Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken (Print Page)

Boneless chicken simmered in a tomato-basil sauce, finished creamy if desired; serve over rice or zucchini noodles.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with juices
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy

05 - 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional, for creamier sauce)

→ Herbs & Seasonings

06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
08 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
10 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
12 - 10-12 fresh basil leaves, roughly torn (for serving)

# Directions:

01 - Lightly coat the inside of the slow cooker with olive oil to prevent sticking.
02 - Place the chicken breasts in a single layer at the bottom of the slow cooker.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine the diced tomatoes with juices, chopped onion, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir well to combine.
04 - Pour the tomato sauce mixture evenly over the chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
05 - For a creamier sauce, stir in the heavy cream during the last 10 minutes of cooking and allow it to heat through.
06 - Transfer the chicken breasts to plates and spoon the tomato basil sauce generously over the top. Garnish with freshly torn basil leaves.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce basically builds itself while you are gone, and it tastes like you stood over a stove for hours.
  • Four servings of tender chicken for under fifteen minutes of actual effort is the kind of math that changes your week.
  • It is gluten free and low carb without trying to be, which means everyone at the table is happy.
02 -
  • Do not lift the lid to check on it during cooking because every peek adds roughly 30 minutes to the cook time as the heat escapes.
  • Chicken breasts can dry out if left too long past the recommended window, so set a timer and trust it.
  • The sauce will look thin at first but thickens beautifully as it sits and reduces during the final hour.
03 -
  • Pound the chicken breasts to even thickness before cooking so nothing dries out while the thickest piece finishes.
  • A pinch of sugar in the tomato mixture tames any bitterness from the canned tomatoes and rounds out the flavor beautifully.

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