Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan recipe - tender chicken breast topped with marinara, cheese, and crisp breadcrumbs! Easy crock pot dinner recipe!
The crock pot is great for making all sorts of recipes! I've made cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, desserts, and breakfasts with my slow cooker.
Since I don't like overly crunchy chicken parmesan, I thought that chicken parmesan that's made in the slow cooker would be good fit. That way you get a little crunch but mostly it's just saucy, cheesy chicken.
With this slow cooker chicken parmesan recipe, you end up with very moist chicken breast that's smothered in sauce and cheese. It's all topped with a bit of crunchy breadcrumb topping. All of which is my idea of delicious chicken parmesan!
How to make slow cooker chicken parmesan
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, Italian seasoning, basil, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker insert. Stir to combine the sauce ingredients.
Add the chicken and nestle the chicken down into the sauce. Cook for 4-6 hours on LOW, or until chicken registers 165F.
To make the topping, add olive oil to a pan. Stir in bread crumbs, and cook until toasted and golden brown. To serve, top chicken with sauce, cheeses, and toasted bread crumbs.
Tips
- Tomato sauce: I almost always get questions about what tomato sauce is when I use it in a recipe. Tomato sauce is a simply pureed tomatoes.
- Chicken: For this recipe, I recommend using larger chicken breasts. Using chicken breast halves, cutlets, or tenderloins can leave you with dry chicken.
- Cooking time: The cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breast used.
Can you put raw chicken in a crock pot?
You can! The raw chicken will fully cook in the sauce. If you aren't sure whether the chicken is fully cooked, check the temperature. The chicken should be 165F.
Can you put frozen chicken in a crock pot?
The USDA cautions against using frozen chicken in a crock pot as the meat could spend too much time in the danger zone which can lead to harmful bacterial growth. I have heard from people who like to use frozen chicken in the crock pot, but I don't see any reason to chance it.
How to serve
This chicken is great served over pasta like spaghetti. It is also great served on a hoagie roll for chicken parm sandwiches.
Sides that go well with this recipe
I serve this chicken parm with my 30 minute garlic knots or homemade garlic breadsticks and a green salad for an easy weeknight dinner.
More slow cooker dinner recipes!
If you’ve tried this slow cooker chicken parmesan recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!
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Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce1
- 4 ounces tomato paste
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried sweet basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 chicken breasts2
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Combine crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, seasonings, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker; mix well.
- Place chicken breasts in the sauce.
- Cook on low for 4-6 hours.3
- Remove chicken from slow cooker, and stir sauce.
- Top chicken breasts with sauce and cheeses.
- In a small pan, heat the oil over medium heat for a minute.
- Add the breadcrumbs, and cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes, or until toasted.
- Serve chicken topped with toasted breadcrumbs.
Notes
- Tomato sauce is a simply pureed tomatoes.
- For this recipe, I recommend using larger chicken breasts. Using chicken breast halves, cutlets, or tenderloins can leave you with dry chicken.
- The cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breast used.
- Nutrition facts are estimates.
Nutrition Information
Originally published 3/21/12. Updated with new photos and tips 9/6/19.
Elise
It was a hit! Since I have fresh basil in the garden I used fresh, but everything else I followed exactly. It was easy, easy, easy which is the way I like to cook.
Kate
Yay!! So happy to hear that! Thanks for commenting!
Floranet
One of the finest writing I have read so far!
Alyce
Once the chicken is removed from the crockpot, will it be hot enough for the cheese to melt? I would have thought that it would need to remain in the pot for a while for the cheeses to melt.
Kate
Hi! I've never had any issue with the cheese melting. Between the hot chicken and sauce, it seems to be enough heat for the cheese to melt.
Flowers Indiawide
Great!! It was so looking so yummy. You explained the recipe very well. Thanks for the precautions,I didn't knew that.
Kate
Thank you! I'm so glad that the explanation helped. =) Thanks for commenting!
Kris
Can you use frozen chicken breasts and if so, cook for how long?
Kate
I haven't tried using frozen chicken breast. I read that the USDA cautions against using frozen chicken in a slow cooker, and so I haven't tried it. I hope this helps!
Christina
If I do high can it be done in about 2?
Kate
I haven't tried cooking it on high. I worry a little with chicken breast about it drying out, but, again, I haven't tried it to say for sure. Good luck!
Dsauce
The top says cook time is 4 hours 5 minutes. The recipe says to cook for 6-8 hours. Which one is it?
Kate
Hi! Thanks for catching that! The cook time should be 4-6 hours. Thanks!
Jen
Easy and yummy! Thanks!
Kate
Glad you liked it! Thank you!