When I first cooked Crockpot Tuscan Chicken, it was a game-changer. The creamy, garlicky Parmesan sauce with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes took me by surprise with its incredible flavor. What’s amazing is how easy it is to put together, perfect for busy weeknights but classy enough for entertaining guests. Trust me, once you try this dish, you’ll understand why it’s become a go-to in my kitchen! Tuscan chicken might not be from Italy, but was created much closer to you. It’s the brainchild of Olive Garden and became very popular, as people fell in love with the beautiful combination of ingredients and colors in this dish. It has classic Italian flavors in the form of sun dried tomatoes, plenty of parmesan and bright green spinach. Red, white and green… the tricolor of the Italian flag! Today I am making this in the crockpot instead of stove top. I want the chicken to slow cook in the sauce for a long time to create a beautiful delicious sauce, almost like liquid gold, with the end result of fall off the bone tender meat. I like the fact that once the chicken and sauce goes in the crock, I am completely free to do whatever I want, as it doesn’t require active hands-on attention. On extremely lazy days, I actually plop all the ingredients straight into the crock and still end up with mighty good Tuscan chicken. If you want some good color and added flavors, you need to prep the chicken and make a quick sauce before dumping everything in for slow cooking. I personally don’t mind a few minutes of prepping the ingredients if the end result is like the following picture. What do you say?
What cut of chicken to use
For Tuscan chicken, any chicken part works, but in my experience, dark meat is best for slow cooking. I prefer boneless, skinless thighs, they’re perfect for the crockpot. They turn out tender and packed with flavor. I can see bone-in, skinless thighs working very well here also.
Ingredients Needed
Chicken Garlic Butter Cream Chicken stock (optional) Parmesan cheese Sun dried tomatoes – Diced or cut into strips. Spinach Herbs and spices – Italian seasoning, chili flakes, freshly cracked black pepper, salt
How to Make Crockpot Tuscan Chicken
First, I season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and chili flakes (the flakes are optional, but add a nice punch of flavor). Then, I heat up some oil or butter in a skillet or cast iron pan. Once it’s hot, I sear the chicken for about 5-6 minutes on one side until it gets a nice golden color, then flip and sear for another 3-4 minutes. After that, I transfer the seared chicken thighs into the crockpot. Lazy day tip 1: I sear the chicken mainly for the color, and browning the meat adds tons of flavor to the end result. I understand completely if some days you just want to place your chicken thighs straight in the crock after seasoning. Now making the quick parmesan cream sauce… In a pan, I melt some butter and sauté garlic for about 30-40 seconds until it’s fragrant. Then, I pour in cream and chicken stock (or extra cream if you don’t have stock) and stir for 3-4 minutes. Next, I add Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning, cooking for another couple of minutes until everything is creamy and well combined. Finally, I toss in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for just a minute to let their flavors meld with the sauce. That’s it. Once the sauce is ready, I pour it over the chicken thighs in the crockpot, making sure they’re fully coated. Then, I cover the crockpot and let everything cook. Lazy day tip 2: I mix cream, melted butter, garlic, chicken stock, Italian seasoning, parm cheese and sun dried tomatoes in a bowl and pour it all over the chicken. Lazy day tip 3: Instead of making the sauce at home, you can use store bought alfredo sauce along with sun dried tomatoes. Sometimes you just need quick hacks to make life that much easier… I totally get you 🙂 I cover and cook for 3-4 hours on HIGH or 6-8 hours on LOW. When the chicken is tender and cooked, I stir in spinach and cover and cook till it’s wilted. That’s it!! When you open the lid, you will be greeted by a meal that’s not only delicious, but also pretty looking. It’s amazing that just a few simple ingredients can create such a flavor bomb.
Variations
Can I make It on stove top?
Of course, in about 30 -40 minutes. After the initial steps of seasoning and searing the chicken, I’ll plate it out and then use the same pan to whip up that creamy Parmesan sauce we talked about earlier. Once the sauce is ready, I’ll return the chicken back into the pan, cover it up, and let it cook for about 20-30 minutes until it’s cooked through and tender. Finally, I’ll stir in some spinach and let it cook until it wilts. Simple!
How about Instant Pot?
First, I season chicken with salt, pepper and red chili flakes. To prepare Tuscan chicken in the Instant Pot, start by heating it up using the SAUTE mode. Once it’s hot, add oil and butter. When the butter is melted, sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown. Then, plate it out. In the same Instant Pot, add more butter and sauté garlic for 30-40 seconds. Pour in cream and chicken stock (or extra cream if you don’t have stock), stirring for 3-4 minutes. Next, add Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning, cooking for another couple of minutes until the sauce is creamy and well combined. Toss in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for a minute. Return the chicken back into the sauce. Seal the lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes, then allow for a natural release of pressure for 10 minutes. Once done, put the Instant Pot back on SAUTE mode. Stir in spinach and cook until it wilts.
Serving Suggestions
So guys, if you haven’t made this Tuscan chicken yet you are soo missing out on greatness! Tonight is the night to treat yourself to this fabulous and easy chicken dish drenched in the most amazing sauce. While you’re here, check out my roundups of the best Spinach Recipes and best Mediterranean Recipes. Let me tell ya again… this is a winner, winner Chicken Dinner!
Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great recipe in your Crock Pot!Barbacoa PorkCrack ChickenIslander PorkHawaiian Pineapple ChickenGuinness Beef StewMeaty Cabbage SoupDublin CoddleCrockpot Greek Chicken
