Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken

Creamy, crock pot chicken breasts on a light brown plate. They are smothered in extra sauce.

5 from 6 votes

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken

Creamy tomato basil chicken is packed full of flavor but uses, staple simple ingredients that are then slow-cooked to perfection.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian American

Servings: people

Calories: 413kcal

Author: Jana Dziak

Equipment

Slow cooker (like a Crock-Pot).
Or Instant Pot with slow cooker function

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp tomato paste
14 oz canned tomatoes diced
5 cloves garlic
1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half, or use more canned tomatoes.
1 tsp dried basil or 1/2 cup fresh
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp seal salt
½ tsp black pepper
fresh basil for serving optional

Instructions

Add the heavy cream and cornstarch to the slow cooker. Whisk until the cornstarch and cream have thoroughly combined.
Next, add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, garlic, dried herbs, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine to make sure all the ingredients have been mixed thoroughly.
Add the chicken breasts and press them down slightly until covered with the sauce.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or low for 10 hours.

Notes

Hint: Don't remove the lid from the slow cooker while it is cooking. Doing so releases all of the heat, and it takes the slow cooker to get back to temperature. This will delay the cooking process.

Substitutions & Variations

More vegetables | To add more nutrients and flavor, consider adding vegetables like spinach, bell peppers, or zucchini during the last hour of cooking.
Thighs instead of chicken breast | You could use chicken thighs for this recipe.
Skin-on | You can use skin-on chicken; just pan-fry it until golden brown and crispy first. The skin will not remain crispy in the sauce after hours of cooking, but it will be delicious.
Less meat | Need to make the meat stretch? Cut the amount down in half and add more vegetables.
Veal | This sauce is delicious with thin veal cutlets, too.
Make it vegetarian | You could make this a completely veggie dish by substituting the chicken for just vegetables.

Storage, Freezing, & Reheating

This tomato basil slow cooker chicken is a meal you can prep. You can prepare the cream and tomato mixture the night before and refrigerate it. In the morning, add it to the slow cooker and the chicken and start cooking.

If you have any leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate once they have cooled. You can reheat in the microwave or gently on the stovetop. Adding a little water can help to give the sauce that creamy consistency. It will last in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Top tip

If you notice the sauce is a little thin, then you can create a slurry by mixing a bit of cornstarch with some water. Stir it into the slow cooker creamy tomato basil chicken and allow it to cook a while longer.

Nutrition