¾ teaspoon Fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper
- ½ cup Shredded parmesan cheese
Season the chicken
- 2 lbs Boneless skinless chicken thighs trim fat pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ cup Sun dried tomatoes chopped (not in oil)
- 2 cups Baby spinach
- Garnish - Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium low. Saute the minced garlic for 1 minute, or until it's fragrant.
- Stir in the heavy whipping cream, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly to prevent the cream from burning, until the cream is hot.
- Add the shredded parmesan cheese in batches until it's melted, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted.
- Place the chicken thighs in the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Sprinkle the chopped sun-dried tomatoes over the top.
- Carefully pour the cream sauce over the top of the chicken, trying to get as much of the sauce on top of the chicken thighs and not as much on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Cook the chicken thighs for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. When the chicken is done, remove it from the pot and set it aside on a plate.
- Turn your slow cooker up to high (if it isn't already) and add the baby spinach leaves, cooking until the spinach wilts.
- Add the chicken back to the pot and spoon the cream sauce, spinach, and sun dried tomatoes over the top. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken breasts can be used instead of chicken thighs.
- Serve immediately over pasta, rice, gnocchi, potatoes, roasted veggies, zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, or palmini noodles.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge up to 4 days.
Kimberly Bishop says
I’m confused about the serving size….1 g? 1 gram? Thanks!
Marcey says
What side dish would you recommend with this?