Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts

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Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts– Easy, delicious tomato basil chicken that slowly cooks to creamy, tender perfection with just a couple of common ingredients for a perfect weeknight dinner the whole family loves! 

picture of creamy tomato basil chicken in a slow cooker
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picture of creamy tomato basil chicken breasts in a bowl over pasta

Lazy Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts

What’s the best thing about this tomato basil chicken recipe? You add everything into the crockpot and forget about it until it’s time for dinner! This recipe is the easiest weeknight meal, but it tastes like take-out!

Hearty and healthy, these chicken breasts come out packed with a savory basil flavor and smothered in a creamy tomato basil sauce. Made with cream cheese, tomato sauce and Italian spices, it’s packed with delicious flavors the whole family will love. 

picture of creamy tomato basil chicken in a slow cooker

How To Make Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts  

Made with only 8-ingredients, this recipe is super easy to make! Get out your slow cooker, gather your ingredients, and sit back and relax! Here’s what you need to get started:

  • Diced tomatoes with Italian herbs- These can be found in the canned food aisle of the grocery store. 
  • Pasta sauce-I use traditional spaghetti or marinara sauce. 
  • Cream cheese– Let the cream cheese sit on the counter for 30-minutes to soften. 
  • Basil– Fresh is always best, but you can use freeze dried as well. 
  • Chicken breasts– boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best for this recipe, but you can use any boneless, skinless chicken you prefer. 
  • Seasoning– For flavor, you’ll need minced garlic, salt and pepper. 

Let’s get started…

  1. First, add the tomato sauce, cream cheese, diced tomatoes, garlic, salt, basil, and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir and mix well. 
  2. Next, add your chicken breasts to the slow cooker. Press it into the sauce until fully submerged. 
  3. Put your lid on the slow cooker. Set it on high and cook for 4-hours, or until the sauce has thickened. 
  4. Serve and Enjoy!
picture of creamy tomato basil chicken breasts in a bowl over pasta

Tips and Tricks to Perfect Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts and FAQs:

  • There will be lumps of cream cheese when you mix it with the sauce and spices. This is ok, we want it mixed but not too smooth. The lumps will melt as it cooks.
  • Check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should be 175? internal temperature.
  • Add more cheese. A cup of grated parmesan cheese is delicious on top. 
  • You can use chicken thighs in this recipe as well. Cooking time stays the same. 
  • If you want, you can shred the chicken before serving it. 

FAQs

What temperature should I cook this chicken at?

You should put your slow cooker on high to cook the chicken. However, you can also cook it on low, but will need to increase the time to 8 hours. 

How long does this recipe take?

With prep time and cook time, you can have this recipe done in about 4 hours and 10 minutes. Or, if you want to cook it on low, it will take 8 hours and 10 minutes. 

Can I use frozen chicken?

You can use frozen chicken instead, but you will need to increase the time by at least an hour. Additionally, you will want to check the internal temperature before you serve your chicken. Keep in mind that other professionals do not recommend cooking frozen chicken in the crockpot. This is all up to what you feel safe doing. 

How do you cut basil?

If you are going to use fresh basil, then you need to cut it down a bit. The best way to do this is by chaffolding the basil leaves. Roll the basil leaves horizontally and then carefully slice ribbons of basil off the rolled leaf. This will give you long ribbons of basil that you can use or can cut down further into smaller pieces. 

What pasta sauce do I use?

You can use your favorite pasta sauce or spaghetti sauce. You can use homemade sauce or buy a jar. Marinara is also a great sauce to use for this basil chicken recipe. 

How do I store leftover tomato basil chicken?

This chicken stores really well in your refrigerator for 3-5 days. Simply place it in a tupperware bowl and put it in your fridge. Additionally, it makes a great freezer meal. Let your chicken and sauce cool completely, and then put it in a freezer Ziploc bag. You can store it in the freezer for up to 3-months. 

picture of creamy tomato basil chicken breasts in a bowl over pasta

What To Serve With Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts

You can serve your juicy chicken in this delicious creamy basil sauce on top of rice, with pasta, vegetables, or potatoes. I like to serve these chicken breasts with a heaping pile of rice, my Roasted Parmesan Garlic Asparagus, my Pan Roasted Butter Carrots, or my Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts.

If you’re looking for more delicious, easy side dish recipes, click here to see our complete side dish recipe index.

Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts

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Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts

These Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts are creamy, delicious, healthy, and so easy to make in your crockpot.
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine slow cooker
Keyword basil, chicken, main dish, one pot, poultry, slow cooker, tomato
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 423kcal
Author Courtney O’Dell

Ingredients

  • 14 oz can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
  • 1 cup pasta sauce
  • 1 cup cream cheese softened
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup basil freeze dried or fresh, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

Instructions

  • Add tomato sauce, cream cheese, diced tomatoes, garlic, salt, basil, pepper to slow cooker and stir well to mix. There will be lumps of cream cheese which is ok, we want it mixed but not to smooth. 
  • Add chicken breasts to slow cooker, and press into sauce until submerged. 
  • Add lid, set slow cooker to high. 
  • Cook on high for 4 hours, until sauce has thickened and chicken has reached 175 internal temperature.
  • Serve with pasta, rice, vegetables, or potatoes and enjoy!

Notes

  • Stir the sauce, but don’t worry about lumps of cream cheese – they will melt. 
  • Add more cheese with up to a cup of grated parmesan cheese.
  • Use any pasta sauce you love – three cheese, tomato basil, and spicy arrabiata are all favorites of ours for this recipe. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 855mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g

About Courtney

Courtney loves to share great wine, good food, and loves to explore far flung places- all while masting an everyday elegant and easy style at lifestyle blog Sweet C’s Designs. Sweet C's devoted to finding the best food and drinks you'll want to make or find, around the world!

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