Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken
This Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken is juicy chicken smothered in a parmesan cream sauce with sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and spinach. Simply delicious and a perfect weeknight dinner that your family will love.
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This Tuscan inspired chicken recipe is so easy! The crock pot does all the work for you. It’s chicken breast (or thighs) with chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, artichokes, tomato sauce, and cream dumped into the crock pot and slow simmered for a couple of hours.
The flavors together are perfection. I love the chicken with the creamy tomato sauce over orzo, but its delicious alone, over rice, spaghetti or potatoes.
What you’ll need
This really is a hands off recipe. Just dump and go!
- 7 quart crock pot
- Chicken breast, or thighs- about 2 pounds total
- Seasonings– salt, pepper, basil, onion powder, oregano, garlic
- Artichoke hearts– I use canned artichokes, just drain and chop them
- Sun dried tomatoes– You can use the jarred sun dried tomatoes in oil or use the tomatoes in the bag. You can find the jarred sun dried tomatoes in the sauces aisle of the grocery store and the bagged sun dried tomatoes are in the produce section. The bagged variety tend to be less expensive.
- Crushed tomatoes– for the tomato-y sauce
- Chicken stock– for the sauce
- Fresh spinach– added at the end so it’s not over cooked
- Heavy cream– to make the sauce creamy, you can substitute plant based cream
- Parmesan cheese– the perfect salty, cheesy addition to the dish
- Orzo pasta for serving, I like to cook orzo in chicken broth for extra flavor. Orzo looks like rice, but it’s actually pasta so it’s cooked in liquid and drained, just like pasta.
How to make it
full recipe at the bottom of the post
- Spray the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken in the bottom, sprinkle over the seasonings, add in the drained and chopped artichoke hearts, the drained sun dried tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken broth.
2. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. (I do 3 hours so as not to over cook the chicken) Next, add in the heavy cream, spinach, and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
3. That’s it! I told you this was an easy recipe!
Serving suggestions
I love this saucy Tuscan inspired chicken over orzo pasta. Some other ideas:
- Over any grain such as quinoa, rice, or polenta
- Over any other pasta like spaghetti or penne
- With mashed potatoes
- Served with a side salad or your favorite veggie for a low carb option
Tips and Tricks
- For a dairy free option use plant based cream or canned coconut cream and leave the parmesan cheese out or use a plant based cheese. The coconut cream will alter the flavor a bit, but still scrumptious.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1 1/2- 2 hours. Check that the chicken’s internal temperature is 165ºF to ensure it’s cooked through.
- Use your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce in place of the canned crushed tomatoes.
- You can use frozen spinach instead of fresh. Thaw the spinach completely and dry it very well with towels before adding it to the crock pot.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an air tight container up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove.
- To freeze: Let the chicken and sauce cool completely and place in a gallon sized freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Do not freeze with the orzo or pasta, it won’t reheat well.
Love crock pot recipes? Try these:
Slow Cooker Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Crock Pot Apple Cider Pork Loin
Check out my Crock Pot Recipes E-Cookbook now available for purchase
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Crock Pot Tuscan Inspired Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 14 ounce can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes drained if in oil
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Orzo pasta for serving
Instructions
- Spray the crock pot with non stick cooking spray. Place the chicken in the bottom, sprinkle over the seasonings, add in the drained and chopped artichoke hearts, the drained sun dried tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken broth.
- Cook on low 3-4 hours, or until the chicken is 165ºF.
- Add in the spinach and heavy cream, stir together. Sprinkle in parmesan cheese.
- While cooking, prepare the orzo according to package directions. I like to cook it in chicken or veggie broth instead of water for more flavor.
- Serve chicken and sauce over orzo, garnish with parsley and additional parmesan cheese.
Notes
- For a dairy free option use plant based cream or canned coconut cream and leave the parmesan cheese out or use a plant based cheese. The coconut cream will alter the flavor a bit.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1 1/2- 2 hours. Check that the chicken’s internal temperature is 165ºF to ensure it’s cooked through.
- Use your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce in place of the canned crushed tomatoes.
- You can use frozen spinach instead of fresh. Thaw the spinach completely and dry it very well with towels before adding it to the crock pot.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an air tight container up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove.
- To freeze: Let the chicken and sauce cool completely and place in a gallon sized freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Do not freeze with the orzo or pasta, it won’t reheat well.
