Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken (Dump-and-Go)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Sep 22, 2025 (last updated Apr 22, 2026) 
A slow cooker marry me chicken that’s creamy, easy, and requires zero pre-cooking! Just dump everything into the crockpot and come back to tender chicken in a creamy Tuscan tomato sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and spinach that truly is one of the best chicken slow cooker recipes ever.
5 star review
“I stumbled across this recipe yesterday. I have an extremely fussy eater in this house but thought I would give it a try. Hurrah! He loved it. It will now be a staple in this house. Thank you.”
– Caroline
Creamy Crockpot Marry Me Chicken is One of the Best Chicken Slow Cooker Recipes Ever!
This recipe has everything you want in a weeknight dinner: it requires minimal prep, uses pantry staples, and has a flexible slow cooker cook time, makes it doable even on the busiest days. The set-it-and-forget-it style means you can get back to the rest of your to-do list while dinner cooks itself, which you know is one of my specialties! Okay, now, let’s talk flavor. It’s sooooo comforting and familiar, kinda like a creamy tomato pasta sauce crossed with chicken Parmesan, but with a Tuscan-inspired twist from sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and spinach, similar to my top-rated marry me chicken soup and creamy marry me chicken pasta.
The chicken turns out juicy and tender, practically falling apart into a velvety sauce that clings beautifully to pasta, rice, or, ahem, my one-pot mashed potatoes! It’s cozy and family-friendly, but still layered and elegant enough to feel a little special. What really makes it stand out from other slow cooker dinners out there is the “marry me” twist, that irresistible creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes that feels restaurant-worthy without requiring any complicated steps.
I personally love making it on chilly fall and winter nights when I want something warm and satisfying, for weeknights when I don’t have time to hover in the kitchen, and even for at-home date nights when I want something romantic and cozy. It’s also easy to double for family gatherings or casual entertaining, making it one of those rare recipes that really does it all. I hope you love it! And for another variation on the same flavor profile, my marry me chicken orzo is a reader favorite that comes together just as easily.
Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Marry Me Chicken in the Slow Cooker!
Testing Tips for Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken
- I tested this with both chicken breasts and thighs, and found that thighs stayed extra juicy while breasts sliced beautifully for serving, so use what you love and have on hand.
- Pro tip: whisking the cornstarch with the cream before adding to the slow cooker makes the sauce thicken perfectly every time and avoids a watery sauce so common in slow cooker recipes!
- In my experience, this dish reheats really well. Just add a splash of broth or cream when warming to keep the sauce silky.
Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken (Dump-and-Go)
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can of tomato sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or chicken thighs)
To Add at the End
- ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, lightly drained before chopping
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups baby spinach
Equipment
Instructions
- Make the Sauce: Add the tomato sauce, garlic, salt, thyme and pepper to a 4- or 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to combine. In a small bowl, whisk the cream with the cornstarch until smooth. Pour into the slow cooker along with the tomato sauce, whisking until smooth.
- Add the Chicken: Add the chicken, and turn to coat evenly in the sauce. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on low, or until the chicken is cooked through (when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F).
- Finish the Sauce: Remove the chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest while finishing the sauce. To the slow cooker, add the sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and sugar, stirring until smooth. Add the spinach and stir until just wilted.
- Serve: Slice the chicken across the grain, if desired. You can add the chicken back to the sauce to warm through, and then serve, or and serve sliced with spoonful's of sauce over rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Tomato Sauce: Look for canned tomato sauce near the other canned tomato products at your local store. It should contain pureed tomatoes, spices, and salt.
- Cook Time: All slow cookers are different, and cook time will also depend on whether you’re using chicken breasts or thighs. In some cases the chicken may even be done in 2 hours, so check on the early side the first time you make this recipe to avoid dry chicken.
- Sugar: I use a very small amount of sugar in the sauce to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. You can skip it if you like, but I do recommend it.
Is it possible to sub coconut milk for the heavy cream? (Dairy allergy here!)
Yes, coconut works equally well for a dairy-free sub! Just be sure to use full-fat. And then you can sub a df parm like Violife or Follow Your Heart at the end!
I do not have a slow cooker. Can you make this in the oven?
Hi Lucia, I haven’t tested this recipe in the oven, so I’m not able to say. I will work on a stovetop version, but in the meantime I have a marry me chicken soup and marry me chicken pasta that are both lovely and don’t require a slow cooker!
Loved this! My son is DF so we all eat DF for dinner and this was an easy adjustment. I added a can of coconut milk instead of heavy cream and added some nutritional yeast instead of parmesan and it was still wonderful! No coconut taste. It was so good over some GF pasta (would also be great over mashed potatoes)!
Olivia, YAY, so happy this one as a hit and thanks so much for sharing your tips to make this a dairy-free marry me chicken recipe, so helpful!
Such a delicious, cozy meal, perfect for fall. It was very easy, we served it over mashed potatoes and I didn’t make any modifications except that I forgot the sugar. Next time I may add a little more chicken, I think there was enough of the cream sauce and use coconut milk as others have mentioned. Adding to our fall rotation. Thanks Robyn!
Gina, yay, so happy to hear this marry me chicken recipe was a hit! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
I stumbled across this recipe yesterday. I have an extremely fussy eater in this house but thought I would give it a try. Hurrah! He loved it. It will now be a staple in this house. Thank you.
Wonderful to hear this one was a hit even with the fussy eaters in your house, Caroline. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
It’s delicious. Thank you 🙏
Fantastic, so happy to hear this marry me chicken soup was a hit. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
Can I use heavy whipping cream?
Emily, yes you can!
This has become a staple for me and my family. With a 1 year old son and a lot of responsibilities with work it is so easy and taste great
Conor, I’m so happy to hear this recipe is so easy and tasty for you! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
So flavorful i’ve been thinking about it for months since making it
Nancy, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this marry me chicken in the slow cooker! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
I am on a low oxalate diet. What can I substitute for the spinach?
Hi Bev, just leave it out!
The name of this dish is EVERYTHING! Slow cooker meals that taste this gourmet are an absolute lifesaver for busy families. This looks unbelievably creamy and delicious!
How could I add pasta to the slow cooker to make it a complete meal all in one pot? Pasta at the beginning with everything or add halfway through ect?
Hi Sabrina, definitely do not add uncooked pasta to this recipe, it will not properly cook in the slow cooker. You can add par cooked (like halfway cooked) pasta (any shape) in the last 20 minutes if you’d like. Otherwise I think it’s best served with pasta cooked separately, mashed potatoes, or even polenta on the side for best results.
Can chicken be frozen? I plan on having this cook during my workday so it’ll be on the slow cooker over 7 hours.
Hi Mike, are you talking about adding the chicken frozen to the slow cooker? If so, I can’t recommend that method for food safety reasons. A programmable slow cooker is a great option if you’re at work all day, as you can set it cook for a certain amount of time and then it automatically switches to warm after that.
Hi there. The Missus said she would marry me if she hasn’t already done so. This meal was a big hit. I used honey instead of sugar but everything else was as written. I can’t wait to fit this into our meal rotation again. Thanks for sharing it!
How wonderful to hear this was a hit all around! Thanks so much for sharing your notes and for leaving a review.
This has been my #1 favorite slow cooker recipe ever! Crazy easy. Had thin cut chicken breast on hand, so I started with 2 hours on the slow cooker, and it worked perfectly. Absolutely making this one again.
Melissa, yay, I love this one too, especially for how silly easy (and pretty fast, too) it is. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
I’m excited to try this recipe. My kids don’t like sun dried tomatoes. What would you recommend I use in place of it ?
Christina, you can actually just skip them altogether. You’ll still have plenty of flavor from the tomato sauce and spices, so feel free to skip them in this recipe. Let me know how it goes!