This easy recipe is great for busy weeknights!
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Tender chicken breast in a sauce that's full of Italian flavor.
- Since it's all done in the
slow cooker you can have it any night of the week. - Slow cooking the chicken makes it so moist and falling-apart good.
This
The tender chicken breast simmers away in a jar of spaghetti sauce under melty, gooey cheese—and leaves the house smelling better than an Italian restaurant.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- I prefer boneless, skinless chicken breasts for crockpot chicken parmesan, but you can swap those for juicy chicken thighs. Just make sure they're boneless and trimmed of extra fat.
- If you don't have marinara sauce, add a tablespoon or so of dried Italian seasoning to flavor a store-bought jar of tomato sauce—or, make a blend of your own seasonings.
- Alternatively, use leftover homemade sauce instead of jarred pasta sauce. Or, make it right in the crock pot with two to three cans of crushed tomatoes and one of tomato paste! Season to taste.
- Spaghetti noodles are a chicken parmesan classic, but in this easy recipe, you can use whichever shape you prefer! Rigatoni, linguine, cavatappi, farfalle, and penne pasta are all good choices, too. Or, serve over cooked spaghetti squash if you're a fan!
- Sprinkle each piece of chicken with a spoonful of toasted, crispy bread crumbs when plating to give the meal that traditional chicken parmesan crunch!
- Garnish with parsley instead of fresh basil, and don't forget extra parmesan cheese!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Add sauce to
slow cooker . - Season chicken breasts and lay on top of the sauce.
- Pour more sauce over the top and cook on low.
- Sprinkle with cheese and cook 20 more minutes.
🥄 Equipment
You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Crockpot or
slow cooker with a lid - Large pot
- Grater
🥫 Storage
You can keep leftover crock pot chicken parmesan in the fridge for four to five days. Put it in an airtight container or in a dish covered with plastic wrap.
To reheat and enjoy your leftovers, warm them in the microwave, stirring once or twice until heated through.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Grate a ball of fresh whole milk mozzarella cheese for the most authentic flavor. Plus, the cheese melts better when it's freshly grated. You can pop the cheese in the freezer for a few minutes to help it grate more easily.
- Salt your pasta water well! The noodles absorb the salty water and, thus, the flavor. Just a teaspoon of salt usually isn't enough. For every pound of pasta, aim for one to two tablespoons of salt.
- Al dente pasta still has a bit of a bite and feels just slightly firm when you taste it. Test your pasta two minutes before the cooking time has elapsed to make sure you don't accidentally overcook the noodles.
- Avoid cross-contamination when handling raw chicken, and wash your hands immediately after touching it to prevent food-based illnesses.
- Coat plastic Tupperware with some olive oil or cooking spray before storing leftovers in it to prevent the red sauce from staining the plastic.
👩🍳 FAQs
Traditional chicken parmesan is an Italian dish. It's coated in crispy bread crumbs and baked or fried, then covered with sauce. A blend of mozzarella and parmesan cheese melts on top of the sauce.
It's just as tasty but so-o-o much easier! I love
In certain recipes, you can like my crockpot mac and cheese. However, depending on the other ingredients, sometimes it's best to cook the pasta separately. For this
You can, but sometimes it gets a little dry after thawing. If you'd still like to freeze your leftover chicken parmesan and pasta, let it cool, then transfer it to freezer-safe storage containers or bags. It'll keep for up to three months. For better results, let it thaw in the refrigerator before microwaving to warm.
📚 Related recipes
- Baked Eggplant Parmesan is another homestyle classic, and perfect for those looking for a slightly lighter, but just as satisfying, Italian dish.
- Talk about a cozy meal, Cheesy Chicken Crock Pot Spaghetti screams comfort food and freezes well so you can always have it on hand!
- Baked crisp on the outside, while moist and tender inside—just don't forget the lemon butter drizzle in this Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken.
🍽️ Serve with...
Italian Green Bean Salad is tangy and crunchy.
Garlic knot rolls are easy to make at home.
Holy Cow" Chocolate and Butterfinger Candy Cake is rich and chocolatey.
📞 The last word
I love crockpot recipes! They make a delicious dinner possible any night of the week.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Crockpot Chicken Parmesan
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 50 ounces marinara sauce, 2 jars - use your favorite
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more/less to taste
- 1 pound pasta, use your favorite
- 8 ounces Mozzarella, shredded
- 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons basil leaves, fresh
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Spray a slow cooker with no-stick cooking spray.
- Spoon about 1 cup of the pasta sauce in a thin layer in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add the chicken in a single layer.
- Cover with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours.
- Top with cheeses.
- Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes, or until the cheeses have melted.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to the instructions on the package.
- Drain well.
- Serve the chicken over the pasta or shred the chicken and stir the pasta right in to the chicken and sauce.
- Top with fresh basil before serving.
Notes
-
- Salt your pasta water well! The noodles absorb the salty water and, thus, the flavor. Just a teaspoon of salt usually isn't enough. For every pound of pasta, aim for one to two tablespoons of salt.
-
- Al dente pasta still has a bit of a bite and feels just slightly firm when you taste it. Test your pasta two minutes before the cooking time has elapsed to make sure you don't accidentally overcook the noodles.
-
- Avoid cross-contamination when handling raw chicken, and wash your hands immediately after touching it to prevent food-based illnesses.
-
- Coat plastic Tupperware with some olive oil or cooking spray before storing leftovers in it to prevent the red sauce from staining the plastic.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
Claire De Lun says
Iwould love to pair this up with some sesame toasted baguettes and a clear soup.
Pam says
Of course serving a great big tossed salad with all the veggies you can put into it!
Homemade red wine/vinegar dressing
A generous slice of garlic/parmesan bread. Or your 30min dinner rolls right from the oven! Which by the way are great!
Dessert would be a slice of homemade apple pie, or chocolate cake.
I'm hungry!!!!!
Maria Yates says
Homemade Crusty Italian Bread would be perfect with this delicoius Chicken recipe
Jenine says
I would serve this with a crusty loaf of bread, spinach and mushroom salad, sangria, and fruit tart to end this easy anytime meal.
Patti Couey says
I would serve a Caesar salad, homemade cheese straws, and shortbread cookies and coffee for dessert.