Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken

This Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken recipe is an indulgent dish where tender chicken meets a medley of Italian-inspired ingredients. All slow cooked to perfection!

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken in a dark bowl on a dark surface.

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Why You’ll Love This

Not only is this an easy meal for your family it’s also fancy enough to serve dinner guests.

  • Simplicity – It’s incredibly easy to prepare. Make the sauce, toss, and set! It’s a time-saving restaurant-quality dish.
  • Tender and Juicy – Slow cooking ensures that the chicken turns out incredibly tender and juicy, practically melting in your mouth.
  • Flavor – The combination of Italian herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and chicken creates a rich and savory flavor profile.
  • Crowd Pleaser – It’s sure to please everyone! It’s also a keto and low-carb diet-friendly recipe.

Some of our other favorite Italian recipes we like to make are Italian Sausage Rigatoni, Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage, Italian Wedding Soup with Sausage, Creamy Mushroom Risotto, and Absolute Best Ever Lasagna.

Slow cooker tuscan chicken ingredients on a dark surface.

Key Ingredients

These ingredients combined create a blend of creamy, and savory, with a touch of sweetness from the sun-dried tomatoes, resulting in a flavorful and satisfying Tuscan chicken dish.

  • Chicken Thighs – We use boneless skinless chicken thighs for the most moist and tender chicken.
  • Seasonings – Unsalted butter, garlic, heavy cream, chicken broth (chicken stock), Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, fresh baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, kosher salt, and black pepper.

How to Make Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken

  • Place the chicken in the crock pot, and season it with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the diced sun-dried tomatoes over the top of the chicken. In a small saucepan heat the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for about 60 seconds, until fragrant.
Raw chicken and sun-dried tomatoes in a slow cooker for Tuscan chicken.
Butter with herbs with garlic just added in a sauce pan.
  • Add the chicken stock and heavy cream. Bring it to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. The sauce will be thin but should coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and whisk in the grated Romano 1/4 cup at a time. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Butter, herbs, and heavy cream in a sauce pan.
Adding parmesan cheese to the sauce for slow cooker Tuscan chicken.
  • Pour the sauce carefully over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
Pouring the Tuscan chicken sauce over raw chicken in a slow cooker.
Cooked Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken in a slow cooker.
  • Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove the chicken to a platter and turn the heat to high on the slow cooker. Add the spinach to the sauce and stir until it wilts. Spoon the cream sauce over the chicken or return the chicken to the slow cooker.
Adding spinach to the Tuscan chicken in a slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken sauce in a crock pot.

Serve and garnish with fresh parsley or basil if desired.

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken in a dark bowl on a dark surface.

Serving Suggestions

This Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken recipe is very versatile and can be served over any short pasta such as rigatoni, penne, or fusilli. Short pasta tends to hold the sauce better than long pasta.

You can also serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or with a side salad and Italian bread.

Keep it keto or low carb and serve it as is or over zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice.

Tips

  • Use a digital thermometer to ensure the chicken thighs are cooked thoroughly. They should read 175 degrees F.
  • I don’t chop the baby spinach but you can if you prefer.
  • You can use half and half or coconut milk in place of the heavy cream. Just know that the sauce will be even thinner and it will change the taste slightly.
  • You can substitute chicken breasts but they tend to dry out much faster than chicken thighs. So reduce the cooking time to high for 2-3 hours or low for 5 hours.
  • If you prefer a thicker sauce, add one tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon of cold water to help thicken. Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce in the crockpot 10 minutes before serving and allow it to cook until thickening.

FAQs

Can I use frozen or canned spinach?

You can just be sure to remove all the excess liquid. Frozen would be the best choice.

Storing

Store the completely cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezing

You can freeze the leftovers in a freezer safe container or resealable bag for up to 3 months. For the best results, reheat on the stovetop.

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Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken in a dark bowl on a dark surface.

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken

Flavorful, tender, juicy chicken slow cooked in a medley of Italian ingredients delivers a restaurant quality meal with very little effort!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Servings: 4
Calories: 684kcal
Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients
 

  • 2 lbs Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper
  • 1/2 cup Sun-dried tomatoes chopped
  • 1 tbsp Oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp Unsalted butter
  • 4 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup Chicken stock
  • 1 cup Heavy cream
  • 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated (or Parmesan cheese)
  • 3 oz Fresh baby spinach 2 cups – destemmed

Instructions

  • Place the chicken thighs in the slow cooker, and season them with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the diced sun-dried tomatoes over the top of the chicken.
    2 lbs Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 2 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, 1/4 tsp Black pepper, 1/2 cup Sun-dried tomatoes
  • In a small saucepan heat the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for about 60 seconds, until fragrant.
    1 tbsp Oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tbsp Unsalted butter, 4 cloves Garlic
  • Add the chicken stock and heavy cream. Bring it to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. The sauce will be thin but should coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and whisk in the grated Romano 1/4 cup at a time. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed.
    1/2 cup Chicken stock, 1 cup Heavy cream, 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese
  • Carefully pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker.
  • Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
  • Remove the chicken to a platter and turn the heat to high on the slow cooker. Add the spinach to the sauce and stir until it wilts.
    3 oz Fresh baby spinach
  • Spoon the sauce over the chicken or return the chicken to the slow cooker.

Notes

Serve over your favorite short pasta or rice. 
You can substitute chicken breasts but they tend to dry out much faster than chicken thighs. So reduce the cooking time to high for 2-3 hours or low for 5 hours.
Thicker Sauce – For a thicker consistency sauce mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water, then add it to the sauce and let the sauce cook on high in the crockpot for about 10 minutes.
Storage – Place completely cooled chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Or you can freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 684kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 317mg | Sodium: 884mg | Potassium: 1286mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3257IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 390mg | Iron: 5mg

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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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