Slow-Cooker Marry Me Chicken

This slow-cooker dish makes dinner so easy to prep and is so delicious that it might land you a proposal! Slow-cooker marry me chicken turns out the most tender, juicy chicken breast ever, and plenty of fresh herbs and garlic make it super flavorful. The dish has the same sun-dried tomatoes and rich Parmesan sauce as the original viral marry me chicken recipe, but this hands-off version frees you up to get other stuff done or to spend a few uninterrupted hours with your sweetheart!

Slow-cooked marry me chicken joins the family of recipes, like creamy marry me pasta, chocolate chip-filled marry me cookies and savory marry me pot roast, that you can make to really indulge the one you love.

Ingredients for Slow-Cooker Marry Me Chicken

• Chicken breasts: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this slow-cooker chicken recipe. No need to slice or butterfly them—the whole breasts cook perfectly in the braising liquid in the crock.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: Look for jars of sun-dried tomatoes stocked with Italian herbs and spices. They pack a sweet, super concentrated flavor that adds so much flavor and umami to this recipe.
• Garlic: Mince garlic at home instead of buying it at the store for this recipe. The potent, fresh flavor is essential. Use a tool like a food chopper or garlic press to process the garlic cloves quickly.
• Parmesan cheese: I like to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese because it melts smoothly into the creamy sauce for the chicken.
• Chicken broth: You can use either store-bought or homemade chicken broth. It has two purposes for this slow-cooker recipe: first, for braising the chicken, and second, for adding liquid to the sauce.
• Spinach: Fresh baby spinach leaves add flavor and color to the finished dish. They wilt so quickly that they can be added to the dish near the end of the cooking time.
• Cream: Use heavy whipping cream to make the rich Parmesan cheese sauce.
• Butter: Make a roux to thicken the sauce for marry me chicken. Melt salted or unsalted butter to get it started.
• Flour: A little all-purpose flour whisked into the melted butter completes the roux and quickly thickens the other sauce components as you add them.
• Spices: To complete the Italian flavors of this marry me chicken recipe in the slow cooker, use oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
• Cooked pasta: I like to choose chunky, short pasta shapes that hold on to the sauce, like rotini, rigatoni or cavatappi. The tender chicken and rich sauce are also delicious over hot cooked rice or mashed potatoes.
• Basil leaves: Sprinkle whole or chopped fresh basil leaves over the finished marry me chicken. The fragrant herb completes the indulgent dish.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the chicken

Stir the salt, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes and black pepper together in a small bowl. Then, rub this spice mixture over the chicken breasts, coating all the sides.

Step 2: Cook it in the slow cooker

Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of a 6- or 7-quart slow cooker, then stir the minced garlic into the broth. Place the seasoned chicken breasts into the broth and sprinkle the sliced sun-dried tomatoes over and around the chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook the chicken on low for two to three hours, or until a digital thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F.

Step 3: Remove the chicken

Transfer the cooked chicken and the sun-dried tomatoes to a plate and set them aside. Pour the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a heatproof measuring cup. (There should be about 1 to 1-1/2 cups of liquid.)

Editor’s Tip: You’ll use the slow cooker again, so keep it on low for later.

Step 4: Make the sauce

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, whisk in the flour, along with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook and stir the flour-butter mixture for one to two minutes, until thickened.

Then, pour in the warmed heavy cream and the reserved cooking liquid. Whisk the mixture constantly as you bring it to a simmer. Continue to whisk and simmer the sauce for one to two minutes until it has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk the grated Parmesan into the sauce and stir until it’s melted. Then, stir in the fresh baby spinach.

Step 5: Finish the dish

Pour the cheese and spinach sauce into the slow cooker set to low, then add the chicken breasts and sun-dried tomatoes back in. Spoon the sauce over the chicken breasts and warm them through in the slow cooker, about 10 minutes.

Step 6: Serve

Put portions of mashed potatoes, rice or hot cooked pasta onto dinner plates and top with the cooked chicken and sauce, getting some of the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes onto each plate. Sprinkle fresh basil leaves over the top and serve.

Slow-Cooker Marry Me Chicken Variations

• Try roasted red peppers: Instead of sun-dried tomatoes, slice jarred roasted red peppers into strips and add them to the slow cooker.
• Add more fresh herbs: Top dishes of marry me chicken with fresh thyme or oregano leaves, either in addition to or instead of the basil leaves.
• Give it some spice: For more heat in this dish, increase the amount of red pepper flakes with the chicken in the slow cooker or add some to the Parmesan sauce.

How to Store Slow-Cooker Marry Me Chicken

Once the marry me chicken has cooled, transfer the chicken and sauce to tightly sealed food storage containers and refrigerate. Store the cooked pasta, rice or mashed potatoes in a separate container.

How long does slow-cooker marry me chicken last?

When kept chilled in an airtight container, the slow-cooked marry me chicken and sauce will last up to four days.

Can you freeze slow-cooker marry me chicken?

It is possible to freeze marry me chicken, with one change to the recipe: Hold off on making the Parmesan cream sauce because it will not freeze well. Once the marry me chicken recipe has finished cooking in the slow cooker, it can be cooled and moved to a freezer-proof container along with the cooking liquid. Keep it in the freezer for up to three months. Move the dish to the refrigerator to allow it to thaw overnight. Then, make the Parmesan cream sauce just before serving the chicken.

How do you reheat slow-cooker marry me chicken?

You can reheat marry me chicken in a baking dish covered in foil. Place it in a 350° oven for 20 to 30 minutes until it’s warmed through. Another option is to transfer the chicken and sauce to a covered skillet and reheat it over medium-low heat on the stove, stirring occasionally to keep the sauce from scorching. Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave. Cover the dish loosely and heat it in short bursts until the chicken and sauce are warm.

Slow-Cooker Marry Me Chicken Tips

What can you serve with slow-cooker marry me chicken?

Complete this Italian-inspired dinner with any type of Italian bread, such as focaccia or our recipe for no-knead ciabatta. Add a Mediterranean salad or chopped Italian salad on the side for color.

How else can you use slow-cooker marry me chicken?

Adapting slow-cooker marry me chicken with your choice of ingredients is a clever way to get many different meal ideas from one recipe! Slice the cooked, cooled chicken and add it to homemade kaiser rolls or sub rolls to create a tasty sandwich. Drizzle the Parmesan sauce over the bread and add romaine lettuce and sliced tomatoes.

The chicken can also be folded into tortillas to make a wrap, with the sauce spread inside or served separately as a dip. Or, arrange the sliced chicken and sauce over soft rosemary flatbreads. Top them with shredded mozzarella and broil them until the cheese is melted and the meat is warmed through.

Here’s another idea: Turn marry me chicken into a casserole. Shred the chicken, then combine it with cooked spiral or penne pasta and the Parmesan sauce. Add in extra sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers if you like. Pour it into a baking dish, top it with more grated Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, and bake it until the sauce is bubbling.