Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken

Finding a weeknight dinner that’s both impressive enough for company and simple enough for busy families can feel nearly impossible. Between work schedules, after-school activities, and everything else on your plate, the last thing you want is to spend hours in the kitchen preparing something that might not even turn out right.

That’s where this Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken comes to the rescue. It’s got that “wow factor” that makes it special enough for date nights or when you want to treat your family, but it practically cooks itself while you handle everything else on your to-do list.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Chicken breasts: You can easily use chicken thighs instead – they’ll stay more tender during the long cooking time. Bone-in thighs work great too, just add about 30 minutes to the cooking time.
• White wine: If you don’t have white wine, just use the full cup of chicken broth instead. The dish will still be delicious, just without that subtle wine flavor.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: Fresh cherry tomatoes (halved) or regular diced tomatoes work well here. If using fresh, you might want to add them in the last hour of cooking so they don’t get too mushy.
• Sour cream or heavy cream: You can use either one – sour cream gives a tangier flavor while heavy cream is richer. Greek yogurt works too, but stir it in at the very end to prevent curdling.
• Parmesan cheese: Romano or Asiago cheese make good substitutes, or you can skip the cheese altogether if needed. The dish will still taste great.
• Fresh herbs: Dried herbs work fine too – just use about 1 teaspoon of dried parsley or basil instead of the fresh amount.

Common Cooking Mistakes to Avoid

The biggest challenge with crock pot chicken is overcooking, which turns your tender chicken breasts into dry, stringy meat. Since chicken breasts cook faster than thighs, check them after 3-4 hours on low heat and remove them once they reach 165°F internally.

Adding the sour cream too early is another common mistake that can cause it to curdle and separate, so always stir it in during the last 30 minutes of cooking or after turning off the heat.

Don’t skip browning the chicken first if you have time, as this step adds extra flavor and helps the chicken hold together better during the long cooking process.

What Goes Well With Marry Me Chicken?

This creamy, flavorful chicken is perfect over a bed of rice or mashed potatoes to soak up all that amazing sauce.

I love serving it with egg noodles or pasta too – the rich, creamy sauce clings to the noodles beautifully.

For vegetables, steamed broccoli, green beans, or roasted asparagus make great sides that won’t compete with the bold flavors.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: This creamy chicken dish keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The flavors actually get even better after sitting overnight, so it’s perfect for meal prep. Just make sure to let it cool completely before storing to keep that creamy sauce from separating.

Freeze: You can freeze this marry me chicken for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers or bags. I like to portion it out into individual servings so I can grab just what I need.

Warm Up: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to bring the sauce back together. If you’re using the microwave, heat in 30-second intervals on medium power and stir between each one.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1400-1700
• Protein: 150-170 g
• Fat: 75-90 g
• Carbohydrates: 15-25 g

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 4 chicken breast fillets (with or without skin)
• 2 tsp dried italian herb blend
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp olive oil

For cooking liquid and flavoring:

• 1/2 cup white wine plus 1/2 cup water, or 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (if using wine)
• 2-3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

For the creamy sauce:

• 1 cup sour cream or heavy cream
• 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (optional)
• 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley or fresh basil

Step 1: Season the Chicken Breasts

• 4 chicken breast fillets (with or without skin)
• 2 tsp dried Italian herb blend
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Pat the chicken breast fillets dry with paper towels.

Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper, then sprinkle the dried Italian herb blend evenly over the surface.

Make sure each piece is well coated with the seasoning.

Step 2: Brown the Chicken

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• seasoned chicken breasts from Step 1

Heat the unsalted butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, or use the browning function on your slow cooker if it has one.

Place the seasoned chicken breasts skin side down (if using skin-on) and pan fry until the surface is golden, about 2-3 minutes per side.

If you’re browning the chicken in a separate pan, transfer it to the slow cooker after browning.

Step 3: Add Liquids and Flavorings

• 1/2 cup white wine plus 1/2 cup water, or 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (if using wine)
• 4 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• browned chicken breasts from Step 2

Turn the browned chicken breasts over and pour in the wine and water mixture (or chicken broth, if using that instead).

Sprinkle over the sweet paprika, garlic powder, and chicken bouillon granules (only if using wine).

Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes around the chicken.

These ingredients will infuse the chicken with rich flavor as it cooks.

Step 4: Slow Cook the Chicken

• 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (optional, for thickening)

Cover the slow cooker and set it to LOW.

Cook for 90 minutes to 2 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C) and is tender.

If a thicker sauce is desired, mix the cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry and stir it into the sauce about 10 minutes before cooking is done.

Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken for the final minutes.

(I often skip the cornstarch if I’m using sour cream, since it already makes the sauce nice and creamy.)

Step 5: Finish the Sauce

• 1 cup sour cream or heavy cream
• 2-3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley or fresh basil

Once the chicken is cooked through, push the chicken pieces to one side of the slow cooker.

Stir in the sour cream or heavy cream into the sauce until it’s fully incorporated.

Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese and chopped flat leaf parsley or basil.

For extra richness, I like to use heavy cream and freshly grated Parmesan here—it really makes the sauce velvety.

Step 6: Serve

Serve the creamy sun-dried tomato chicken hot over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes as you prefer.

Spoon plenty of sauce over the chicken and garnish with additional herbs if desired.

Enjoy your meal!

Juicy Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken

Delicious Juicy Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 39 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 18 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 57 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 1550 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the chicken:

• 4 chicken breast fillets (with or without skin)
• 2 tsp dried Italian herb blend
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp olive oil

For cooking liquid and flavoring:

• 1/2 cup white wine plus 1/2 cup water, or 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (if using wine)
• 2-3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

For the creamy sauce:

• 1 cup sour cream or heavy cream
• 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (optional)
• 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley or fresh basil

Instructions

 

• Pat the chicken breast fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper, then sprinkle the dried Italian herb blend evenly over the surface. Make sure each piece is well coated with the seasoning.
• Heat the unsalted butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, or use the browning function on your slow cooker if it has one. Place the seasoned chicken breasts skin side down (if using skin-on) and pan fry until the surface is golden, about 2-3 minutes per side. If you’re browning the chicken in a separate pan, transfer it to the slow cooker after browning.
• Turn the browned chicken breasts over and pour in the wine and water mixture (or chicken broth, if using that instead). Sprinkle over the sweet paprika, garlic powder, and chicken bouillon granules (only if using wine). Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes around the chicken. These ingredients will infuse the chicken with rich flavor as it cooks.
• Cover the slow cooker and set it to LOW. Cook for 90 minutes to 2 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C) and is tender. If a thicker sauce is desired, mix the cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry and stir it into the sauce about 10 minutes before cooking is done. Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken for the final minutes. (I often skip the cornstarch if I’m using sour cream, since it already makes the sauce nice and creamy.)
• Once the chicken is cooked through, push the chicken pieces to one side of the slow cooker. Stir in the sour cream or heavy cream into the sauce until it’s fully incorporated. Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese and chopped flat leaf parsley or basil. For extra richness, I like to use heavy cream and freshly grated Parmesan here—it really makes the sauce velvety.
• Serve the creamy sun-dried tomato chicken hot over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes as you prefer. Spoon plenty of sauce over the chicken and garnish with additional herbs if desired. Enjoy your meal!